Cruel?

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horsesatemymoney

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Hi, I have a youngster (2.5) that I have had almost a year who lived out until I bought him. Now, coming into winter, he is settled in a routine (in at night, out in the day) but is going to only be turned out 3 times a week for the rest of winter- was thinking of turning him away and moving him to where he could live out all winter and bringing him back to his current yard in Spring. (I have another horse here who is ridden and would not live out).

Is this unfair, to change his routine and friends for 3 months, and then bring him back or is it worse to have a youngster in pretty much all of winter?

I'm also worried as the field is pretty dark and not near any houses- anybody had any security issues with horses living out? Thanks :D
 
I wouldn't like to shut him in for the Winter, leaving his friends for 3mnths is the lesser of two evils in my opinion.

It would drive many horses mad being shut in so much and it would be even worse for a youngster who isn't even being worked to distract him on the days where there is no turnout.
 
Turn away with a companion. Not fair to keep a youngster of that age in for that amount of time - especially as not a horse in work. No experience of security issues I'm afraid, other than making sure your horse is freezemarked and microchipped, rugs postcoded, padlock and chain on the gate and make sure the field is secure.
 
Turnout with some company as hate to see any horse stuck in a stable for a lengthy time -unless for good reason- as horses are designed to graze and roam and not be confined to a box fed already grazed fodder.
 
Thanks- I've never had a horse living out before, would be with about 10 other horses so def not alone also only a mile or so away from home so clearly I'd be checking and feeding him everyday and catching him etc- just a bit nervous about it all but can't bare the thought of him in a stable all winter :(
 
Hi I think it depends on the horse and whether they could cope with the time in. Would you be able to turn out in an arena at all on the days he wasn't turned out in the field? You could also consider taking him for walks, grazes in hand so he gets time out of the stable.
I have owned a number of youngsters and some would have preferred to stay in their current routine and been stabled and others would prefer the turnout option. Personally as someone who has experienced security problems I would prefer the stabled option if there was any doubt over the security of the turnout location.
 
Turn him out with his companions. Only proviso - you say he would be with 9-10 others. What are the feeding arrangements for hay/haylag?. You should have more piles than there are horses, at a fair distance from one another, otherwise you get bullying and some horses not getting enough feed.

Also, is there going to be a fenced off area where you can attend to your horse without the unwanted attentions of the 9 others - particularly if you are feeding?
 
Agree totally with Cptrayes. Far better he is out with company than stuck in for days at a time. Not good for any horse, let alone a youngster.
 
WandaMare said:
Hi I think it depends on the horse and whether they could cope with the time in. Would you be able to turn out in an arena at all on the days he wasn't turned out in the field? You could also consider taking him for walks, grazes in hand so he gets time out of the stable.
I have owned a number of youngsters and some would have preferred to stay in their current routine and been stabled and others would prefer the turnout option. Personally as someone who has experienced security problems I would prefer the stabled option if there was any doubt over the security of the turnout location.
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Me too.

As long as he is out every other day for daylight hours and he will have company in the stables while he is in, then that is what I would do. He will adapt pretty well.
One very wet winter, I had to do this with my lot due to the wetness of our fields. They were allowed to trash the bottom one (2 acres) but the others were totally off limits so I had to take it in turns with them. I found they preferred to be in all day and out the next rather than only be out half a day every day if that makes sense. The ones staying in were hayed before the others were turned out and never bothered at all, spent most of the day sleeping; when it was their turn to go out, same for the others but when I tried to give them both turnout the same day, that was when they got upset; they preferred the all or nothing regime. So it seems routine is the key, if you can give that then it might be a solution.
Before anyone slates me for having too many on the ground, it was an emergency as someone had unexpectedly lost their grazing so I had 5 extra on top of my 5; normally we cope well and they're all out every day.
 
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