Daft Questions?

R

rockinghorse

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I am ready to duck.....................
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1. Read so many posts about horses being kept in 24/7 due to big freeze. ( is this mainly due to commercial yards who refuse turn out on the grounds that if there is an incident the owner could claim?)
2. For those that are kept in as owners fear they may get over excited & cause injury in a snow / ice, then when turned out (when no snow or ice) do these horses behave calmly ie. never get excited in wind, rain or on sunny summer days?
3. Surely horses that are kept in longer without exercise are more likely to get excited when eventually they smell freedom therefore storing up energy for disaster?

I know that there are some days when the ground is dangerous and risk of slipping, tripping & falling but either we tread carefully or ensure there is surface (temporary muck or straw etc) where we can carefully tip toe to the field........

Prepares to go and hide for the on slaught
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ps. no offence intended and apologies if my comments cause any distress.
 
Not daft, think it's more about those stuck on yards and cannot turn out rather than anything else. Ours fight to get out in the mornings and fight to get back in at night. Could never leave them in 24/7, they would hate it ! Understand some don't have the choice..
 
I could turn out if I wanted to, and when it isn't too bad, he does go out during the day. It's not my YM's decision, I could have him out 24/7 still if I wanted to.
The reason he is in pretty much 24/7 atm is his clumsiness, nothing to do with excitedness. Clumsiness + a tonne of horse + sheet ice = not good. When I muck him out I chuck him out for about half an hour, but I have to half keep an eye on him as he thinks it is fun to go to the top of the hill, trot half way down and then slide the rest of the way. Repeatedly. There is only me and the YM at the yard, and she doesn't live on site, so if he were to slip and hurt himself in the morning after we go, then nobody would be there to notice he had hurt himself until the afternoon/evening. Thats why he is in most of the time, far from ideal and as soon as the ice starts going he will be out again all day, but for his own safety I choose to keep him in atm.
 
Off topic, Suffolkangel that dog in your sig has the most fantastic ears!
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Have to be photoshopped? If not, tell the dog well done. They are cracking
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QR Personally I would not risk turning either of my lot out on freezing ice especially when there is a small incline to negotiate both on way to field and way back. Field is some distance from the yard and the long path gets frozen as well.
There is no nutrition to be gained from turn out during winter just exercise and a stretch of the legs. If a stretching of the legs means that there is a risk of either me or any one of my horses ( have 3) falling over and getting injured then I simply won't do it.
I cannot afford huge vet bills and neither can I afford to be laid up at home suffering with a broken limb not being able to earn a wage, or get down to see to the horses or pay for full livery services which I would have to if I became injured.
I guess with me personally it is the "what if?" factor.
If people are wishing to take risks then it is up to them. If they are in a financial position to be able to cope should horsey get injured or they do and can afford to pay for 24/7 care then that it is up to them.
Luckily I have horses that don't prat about too much on turn out after being in. Neither do any suffer with swollen legs. They don't mind being in either and seem very chilled about the whole thing. I do understand some horses hate it though so in that case owners have no choice but to try and get them out whatever it takes.
There is always a school to use as well for a quick turn out and stretch of legs and I may consider using that at the weekend if my horses remain in due to the weather as the school is more easily accessible than the fields.
I think it's a case of each to their own. You will never find a common ground on this issue because each horse is different and so is each owner.
What may work for one horse and their owner may not work for others.
I would certainly not condemn anyone for turning their horses out in icy conditions. It is their choice at the end of the day. It is also their risk too should anything happen.
But at the same time I would not expect to be condemned for keeping my horses in, and I would not look down upon anyone else who did the same.
We all do things for our own reasons and should not have to explain our actions to others.
What I or in fact anyone else does with their horses ( unless it involves cruelty or neglect) is none of anyone's business, and that includes turning out during winter!
 
I have 8 horses including a 6 month old right up to a 19 year old and most of them are happy to go out for most of the day. Luckily I only have a few yards walk from my stables to the field and they have a large feeder full of hay that keeps them happy. They let me know when they want to come in as they appear back at the field gate. My 2 year old hates the snow and 'hides' at the back of her box and if I put her out she just stands at the gate waiting to come in so she is in full time at the moment and is happy as she can see the others in the fields! The others all go straight down for a roll in snow...Is that normal?
 
Yes my cob likes to roll in the snow
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Mine do go out in the snow and have done in the past. Snow doesn't bother me to be honest if they want to go out and have a stretch. It is just the ice that does as the tracks can get very slippy and for me personally it is not worth the risk.
 
We have the herd living in at the moment

One has a history of an unstable pelvis and pulled back muscles - after more than a year getting him right - he does not go out to prat about (guaranteed) - regardless of the weather. He gets supervised exercise only.

One does not go out at the moment as he regularly jumps between fields - last time he went out, he tried to canter towards the post and rails, slid 40 yards, fell over and slid straight through the fence, taking out the post with his forehead.

Baby show horse is on holiday and goes out for as long as he wants - between 10 mins and 2 hours - his choice.

Old boy only goes out when ground is soft - he has lots of arthritis and hard frozen ground absolutely murders his joints. He is sounder staying in, on 3 legs if he's been out.

The 3 are fit and well, happy in their stables and would be hunting hard if there wasn't so much of the white stuff about. I know lots of horses hate being in - but the religion of "turnout good, keeping in bad" is not right for all horses. I would agree with fantasma
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i work on a commercial driving yard becasue no of trhe horse can be worked due to roads, they all in at night anyway. so during day they will go out for a few hours eto enjoy themselves. usually around 5 hours depending on weather. and the other day when it was sunny they all went out NAKEDDD! hehe, it was warm in sun so we let them get down have a good roll after always being rugged up for months.

while its been snowing they've had a nice holiday!
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I can't get my horses out as there is a long sloped hill which is hard enough for me to walk up, never mind while leading a horse. Also, the fields are very icey as the snow has sort of iced over and it's so slippy. Someone on the yard turned her horse out on it and he has cut his leg open after tripping over.
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They are usually out 24/7 as much as possible but the ice is dangerous.

Most of us on the yard our keeping the horses in, but the yard owner hasn't made us.- SHe is keeping hers in too. (which makes me feel slightly better!
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