Decision made, I am no longer turning out

charlie76

charlie76

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Having read many posts on here and ummimng and ahhing about turning out imhave decided that I'm keeping them in until the relentless rain stops.
The horses don't want to be out, they run around and trash the lands, pull shoes and hurt themselves, get plastered in mud then ask to come in.
Then you almost risk life and limb bringing them in as they drag you back to the yard and you mud ski !
Enough is enough. I will no longer feel guilty about them being in.
I am fortunate enough to have a dry arena so can work them twice a day if needed.

Please stop raining!¡
 
I keep wondering if I should do the same but I don't have a school and there's not enough daylight to hack after work - and tbh, I just can't face mucking out 3, twice a day! Mine seem quite happy stood in mud eating hay!
 
My 4yo's been in for the last 6 days because of mud fever that won't budge, vets have tried loads and suggested keeping her in now for it to dry out and its looking much better. She's actually really happy and settled being in so i don't feel too bad, but would like to get her out again soonish so would appreciate if it stopped raining just for a few days atleast! If it doesn't let up soon we'll have to restrict turn out to alternate days from next week :(
 
I've had this very lightbulb moment myself today. To an extent, anyway. I'm going to keep him in far more. He doesn't care, he'll have hay, his treatball and be warm and dry. He's going to go out a couple of days a week then stay in happily eating hay. There's no point bar for a leg stretch and a social that he should be out so much, the fields are horrible.
 
The only year I kept my 3 horses in because of mud and rain, 2 had Equine Grass Sickness some weeks after being turned out and one died. Never again. Mine are turned out on to the grass for a few hours at least every day regardless of the weather. Mud is easy to cope with compared to EGS.
 
Meredith said:
The only year I kept my 3 horses in because of mud and rain, 2 had Equine Grass Sickness some weeks after being turned out and one died. Never again. Mine are turned out on to the grass for a few hours at least every day regardless of the weather. Mud is easy to cope with compared to EGS.
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Most liveries do not offer daily turnout in winter, particularly with a winter as bad as this. In my mind, provided the horse is looked after in the stable and it's not a particularly stressy being in, then it's better they have restricted turnout than spend all summer on bare fields afterwards.
 
Meredith said:
The only year I kept my 3 horses in because of mud and rain, 2 had Equine Grass Sickness some weeks after being turned out and one died. Never again. Mine are turned out on to the grass for a few hours at least every day regardless of the weather. Mud is easy to cope with compared to EGS.
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Is there a link between horses staying in and EGS?
 
I don't think I said I was keeping my horses in 24/ 7??? I have my own yard, I am there all day and can get them out as much as possible for a leg stretch. I am lucky!
We move next week and have indoor turn out and walker.
I have never heard of a Link between egs and staying in.
 
LeannePip said:
My 4yo's been in for the last 6 days because of mud fever that won't budge, vets have tried loads and suggested keeping her in now for it to dry out and its looking much better. She's actually really happy and settled being in so i don't feel too bad, but would like to get her out again soonish so would appreciate if it stopped raining just for a few days atleast! If it doesn't let up soon we'll have to restrict turn out to alternate days from next week :(
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Hi - try washing the affected areas with Nizoral shampoo - works really well. Just dilute with hand hot water,lather up well and into the hair, ensuring that you go beyond the currently affected area. Leave 20 mins, then rinse and towel dry.

If it really isn't budging then check all your feed for Lucerne (Alfalfa), peas, beans and other legume type plants. If you find the feed has them in it stop feeding immediately - this also includes clover. Some horses become photosensitive when being fed legume plants.
 
Last year we took the decision to change the layout of our yard and now have a big concrete yard in front of the stables. I never shut the stable door and so horse can walk about to his heart's content all day, go in and out of his stable but also stretch his legs. Best thing we could have done laying the concrete down. Our fields were under a foot of water yesterday but its gone now. However, no point in trashing them when they are as fragile as they are.
 
I live in an area that has had quite a lot of EGS over the years. Most cases occurred after being turned out after restricted grazing. Anyway that's what happened to mine. So I turn out every day I can and make sure bellies are full of hay first and legs well oiled. Perhaps I'm wrong but I thought a possible cause of EGS, as well as a link to botulism, was the change from hard feed to grass when the digestion is not prepared for it. You can only choose to do what seems best to you at the time using the information you can gather.
Anyway, sorry OP, I seem to have drifted off subject.
 
Until Christmas I was having the best year ever regarding turnout. The horses were even all out without rugs in the field between Christmas and New Year. Now even the all weather sand turnout is completely waterlogged. They don't seem to mind though and the wet sand really cleans out their feet, but it doesn't look pretty! I am turning out around 8 am and they are ready to come in again by 2 pm. Then they are very content to stay in their stables. I have standing water in the fields in places I have never seen before. The mud is awful so I won't be using the fields again until it improves.
 
mine are generally out 24/7 from December through to March because we usually have wet winters in this part of the country. Last year they were out on 30 acres, this year on 6. Even though they are up on a hill, they were standing in water so brought them in (home) on the 29th. I have fenced off part of my own paddock that won't get deep that they can trash so they are still getting a few hours a day. Hopefully they'll all be back out the end of this week. They seem quite happy and their feet are improving! I have big stables. I worry about colic when they are out on standing water and mud-even though mine have plenty of grass and are supplementary fed.

For future winters I am renting a byre on the farm where I rent additional grazing so they can have regular weather breaks and one day I will dig up the front lawn and put a pea gravel area down for them.
 
It's the social thing for me, I wouldn't keep my horses on their own in a stable, even if they could touch noses with another or groom or whatever, they need to be able to fully interact. So mine are in a yard with stable doors open. Bedding, hay and water available inside, hay and water outside and I put them on the school together every couple of days to see if they need a quick blast. One is ridden, two not.

Social interaction is so important to my lot. I often go up to the yard and find all 3 sleeping in the same stable, guarding over each other as they do outside and sometimes all 3 laying down in the same stable. I wouldn't take this away from them unless absolutely necessary (ie emergency situation)
 
Tnavas said:
NO - not at all - current thinking is possible botulism and as grass sickness comes from eating grass (possibly haylage/silage) then keeping them in is really a factor.

It is known that some areas are more likely to be affected.
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It is possible that removing horses doing ok on prone land for an extended period of time may reduce any inherent resistance that they have- As horses 'new' to that grazing are affected. Although it might also be related to a wet period causing more problems.

Mum is at home on the somerset levels with a small yarded area and 3/4 acres of land with a mare not needing too much grass. She usually has access to an acre of mostly foggage at any one time and can still get on the yard/stable but chooses to be out.
We are on chalk in wilts, turnout on a hill with no natural shelter. I did think F would want to come in early with his field mate yesterday given the sideways rain but he was quite happy instead. At his slightly creaky age he is better rugged and out.
 
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our turnout is ok. but my big horse had a cracked heel so they are turned out in a cow barn with a round bale and straw down one end. I was bringing them in to their stables at night but decided to put them out one day last week when there was some nice weather. One came in with a missing shoe and my old boy has tweaked something and it now lame, back to the cow barn it is, much safer!
 
Mine are never in. Feed hay all year round due to losing two to EGS.

My cob is on hard standing with a field shelter and many high tech rugs. She doesn't mind standing out in the rain. Only uses the shelter if its windy.
 
Decided yesterday that as the fields were sooooo wet the horses could stay in for a few days. However, I went out to give them more hay at 11.00 and the sun was shining so I popped them out for a few hours - just going to go and get them in now as it looks like more rain.

I usually have them out from about 7.15 to 4.00 but this year they have all been wanting in early and have only been going out a four hours a day.
 
Ours have been off the fields since early December, but still going out for at least 8 hours apiece in the outdoor arena (plus work, of course). I must care for my horses AND my land, and both reward me consequently. I am not all that concerned that the horses may be wet (they are, in fact, waterproof - and there are always rugs), but the land is sodden and cannot take any more.
 
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Tnavas said:
NO - not at all - current thinking is possible botulism and as grass sickness comes from eating grass (possibly haylage/silage) then keeping them in is really a factor.

It is known that some areas are more likely to be affected.
Click to expand...

There is a link between EGS and horses who are kept in but the link is that horses who have sent long periods with no turnout especially when young are at much higher risk of EGS when they do get access to grazing .
Such horses should never start have turnout during the high risk times for EGS ( round here that's spring and early summer .)and should always have very restricted grazing very gradually increased and should never be feed only grass .
As far as I am aware keeping your horse in during a period of almost biblical wet has no bearing on EGS.
 
We have no choice. From Oct to April usually (but dependent on weather) ours come in off the fields and go into a sandpit for a couple of hours a day. its the best thing for them.
 
Tnavas said:
Hi - try washing the affected areas with Nizoral shampoo - works really well. Just dilute with hand hot water,lather up well and into the hair, ensuring that you go beyond the currently affected area. Leave 20 mins, then rinse and towel dry.

If it really isn't budging then check all your feed for Lucerne (Alfalfa), peas, beans and other legume type plants. If you find the feed has them in it stop feeding immediately - this also includes clover. Some horses become photosensitive when being fed legume plants.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that i'll have a look :)
 
How I wish I had my own land to manage as I see fit. Unfortunately I'm on DIY livery and the decisions are taken out of my hands. I 'could' turn my horses out everyday if I wanted but come spring I would have no grazing for them. There is no all weather pen, no outdoor school for daily turnout. We have a small indoor school but horses have to be on lunge line or lead rope so no chance of kicking up their heels. No horse walker and no hard standing that can be used for turnout/exercise. I can't move yards even if I wanted to (I don't as I love the yard) as all the yards in the area only offer the same facilities. If my winter paddock is to see me through until March then there are days when my horses have to stay in, although they're never in for more than 2 days in a row.
 
mine were going out each day but are now shut in - they have an open fronted field shelter on my yard which adjoins 20x40 arena - they have access to this at all times. Would rather they were wandering around grazing but fields wont stand it anymore. Gripes in field are doing their job and have over a foot of water in - rest of field looks dry but it would only take one mad dash round by nags and it would all be mud (gateway is already mud)
 
Wheels said:
It's the social thing for me, I wouldn't keep my horses on their own in a stable, even if they could touch noses with another or groom or whatever, they need to be able to fully interact. So mine are in a yard with stable doors open. Bedding, hay and water available inside, hay and water outside and I put them on the school together every couple of days to see if they need a quick blast. One is ridden, two not.

Social interaction is so important to my lot. I often go up to the yard and find all 3 sleeping in the same stable, guarding over each other as they do outside and sometimes all 3 laying down in the same stable. I wouldn't take this away from them unless absolutely necessary (ie emergency situation)
Click to expand...

I agree with this and try to do the same. When we built out little yard of 3 boxes and fenced yard area we were lucky enough to have a little bit of space left and built an "arena" type post and rail with woodchip to turnout in. It's too small to ride in but has been a godsend now.
I'm putting combinations of our 4 boys in there, in stables and loose on the yard so they have contact and chance to roll or play but also stable time to dry out and have different rugs etc.
I'd love to turnout properly but this plan is actually working quite well.
 
Having mine on box rest means I have no choice, she's in! Annoyingly though the convelesance paddock is too wet to even begin thinking about when she can go out, sooo depressing hate the wet, would love a few weeks hard frost please!
 
It's absolutely awful isn't it, I feel guilty keeping mine in due to lack of exercise, socialisation and her legs swelling, I feel guilty turning her out as she gets mud fever and I worry about the clay affecting her joints :(
 
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