Decisions Decisions,what to do?

[FairyLights]

my yearlings are living out 5 acres with hedges and a field shelter with a deep straw bed. They are unrugged,native x.
I bring them in to the stables each morning for a token feed with vit/min added,check them over, pick out feet, lightly groom [usually just manes and tails then turn out at lunch time, or if the weathers bad,mid-afternoon.
They have excellent quality hay available in the stable but we have quite a decent amount of grass at the moment still,and they dont eat the hay unless they are in for about 6 hours. Both have good condition,even a little extra especially the cob.
So ,the weather is getting winterier.
Do I carry on as now or bring in for the night and turn out in the day?
Or leave until they are obviously hungry,ie eat their hay in the mornings,then decide to bring in overnight?
At the moment they have gone to the top of the field,in the wind and sleet,and are grazing and standing under the hedge. I have taken some hay up but they had a bit then went back to the grass.
Your thoughts appreciated.

 

[tasteofchristmaschaos]

All the time they are happy and healthy out, leave them out. My boy lives out 24/7 as he hates being stabled, has ad-lib hay, and the situation couldn't be better for him. It's not natural for a horse to be confined for x hours a day so if they are happy and healthy out and can live out, why not leave them out full stop.

 

[canteron]

Lucky horses! Leave them out unless you have a very good reason to give yourself all that extra work. They will be happier and healthier as they are and you will have a better quality of life too!

 

[classicalfan]

Leave them as they are. Our lot have always been out, not native types, and are quite happy even last winter went it got down to minus 18°C. The youngest is KWPN and now 16 months old. If they have the option to come in, great, but I know from worrying about ours that the only thing that bothers them is if the hay looks in short supply.

 

[ofcourseyoucan]

how many do you have on the 5 acres? sounds like ideal .. 5 acres, and a shelter and hedges! bringing in each day does allow them to learn to be stabled, be regularly handled, and feed (if required) on an individual basis. but they are obviously very content in an ideal field and have access to a shelter. so no i wouldnt start a half in half out arrangement!( in night/out day) the situation as it is sounds ideal, as winter sets in you could bring them in every other day (easier for you) but as long as they are a good weight, shiny and happy then you have no worries. lucky you for having the ideal set up esp for youngsters who should be able to live like horses.

 

[FairyLights]

I'm sorry I should have said, there are 2 of them. Thought I'd put that in the original post. My mistake.
Thank you all for your replies, it does help, I'm just a paranoid horse-mother!

 

[Arizahn]

Those are two very, very lucky young horses

 

[Clodagh]

Your set up is identical to mine! One of mine is a newfie type and the other my three quarterbred yearling. Mine are out unless they get awful mud fever or rainscald, and at the moment they look fantastic.
Have to confess mine only come in every 6 weeks for the farrier though, but I feed them in the field every day and they have hay at 'bedtime'.

 

[indie999]

I think they have told you they would rather be out! Mine is out in all weathers, I have tied his hay in his nice new shelter just so he will go in it(ie so it wasnt a waste of money..makes me feel better) but in the driving snow rain etc etc he will stand at the bottom of the field bum to hedge and look so neglected. But happy as a horse..

My rule is if food is not being eaten they have too much. I gave mine hay for the first time this morning and a couple of slices for the night on the ground. He is out 24/7 restricted grazing due to being good doer/native and hard frost we had last night(the grass has been growing with milder weather down south). I understood if the temp goes above 5 centigrade the grass does grow. As you have natives worth knowing as they live on thin air.

But your routine of bringing them in and being youngsters for a check over and a bit of handling feet pick sounds really ideal.

 

[Sugarplum Furry]

Mine are kept in a very similar way...I've got 4...big sheltered field, they come up to the yard once a day or every other day for feet, groomies etc. I've the option of a couple of stables for the oldies, but honestly they are all so happy to be out at the moment it seems a shame to force them in. We're only just at the start of winter, their routine might change if the weather gets really bad but my philosophy is 'if it ain't broke don't fix it'..

 

[SusieT]

Why on earth would you bring well fed, sheltered youngstock in when you don't need to? I'ts a human fallacy!

 

[FairyLights]

Quick update, last night or maybe early this morning they used their field shelter, 2 lots of droppings inside and 3 outside close by and 2 large areas of squashed straw. It hailed and was blustery about 6am ,woke me up.At least they have worked it all out and put themselves out of the bad weather and lie somewhere decent and dry.
Thanks for all the input and advice,its appreciated and stops me worrying.