Did anyone’s horses NOT enjoy 24/7 turnout?

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PuddingSummer

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Very curious as I only ever see positive things.

I have two smaller ponies, one who has completely lost the plot and one who wants to come in. They are living out 24/7 in a very nice sized field with constant companions either side and being hayed every morning despite there being plenty of grass.

They just don’t seem all that happy - I’ve always done 24/7 for 6-8 months of nice months then in overnight for the rest but still with a full 8-10 hours in the field.

I’m wondering if the lack of routine just isn’t working all that well for them. Has anyone’s horses or ponies not liked being out 24/7 all year?!
 
Yes, mine loves his stable. He’s a PRE imported from Spain 5 years ago, so I assume he’s spent a lot of time stabled. He’s happy to be turned out for 5 - 7 hours a day, and will even go out all night in the summer, but at the first sign of windy, wet weather he’s at the gate shouting to come in and will drag me back to his stable.
 
I've found it depends on what sort of turnout & facilities you've got. Eg, my ponies were happy out 24/7/365 on big undulating fields with lots of natural shelter and stuff to browse on. They were not happy when I had them at a yard with flat, featureless post & rail (with manmade shelters). Others I looked after had under cover hard standing with mangers, they still had natural shelter which I think is very important, particularly in the summer when manmade shelters can get hot.

I've also found that some really do not like indoor stables, they are more chilled if they can see the outside world.

My current horse, Argi ex polo pony, loves her stable, I think she'd happily stay in there most of the time despite having quite natural grazing. She always has a lie down sleep when she comes in in the day in summer. It could be her age, she was 21 when I got her and polo ponies usually get roughed off and chucked out for the winter, I think she very much appreciates the change. Her new companion, however, the same age, I think would rather not come in at all.
 
My boys live out for 7/8 months of the year, but come the end of November they want to come in overnight. They have grass, hay, shelter and hard standing in their field, so not standing in mud. I think they just like the routine of coming in and my older boy definitely likes to have a good sleep overnight. They have stables with a nice outdoor view and friends around them, which I think makes a difference. They go out quietly in the morning and are ready to come in by the time it gets dark.
 
littleshetland said:
Yes, mine loves his stable. He’s a PRE imported from Spain 5 years ago, so I assume he’s spent a lot of time stabled. He’s happy to be turned out for 5 - 7 hours a day, and will even go out all night in the summer, but at the first sign of windy, wet weather he’s at the gate shouting to come in and will drag me back to his stable.
Click to expand...

My horse's imported Andalusian companion doesn't like coming in 🤦‍♀️ he weaves and is a bit stressy.
 
we have my two horses on 6 acres with hills flat parts trees they are very happy living out 24/7 but during the winter there in at night i think it is just what works best for your horse we bought one of a big busy yard with zero turnout and now all she wants to do is b out and can get stressed being in but one we bought from auction loves being i and just waits by the gate 6am to 6pm every day waiting to come in so it definately deends on feild type and what the horse is happiest doing (ik alot of yards dont have lots of turnout)
 
Many years ago, my daughters pony would stand at the gate of whichever field he was in, after maybe a few hours out, and in no uncertain terms made it clear that he wanted to come in, his neighs could waken the dead, and if you did try and ignore him, they got worse!
This was at every time of the year……
 
I think if my boy could choose , he’d go for a quick leg stretch for an hour in the morning whilst I muck out , then back in and another leg stretch at the end of the day. However he’s out 6.30-4 but is usually at the gate from 12….. he’s a cob too.
 
Mine does 24/7 for a few days without too much trouble. He prefers to come into his stable for his breakfast and a snooze / respite from the weather or flies for about 5-6 hours a day. If I leave him out longer than a few days he starts fence walking (doesn't change even if there is a tonne of grass).

I think he would cope better 24/7 if there was a shelter or barn he had free access to. I also think he might do 24/7 in a big herd turnout in an interesting field (i.e. 10+ horse on 20+ acres) or a very enriching track livery. At least part of his 24/7 problem is boredom. He does cope better when he's in work.
 
I have one that certainly hates being out in summer. He seems ok in winter but is very routine orientated so he would get into a complete state if I just left him out.
I did one summer have to leave him out for 3/4 days while the yard was being concreted.
He actually collapsed. He’s never chilled enough at home to leave out all the time and he comes in to sleep and chill!
He was however very happy when I moved him to somewhere else so a complete change and left him out 24/7.
 
Ours are out all year with access to yard/hardstanding/shelter where all their hay gets fed, they both seem very happy with this arrangement and come and go as they please. They did come in overnight for a couple of winters at an old yard and seemed ok with that too (which surprised me as my mare is quite neurotic and prefers to be out).

Question for those with a horse that prefers to be in but has access to a shelter like mine - do they just go and stand in it when they've had enough of "out" or do they need the physical barrier of a stable door to keep them happy?
 
I had a mare that did not like being out when it started to get dark. First she would call, then fence walk. As dusk approached she would get more agitated and then jump out and take herself across a busy road to her stable. All the others lived out 24/7 in a 25 acre field. I got her in February and hoped that as summer came she would settle and stay out but in owning her for 4 years she never did. Being the only horse in on the yard never bothered her.
 
My gelding loves being out in all but the worst of weathers.
My mare will stay out 24/7 in summer (say April- Sept) but in the winter paddocks she won’t tolerate more than say 6 hours out (much less if it’s bad weather)
She will be waiting at the gate to come in. It’s better than she used to be: she used to trash my electric fencing trying to bring herself in.
I’ve just about managed to find a balance that they both tolerate.
 
My ponies have all come from an out in the daytime in at night routine and seem very happy to be out 24/7. They’re all native ponies and have natural shelter if they want it. I watch them on a camera during the day and they’re always munching. One is on individual turnout because she was bullied, and when it gets dark they all head to the bit where all the fields join together and then fall asleep together keeping each other company. If I ever see them standing tail to the wind and not eating I pop rugs on them and they soon go back to grazing.
 
Yes, mine. He's a native pony and has lived wild.

He *can* do it. He's perfectly capable of it.

He just doesn't enjoy doing it - no matter how much shelter, rugs and forage he has. He'll tolerate it in the Summer if he has to from about May-August if the weather is good.

But we don''t generally do it.
 
My ponies live out 24/7 for most of the year. At night in the winter they have a stable each with a garden (small paddock) attached. They both come in to lie down and wee. Their poo suggests they tend to be outside more when when it's dry and in more on wet and windy nights. They are both keen to come in - but that's for food and keen to go out in the morning-fence move time. My mare is 22 and arthritic seems to be liking her stable more this year.
Since having this set up they both hate being shut in
 
My two love to come in for a bucket feed and haynet daily despite having plenty of grass. When it's wet I stable them for a few hours to let them dry properly. They seem to enjoy it and if not stabled they'll hang about inside the field shelter dozing. I really wouldn't like to keep them just in a field without a proper shelter and stable.
 
Mine became extremely depressed on 24/7 turnout. She loves her stable and a routine. I find it very narrow minded when people state how its unnatural to stable horses. Id love you show them how much my horse loves her stable. Mine has turnout every day, with long nights out in summer and short days out in winter. She thrives on this routine.
 
The Friesian could be a bit like this as he spent a lot of time in a stable I think as a young horse in Holland. The field shelter has been a game changer for him. He longer paces to come in as he always has hay in his shelter so he can go in and out whenever he wants. He now lives out 24/7 all year and only comes in on the nights/days when the weather is really bad.
 
lily likes coming in to her bed - in summer i leave them out 24/7 for a few nights at a time, given the slightest drizzle or after a few days she’s at the gate shouting at anyone who goes past to bring her in. i wouldn’t mind but she spent the first 7 or so years of her life untouched living out🤣 i suspect in a bigger field with more natural enrichment, she’d probably be happier staying out.

diva only comes to the gate because lily does, she spent the first 4 years of her life living out every summer march - october/november, complete mud wallower so not phased by winter🤣

when they’re out they still get breakfast & tea feeds in the field, so no change in routine! field has a hedge down 1 side, 2 big trees for shelter & naturally gets a bit of shade all day, so lily just has to lump it lol - she’ll take herself back off up the field in summer but they’re in overnight in winter.

i’m lucky that neither of them start messing about or fence walking though, they just mill about at the gate.
 
My older mare used to Love living out all winter, but as she has got on in years she absolutely LOVES coming into her stable, she will stand at the fence at 4.30 every evening waiting for me...Shes very funny.
My younger mare couldnt give a rats arse :)
 
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