Do all horses like 24/7/365 turnout ?

Toffee_monster

Toffee_monster

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What do you think is best for horses? Do all horses like being out at grazing ? Does anyone have a horse who seems to want to be in his stable at night even thoughhe has perfectly good turnout etc ?


My horse was, at my old yard, coming in at night as he wasnt happy in the woodchip corral, but needed to lose weight so thats how i managed it.

Fast forward to the new place. We have no mud, flat fields, he has friendly company and a good covering of (poor) grass, which suits us fine as he is on a diet, and a nightly haynet option. He is never waiting at the gate to come in but when ive fed him his token feed i have to drag him back out, and if the stable door is open he will put himself inside ???

You would think a native x cob would live slumming it out in the field lol
Does anyone else have the same problem ?
 
They are all different. My TBx warmblood would have been very happy to be out 24/7, whereas present horse loves his stable. I know he is waiting for food at night, rather than "the stable" but he always seems to be pleased to get in and always lies down every night so is obviously comfortable and happy.
 
My herd like to come in, and I like to see them asleep on a fresh bed. And somedays if it's rainingiv known a couple of mine to reverse back into their stable.
 
My Exmoor X goes mental if she's stabled for long - kicks the door, raises hell. She's 35/35 and lives out 24/7.
My warmblood used to be stabled but hasn't since I got him and whenever I try and stable him now he gets upset and panics!
However, the TB I work with adored her box rest and would put herself back into her stable after her hours turnout if I just opened the doors for her!
 
Even when mine had a beautiful 20 acre field to roam they still loved coming in during the winter months. I don't have a little mud patch but they still want in at night. Spring, summer, and fall they love being out.

Terri
 
My WB will be happy out 24/7 in the summer but come the winter hes at the gate at 4pm wanting in - unfortunately he doesn't get brought in until 6pm and he drags me to his stable
 
No mine likes to be in, a few hours turnout depending on the weather in the winter, a good full day in the summer but always in at night........he likes routine. Listening to the weather outside my window at the moment, I would think he is very glad he is inside. But having said that he is not a hairy yak.
 
My old boy really loved turnout went loopy the odd day when the weather ment he had to stay in but then got a nasty kick that had to be operated on, he was at the vets on IV antibiotics for a week then box rest at home for 2 months. It totally changed him, I had to wean him back on to being out, to start with he didn't last 2 hours before he'd be racing up and down, dripping in sweat, calling being mad! Better now but it took almost a year to get him to enjoy turnout again.
 
Did have my boy out 24/7 during summer but he just got bored, started taking his own shoes off, jumping fences etc. (the YO really loved him then...) He needs human interaction daily and loves his routine, if he's happy then that's all that matters!
 
Mine is still out! Comes in for a few hours for done hay, usually dragged in!! Happy whilst munching then kicks off to go back out!! This is her first winter where she's been still out this late! She's probably a bit confused still!!
But she would be miserable and a nightmare if she only had a couple of hours or even worse no turnout!!!
 
Mines's not a fan! Last year he had 3 weeks turned out 24/7 for a holiday for him and i dont think he slept for the whole 3 weeks! He was so quiet for a week after he returned until he caught up and his energy levels returned to normal. I think he's just to stressy to settle/sleep much in the open!

This year he went to a friends yard for his holiday on full Livery (ours is DIY only) and seemed much happier with his usual in and out arrangement.

I'd just say every horse is different!
 
My two cobs are happy out all year round but my shetland would happily live in, bless him! lol As soon as it rains he clings to the hedges and stares longingly at his stable.....I never known a horse like it and a shettie of all breeds!
 
My pony used to like being in most of the time. However, over the years mine have started to live out 24/7. Now he gets grumpy if you try to leave him in! Think its just what they get used to to a certain extent, butsaying that, my girls loath being stabled, even the one who basically lived in with a few hours out in the winter till she was 5.
 
Every horse is different and I think a lot of it stems from what they are used to.

Before I bought my horse he was out 24/7 April to November and out from 6am til 6pm during the week.

For the first while he was happy being out but through time he's gotten used to the yard routine of bringing in for the evening so much so that he now expects it - although I'm sure that if I needed to I could "retrain" him to get used to a different routine.
 
Seren was so good she would do whatever you asked, I kept her out on the whole but there were times I used to bring her in. When she was on loan to the riding school she spent a great deal of time stabled. Luckily at my current yard she generally lived out, she was always happy out as long as she had plenty of food, but she was no trouble to stable.

Nell on the other hand has been destructive and unhappy when stabled, she will stay in and quieten down but she is no keen, she is much happier out :D

Every horse is different and some 'seem' to like coming in, I often think it is associated with food above all else. Some horses do seem to enjoy coming in. I do like them to live as horses do naturally as much as possible, being out 24/7
 
as someone with horses that live out 24/7/365 I would say mine like it most of the time but when we had all that horrible rain earlier on this year I think they would like liked to come in! at least this winter we have another field fenced off, which has a big enough shelter to fit the 3 of them in so hopefully they will be happier this year!
 
My big lad is out 24/7 spring and summer, in at night after bonfire night - I've had some truly disgusted looks off him putting him back out late Oct, and he has even backed up into his stable and swung the door shut with his nose!

Now he's in at night, he's waiting at the gate from 3.30pm onwards - I walked past the yard today at noon, and it was chucking it down, and there he was waiting hopefully, but in vain lol! He did move back out to graze tho bless him.
 
Mine don't get any choice. They live out 24/7 365 days per year and have done all their lives. :D

And if you don't want hairy yaks (young or old), rug them well and rug them early. :)
 
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