Do competition horses have to be stable kept?

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I was thinking (as you do!) and all the people I know who compete at a high-ish level have their horses stabled - either at night or 24/7. However, I've recently started work at a polo yard and during the polo season they are turned out 24/7. They are happy, healthy and perform well. So...

Do any of you compete and keep your horse turned out? (What level / discipline etc.?)
Those of you that do compete and keep your horses stabled, why? and do you think it contributes to your competition success?
 
I think escapado used to live out 24/7. My "comp" horse used to be kept in at night as he used to gain weight to easily & therefore he was much easier to keep when he was in
 
I can't really see why some horses can't stay out but if the weather is foul you would want them inside with clipped heads etc.
Chocx has to come in for some of the time or he stresses and doesn't eat, but the likes of Jonty thrive better outside, she hates being stabled and has jumped her door before now injuring herself in the process.
I think various New Zealand eventers keep their horses out 24/7 but can't recall which ones..
ps love your cantering horse, I want one!!!
 
In the summer my eventer (along with the other horses) are in during the day due to the flies and out at night, and in the winter they are out during the day and in at night. Really for our convenience but we would leave them out 24/7 if there was enough grass and they didnt trash the fields!

I think its much better for horses mentally and physically to be out as much a possible but having said that my mare was stabled 24/7 before we bought her because they didnt have any turnout and she was just as laid back and quiet as she is now.
 
I compete in showjumping and am just about to affiliate to BSJA. I have always kept my horses stabled at night and turned out during the day when the weather is dry. This seems to keep my horses happier, which produces better results in competition.
 
My horse is out all the time now.Was stabled for much of the time before. I think she keeps herself a lot fitter, and has access to shelter and a big bale if she wants.
 
my horse showjumps at disco/newcomers height and events at pre novice height and is in at night, out from about 7am-11am, in from 11am-3pm, out from 3pm-7pm and back in for the night etc
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last year i kept my horse that competing PN out 24/7...she was happy and healthy and had a duvet when it was cold. now we have two at PN and they are both out during the day and in at night. i once had a hunting pony that was allergic to being inside...he got asthma and he thrived on living outside.
 
I keep my horses stabled at night in the winter cos we have to at the yard I am at. Both liver out 24/7 in the summer though
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Would probably keep them in overnight in the winter cos i fully clip both of them too
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I work with eventers from PN to advanced and they are all out 24/7 in the summer, in at night during the winter. They are only stabled the night before a comp, if an early start or at the comp its self.
 
just her routine. She goes out in the big field in the morning so she can fill up on lots of lush grass, then she comes in at midday as this is when she is usually ridden, and then she will go back out in the small paddock for a stretch and to talk to my sisters mare as she gets abit lonely in her stable (sisters mare lives out 24/7).

We would keep her out all day but we dont have enough grass, especially coming into winter when it all turns to mud
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my competition boy is out 24/7 during the summer and then out during the day in the winter unless the weather is really bad or we are flooded yet again! an then he is in at night during the winter!
 
My competition horse is out 9am until 4pm in the summer and in at night because that is the rules of the yard I am on... however, even if they were allowed out 24/7 I do think I would still bring them in at nights because it allows me to monitor what they eat more and they are used to coming in and in a routine which Grace seems to really appreciate.

In winter, they have alternate days turnout from 12pm to 4pm... On the days they are in I make sure they are ridden and have a day off on one of their out days. Grace gets horrendous mud rash, so I need to keep her legs clean as they are clipped and fingers crossed this year she has not started yet whereas last year she already had it
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I think all competition horses should have some 'horse' time out in a field regardless of how expensive they are or what level they are. I think it keeps their head sane and makes them a bit more willing to do the job.
 
i keep them out as much as possible. standing in a stable doesn't keep a horse fit, work does, and not having a huge bellyfull of grass, i guess. i've evented at Int and Adv level on horses kept out 24/7 and only kept in the night beforean event, to keep them clean!. they weren't on unlimited grass, but they had unlimited turnout. they had plenty of hard feed too, to keep energy levels high enough for decent level of competition.
 
mine go about at about 7:15am and come in at about 11/12pm then are in all afternoon and night.
Ulrich jumps out if he is out for much longer, giggy just walks up and down, and evie stands at the gate.

evie is jumping Discovery (1m)
Ulrich is jumping newcomers
Gigolo is jumping 1.05-1.10 opens
 
Rags lived out 24/7 winter and summer and evented to Novice level and I wouldn't have changed the routine for him. He was clipped in the winter but well rugged I think I brough him in two very rough nights last winter and that was it. He thrived on it.
 
I would say its each to their own, horses have personal taste.

When my mare was running at top level, she stayed out most of the day on a reasonable size paddock so we could control her intake of food, however as she was a little hot headed, she would stay out till late in the evenings and then come in

Personally I think it allows you to have a clear routine, but if I had one which preferred staying out I would incorporate this and do things a little differently
 
All mine live out 24/7 apart from if I have a comp the next day and I have to get up early in which case whichever one is going on an outing is stabled so they will stay clean.

I only have 1 1/2 stables for 2 1/2 horses! (The Shettie being the half!!!)

If the weather's really bad they bed-hop, apart from Shettie as neither of the others can fit in his stable!!

I do PN Eventing and RC stuff.
 
Mine are always out 24/7, fully rugged, & only come in overnight if the weather's nasty. They have a field shelter. Adrian is clipped out apart from his legs but will have a snuggys hood on when the weather gets worse.

Ditto Madhossy re keeping in the night before a comp if we've got an early start. Bl**dy greys...

Have competed BD & BSJA to 1 m 15 with no probs off grass. In fact, maybe with less probs as I've never had a horse with coughy/dusty wind probs.
 
no they don't have to be....a few years ago one of the ponies on the irish showjumping pony team was field kept and he brought home medals from the european champs!!!! my own lady has to be stable kept she's happier that way and would be the type to gorge herself! we also had a horse in yard a while ago that was field kept and blossomed after we started keeping him at grass....it settled his head and he graduated from jumping 1.10s to jumping 1.50 grand prixs very successfully
 
I cringe when I hear people say this! Why on earth should a competition horse have to be stabled?! Load of c*ap if you ask me. If anything, I think its best to leave them out where they won't stiffen up and naturally exercise and chill out.

All mine live out permanently (with access to 2 stables) - I only ever bring them in overnight if there's an event early the next day and they have to be clean / plaited up etc. My main horse is competing at Novice BE and Foxhunter BSJA. He would be an utter nutcase & nervous wreck if I kept him stabled. All are hunter clipped yet are perfectly cosy in their full neck turnout rugs. None lose weight over the winter either.

I dont think it "contributes" to competition success at all, I just think the only reason so many top horses are rarely turned out is simply because they are worth so much and its our way of wrapping them up in cotton wool!

I do pity the lives of those horses who never get turned out (ever, let alone daily), I just find that so extremely abnormal.
 
im a great believer in keeping it as natural as poss with our horses 2 avoid probs!! mine have alwys lived out,well rugged up with a shelter ab lib hay and ive never had a horse with issues,back,leg probs and im 100% sure its down to the way they r kept. My mare now does feel the cold and will come in when really cold&wet,but she lives out as much as poss and hates being in. How can any1 think its better 4 the horse livin in a 12x12(or smaller) stable when they wud walk and graze constantly in the wild,no wonder sum have leg/back probs and crazy horses!! This is obv my-own opinion,but it makes sense!
 
Both my Competiton horses are out as much as possible. In the summer there normally out 24/7 that includes bringing them in early before the comp so that they can rest for a little while off the grass. This summer though they where in at night & out during the day when we had the really bad weather. But im hoping this was a one off for our summer weather.

In the winter they have to be in of a night, i keep my horses at home but i really dont have land that can stand horses out 24/7 in the winter (Its really heavy clay ground) so there out in the daytime only.

On some days in the winter there only out for a few hours because of ridden work or competitions. On days like this it does make me feel mean as i really like them to be out. But i can't have it all!!
There all really well ajusted horses who seem to know the routines so i have no problems.

It has to be very bad weather for me to keep my horses in 24/7.
 
Mine events at novice level and is out 24/7. I normally drag him in off the field on the morning unless an early start. Agree with Kerilli mine is on unlimited turnout but not unlimited grazing. He will stay out until it becomes too wet as we have plenty of land but its on clay so rubbish once the rain comes. In fact the only time he really comes in over the summer is doing shows where I am away for a couple of nights and he is very chilled about it all.
 
Some racehorse trainer who appeared on Horsetails keeps all the horses at his yard out 24/7 in a herd because it keeps their overall fitness up and they are a lot calmer when taken to events because they don't have loads of excess energy. (And yes his horses often win!!)
 
My two that are in work are out 24/7 when the weather or grazing allows.

By that I mean that when the grass is not too lush, as they tend to put on too much weight, or when it's mild enough. They are out all day and in at night now.
Both compete in dressage, one at PSG and Inter 1, the other at Medium level.
 
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