Do some horses just NEED to LIVE OUT

mine prefer out but dont have to be out
if i bring in for overnight they are seemlingly happy enough.
for me i wouldnt want them in for longer than 10hrs though.
at the mo they are content with being out 18-22hrs per day!
 
MagicMelon said:
In my opinion ALL horses NEED to live out. Its a basic requirement for them to live out.
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I used to think this and am a strong believer that if you can turn them out do, my boy lives out 24/7 all year round.

However I can never get a mare out of my head who seemed to hate going out. She would be put out then spend the day pacing the fence line or waiting by the gate until brought in, she never grazed and once in the stable seemed very content. She was there long enough to settle if she was going to. Maybe she really didn't get on with her field companions or it was a previous human that made her this way. Would love to know why she was like this.

I've owned 2 other horses welsh cobs and they both box walked and kicked the door and hated being stabled so lived out.
 
OMG I would love to find somewhere where I could ride my horse THEN turn out for few hours THEN bring in overnight to cosy stable in winter if needed. It seems this is too much to ask. At the moment my horse has been stabled for over 36 hours only to come out to be mucked out then put back in again. Hate it for him.
 
padderpaws said:
OMG I would love to find somewhere where I could ride my horse THEN turn out for few hours THEN bring in overnight to cosy stable in winter if needed. It seems this is too much to ask. At the moment my horse has been stabled for over 36 hours only to come out to be mucked out then put back in again. Hate it for him.
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Mine is out 24/7, with a stable as an option if I decide to bring in for the occasional night or day.
 
guesstimation said:
However I can never get a mare out of my head who seemed to hate going out. She would be put out then spend the day pacing the fence line or waiting by the gate until brought in, she never grazed and once in the stable seemed very content. She was there long enough to settle if she was going to. Maybe she really didn't get on with her field companions or it was a previous human that made her this way. Would love to know why she was like this.
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How long did you try keeping her out for? My current horse was stabled a lot in his younger years by his previous owners so when he came to me as a 5yo and I chucked him out in a field, he was miserable for 2 / 3 months before getting used to it and then he turned into the happiest, most chilled out horse in the world! Watching him bounce around the field playing with his buddies is the best thing and I find it pretty sad other horses don't get to do this often (or even at all in some cases). For a lot of horses I think they have to get used to a new routine, yes they might pace about when out at first but thats probably because they want feed/hay which is IN the stable (not so much the stable itself). They'll soon get used to it. I dont believe any horse would PREFER to be in.
 
MagicMelon said:
How long did you try keeping her out for? My current horse was stabled a lot in his younger years by his previous owners so when he came to me as a 5yo and I chucked him out in a field, he was miserable for 2 / 3 months before getting used to it and then he turned into the happiest, most chilled out horse in the world! Watching him bounce around the field playing with his buddies is the best thing and I find it pretty sad other horses don't get to do this often (or even at all in some cases). For a lot of horses I think they have to get used to a new routine, yes they might pace about when out at first but thats probably because they want feed/hay which is IN the stable (not so much the stable itself). They'll soon get used to it. I dont believe any horse would PREFER to be in.
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Wasn't my horse I don't stable. Was just saying I used to think all horses would prefer to be out rather than in but after seeing this mare not so sure! Not sure how long owner had had her, I saw her for about a year at the yard before they moved on. I am sure it's down to something that had been ingrained in her by a human but I'd never seen a horse quite so desperate to come in from the moment she was turned out!
 
Yes.

My Horse is a real outdoor kind. She lived out prior to me buying her and is a tad claustraphobic. Although when she is stabled she is calm.

She also has a mild dust allergy and mild stifle problems, so being out suits her better as she can be in the fresh air and keep moving. She has to come in overnight though at my yard. There is hardly any grass livery were I am. But she goes out daily for 12 hours. And now it has began to warm up she has had 2 nights out this week :)

She can be a handful when she has been in too long though.
 
All horses should be out in my opinion, those that 'like' being in, in my opinion are just used to it, as it is part of their routine, I'm pretty sure when they were youngsters living out and someone came and separated them from their herd and stuck them in a stable they would have been livid!! Its just part of their routine, I don't believe they like to come to a tiny enclosed space! I agree with magicmelon, get him back out!!
 
I'm a great believer that horses need to live out as much as they can. I have a woosey warmblood who now after a few years has grown to "like" being out as much as he can. However, he will be the first one at the gate if wind and rain is whistling round his ears. I'm lucky that I don't have to have a rigid turnout routine so at our yard we play it by ear with the weather. As my vet said to me last year with my gelding getting on in years now and does tend to fill if kept in his box for hours on end - chuck him out and keep him moving!!
 
We recently took on our own little yard - and have changed from our horses being stabled at night to them living out.

We have two stables in the field with the doors tied open - with straw beds in - and they just come and go as they please. They are all so much more relaxed and happy.

My elderly TB is off the dannillon he was on daily, and is so much healthier and happier. :)
 
It is interesting as I thought it was only me who had a quirky pony who does not tolerate stabling and it is reassuring that there are others out there too.
 
We have stables but have ours out all year round anyway. They've got a field shelter and are happier out so no point stabling for the sake of it.
 
Both of mine prefer living out- they have a field shelter but most of the time they stay out in the field. My gelding is ok being stabled but he can't wait to go out in the morning and hates coming in again at night. My mare was born on the hills and just loves staying out- she had to stay in once and she really hated it, she'd be super unhappy if she had to be stabled. I think they're happy with what they have now because they have shelter if they want it and have the freedom to choose whether they want to be in or out.
 
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