Do some horses REALLY like to be in a stable the majority of the time?

Like I said in the other thread, Ned has broken a door off it's hinges, because he was put in a stable. So a big no no from Ned.

I do think some horses may feel safer in stables, perhaps because it's not such an open space for lions to sneak up? I don't know. There's an ex racer who doesn't appear to care either way. He doesn't box walk or windsuck or whatever, just stands about, munches, or watches the other horses. He's equally fine out though.
 
Yes, some horses do prefer it when the weather is bad, but I believe that almost all horses prefer to stay out so long as there is plenty of food and the weather is comfortable. I know for certain that the horses at our yard would hate to be out at the moment. I expect they would get used to it if they were made to but after 3 hours turnout with haylage, every one of them wants to come in. I think they feel safer in their stables when it's windy especially and all the stables have talk bars.
 
In the depths of winter - then yes, I can say that my horses prefer to be in. They are very reluctant to go out and simply stand at the gate waiting to come back in again. They are very relaxed and content in their stables.

Same for in summer when the flies are bad, they are always desperate to come in first thing in the morning and rather reluctant to go back out again in the evening. (Their fields are all beech tree lined with large trees dotted around so plenty of shelter whatever the season).
 
A lot of people say "my horse loves to be in his stable, he waits by the gate to come in" When in fact they are probably waiting to be fed, as most bring in and then feed, bucket and hay/hayledge.
 
i was on a livery yard, my horse was out with others, but one day the gate was off the hinges and horses out but mine was in his stable, i kept putting him out and wasnt convinved it was my horse doing the escaping.. then i saw the sod lifting the gate with his knees.. honestly he hooked it and removed it, hopped over it and took him self back to his stable, from that day on he lived in if i was about and it was a quiet time on the yard id let him roam lose but the most he ever done was about 20 mins out.

My horse now loves being out, he was in over nigth at the weekend, i was sat the next day having a coffee and he was lifting his rug up and dangling it as much as to say come on shove it on i want out!
 
Yes, and unless someone wants to pay my vets bills every time he hurts himself trying to get back in from the field, that's exactly where he will stay :D
 
Maybe some horses do, but my personal opinion is that just because they might like being in a stable all the time, doesn't mean they should be in a stable all the time. Kids like eating sweets, does that mean we should let them eat them all the time? I think the negatives far outweigh the benefits - horses should be in the field grazing with company for the majority of the day if possible. They need to be eating 75% of the time to produce enough saliva to buffer their gut and prevent ulcers, they need the mental stimulation of being in the field socialising and eating, they need to have space to move around to keep warm. I just think it's unfair to keep a herd animal trapped in a 12 x 12 box 24/7 with no social interaction other than being able to see another horse, unless you really have to (i.e. box rest)
 
If I had a set up where the stable door was left open onto the paddock I know where my lass would be in the rain and after dusk in the winter and it aint her paddock! The word diva springs to mind :rolleyes:

Having said that she loves 24/7 turnout in the summer, she just appreciates her creature comforts in the winter ;)
 
During the summer two of my ponies have access to the yard, and stone cart shed, so will bring themselves "in" if they feel like it, but dont very much or for very long.
 
Mine definitely prefers living out in general BUT when the flies were at their worst this summer he stood in the corner of the field nearest the yard and shouted and shouted, was very, very unhappy as he was absolutely plagued by the little barstewards.

So he spent nights out and days in over the summer and he seemed very happy and settled in the routine - much more settled than previously when he'd been out during the day and in at night even. So I honestly think that given the option on those days when the flies were bad, he really did want to come in - he wasn't one even stand at the gate/call etc when it was time to come in for feeding, so he was telling me something ;)
 
rudolph_bum13 said:
If I had a set up where the stable door was left open onto the paddock I know where my lass would be in the rain and after dusk in the winter and it aint her paddock! The word diva springs to mind :rolleyes:

Having said that she loves 24/7 turnout in the summer, she just appreciates her creature comforts in the winter ;)
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I think the only way any of us would really know if our horses prefered to be out or in, would be to have such a set up. Stable door kept open, bed made, hay in stable. My bet would be that in very bad weather or when the grass was poor, they'd use the stable. But if the weather's bearable and there's grass and company outside, most would vote with their hooves.


Kobie said:
Yes, and unless someone wants to pay my vets bills every time he hurts himself trying to get back in from the field, that's exactly where he will stay :D
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Maybe there are a few exceptions! :D
 
My old YO's aged mare used to seem to prefer being in. She Practically had to prise her out of her box sometimes and drag her down the yard, looking peeved :)
 
Mine are out 24/7 but they have stables with full beds open and a large hardstanding area to wander on and off. If there was hay in the stables they would stand and eat in the stables but they very very rarely choose to go in otherwise - more when it's hot than when it's cold.

I don't think I could back to stabling now.
 
My old mare now likes to go out for a short day then wants to come in early. Luckily the yard is really tolerant so when she starts yelling she comes in!
 
FionaM12 said:
I think the only way any of us would really know if our horses prefered to be out or in, would be to have such a set up. Stable door kept open, bed made, hay in stable. My bet would be that in very bad weather or when the grass was poor, they'd use the stable. But if the weather's bearable and there's grass and company outside, most would vote with their hooves.
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This! Ned has his shelter and it's all to do with weather and where food is placed. He hates the rain and really really hot sun, but loves cloudy weather.
 
I'm fortunate that my old mare can come and go as she pleases. Here at home she has 24/7 access to her stable and, at night, can go in to the yard and manege. She seems to stay in her stable to eat her hay and short feed and for a lie down but, generally, hangs around outside and wanders about. I have chosen this routine for this winter as it's currently relatively mild and there's been no freezing temperatures so far. She has an arthritic neck and is a bit stiff, so the more she can move around, the better!
We're both very happy with this routine!!
 
Reg is out 24/7 because he seems to get very claustrophobic in his (big!) stable and trashes it. He gets really het up and can't eat and will pace around- he's a different horse living out all the time, so much more chilled.
 
Our horses at home are out between 8am and 4pm - although come in early if the weathers rubbish.
Our other horse is in full livery because he won't stay out... And trust me we've tried.
He starts to fool around and gallop about after an hour or two, and has been left to get on with it, but each time he's struck into himself (he is suited and booted too).
He is genuinely happy as a pig in poo in his stable, although I agree some of it's due to easy access to food. His routine now is out in the ménage in the morning, and 1-2 hours in the paddock in the afternoon. He is also in a 12x14 so has plenty of room, and loves his lunchtime kip where he's often found flat out.
 
Snow Angel said:
My old YO's aged mare used to seem to prefer being in. She Practically had to prise her out of her box sometimes and drag her down the yard, looking peeved :)
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Same here.


We have a 27 yo TB and she definitely prefers being in if the weather is bad or to be honest just in general.
She goes out about 2/3 times a week right now and after being out for an hour just stands looking miserable so we leave her in and she just goes into the indoor school twice a day to stretch and roll etc.


Younger TB loves going out so she is out most days unless its really bad. That saying though I did need to pull her out this morning into the rain ;)
 
One of mine prefers being in when the weather is nasty. She doesn't worry about standing by the gate, she just jumps it and the 2 other fences to bring herself inside. When I insist she goes out and the weather is nasty she has the barn door and stable door open so she can put herself in!!!

That being said, she is still out 24/7 now ****touches wood I don't find her inside this morning because I wrote that sentence**** lol
 
This time of year mine would prefer to go out for a roll, graze for a few hours and then come back to his house. Come to think of it, when it's hot out and too buggy - it's the same story.
 
We had a little ex racer on our yard who hated being in the field for more than a couple of hours.

The YO always put him in the front field so she could see when he started getting uptight and would bring him in.
He was a danger to himself to be left out.
 
I think a lot depends on what the options are available to them! If, on a wet and windy day, a horse has to choose between a dry stable with plentiful hay/haylage or an exposed field with no grass, no hay/haylage in the field and no shelter, then some of them are going to opt for the stable. However, if the turnout option includes adlib forage in the field and good shelter, then more of them will opt to be out!

Ours definitely prefer being out, but we have excellent natural shelter from adjoining woodland, plus they have haylage in the field. Had to literally drag the two big horses in to their stables this morning, despite it being a wet and windy night!

I also think a horse's upbringing can have an effect - if they are brought up pretty much stabled and confined from a young age, then being out in an open field is probably quite scary for them.
 
Yep...my chunky, supposedly rough tough, heavyweight, very hairy cob loves his stable. He has prime spot so he can see everything going on in the yard, a big full haynet and would quite happily stay there all day ruling the yard and munching if I didn't kick him out :D
 
I am a huge believer in horses being out, I really can't think how institutionalised you have to be to want to stick in a 12x12 room for most of your life.

Having said that, I have a horse who is out on loan. When she comes to me for holidays I pop her in a field with a lovely shelter and a buddy for company. Lo and behold every night she puts herself to bed! I know for definitely she spends most of the night there as I have to 'muck' out the field shelter every morning.
 
A horse I had years ago would never stay out more that a few hours, about half an hour if the weather was poor! He'd just pop over the fence and be waiting by his stable. He didn't seem to enjoy grazing much, he'd have a roll, a mooch about, then look to come in. He loved grazing in hand though. Prior to my ownership, he'd been on a yard with no turnout at all for several years, maybe he'd forgotten how to be a horse.
My old Ted loved his stable, if the weather was anything less than ambient, he'd stand by the door contemplating it! Luckily, as a bit of a yard pet, if he was stood by the gate, he'd get brought in and after an hour or so, shoved back out again! It was all to do with food and comfort/warmth though.
Markie comes in at night now purely for the food (in his mind). He doesn't hang round the gate, but does come in rather rapidly when called (3 quarters of a ton of cob galloping flat out at you is quite daunting!). Once in, he attacks his haynet with gusto. I'm sure, if there was no food left, he'd be happy to go back out. (Only got him in at night to protect his feather and give them a chance to dry out).
 
TGM said:
I also think a horse's upbringing can have an effect - if they are brought up pretty much stabled and confined from a young age, then being out in an open field is probably quite scary for them.
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I do agree with that. My old mare is TB x cob. She briefly had to live out when I first bought her as there were no stables free (she was a brilliant, impulse buy!) and she was awful. Looking at her you would think she would prefer it but she has always liked to have her stable to go back to and has got more so as she has got older. I think some of that is food related as there is always hay in her stable, even though her field has plenty of grass but some of it is just down to being older, opiniated and wanting her own space. This is the same mare who worked her way through every mare in the yard when they tried to turn her out in company before agreeing to stay out with another old lady. Conversly she is very attached to her barn companions so we thiought she would be happy with them - not a chance!! However at 22, she gets a lot of leeway now!
 
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