Do you agree with keeping horses in 24/7?

[swintondesire]

Mine is in over night. i dont agree with them being in for 24/7 but i never feel bad if he stays in a day or two during snowy months or when the feild is too boggy. Aslong as he has food, other horses around and a nice big fluffy straw bed he seems happy them few days. tbh i would rather have him in on a horrible day then have him standing at the gate for 4hrs in the rain feeling sorry for his self not eating. when hes eating he is happy. but who are we to tell other owners its not going to change what people do with there horses.

About the pts comments. you wouldnt pts a child who couldnt live a normal life so why a horse? Only because it couldnt be turned out. you have to work around the situation and give them the best as possible, what you can offer.

 

[LaurenBay]

Mine is in over night. i dont agree with them being in for 24/7 but i never feel bad if he stays in a day or two during snowy months or when the feild is too boggy. Aslong as he has food, other horses around and a nice big fluffy straw bed he seems happy them few days. tbh i would rather have him in on a horrible day then have him standing at the gate for 4hrs in the rain feeling sorry for his self not eating. when hes eating he is happy. but who are we to tell other owners its not going to change what people do with there horses.

About the pts comments. you wouldnt pts a child who couldnt live a normal life so why a horse? Only because it couldnt be turned out. you have to work around the situation and give them the best as possible, what you can offer.

I'm sorry but you cannot compare the live of an animal and that of a child!

I would PTS my Horse because she would lead a life of misery if she were to be kept in. Mentally and pysically my Horse could not handle stabling over a long period of time.

 

[PandorasJar]

If I didn't have enough turnout to enable some daily turnout in the winter, I would sort out an allweather turnout pen/corral. Having horses stood in their boxes 24/7 (apart from exercise) still doesn't sit right with me.

The pen/corral would be a solution because you could have a hay feeder and water trough in it. You could turn the horses out in it in small groups/pairs depending on the pen/corral size etc...

This would mean that the horses are not standing in a bog, but they still have time with their mates for social interaction and a canter round, roll, play or just stuff themselves with the hay if they want.

I don't have a problem with keeping youngsters loose in large barns over winter and this could also be done with older horses.

When it comes down to it, it's the isolation (even when they can see lots of other horses) and confinement (except for exercise) that I don't like about 24/7 stabling. There are ways around the problem. I believe that Wagtails yard has an allweather turnout pen and from her posts it seems to work very well.

I have nothing against this management.

Time to socialise and stretch legs

 

[swintondesire]

I'm sorry but you cannot compare the live of an animal and that of a child!

I would PTS my Horse because she would lead a life of misery if she were to be kept in. Mentally and pysically my Horse could not handle stabling over a long period of time.

But thats because you know your horse. not every horse is like that i certainly would give my horse time and offer him plenty to keep him content and go from there before pts before even knowing how he would react i could say one thing he may do the other.. I only compare to life of a child as it was the first thing i thought in spur of the moment its abit harsh but so is saying pts because your hunderd percent sure you know your horse would go on a certain way.

 

[ISHmad]

I would never keep a horse in 24/7 other than for box rest. It isn't fair to keep an animal designed to roam cooped up in a small square box day in day out.

 

[LaurenBay]

But thats because you know your horse. not every horse is like that i certainly would give my horse time and offer him plenty to keep him content and go from there before pts before even knowing how he would react i could say one thing he may do the other.. I only compare to life of a child as it was the first thing i thought in spur of the moment its abit harsh but so is saying pts because your hunderd percent sure you know your horse would go on a certain way.

Oh I know every Horse isn't like her. Some can deal with it others couldn't. I am 100% certain my Horse would be miserable yes, however upsetting it would be for me to have her PTS, I would not doubt that would be the best thing for her. Afterall I could give it a month, just to find out how she would be. But when do I call it a day? when she has kicked through the stable? when she has tried to jump out? when she has injured someone that is going in to muck out? When she has injured herself further? Every Horse is different and needs to be treated as such. I am just saying that mine couldn't cope. It is not harsh of me to consider PTS. That is what would be right for my mare.

 

[Tnavas]

No. I think unless the Horse is injured then it is cruel to keep them in.

If my Horse ever needed to be box rested, she would be PTS. Before anyone jumps on me for saying that, you do not know my Mare. she would not cope without turnout. I have kept her in for a day once, she tried to barge out quite a few times, she kicked the wall and she bit me. That was 1 day!! she is not an indoor Horse at all.

The majority do become settled when boxed - I've worked in yards where there were over 100 horses boxed. They may come in and for the first few days be unsettled but the routine eventually gets to them and they are fine.

I've just had my 6yr old on several weeks box rest after a nasty leg injury - he'sd never been boxed for more than a few hours before then. He was bargy for a couple of days then having realised he was not going to be let out he settled down.

There are some horses that really don't like b eing turned out - I worked with one that just fenced walked his weight off if turned out. We did it for one winter and never again.

 

[Wagtail]

If I didn't have enough turnout to enable some daily turnout in the winter, I would sort out an allweather turnout pen/corral. Having horses stood in their boxes 24/7 (apart from exercise) still doesn't sit right with me.

The pen/corral would be a solution because you could have a hay feeder and water trough in it. You could turn the horses out in it in small groups/pairs depending on the pen/corral size etc...

This would mean that the horses are not standing in a bog, but they still have time with their mates for social interaction and a canter round, roll, play or just stuff themselves with the hay if they want.

I don't have a problem with keeping youngsters loose in large barns over winter and this could also be done with older horses.

When it comes down to it, it's the isolation (even when they can see lots of other horses) and confinement (except for exercise) that I don't like about 24/7 stabling. There are ways around the problem. I believe that Wagtails yard has an allweather turnout pen and from her posts it seems to work very well.

Yes, I don't know how I ever coped without one. Our fields here are clay and water-logged. The horses can have a good hoon about in small groups for three hours each a day. They have two hay hutches inside. I use them without the lids as I find that then the horses stand and eat the hay and any that falls from their mouths goes straight back in the feeder, so ver little haylage on the sand. They have enough in the feeders so that they never eat from the sand and the little that gets spilled is raked up at the end of the day.

 

[patch1234]

I lived abroad for many years and my horses were often kept in 24/7 but saying that were ridden morning and evening so did get exercise.

Nearly all the equestrian centres keep in 24/7 over the winter including the big named ones who are BHS training and examination centres, (I know this as Ive worked and taught in a variety of them) usually the horses are at least lunged once a day but this is not always the case.

I prefer turnout and always turn my own out but this is not always possible at some yards but people should lunge or ride their horses daily.

In the States barning horses through the winter is very common, and they cope reasonably well with this, I just prefer turnout.

 

[Goldenstar]

If I designed this yard again I would try to afford a pea gravel turnout pen. That linked to the paddock system as part of a track system for summer I tried to sow the seeds of this with the oH during the summer but the seeds fell on stoney or was it poached ground and bore no fruit ....

 

[patch1234]

HAving worked with many horses over the years that lived in 24/7 I generally feel they were quite content.

They were comfortable, dry, fed regularly, got adlib hay and quality exercise and work. Well groomed so rarely had muscle/back problems. Good sized boxes with clean beds.

They wore a wool lined jute rug in winter and if clipped we added a striped Witney blanket. We had less problems with behaviour as we fed straights and accoridng to type, work load, temperement and current condition. We didn't have horses with laminitis at the drop of a hat. Saddles fitted as we didn't try to add numnah after numnah under the saddle.

We clipped them ONLY if their work load warrented it. They wore simple single jointed snaffle bridles and a cavesson or drop noseband. No breastplates and only a few with a martingale. We rarely ever saw a head shaker.

Totally agree, it all depends on the management and exercise.

Unfortunately the discipline that we had around 30 years ago does not exist now.

I had horses in 24/7 but the day was as follows;

6.30 at stables check horses rearrange rugs if necessary feed and water add small net.

7.00 remove feed buckets, skip out, leave to eat hay.

8.00 change rugs if necessary

8.15 light groom if being ridden

8.30 tack up ride for at least 1 hr usually 2 hrs

10.30 return to stable, full groom including strapping usually took 3/4 hour

12.00 lunch

1pm Check horses give 2nd feed add small net, skip out

2pm ride horses not ridden in morning and groom

4pm skip out

cup of tea

5.30 change rugs, bed down, final feed and large haynet, check all is well, remove feed bins

8.30 (if on evening check) check all is well and hay nets are full

The horses were all in excellent condition and you very rarely heard of colic, laminitis or back problems.

We also had to look very smart at all times and be proud that the horses also looked smart.

 

[SO1]

The thing is that they can surprise you. My pony is an outdoor pony who does not like being in his stable for long he has jumped out a few times and lives out.

The worst did happen and he got kicked in the field and his splint bone got broken and he needed a long period of box rest. He jumped out of his stable the next morning even with his robert jones bandage on. I then in desperation moved him to a professional rehab yard who said they could deal with anything and he had a stable with a grid up in a block with others on box rest to keep him company. It has a view of the outdoor school so he could see things going on. His stable has a sky light so it was nice and light and also has a mesh window. He has been on fully livery with owner on site to check him regularly and he gets plenty of attention during day. He surprised us by settling in really well with his box rest which ended up being nearly three months.

Even now he is having an hour or so of turnout he does not mind coming back into his stable. However this is on a professional yard who are used to dealing with horses that are in 24/7 due to injury and can provide the very structured routine and attention they need that might not always be possible if you work full time and can't be around all day at the yard. They also help with providing the right diet for the box rest horse as well they are all on adlib hay and low sugar/low starch feed and the himalayan salt licks and there are treat balls as well with high fibre nuts.

If you have horse that is difficult with box rest sometimes you need to create the right environment for them to accept it.

No. I think unless the Horse is injured then it is cruel to keep them in.

If my Horse ever needed to be box rested, she would be PTS. Before anyone jumps on me for saying that, you do not know my Mare. she would not cope without turnout. I have kept her in for a day once, she tried to barge out quite a few times, she kicked the wall and she bit me. That was 1 day!! she is not an indoor Horse at all.

 

[tankgirl1]

If I didn't have enough turnout to enable some daily turnout in the winter, I would sort out an allweather turnout pen/corral. Having horses stood in their boxes 24/7 (apart from exercise) still doesn't sit right with me.

The pen/corral would be a solution because you could have a hay feeder and water trough in it. You could turn the horses out in it in small groups/pairs depending on the pen/corral size etc...

This would mean that the horses are not standing in a bog, but they still have time with their mates for social interaction and a canter round, roll, play or just stuff themselves with the hay if they want.

I don't have a problem with keeping youngsters loose in large barns over winter and this could also be done with older horses.

When it comes down to it, it's the isolation (even when they can see lots of other horses) and confinement (except for exercise) that I don't like about 24/7 stabling. There are ways around the problem. I believe that Wagtails yard has an allweather turnout pen and from her posts it seems to work very well.

^^ This
Very sensible, and I have also seen yards where the YO overpopulates the fields because she has dollar signs in her eyes! Not a good way to go! If you don't have enough land to be able to deal with the winter turnout carnage of anymore than X amount of horses - then you shouldn't have anymore than X amount of horses on there! Although YO in question has never limited TO, and has many 24/7 TO liverys - just doesnt seem to rotate fields/care really!

Off to read to remainder of the thread, but for what its worth, no, I don't agree with 24/7 stabling except for medical reasons where a decent recovery is expected - meaning a recovery where they can be turned out again for at least 6hrs out of a day year round. Yards that shut fields - do they actually exist? I couldn't cope with that, and neither could they big grey donkey! Never come across that!