Do you bring your horses in during bad weather?

[jnb]

Mines's out (I have given in and put a LW rug on though, no neck).
This is what he thinks to it....

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Yes!! I have one that hates winter full stop and an oldie who likes his creature comforts!

 

[FestiveG]

We are going to be able to leave them out this winter, unless we get really awful weather from the east or snow. We have just repaired a building to turn it into a field shelter for them both and put down mud mats in it and the twice the space outside, so fingers crossed! In previous winters they've tended to be in from about November till April, at night.

 

[MuddyMonster]

I've had to limit at times in the past due to yard limitations - either to protect the ground or because other liveries didn't want to turn out.

Now he lives out 24/7 but has plenty of shelter. I've not started rugging yet but suspect I will lightly when it gets colder and wetter.

 

[milliepops]

mine were out all night in the rain, and all day in the rain... and I've now brought them in so they will be in at night until spring. If we have a winter like the last one they might be in quite a few days too, as the land will get sopping. In general I try to stick to their routines even if the weather is crap, they have good rugs. I was pleased that TB had braved the shelter this time, I had left a haynet in there and he had tucked himself away happily

the old things live out come what may. Mare & foal have a run-in shelter which they use quite a bit.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

My two have gone out again, I’ve kept them in their original rug weights but put necks on them. Tomorrow is looking absolutely horrendous so they may have to stay in overnight.

 

[Nicnac]

Nah - out as I'm mean. TB would much prefer to be in but has a meltdown if in on his own so has to suck it up. He's rugged and has grass and hay - he's just a wuss. They'll come in at night when I move to winter fields. No date but usually around bonfire night.

 

[Winters100]

Mine are stabled at night and go outside during daylight. If it is truly awful I bring them in at lunchtime, but they have a field shelter and a hay bell in the field, so it has to be really bad for me to do this. They wear rugs as appropriate, older mare usually being the one who gets rugs on earlier than the others.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Mine will be in tonight it has been vile here all day they have just been stood under the trees most if the day.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Mine comes in at night these days, he needs his meds. He looked like the most miserable horse in the world today, huddled under a tree in a soaked through NZ, think it needs re-proofing!

 

[Shilasdair]

Well, I brought mine in for the night.
They seemed pleased enough, particularly the sloth. When I put her in the stable with her haynet and feed there was smug peace for a few moments then she rushed to the door and started screaming at me. I thought she wanted out again but it turned out her haynet string had broken, and - CRISIS - the net was covering her feed!
This was almost as traumatic for her as the time her feed bucket blew away mid bite in the field.
New haynet provided, feed uncovered, and peace restored.

 

[Summit]

I walked down the yard at 6.30 this morning in the driving rain and wind to get my horse in. Lovely cozy stable, rugged and plenty of hay. He hates being in but the weather was just dreadful. Went back at lunchtime and he’d trashed the stable

More bad weather tomorrow but he’ll be out as that clearly makes him happy

 

[scats]

I swapped mine round this week so they are in at night. Helps save the land and is a bit easier for me in the winter, routine wise.
They’ll go out every day, unless absolute torrential rain with wind.

 

[Micky]

Mine make their own minds up, they can come into the barn or go out..if it’s horrendous sideways rain and wind, they def come in, of this rain own accord..they come in at night anyway to soaked hay as on restricted grazing..

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Well it was absolutely foul last night and at 4am as I listened to the rain hammering down I felt like the worst owner in the world but this morning they were both happily in the middle of the field, perfectly warm and dry and I didn't take DP’s muzzle off either. Their liners were very slightly soggy on the back ends so I’ve bought them home and they are in the machine now and will be dry and clean to go back on tonight.

 

[Tiddlypom]

My wimps have happily gone back out after coming in for their breakfast and a munch on some hay.

They’ve all got neck covers on their 100g turnout rugs which helps a lot. PSSM mare has a 200g liner as well.

 

[HashRouge]

I do in the winter, but not in the summer. In the summer they can have access to their stables from the field (but can't in the winter as the field where the stables are gets too wet). So during Storm Alex they had two stables open between three (my two tend to cram into the same stable) and could be in or out as they preferred. In the winter they will come in during heavy rain/ strong winds, but otherwise they stay out. I find they don't mind at all about the change of routine. One much prefers to be out, even in horrendous weather, but he has to put up with it occasionally for the 27 year old, who would rather not be out in torrential rain! I try to bring them in as late as possible and turn out early, but they seem, fairly chilled regardless. They have a half partition between their stables with no bars, so they can just stick their heads into each others stables for a chat, which they love.

 

[WandaMare]

It depends on how the ground is standing up to the weather for me. Horses are happy either way but once the ground gets completely saturated I get them in, I don't want them trashing all the winter grazing this early in the season.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Two of them came in for a brief drip dry, a doze and a break from the rain. The south facing shelter is today’s shelter of choice. The PSSM mare is not there, so she is out in the rain, I must have got her rugging level right.

 

[EmmaC78]

One of mine is out and one is in. The one who is in I would normally leave out too but he is just getting over an injury and I don't want him running about in the field if it is so wet.

 

[Goldenstar]

Mine are about to go out .
Sky has been having a couple of hours kip after hunting

 

[SEL]

I was wide awake at 3am thinking ponies would need to call the lifeboat - obviously they were fine. Lots of standing water though and we've got another 30mm due in tonight so they might be coming in for the sake of the ground.

 

[NinjaPony]

Mine came in and stayed in overnight... they practically bowled each other over to be the first to come in and once in settled in for the night with no signs of wanting to leave...

I'm going to end up leaving in tonight too. It's just miserable and sodden and it's a bit early for trashed fields.

Sunday night is looking drier so should be ok to resume full time turnout.

 

[laura_nash]

I bring mine in to protect the fields not them - they are waterproof, hairy and at the moment too fat. One with arthrius is an exception but even he is better out and moving than stuck in.
Mine can stay out 24 /7, then be in for a day, then out again for two weeks, then in over night for 3-4 days - I deliberately try and make sure they don't have routine (it helps them not learn to hang around the gateway). They seem fine with it and I've managed them like this for many years.
Some winters they have been in c.20 nights the whole year, others they have been in for what feels like months - sometimes 24 /7 in with turnout in the school when the rain has been unrelenting.

I am lucky I can spy on them from the house - in some of the grimmest weather they are happily grazing in the middle of the field - in weather that looks OK to me they are huddled behind the stone walls (at which point I'll go and get them).

If I go to get them in and they look up from eating - stare at me then carry on eating and ignore me - they usually stay out.

If I go to get them and they run to the gate I know they want in.

This, almost exactly (including the one with arthritis, being too fat at the moment, and huddling behind the stone walls being a good hint they'd like in). The only difference in my case is no school, but my "in" is in a yard / tiny stony field with a field shelter which has gates on the front - I don't have "real" stables - so when in full time they can still groom, wander about etc.

I have no routine, and it varies not only depending on the weather but which field they are in etc - for instance when moving fields they might spend the night in the new one and the day in or in the old one for a week or two if the new field has a lot of grass.

I realise in theory it breaks the "no sudden changes in diet" rule, but the hay is cut from the same fields and I've never had even a mild colic.

 

[Shilasdair]

Mine came in and stayed in overnight... they practically bowled each other over to be the first to come in and once in settled in for the night with no signs of wanting to leave...

I'm going to end up leaving in tonight too. It's just miserable and sodden and it's a bit early for trashed fields.

Sunday night is looking drier so should be ok to resume full time turnout.

Yes, I'm in Glos and it's heavy rain so I think I'm going to keep mine in tonight, then leave them out tomorrow night when it's supposed to get drier.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Mine are going to stay on the hard standing/trash paddock area overnight tonight. There's a shelter but they prefer to stand in the yard between the barns. They are much more concerned with being out of the wind than under a roof I've noticed.

If I had stables tonight would be a night I made use of them though.

 

[southerncomfort]

The rain only really got going here this morning but the paddock had standing water within a couple of hours so I popped them in the school.

Just went out to check on them and they were beginning to get a bit grumpy with each other so they are now stabled and probably will be until the morning now.

 

[cobsandbassets]

Yard has said all in overnight from tonight. Brought them in and tbh they were ready. They're always out well before 9 am until 5pm and out 24/7 Spring until the weather gets wet so can't grumble at that.

 

[oldie48]

Rose and Fatty are in tonight for the first time since the spring. I left them out last night and they were horrible to bring in this morning because it was very wet and windy. Fortunately I'd got a part bridle for Rose as it stops her being super silly, unfortunately I had attached the lead rope to her field safe headcollar instead of the bit so it was pretty useless but I didn't notice until we got back to the stable! I do keep an eye on the weather mainly for my own safety.

 

[scats]

Relentless and heavy rain all day and wind. Girls went out rugless as it was too warm for their 100g fills, but their no fills would never have withstood the deluge so decided they were better off without. They were bums to the hedge when I got there, but they weren’t shivery or cold. Both happy to be in for the night with full haynets.

Does anyone else struggle with this weather? I just hate it so much, it makes me feel so miserable. Any ideas how I can change my mindset about it?! I hate the grey skies and the feeling of the air. The thought of another winter of this relentless rain is really getting me down.