Do you stable if it rains?

[hippo-horse]

Recently I have noticed a lot of people bring their horse in overnight because it is raining. As I live in Scotland,it is usually raining, and even in the summer I know many horses that are brought in out the wet. I have asked around,and get told that it is because the horse doesnt like getting wet and cold! These are not old/infirm/sick horses,all are in full work. I am a bit puzzled by this as I was always told a horse generates body heat by eating,so to my mind a field full of grass would keep them warmer than being in with a net. I would be very gratefull if anybody could explain their reasoning for bringing in, as I just can't get my head round it. Thanks

 

[noobs31]

I do, but more to save the land. But also I think that horses out with no shelter in the kind of relentless heavy rain we've had recently do get very sick of it.

 

[orionstar]

Cant tell you the answer to this one as thankfully my horse dosent seem to leak if left out in the rain. But she dosent develop a very good winter coat, so I will rug in winter if theres a chance she will get cold and wet, if she was a hairy then I wouldnt even do that.

 

[maxapple]

My 3 live out (with my friends pony) 24/7. - but occasionally I bring my old boy (who is 18) in for a couple of hours in the day, mainly for a rest and to get out of the rain / dry out. I can tell when he's tired and he likes being in for a bit with my other pony next door. As soon as he comes in and has had some hay he has a snooze.

I agree about them being warmer moving around, so he's out for the other 22 hours with a rug on if it's wet and is happy.

Just to add we have stables tied open so they always have access - but bringing him in gives him a rest from the others and time to eat his hay in peace.

 

[noobs31]

I am a bit puzzled by this as I was always told a horse generates body heat by eating,so to my mind a field full of grass would keep them warmer than being in with a net.

Just saw this. Yes fibre keeps them warm, why do you consider a haynet less efficient? When it is in front of them and they are not using much energy to find and eat it?

 

[badgerdog]

No, they aren't made of sugar! The temperatures are still quite high and none of the horses on our yard have been brought in and don't appear to be bothered by the rain at all. The grass is far too nice for them to want to come in.

 

[jumpthemoon]

I bring in if its going to be very wet, partly because my tb stands at the gate the whole time and suffers with very tense muscles which are made worse if she's out in the rain. Also because we only have small paddocks in use all year round and I don't want to trash them.

Having said that, I wouldn't keep them in for longer than 2-3 days in a row.

 

[Buttercup_wonder]

no, never. if its long lasting rain over matter of days I might be kind and put on a rug.

 

[JenTaz]

im also in scotland, taz comes in for the night if it has been raining, mainly to save the fields, they are like swamps at the moment so anything to get him out the field and dry for a few hours im happy

 

[be positive]

I generally leave mine out, rugged if appropriate but was surprised yesterday to find my sec A pony shivering and completely soaked to the skin she never wears a rug even in winter but looked very sorry for herself. The main problem for some is that they are on restricted grazing to keep weight down and this will mean they are not so able to keep warm. Yesterday was exceptionally wet and cold here, this afternoon was very hot and sunny.

 

[Irishbabygirl]

I would love to keep mine out 24/7 over the summer but ny fields are clay so don't drain well. When its really wet YO wants them in so the land doesn't get too trashed. It's a right pain! Never bought in over summer in the past, but this year has been a bit of a odd one!

 

[maisie06]

Personally no. But My paddocks are well draining and hold up very well indeed. I also have native types and it's not cold. Plus this time of year they can be a bit itchy - not sweet itch but just generally a bit itchy and when they are wet they just tend to try to knock the stable walls down!! I pop a rug on anybody who needs one, but apart from that they are happy to stay out and munch grass.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

None of the equines here are out 24 . 7


Our livery regime is out at 6.45am in at 4pm (3pm) when clocks go back.

Summer they go out at night at 4pm and in at 7am.


If in the summer regime its raining overnight they stay out regardless even if a storm. They have plenty of shelter.

So the answer is winter does not apply.

Summer
no we don't stable (at night if it rains)

ATEOTD There are horses they don't care if it rains as long as there is shelter.


There is a few horses ( 1 livery) that copes for a while in the rain then wants to come in damn woose lol

but our policy is out over night.

 

[Littlelegs]

No. Unless old/ill then provided they have shelter, forage, & its not a mud bath then I think they are better out. If particularly thin coated/ sensitive to cold I would rug & leave out.

 

[hippo-horse]

Thanks everyone, it is interesting to hear dfferent opinions on this. I completely understand issues such as drainage and having a break from the elements, if it is very nasty or the horse needs extra feed or is happier in its box. What I dont understand so much is the idea that being in a stable is preferable to being outside when it is wet. Maybe Im just too lazy to muck out because of a bit of rain .I like my horse out,away from the dust and with the option to use a buddy as a fly swatter.

 

[Mariposa]

Ours come in at 7.30/8am and go out again around 4/5pm, come rain or shine, in the summer. However they are all rugged at the moment with lightweight rugs with necks, and we have field shelters in each field ( which they use every night and lie down in together!)

We have to electric tape off any very muddy areas, and so far the fields are surprisingly ok!

 

[hippo-horse]

Just saw this. Yes fibre keeps them warm, why do you consider a haynet less efficient? When it is in front of them and they are not using much energy to find and eat it?

I think it is less likely for a horse to run out of grass in a field in summer than to eat all of its net by around 10-12pm and be left untill 8-9am to get more feed.

 

[KVH]

No, never!

 

[Cinnamontoast]

The boy comes in for a rest as he tends to guard his mate who is often flat out! Obviously for exercise too and sometimes because I want his fat bum off the grass. He's a cob, he won't melt in the rain.

 

[Bikerchickone]

No, they don't melt and our fields are very good at draining naturally so we're quite lucky. Unfortunately though mine both come in during the day anyway because I'm trying to avoid them having too much sugary grass. But otherwise they're out and they're out naked because both are very warm people and keep trying to trash my rugs when they get hot!

 

[Queenbee]

I never bothered until Ebs got poorly but then had to stable both of them, now that I just have Ben he is stabled when the rain is lashing down but he loves his stable and is wary of being in the field alone he comes in for 2 nights with a 2 hr break in the grass schooling paddock, regroups and then is happier in his field, we are eeking the length of time out between coming in and are now up to a stretch of 4 days in field if the weather isn't too bad, but he loves his comfort so I keep caving in!

 

[Puppy]

Lordy, no. All are out and enjoying getting some rain on their backs and getting super muddy! It might be rainy here but it's not cold. I find that atm the horses are doing far too 'well' with how the rain is making the grass grow. All are on restricted grazing, lite balancer and not a hint or rugs/stables.

 

[Mince Pie]

Mine goes out at night and in during the day regardless of the weather. I did relent and put a rainsheet on him tonight, but only because he is poorly.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Only if it's cold and windy and wet. Our 30 yr old spent Friday in the pouring rain outside with no rug and came to no harm whatsoever. Her friends did manage to lose a bit of weight this week, so at least this dreadful weather has some use. If it rains for more than 24 hrs we would probably bring them in for a couple of hrs to dry off and lie down if they want to.

 

[Moomin1]

Words fail me sometimes when I hear about people bringing their horses in because it is raining!

My mare has remained out unrugged with just a tree and hedgerows for shelter throughout all of this bad weather, and she is still complete and standing every morning when I go to see her! She isn't a native hairy either, and has a very fine coat.

I can understand it with ill or underweight horses. But I think people tend to make the mistake of thinking horses are like humans that hate standing out in the rain. My mare doesn't bother even sheltering when it's raining heavily most of the time.

 

[Queenbee]

Puppy, I wish! Ben hates being out alone, he can see the others over the gate but he doesn't like it, luckily he is off to boot camp and then onto a yard where he should be able to settle better in his field, but he's always been one to run over and beg to come in, even before he lost ebony. To begin with after she was pts he wouldn't even go in the schooling paddock without going nutty, banking a 4.5 ft wall and running to his stable, let alone the big scary field I've always been a 'chuck em out and leave em out' girl from about march through to nov, so this yr has been a massive culture shock for me, and I don't think I'm going to escape the fact that he loves his bedroom im going to have to toughen up!

 

[Goldenstar]

I have a clipped one unrugged I dont bring him in when it's raining

 

[Libby Boo]

My cob prefers to be out, rolling in the biggest patch of mud he can find! However, I had to relent last week and bring him in for a couple of hours during the day as the bottom paddock resembled an olympic sized swimming pool!!

 

[BlizzardBudd]

At my livery yard they have started to bring the horses in for a little time during the day to let them dry off as it has been so bad that they are all just hudling by the gate and making it really boggy. Also the grass in their field isn't that great and most of B's field mates are older and would be better off going inside for a little while to warm up

 

[Janette]

Ours are out 24/7 between May and October. Except when it rains like it did on Friday (we are in Yorkshire ). They came in and have been in since because the main field is soaked and the oldies were shivering. Even the YOs Shire horses were moved to more protected parts of the farm. That's unheard of. Hopefully they can turn out today....