Do you turn out overnight in bad weather?

One of ours is a laminitic and therefore can't live out - she goes out 2 or 3 times a week and is quite happy with that, I think she much prefers human company and she never gets fizzy or grumpy if she doesn't get to go out. She keeps pulling shoes as our fields are so muddy so at the moment she isn't getting much turn out time, but just being grazed in hand (can't be ridden atm either!)

Our other - despite being a 16.2 chunky ISH - is the biggest wuss ever known and doesn't 'do' bad weather. She goes out every other day (or night if the flies are bad). She wears a fly rug or a lightweight waterproof or goes nekked :p If it starts to rain really hard or storm she will literally pace by the gate and shout. Either that or god help any poor soul going to fetch their horses in, she'll mug them too!

We prefer them to be in overnight/during the day just because the fields don't have much grass left and we like them to have haynets too :) we are soft!!!!
K x
 
4 of mine stay out 24/7 and the Lami risk native mare is in a bare compound with her stable door always left open
 
My horses live out 24/7 all year round. We open a barn in winter and bed it with straw but to my amazement and sometimes frustration, they dont come in!!!! Just now I have irish draughts and 2 lightweight cobs, but have had an arab and a thoroughbred, and they all thrived, with good rugs and access to hay/haylage 24/7.
 
I was like this initially. Mine used to hate the rain but with the right rug/ shelter he soon got used to it :)

The only time he came in was snow or when it was 'cold' windy and heavy rain... Literally the shivering type weather.

It was once in a blue moon tbh.

:) he'll be perfectly fine.
 
Well he survived the night lol
Looked out my bedroom window this morning and he is waiting at the gate. Bless him :)
 
KellysHeroes said:
One of ours is a laminitic and therefore can't live out - she goes out 2 or 3 times a week and is quite happy with that, I think she much prefers human company and she never gets fizzy or grumpy if she doesn't get to go out. She keeps pulling shoes as our fields are so muddy so at the moment she isn't getting much turn out time, but just being grazed in hand (can't be ridden atm either!)

Our other - despite being a 16.2 chunky ISH - is the biggest wuss ever known and doesn't 'do' bad weather. She goes out every other day (or night if the flies are bad). She wears a fly rug or a lightweight waterproof or goes nekked :p If it starts to rain really hard or storm she will literally pace by the gate and shout. Either that or god help any poor soul going to fetch their horses in, she'll mug them too!

We prefer them to be in overnight/during the day just because the fields don't have much grass left and we like them to have haynets too :) we are soft!!!!
K x
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So theyre in all the time? Im really hoping you mean loose in a big barn not stabled.... :(
 
I have a Draft horse who spent her early years on the Continent. She keeps telling me she doesn't do weather but she's getting used to it. In fact only yesterday, in the rain, I noticed the other 2 were sheltering and she was still out in the middle of the field. We live on the top of the Pennines and have only put rugs on once since they went out for the summer. That was in the awful cold wind and rain in June.
 
I think most people are too soft with their horses - they're supposed to be out grazing in whatever weather is thrown at them. If its rainy/windy then rugs will take care of that. The only reason I'd keep a horse in is for medical reasons (ie laminitis but I'd still like them out as much as is safely possible, or if the flies are doing their nut in - in which case I'd turn out at night instead). My 2yo lives out without a rug and loves it, my 20yo goes out everyday for 8 hours which suits him fine - I'd like him out more but he's an ex-lami and it's just too risky.
 
R.A.H said:
I think I will invest in a rug. I don't mind the snow, it's the rain I don't like :)
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Unless he is poor or has no shelter I wouldn't . My trad has a huge coat if not clipped, she would be so uncomfy that it was better that she was naked. If its dreadful in winter bring them in, they do have natural grease in their coats and a rug stops this. My trad is now clipped out but still last year she wore a good quality med weight rug , I did put her pjs under a couple of nights, tbs and lighter things are totally different!

Flys are a different story, daisy wears a good fly rug with a mask as very pink skinned. Equilibrium are fab , expensive but well worth the money.
 
I've got a 6 year old traditional cob who goes out in all weathers (because we don't have any stables anyway lol) He's got some big trees to shelter under and never seems to mind a bit of rain (well it's constantly raining here in cumbria) x :)
 
Mine goes out whatever the weather. He had to stay in one day last winter as the field was frozen solid and dangerous (there are springs which had frozen). I like to think of it as in the old days at school in the 60s and 70s - kids had to go out at playtime - coats on, freshen the air in the classroom, burn off steam! I hate to think of my horse being bored!!
 
Do what you want to do for your horses, if its going to be peeing down and windy all night, bring them in if it makes you feel better, i will bring my horses in if the weathers pants id rather know theyre in out of the wet and wind, less likely to get mud fever and saves my field from churning up in the wet and theyre quite happy in at night and out through the day :)
 
TigerTail said:
So theyre in all the time? Im really hoping you mean loose in a big barn not stabled.... :(
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Oh God no no - they are in stables but not 24/7 - the ISH goes out in the field every other day for approx 6 hours or overnight and is ridden every day. The lami mare at the moment is hand grazed and walked daily as that's all she's capable of at the minute unfortunately (just come off box rest). Normally, she is ridden daily and out 2 or 3 times per week for a few hours, muzzled.
K x
 
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