Does anyone else winter competition horses out........

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custard

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or youngsters that are getting too big for their boots!

As above really, have decided the newbie may be better out at night, in during the day in all but the worst of weathers. He has good rugs and at present, pretty good grass. He seems pretty tough and from Denmark originally, how does their climate compare to ours?

Any thoughts peeps.
 
I used to manage a stud in Denmark and the temperatures are far colder than in the UK.....however most horses are stabled 24/7 over there. Not at the stud I worked at though, the horses were all turned out every day but this was highly unusual for Denmark.

My last year that I was in England after we sold our property I only had a field left so had to winter my XC horse out. It was fine, I just used extra rugs. He was fully clipped and XC'd about 4 times a week on average.
 
as long as they have really good rugs, and ideally a shelter too if it's really vile, why not? my youngsters, barring accidents (and, god forbid, mud fever) will only come into the stables this winter to have their feet trimmed... the adult horses only come in to be tacked up, apart from the full tb new one, who looks a bit lost when it goes dark if i don't bring her in, plus i'm trying to spend some time getting her to love me!
 
My ISH is fully clipped apart from legs & is out 24/7. He is well rugged, has a field shelter which he uses & I only catch him in overnight if it's unpleasantly wet.

He's doing bd/bsja & is perfectly fine & healthy, holding his weight etc. I think it's healthier being out if the horse is happy as then they're not breathing in dust or getting bored in the stable.
 
Yes mine is living out full time now, having been out in the day and in at night during the eventing season. Caused much confusion for my non-competition oriented YO, but at this time of year I don't have to worry about her getting fat on rich grass, plus I'm not riding as often in the winter so I can save myself some petrol money and just go down 4 times a week instead of every day. She is doing dressage and SJ at the mo.
 
yes me, i do... our two boys stay out all the time except in the worst of the wet/wind/snow...
mine is hunting once a week, schooling twice and doing riding club stuff once or twice a week then hacking out for an hour or so most of the days when nothing else is planned.
my sisters is only in light work over winter, and show jumps outdoors all summer.
they seem to do better living out, as long as we keep them warm enough. they come in for a couple of hours to have dinner (speedibeet, alfa oil and full fat soya) as my sisters gets meds in his and it means they can have some hay too.
 
Any horse can live out - our winters are nothing compared to what they have in Canada etc.!

Mine all live out all year round, including my hunter clipped Luso x TB who was imported from Portugal (so hardly hardy!!) to rather chilly NE Scotland! As long as they are rugged well, get fed well and have shelter - they're absolutely fine
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me tooooo... horses MUCH happier and have access to fully bedded up rubber matted shelter but choose to come out and stay out.

Come in daily for thorough checking, feeding, riding etc


Only real nuisance is grooming and keeping the white bits white. Love the fact though that grooming them is time spent with them as opposed to mucking out.

They were out in the summer too.
 
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