Does anyone winter their youngstock in barns?

Yes, at the stud where I work all the youngsters winter in large covered Barns. Deep littered on straw with big bales of hay in round hay bars. They seem to do very well. They have just been brought in from the fields having spent the whole summer out and they will stay in the barns untill March/April.
 
Ditto TicTac, although ours are still out as the grass isnt too bad. We have some in the indoor stable blook (huge boxes as old cow farm) in groups of 3-6 depending on number of foals and number of boxes! They are on straw and do get skipped out. we dont have hay bars they just get round bales hay and we remove the string.

We used to use a huge open front type barn that had gates but we lost a really nice mare when she tried to jump out and broke her leg and neck- so they now have brick walls with proper stable doors.
 
Thanks - do any of your barns have a dirt floor? I was thinking (hoping) this would be an advantage as the pee would drain away...

I have a 60 X 30 foot barn, and two 2 year olds, with a foal to join them when weaned around Christmas time, so plenty of room.
 
Yep, we winter some of the older horses in a barn type thing, which is half outdoors half indoors. During the spring-summer-autum we store hay in it :)

The horses have a big round feeder which we put a big bale of haylege into. They have a half barrel of water and on really good days have access to a 1/2 acre of grass, when we open the gate :)
 
Yes under the straw is dirt floor- would cost a fortune if we put concrete down! At the end of the winter we just send the mini digger and remove all straw. leave them as long as poss until the mares need them for foaling
 
Sounds like a plan! I have a barn with a paddock to one side so could let them out on good days for a bit of grass and keep them in when fields are too wet.

I think it would be better for the horses and the fields! Last year the fields were trashed, and the then yearlings were wading in mud around the gateway wanting to follow the "grown up" horses in for the night.

This way they get to stay dry, the haylage can be fed in the barn so not trampled into the field and it will be much easier to manage. They can see out of the barn on 3 sides, and will be happier as a little group munching away at night in the dry.
 
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