Does your horse live in 24/7 in winter??

[Megibo]

Just to be facetious... how do you know she objects to the 5 min walk?!

Don't think I said its the 5 min walk she doesn't like?!

But it IS 5 minutes each way, and very boggy deep puddles and mud etc. She HATES the mud/wet/cold so if you can successfully get her down there she just fence walks or sulks in a corner of the field until you get her in again. She was originally protesting going out by frequently planting which developed into rearing spinning and kicking out plus being miserable! She is far happier now she is in (and prior to the track becoming so wet muddy and boggy etc she was perfectly happy to walk down there and go out in the field etc.)

 

[gingernut81]

My chap prefers to be in if weather is appalling - he was the only one in during a recent thunder storm and he had a very smug look on his face! He is only in when the weather is terrible though i.e windy, lashing down rain or snow and that's to preserve his paddock. He's in at night all year and likes his routine.

 

[pippixox]

i think a lot of it is habit for horses. in october i would actually test to see if they wanted to come in or not: mine get let on to a secure yard area, fed dinner in there, then waited to see if they walked back towards the gate to the field, or the other gate, which leads to the barn, a 2 minutes walk away. they had already had a big tea, and initially normally walked back towards field gate, but when wet and towards end of october they went to the gate towards barn, even though the other 6 were still out in the field. it was interesting to see. did turn them out this morning in the rain and dark at 6.30am and they went off in the field, but stood and moped with the 6 that had been out all night. friend was up at 12.30 and said they were already waiting by the gate, then went off for a bit. i was up at 2.30 and they were back waiting by the gate.. winter is here. will open up 3rd field soon to get more grazing. i love that mine come into a barn, in the same section together, size of 4-5 stables, so more room and they can interact like in the field.

 

[magicmoose]

Mine have the freedom to wander in and out as they choose. I had to smile when we had our first proper snow the other night; in the morning there were two sets of footprints across the yard to the field gateway that then turned around and went straight back to the stables!

 

[charli_]

Ours prefer to be out, would prefer for them to be out 24/7 but field is a boggy mess so they are out 7:30 - 6 at mo...seem to be happy coming in as know their the and hay is waiting...but always raring to be turned out in the morning!

 

[Annagain]

Mine has never spent more than 12 hrs in the stable. He's desperate enough to get out after that length of time. He comes in overnight from end Nov- end March (yard rules) and though he's happy to come in (more for food I think) he always wants out by 7am. I'd leave him out if I could.

My share horse had 6 months box rest and was surprising chilled, he started off doing his daily walks just on a headcollar but then we'd shut the gate and let him mooch about the car park instead as he was so quiet.

 

[VixieTrix]

Blue only goes out for a few hours a day through choice!! he has plenty of grass (his fields were recently compared to a bowling green lol) and hay left out in his field and will still break out and be waiting by the gate if not fetched in ... 5 hours max. So he goes out for a few hours in the morning then I let him out in the evening while I muck out etc. I try to take him for an in hand graze a few times a week. This has only been the last two years as he is getting older. I think he likes being in his warm stable with his thick bed. I have tried everything and this seems to be his happy medium. 9 months of the year he's happy to stay out when and where I leave him, I accept these 3 months of staying in as his choice

 

[MillionDollar]

Yep, I have a few that do but I do have access to horse walker, all weather turnout pens, round pen and indoor arena so plenty to keep them occupied. I don't see the problem as long as they're happy

 

[Spoiled cob]

yes, my old boy used to go out everyday whatever the weather and then last year didn't want to, the rearing, tantrums etc were just making him sore and dangerous to handle so I let him stay in and he was a happy boy again. I try and make him go out in the paddock for at least an hour on good sunny days but he will just stand in one place till I fetch him in, there is plenty of grass and it's not too muddy. He is walked in hand and I have an all weather turnout so he does spend time out stretching his legs and having a good roll.

I muck out/tidy up after them at least 4 times a day, have hay blocks, toys etc and they are happy, not difficult to handle or exercise. As soon as it warms up they will be happy to go out for the day again.

 

[PonyIAmNotFood]

One that I look after is in A LOT at the minute as the yard has really restricted turnout. She gets exercised everyday but is very grumpy and it's a shame Other peoples horses don't even set foot out of their stable though, so she doesn't have it as rough as that. I would have her out 24/7 if it was my choice, but it isn't so we make the best we can of it. She has ad lib hay and forage blocks to attempt to occupy her.

I do know some horses that seem to take it or leave it, some on the yard seem content being in with ad lib hay and boredom breakers.

 

[MDB]

Ours are out 24/7/365. They have access to two shelters which they use when it is hot but will stay outside in cold and wet. They will turn their bums to the wind and carry on grazing. One is rugged to help with weight and the other two are unrugged.

 

[Elsbells]

My mare goes out late morning and comes in at 5, if Im any later she gives me a right telling off!
In the summer shes out 24/7 and loves it, although if its hot and theres a lot of flies about she likes to come in in the middle of the day And have a snooze.
Not such a terrible life eh?

 

[blitznbobs]

My Dwb used to jump out of his field (8 acres with 3 horses on it ) if you put him out on a rainy day and put himself back in the stable ... He didn't do this when it was mild and sunny ... He really didn't like getting wet ! He even objected when ridden in the rain and wouldn't go straight - he ended up going a weird shoulder in so his face wasn't into the rain.. It might be better for them to be out all the time just as it's better for us to walk everywhere and eat low salt low fat food but we sometimes prefer what is not so good for us...

 

[applecart14]

I wouldn't like my horse to stay in 24/7, I am opposed to this myself personally. As long as they go out for a couple of hours a day I don't see a problem with it.

My horse has always gone out every day since I've had him and at least four hours at that, but since moving to this new yard in June last year it came as a shock when they came in from the paddocks in mid October and they've been turned out on a sandpit ever since. And I have to say I am SO GLAD glad that this is the case and would now find it really difficult to go back to sticking my horse out in a field.

They go out for 2 hours a day each and in the very cold/frosty weather an hour each. My horse's legs have never looked so well, there's been no mud fever, no mud rash, no pulled legs, no running around through deep sticky mud, and I am glad that I moved to this yard. Bailey is happy to come in - even after thirty mins when I've just chucked him out to muck out. As long as he can have a buck, fart and a roll he is happy as a sandboy (pardon the pun).

I can see he rolls every day as I see tiny bits of sand stuck to his coat. I don't have to brush all the mud off his legs, spend hours washing, drying and creaming them like I had to, and his rugs are clean and dry. BLISS!

Sometimes we get settled in our ways and can't see other peoples way make much sense and then we try it and soon change our mind I don't know if my horse would have managed another winter sound in mud to be honest.

Is there no way you can persuade the YO to install a little sandpit? Ours isn't big (about 15m x 25m divided into two) but its sufficient for two horses at a time separated by electric fence. We have two or three big metal pots filled with sand/cement and a wooden pole sticking out of them for the electric fence to run through separating the area.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

As title. Want to know who else does this!
One of mine now does whilst the other 2 go out. Up until last week I was making her go out each day and she was making it more and more clear she didn't want to go out in the mud and cold! She is now in, coming out everyday for ridden exercise or a mess about in the school and is back to being happy and relaxed again etc! I used to be completely against it but obviously it is working for her and what she was after...
The others are still perfectly happy to go out everyday.

No except xmas day ours go out daily - I would not have it any other way unless ill I will always turn mine out to have a stretch of legs and let them have their freedom.

They are all out by 7.30am unless farrier or vet appointment and come in around 2 - 3pm depending if ridden or lami risk

 

[AngieandBen]

Mine are out 24/7 all winter, they usually come in during the day in the spring/summer when the flies are bad, they love it in the winter, have plenty of grazing and lots of trees/hedges for shelter

 

[MagicMelon]

Quite possibly they were A. not over fed, and B. used to it. Horses are adaptable creatures, and in possibly the majority of horses kept in places which-are-not-the-UK do not get turned out quite as much. They do fine.

Depends on your opinion of "fine". IMO there are a hell of a lot of horses with vices caused by the pure boredom of being stabled. I think horses are good at simply shutting down when depressed which people seem to think means they are relaxed and happy. Horses were never designed to be stabled in such a confined space. They are social and active creatures, I find it cruel personally to stable permanently. You'd think it was cruel to keep a dog in a small cage 23 hours a day so why people think its acceptable for a horse I have no idea.

OP, I think you've said why your horse doesn't want to go out - sounds like your field is really muddy, doubt many horses would like to stand about up to their knees in mud. Mine live out 24/7 but we have a hardcore yard area in front of our stables (I leave the doors open) so the horses generally spend 1/2 the day down the field grazing and 1/2 their time standing on the hardcore eating hay (or being inside dozing). I think some people think "turnout" is ok being a small muddy paddock with no shelter or dry areas to stand, no wonder some horses might prefer a stable (for a short time).

 

[Jo1987]

None of mine would tolerate it, and I wouldn't like to have one that preferred it! But if horse is happier without going out in the mud, fine. Each to their own!

 

[Nightmare before Christmas]

Most of my comp horses or ponies over the past 10 years have lived in 24/7 (some will go out depending on how fresh they get) never had one horse with a vice! The main reasons my current horse doesn't go out atm is he can jump onto the road. It's a no brainer. Come summer I will have saved enough to build him a raptor pen for 30min a day (he's bored and wants in after that, even with a friend)

 

[mightymammoth]

I feel guilty bringing mine in at 5pm and turning out at 8am and I'm only doing that because he has mud fever and I'm not happy that he has enough shelter in his field. Ideally he would be out 24/7. Although I only ride twice a week.

 

[Antw23uk]

I really struggled with the limited turnout on our otherwise fantastic yard at this time of the year but to be honest since owning an absolute superstar who is used to very limited turn out this time of year (he used to be a hunt masters horse) I've slowly but surely changed my mind.

He gets a couple of hours a day in a trash paddock and is ridden/ lunged everyday. They do get a few hours in the fields if its dry/ frosted solid enough but usually after an hour or two he is standing wanting to come in anyway. It's been a challenge letting my horse dictate what suits him especially when its against what I think is best for him if that makes sense but I was only saying this morning he seems to be in a really great place at the moment and we are both loving life together

I do feel for people with stressy and naughty horses that have to be kept in though when they cant cope with it!

 

[HashRouge]

I work with show jumpers and they live in the majority of the winter as our fields are either too wet or too frozen to turn them out, although we do get the odd day here and there where they can be in the field. I think our situation is quite different to a horse who is seen to once in the morning and once in the afternoon, and then left all day though. They are all mucked out by 9.30am then every horse is exercised, whether it be a proper work out (these horses will be done first), hacking or lunging. The horses that are done later in the day and have a lighter workload will go on the horsewalker for 10-15 mins when they have been mucked out. Every horse is out of it's stable, in the cross ties before being ridden, then back in the cross ties for a thorough groom/ wash afterwards. Sometimes they are there for longer if they wear the Equissage, or are being clipped, trimmed, or bathed (which happens fairly regularly). We have an all weather turnout pen that they go in a few times a week for 45 mins or so, weather permitting. Then throughout the day they have regular interaction with us even when stabled as they are skipped out and hayed at lunch time, 4pm and 9pm. All in all they have a fairly decent life, none of them show signs of boredom and they are all well-adjusted, pleasant horses. They do go out a lot when the fields are dry enough, so March-October/ November.

My own pony lives out 24/7/365 though. Wouldn't have it any other way for her, but then she's retired.

 

[DD265]

My boy is at the moment, but he was on box rest starting just before new year and we've only just had the all clear to turn him out again. Given the current state of the snow and ice everywhere unfortunately that won't be happening just yet.

When it's safe to do so he is walked to and around the arena twice a day - because of what he was on box rest for it was really just a bit to get him moving and loosened up. In the evening when I get there it has been freezing up already so I haven't risked it (box rest caused by a fall on ice in the first place).

Thankfully he does seem to be coping well although I know he'd much rather be out at least for a few hours, and he misses his walks on the bridleway too but I daren't risk it.

 

[amandaco2]

Mine are out 24 7.

 

[Neburu]

My mare lives in during the winter, she hates being out in the mud. She makes it quite clear when she wants to start living in by refusing to walk towards her paddock and trying to ****** off back to her stable.

She goes on the walker for an hour in the morning and for an hour in the evening and then she gets ridden or lunged aswell most days.

Shes a lot happier this way and easier to handle and ride.

 

[EquiEquestrian556]

No, ours go out for approx. 6 hours, and go back in at night. They do like going out in the field, and then after a certain amount of time they want to go back into their warm & dry stables.

 

[Sleipnir]

Mine gets stiff, grumpy and very, very high-strung if left stabled even for a couple of nights, so he is always out 24/7 - any season, any weather.