Exercising in winter?

[Caz4514]

HELP PLEASE we have a 14 year old cob which we are struggling to exercise over winter, due to commitments like work and college! he has access to a field but due to the recent weather, it’s like a mud bath and hardly any grass in it! Over the last few days, he’s been stuck in a stable most of the time as it’s too dangerous (icy) to pull him out! What does everybody else do about exercising the horses? Is it OK just to ride during the day weekends and try and get him out in the field once or twice a week?

 

[Jenko109]

Nope.

If he is only out in the field twice a week, then he needs riding daily.

You may wish to consider a sharer who can ride him, or even better, move yards to somewhere that has the facilities to allow turnout all year round.

 

[Winters100]

As Jenko109 said it is absolutely not ok. Is he shod on all 4 legs? This will make the ice difficult for him to navigate, but if he is not he should be fine. The lack of grass in the paddock is not a concern at all, but he needs to move. If he is not to go to the paddock then he will need to be ridden every day, and have one other form of movement (walking in hand / lunging / loose schooling / horse walker). Keeping horses boxed 24 hours requires a huge amount of effort, so you may need to hire a freelance groom if he really cannot have turnout.

 

[gallopingby]

Honestly some people seem not to live in the real world!
If it is so icy that your cob can’t leave the stable because the ground conditions are too dangerous then he’ll have to stay in for a day or two. Better than a broken leg. Obviously it’s better to have planned ahead and decided what you will do to enable some exercise. In the ‘good old days’ we used to put straw on the ground or used bedding to enable them to at least have a leg stretch - and then had to clear it up once a thaw set in.
Not everyone has access to an indoor school or unfrozen arena and when the ground is frozen solid horses/people and most other things that move will slip. My surefooted old and wise very fit pony was very reluctant to come in last week, she realised she had to move slowly and it was safer to leave her out.
If this is a longer term potential problem then the posters above are correct in suggesting getting someone to help exercise during the week. If it’s just a question of not much grass in the field even an hour outside will provide some activity.

 

[Jenko109]

Honestly some people seem not to live in the real world!

Are you always this rude?

 

[gallopingby]

Only to some people, most would be shocked at your suggestion . There’s a huge difference between experience / hands on practicality in producing horses in adverse weather conditions and idealism.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

There’s a huge difference between experience / hands on practicality in producing horses in adverse weather conditions and idealism.

Thats all very well for some of us, but OP is a very new poster who has told us in her introduction her history with horses and very clearly has asked for HELP PLEASE.

She obviously does not need knocking down, she needs some constructive advice that will help her navigate through these very early days of ownership in very difficult conditions at a challenging time of year for most of us who don't have state of the art facilities. So offer the advice without the 'horse expert' sarcasm maybe?

 

[Snow Falcon]

Stabled horses do need to be out for at least a hour a day, whether that be in the field or exercise.

Mine are all out 24/7 despite the weather. I am lucky that the field owner keeps her ponies the same way. I appreciate that all year turnout is hard to come by now.

I would be looking for a sharer or alternative livery where your horse has outside provision if not able to be exercised.

Most cobs are good doers so leaving him out with hay would probably suit better anyway.

 

[MuddyMonster]

OP, has the lack of turn out and time been an issue all winter? Or is it as a result of the very cold weather we've been having?

If the first, I think perhaps a re-think is needed as it's not great for horses to be stables so long continally without exercise. It's not great at all really but plenty of horses cope but I do think regular, varied exercise is key. Whether that is getting a sharer, paying someone to ride or moving yards for either better turn out or better ridden facilities.

If it's the second, then whilst not ideal, I think for short periods of time it is understandable.

My native has only managed two lunges this Monday-Friday due to a frozen school and has been on turned out approximately 12.30/1-5ish due to the frost risk for laminitis so far less than I'd like - he's out 10+ hours most winter days and ridden 5/6 days a week.

Our school isn't great (so in lots of rain, not enough rain, heavy frost etc it's not really usable). It's not ideal but the hacking and turn out the rest of the time makes up for it - it's just weeks like this it becomes an issue.

I try to hand walk as much as possible and do as stable stuff as possible - a good groom, stretches, massage, I make vegetable strings to hang in the stable, multiple haynets to encourage movement - to provide enrichment. Is it what I'd want in an ideal world? No, but we did our best and made it through without injury or illness.

 

[twiggy2]

Its not ideal no but having been on livery under where the yard outside the stables is sheet ice, as are the tracks to the schools and fields I can see how it happens.
I have looked worked on a yard where every horse as turned out every day regardless if wether until one horse fell on the ice and had to be PTS as he broke his pelvis and leg.
I used to turn out and leave out with hay and water taken down and checked twice a day.

 

[Gloi]

Safety is the most important thing. Ideally he should get out every day but if there is ice on the ground and no safe way to turnout, better to stay in than be injured.

 

[gallopingby]

Thats all very well for some of us, but OP is a very new poster who has told us in her introduction her history with horses and very clearly has asked for HELP PLEASE.

She obviously does not need knocking down, she needs some constructive advice that will help her navigate through these very early days of ownership in very difficult conditions at a challenging time of year for most of us who don't have state of the art facilities. So offer the advice without the 'horse expert' sarcasm maybe?

@Mrs Jingle oh dear, it’s obviously a slow news day!! my post was NOT directed at the OP. It appeared under those of the posters suggesting that she needed to consider moving yards or turn out everyday, which you may or may not realise could be dangerous in some circumstances especially with the ice and snow some of us have been experiencing.
Long term it’s not advisable to keep stabled, BUT the suggestion was that the horse was ridden at weekends so that’s 2 days and was turned out during the week for 2 or 3 days that leaves possibly 2 days when he/she is stabled and presumably otherwise looked after which may not be ideal but is certainly not a cause for a major panic.

 

[magicmoments]

Is gritting the yard not possible, to at least be able to hand walk the horses.

 

[Jenko109]

The OP actually indicated that they would turn the horse out once or twice a week. They indicated the field was a mud bath with no grass. There was nothing to suggest that this arrangement is only while there is ice on the ground.

So the horse is potentially in his stable with no exercise 4 days a week.

Our expectations of acceptable management are clearly worlds apart.

 

[Wishfilly]

HELP PLEASE we have a 14 year old cob which we are struggling to exercise over winter, due to commitments like work and college! he has access to a field but due to the recent weather, it’s like a mud bath and hardly any grass in it! Over the last few days, he’s been stuck in a stable most of the time as it’s too dangerous (icy) to pull him out! What does everybody else do about exercising the horses? Is it OK just to ride during the day weekends and try and get him out in the field once or twice a week?

As a one off, if it's extremely icy, I am happy to leave in for up to 24 hours. I'm not happy to have a horse stuck in for long periods (as in multiple days) though with no exercise. If this is a longer term situation, I'd either be trying to create a safe path across the yard (old hay etc over the ice can help with grip if grit isn't available) so you can turn out, or trying to ensure some exercise whether lunging, hand walking, riding etc each day.

Most fields are in a terrible state this winter, but it's still better for them to be out (IMO) than in the stable long term- it's not just about physical health but mental health etc too.

I would not be happy with him being ridden only at weekends and only being turned out 2 days a week as a long term plan- you'll also find with being stabled all the time he'll lose fitness so be able to do less during the ridden sessions.

Do you move to summer fields at some point, or is it an individual turnout type situation where you're in the same paddock all year?

 

[Winters100]

Honestly some people seem not to live in the real world!
If it is so icy that your cob can’t leave the stable because the ground conditions are too dangerous then he’ll have to stay in for a day or two. Better than a broken leg.

OP was clearly not asking about a day or two in exceptional conditions, but what would be acceptable management going forward. The suggestion was that the horse would be ridden at weekends and go to the paddock once or twice - clearly insufficient.

The ice is another issue, since if it is unsafe to remove the horse from the box then I would assume that he is neither being ridden or going to the paddock. If this is just one day very occasionally fine, but otherwise it needs to be managed, either in the current yard or by moving to a different one. There are many different ways of dealing with ice, I am sure that you are aware that many of us keep horses in countries where it is below 0 for many months, and horses are not standing in their boxes for this period of time.

Yes, I do live in the 'real world' as you call it, but OP very sensibly asked if their proposal was good enough, and s/he received replies that it was not.

As to your comment that 'not everyone has access to.......', this is true, but as owners we have a responsibility to house our horses in places where their needs can be met. This does not require smart arenas and pristine tack rooms, but it does mean having the opportunity to move on a daily basis.

 

[Smogul]

Is he shod on all 4 legs? This will make the ice difficult for him to navigate, but if he is not he should be fine.

More useless advice. My shod sure-footed pony copes far better with ice than the rather clumsy barefoot cob at the yard. Please don't fall for the "barefoot solves everything" mantra. You do not want a broken leg. You or the horse.

 

[Winters100]

More useless advice. My shod sure-footed pony copes far better with ice than the rather clumsy barefoot cob at the yard. Please don't fall for the "barefoot solves everything" mantra. You do not want a broken leg. You or the horse.

Actually it really is not useless advice. I have lived in cold countries for 21 years, including Norway, Russia, Ukraine, Poland and Czechia, and having them shod on all 4 legs makes it much more difficult for the horse to walk on ice. I am not someone who thinks that 'barefoot solves everything', mine are shod on all 4 legs for most of the year, but taking off back shoes for winter is common practice in cold climates, and it genuinely does help them.

Edited to add that I have just worked it out, and it is actually 28 years that I have been living outside of the UK - so ice is not a stranger to me!

 

[Widgeon]

I used to turn out and leave out with hay and water taken down and checked twice a day.

I would try to do this OP. As soon as you can safely get him out, I'd do so, then make sure he has hay in the field. When you say "mud bath" do you really mean sloppy deep mud in the entire field, or is it just the gateways that are bad, and the rest is just bare of grass?

 

[SEL]

We have always had a bag of sand near the stables for ice - even on livery yards.

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

Not having ridden exercise doesnt concern me and the odd day in due to the ridiculous weather we have been having recently wouldn’t cause me undue concern if fed wet feed etc etc but turn out..daily wherever possible even on a muddy field I would try to make happen. So if freezing weather predicted i salt the route to the field the night before and turn out with buddies if only for an hour or two. This “resets” the day..lets them have horsey social time. If you have an unfrozen arena you can walk pony round with head torches at night…you might want to create a sand pen for leg stretching purposes.
I will let you know that I know a family with a large herd who cheerfully keep them in for days if not weeks only turning out in the most advantageous weather over winter…with very little riding. I was in the same yard with them for three winters and no horse had colic..and some them went to HOYS after a successful showing season. Mind you I tried to be off the yard when they did turn the herd out…getting to fields was errr…lively to say the least.

 

[Winters100]

I will let you know that I know a family with a large herd who cheerfully keep them in for days if not weeks only turning out in the most advantageous weather over winter…with very little riding. I was in the same yard with them for three winters and no horse had colic..and some them went to HOYS after a successful showing season.

The thing is though is this the life which you would consider acceptable for your own horse? For me the fact that they survive and do not colic is a pretty low bar - I have higher expectations for the management of my own horses.

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

Completely agree winters100..wouldn’t be my choice at all but I wanted to ease the anxiety felt by the OP over her situation with an extreme example which seems to work for others.

 

[Elno]

More useless advice. My shod sure-footed pony copes far better with ice than the rather clumsy barefoot cob at the yard. Please don't fall for the "barefoot solves everything" mantra. You do not want a broken leg. You or the horse.

Um. I live in northern Sweden where the vast majority of horses are shod, with snow soles and ice studs from October to April. It is EXTREMELY dangerous with a horse with metal shoes on ice without ice studs. A barefoot horse actually has much, much better grip on ice than a horse with a metal shoe without ice studs. We also have very good animal protection laws in Sweden and you would as an owner be in deep poo poo if you would turn out your horse in winter without ice studs if shod or didn't take care to provide good footing in pasture/ paddock if barefoot. Also, it is not consistent with good horse keeping to keep horses inside several days unless for a reason like box rest.

 

[ycbm]

Is it OK just to ride during the day weekends and try and get him out in the field once or twice a week?

No, I'm really sorry but it absolutely isn't OK. If you can't get him daily turnout suitable to turn out in, (standing in a little patch of mud does not count), then I'm afraid you'll really need to reconsider whether you are able to own a horse while you still have such heavy work and college commitments.
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