Feeling like a bad owner- left out in snow

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ellis9905

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So I'm feeling like a bad owner- I have left my 2 out in the snow overnight tobihht- there's a big clear patch under a large tree , plus lots of natural hedge. There's the best part of a Bale of hay in various piles plus thry've both had there tea.
Ones a welsh sec a- unrugged the other a hw cob who has a hw rug on. Both are usually out except for the torrential rain the other week

I'm dithering weather to go and put beds down etc to fetch them in-

Someone put my mind at rest and reassure me that other horse owners would leave out in the snow!!
 
Mine live out. They love the snow :) They were so frisky and happy on Monday when we got a decent dump of it. Four are rugged, mine (ISH) isn't - he had a rainsheet on overnight on Monday but asked for it to be taken off, so he's been without it since then.

I have been up putting hay out for them morning and evening - they eat a bit of it, but seem to prefer snuffling round in the snow for grass, so there's always hay left every time I go up to replenish it.

They don't have a field shelter, they have trees and hedges, and it's a Scottish hillside, so windswept and cold.

I don't feel at all guilty - I do get the odd twinge when it's raining sideways and windy, but it's so clear that they like snow that I'm happy that they're out enjoying it. The horses at the yard have been stuck in their stables for days, because owners are afraid to lead them across the slippy road to the field :(
 
We don't have stables yet so my two are out in the snow. Its to be about -4 to -6 tonight. They seem quite happy and I've put some hay in the field to keep them chirpy, though there is grass if they can be bothered to dig!
I've never known a horse refuse to go out in the snow. Ice, on the other hand, can be a bother.
 
In foal mare and 3 yr old out in snow with hay and tea. TBx and a warmblood, unrugged and both quite happy. No field shelter, just hedges.

Don't feel cruel - they are horses!
 
We havnt had much snow but mine are out and they will be all winter, they have a shelter but very very seldom use it and I don't have much natural shelter but they alsways look happy. I put hay out am and pm but always some left and little coblet tank was eating snow when I left this morning.
 
Dont feel bad theyl be fine! Both of mine are out unrugged, i was generous and gave them a flap of hay each before I left ;)
 
My boy would come and live with yours if he could. He is on box rest 'til spring. Being half highland he would be in his element!
 
We kept the weanlings in over the snow last winter.....


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They decided to let themselves out and have free range in the snow 2 fields away! Cue me....having to go out riding to go and pick them all back up and go back to the barn. :o :p


And the 2 year colds were left out and had maize snowballs ;)

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:p
 
Gosh, you ought to see my Dartmoor ponies in the snow - they're well 'ard. Born and bred on Dartmoor, living in the valleys of cornwall is a walk in the park to them - they even had a few inches of snow lying on their backs when we had that bad fall a couple of winters ago, which stayed for ages because they are so well insulated.
 
Yep Im cruel as well then :D My 22yr old is out rugged and hairy, wont be coming in regularly all winter if I can get away with it! :D

They wont freeze, if the have plenty of forage they will be just fine sweeping the snow away to get it ;)
 
ellis9905 said:
So I'm feeling like a bad owner- I have left my 2 out in the snow overnight tobihht- there's a big clear patch under a large tree , plus lots of natural hedge. There's the best part of a Bale of hay in various piles plus thry've both had there tea.
Ones a welsh sec a- unrugged the other a hw cob who has a hw rug on. Both are usually out except for the torrential rain the other week

I'm dithering weather to go and put beds down etc to fetch them in-

Someone put my mind at rest and reassure me that other horse owners would leave out in the snow!!
Click to expand...

Stop worrying :)

How much snow do you have? Is it really cold? Is there wind chill?

Horses aren't stupid, they'll hunker down in shelter if they want to, most likely they'll just stuff themselves and be horses.

Mine just have to get on with it, unless I have a frail ancient, or something that is unwell, then I never even think about bringing in - it just makes work. many of mine don't even have run ins or shelter.

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These are actually standing on a frozen pond :)

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Mine is 22 and out unrugged in the snow. She is like a hairy bear and is quite warm enough at the moment - she has a huge wardrobe of rugs when she starts to seem cold but I'd much rather she can fluff up, roll properly, get muddy and I'm not worried about wet rugs or her getting too hot. She's also much better outdoors moving around for her arthritis. There is plenty of grass under the snow which is hardly deep and she can go and look for it :)
 
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