First day out on the grass for three months and...

[Wagtail]

They come straight back into the sand turnout to munch hay.

Fields have been rested all winter so no mud, just nice green grass. I decided it was such a nice day that I'd put the afternoon shift of horses into the paddocks. I left the gate open into the sand turnout. They spent a total of twenty minutes rolling and hooning about and grazing before they decided to come back into the sand, and have been in there ever since.

 

[*hic*]

PMSL, all winter you worry about them not being able to behave like horses and then you give them the chance and they do that! Perverse bloody animals

Yesterday my old boy decided he was not going in his stable, not at all, no chance, no way. So I thought fair enough, yard is secure, you stay out for a bit. I tried to catch him and he was having none of it. Later my husband came home and the pony came over to him quite obviously saying "Help me, please catch me and take me in, she won't let me go in my stable." He's a monstrous old trout - and much loved for his perverse and wilful ways

 

[Wagtail]

PMSL, all winter you worry about them not being able to behave like horses and then you give them the chance and they do that! Perverse bloody animals

Yesterday my old boy decided he was not going in his stable, not at all, no chance, no way. So I thought fair enough, yard is secure, you stay out for a bit. I tried to catch him and he was having none of it. Later my husband came home and the pony came over to him quite obviously saying "Help me, please catch me and take me in, she won't let me go in my stable." He's a monstrous old trout - and much loved for his perverse and wilful ways

Sounds like a 'character'. My mare will stress like mad to come in sometimes and then point blank refuse to let me put her head collar on.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Oh haha! Sounds a little like mine. After deciding the field had dried slightly and they really needed some time out.....one refused to even go thru the gate way so I left him on the yard loose as I often have during bad weather and left the gate open thinking he'd wander out but no, he was waiting for me on my return from work...still with clean feet! Wuss.

 

[PandorasJar]

They come straight back into the sand turnout to munch hay.

Fields have been rested all winter so no mud, just nice green grass. I decided it was such a nice day that I'd put the afternoon shift of horses into the paddocks. I left the gate open into the sand turnout. They spent a total of twenty minutes rolling and hooning about and grazing before they decided to come back into the sand, and have been in there ever since.

Gotta love them, weird critters!

 

[AdorableAlice]

At least it is not just my horse that won't go out.

I have a covered straw yard that leads out onto hardstanding and then into a paddock. There is a small sea to wade through before being met by a paddy field admittedly, but freedom is available.

I use it 24/7 sending horses out in pairs and the yearlings have had early training in crossing open water !

However the 6 year old and very green for her age, cob mare, who is only ridden 3/4 times a week and lives in a large box refuses point blank to turn herself out. She just remains in the straw with a look of 'what I am supposed to do out there ?' on her face, interspersed with tormenting the poor old cow next door. Her feet have not touched grass for many months, yet when ridden she will cheerfully wade girth deep through the flooded lanes and plough through deep mud.

Please let the land dry up soon.

 

[Wagtail]

Oh haha! Sounds a little like mine. After deciding the field had dried slightly and they really needed some time out.....one refused to even go thru the gate way so I left him on the yard loose as I often have during bad weather and left the gate open thinking he'd wander out but no, he was waiting for me on my return from work...still with clean feet! Wuss.

Didn't even venture in? Yes, that's a real wuss all right.

 

[Wagtail]

Gotta love them, weird critters!

You're not kidding.

At least it is not just my horse that won't go out.

I have a covered straw yard that leads out onto hardstanding and then into a paddock. There is a small sea to wade through before being met by a paddy field admittedly, but freedom is available.

I use it 24/7 sending horses out in pairs and the yearlings have had early training in crossing open water !

However the 6 year old and very green for her age, cob mare, who is only ridden 3/4 times a week and lives in a large box refuses point blank to turn herself out. She just remains in the straw with a look of 'what I am supposed to do out there ?' on her face, interspersed with tormenting the poor old cow next door. Her feet have not touched grass for many months, yet when ridden she will cheerfully wade girth deep through the flooded lanes and plough through deep mud.

Please let the land dry up soon.

I like the sound of your set up. I think it's lovely them being able to please themselves whether they go out. Strange though how some just choose to stay in.

 

[AdorableAlice]

You're not kidding.



I like the sound of your set up. I think it's lovely them being able to please themselves whether they go out. Strange though how some just choose to stay in.

It has been a godsend this year and only possible because we don't have many cattle this winter as it is half of a cattle shed. All I have done is put fresh heston bales of straw down on top of the muck, no cleaning out until spring and do it by machine. Originally it was to enable the yearlings to winter out but with access to somewhere to kip and to feed haylage in the dry, but with the winter we have had the normal winter grazing paddocks had to be shut in November which left the other horses with no turnout.

It is in use non stop, the broodmare and an old riding mare have it overnight and there are always big horse prints in the straw every morning where they have lay flat out. They stand in day boxes in the day and the yearlings go out to play and then it is all change in the evening again.

Soon be spring ! and I did notice that grassy smell on the yearlings breath this evening, they must be finding an old blade out in swamp land.

 

[madmav]

PMSL, all winter you worry about them not being able to behave like horses and then you give them the chance and they do that! Perverse bloody animals

Yesterday my old boy decided he was not going in his stable, not at all, no chance, no way. So I thought fair enough, yard is secure, you stay out for a bit. I tried to catch him and he was having none of it. Later my husband came home and the pony came over to him quite obviously saying "Help me, please catch me and take me in, she won't let me go in my stable." He's a monstrous old trout - and much loved for his perverse and wilful ways

Love it!!