Following on from the weather/restricted turn out thread...

[Jingleballs]

How many of your yards have contingencies/facilities in place to deal with periods of bad weather?

Despite Scotland's reputation for being rather wet, I know of very few places that have proper hard core turn out areas for bad weather - the general rule up here seems to be to not turn out at all or to turn out in the arena (although we don't do that at our yard).

With the increase in bad/unpredictable weather we've been having, certainly up North anyway, it feels like it's something that it would benefit many Y/O's to implement to help protect the grazing as much as possible while still offering turn out.

My boy was out on grass today for the first time in about a week (he's been out but with hay on a bit of track due to the amount of snow we had), but pretty much everyone else kept their horses in for whatever reason. I just think it's essential to let the out for a leg stretch and a bit of socialization rather than cooped up in a stable on their own all day.

Winter hardstand was never one of my list of requirements when looking at yards but these days it seems like an almost essential facility for both yard owners and liveries?

 

[Honey08]

I have my two at home, and we built a hardcore/road chippings area around the yard last year, after years of struggling around very wet fields and constant raging mudrash. It cost a few hundred to build, and has been a lifesaver. The horses go out on it all day every day with haylage, and seem quite happy out in the fresh air, being able to wander round and see whats going on etc. One or two days a week they go in the fields for a roll (what they seem to miss most) and some grass.

Its easy for us - its right on the yard, if we had others on the yard it would be harder to manage. Technically you should have planning permission for it too.

 

[_GG_]

Our fields are going to be beyond saturated in the morning and with the weather forecast, I think our yard will have very little if not no turnout for a week or two. YO does allow turnout, but with limited grazing, we try to protect it.
I have implemented a system though whereby all horses get school turnout first thing while being mucked out. All go on walker morning or afternoon depending on when they are being ridden and all have school turnout again at night. We also make sure that we give them all social time. So, I will tie my mares up outside each others stables and they can muzzle/groom/annoy each other as they would in the paddocks. We all do it. We try to keep them out of the stables for as long as possible. Even after weeks of this previously, we have no cribbers, weavers or door kickers so it seems to work. All horses are happy, healthy, alert and relaxed.

It is no good them just being in. X