For those without winter turnout. What do you do.....

[mandy4727]

In an ideal world, grazing permiting etc etc. We could all turnout when we wanted. But due to restrictions with fields, YO rules or whatever we don't all have that ideal world. What are your winter turnout arrangements and how do you cope. In particular those with youngsters as I have one. I am governer by YO rules. But love my yard for price, proximity to home, flexibility, size, facilities etc

 

[TigerLilly]

my yos are great we get all year round turnout very good rotation of fields so the grass is allways available also we can seperate off parts of the field for the ones who need less grazing and best of all they have just added more lighting, Also my youngster really thrives there very well.

 

[Helenabbey]

We don't have winter turnout, but whenever the arena isnt in use we put a 2-3 in to stretch their legs for an hour or two. They are also all ridden daily.

 

[Quarrybank]

We're v lucky as we got a very old sand school (they build a new one before I arrived on the yard 7 years ago) We are a small yard- 10 horses, so they all go out in their groups for about 2 to 3 hours a day. At the moment they are still out on the fields (usually in sand pit by now) but I think we'll prob have another 2 to 3 weeks before they change.

 

[Henmen]

TBH, id move yards, i have a 4 yr old, and the thought of leaving her locked in her stable 22 hours a day makes me sick, it would be cruel. Each to there own and im not judging you or anything, you know your horses, but i simply couldnt leave a youngster in all day every day.

 

[Theresa_F]

I manage not too bad on our yard, we go out Monday, Wednesday, Fridays and Sundays. On days in they go in the school in the morning for about an hour, and I then exercise them and give them another hour in the school in the evening.

The turnout I have is the least I would want with my two as one is only 2 and the other 20.

If I could not get turnout, I would look for another yard.

 

[riotgirl]

Our winter field used to be a menage about a million years ago! Over the years the soil and grass has built up so it is just like a regular field (but with poor grazing). As the hardcore is still underneath it doesn't get anything like as churned as other fields, so my girls get 12 hours in/12 hours out in the winter. In fact, the field recovers so well that I use it in the summer as a starvation paddock for my Welshie.

 

[CSYMolly]

Our fields shut last week but miraculously the yard manager opened them again today as the weather has been so dry and bright - YIPPEEE. anyway back tot he point, we have about 7 sand pens so I usually muck out etc before work and pop her in one then the groom brings her in when she arrives about 8:30/9am. I then ride every night and sometimes she will go on the horsewalker too. She is stabled on the end of the barn which makes a huge difference as she has a window that looks out onto the pens and arenas so she constantly has something to watch. Like you say it isn't an ideal world but you just have to do your best. I also try break her feeds down as much as possible so she has feed and net when she goes into pen. Some hay and carrots waiting for when she comes back in then her ball and hay at lunch. Feed and small net at tea time then a big net after I have ridden.

 

[samp]

Ours go out in a small winter paddock for 2 - 6hrs / day. They do not enjoy it as there is no grass ad they would rather be in and eating

 

[lisan]

Are there no local Farmers who would rent you a field? (Borrow coppull showground

)

My new yard is expensive, but it does have everything we need including full day winter turnout.

 

[fairhill]

I moved yards, and sold the horse! Spent one winter with alternate days turnout and one very upset horse. I was lunging him in the (unfloodlit) school before work, and again afterwards followed by a hack or schooling (again in the dark).
Now I've got daily turnout over winter in big field till xmas, and then in small paddock till april. I couldn't go through another winter without turnout again, even with the sensible horse I've got now.

 

[TGM]

Personally I wouldn't want to have an unbacked youngster in a yard where it couldn't go out for at least several hours most days. I don't think it is good for a growing youngster to be standing in a stable for many hours at a time. Also a youngster that doesn't have a chance to let off steam in the field is likely to direct that unused energy into naughty behaviour when handled.

Ridden horses are slightly different because it is easier to break their day up with ridden work, lungeing etc.

Sorry - probably not what you want to hear - but just my personal opinion.

 

[Ash the arab]

We have all year grazing. The only rule is that they all have to come in overnight for the winter, usually by 5/11. They can go out for as long as you want in the day.
I woundn't use a yard that had no turnout available.

 

[Super_Kat]

Turf them out into the indoor school

 

[Sal_E]

I couldn't bring myself to not turn my horse out for months - I just don't think it's right. I'd rather have a trashed field all year round than too much grass (& a fat psychotic horse) in summer & a miserable (& bored) horse in winter.

Can't they make up some small 'mud paddocks' for winter with electric fencing. Let the fields get trashed - they do recover. The horses benefit from the t/o even without grass.

 

[Tierra]

I dont think I could cope with no turnout!

We're lucky and our YO gives us full winter turnout with the exception of odd days when the weather is really foul or when the hunt are in the vicinity. They all go out at about 8am in the morning (depends on what time the grooms arrive) and they're in at the moment at about 3pm.

My horse has been in a 5 acre field on his own, but they've just thrown 2 ponies in with him in the hope they'll munch some of the grass off (we have an obscene amount of grass... never had this in the years before)

We had a two month stretch last year with no turnout because we had strangles on the yard. My horse wasnt really affected with the virus but the lack of turnout drove him crazy and he's 13!! I really dont know how people with youngsters cope, I like mine out and chilled.

 

[AmyMay]

I agree with TGM absolutely on this. Can't quite understand this no winter turn out business. It's amazing how quickly land recovers in the spring with correct management and fertilisation. I suspect that most of the livery yards that don't allow winter turnout are either rather greedy and overstock their yards, thereby not having the acreage for rotation, or simply don't want to spend the money on good land management throughout the year.

For me it would never be an option - year round turnout is a must.

 

[Christmas_Kate]

Hmm, I can see the point of people's replies on here, but don't fully agree.
I am currently at a fab yard, all year turnout, menage etc. But it's too far away for me to walk in winter (I don't drive). And even when I do drive (hopefully soon!) the road to it from mine is awful in freezing conditions. So I am moving ponio to a yard in my village. The YO has his horses in for the hunting season, and is pretty reluctant to allow his field's to get mucked up. he's a farmer, so I can see his point. He likes to rest the two horse fields he has so he can use them in the summer. I'm allowed to TO in dry weather, and if the ground isnt bogged, but otherwise it's a no no. In my area there isnt many places that offer TO in the winter, and those that do are in demand.
Pony is 4. He'll get walked out /lunged daily, seen three times a day. I can't see the problem with that. He's mature for his age and has a good size stable. Lots of toys etc to keep him busy. How can that be cruel?

 

[BenjaminBunny]

At the yard where I am

During the winter the horses go on a day in day out rotation

this is because the fields which are used during the summer are closed to recover - rather than turning into mud baths which takes longer to recover and a few select fields are used during winter (which are allowed to recover in spring)

this isn't the greatest situation - but there are bark paddocks to turn your horse into

I would love to have all year turn out - but by closing some fields down - ensures that by early spring they can go back out - so by closing fields down - means they recover quicker and the horses can soon go back out - it will be my first full winter at this yard and i think day in day out starts end of november - beginning of december (currently they just have to be in at night as there isn't enough grass)

my horse is recovering from suspensory ligament injury which he acquired before i bought him in april (he passed a stage 5 with it - but after owning him for a month i knew something wasn't right) anyway he's been on box rest all summer - and now he can go out during the day - so he's a happy bunny now and can't wait to come in his stable at night - infact i now drag him out to the field in the morning and he's keen to come in at night

i think the turnout issue depends on your horse's personality - some horses just cannot cope with being stabled - if i had a horse that couldn't cope i would seek alternative livery - there are a few horses at the yard that get depressed and lose weight

however my horse is happy in his stable....

 

[PoppyPony]

We have small mud paddocks for winter turnout, so I can use that for as long or as little as I like during the daytime. At his old yard he had two half days out horrible!! Especially as he gets stiff.

But as long as you manage it 'properly' you should be able to cope - although I think having a horse in 24/7 means a lot more work for you.

 

[_jetset_]

We have an alternate day turnout policy on our yard, where they go out for half a day... Although I would love to have full days of turnout every day, there are not many places that offer this near us, and there are so many benefits to being where I am that I am reluctant to move.

On the days my two are in, I make sure they do some form of exercise (Hannah is just lightly lunged because she is 7 months in foal and Grace schooled) and they always have hay and toys to play with. On the days they are out, Hannah just comes in and has her tea, and Grace is usually schooled. I do try to make sure that Grace's two days off are on her going out days.

So far it seems to be working ok, but it is only the first day today, LOL! But they have both stayed in for random days over the last few weeks because of the weather, and they seemed fine with this routine.

I think as long as you get into a routine, the horses soon learn that is what happens. I agree that it will be more difficult with you having a youngster Mandy, but as long as you can get her out of the stable for an hour or so, then I think she will be fine. Maybe just in hand grazing, or a walk.

Hope everything is ok too...

 

[mandy4727]

Hi Rebecca. Yes My two are fine. It sounds as though we will have a similar set up to you. They can go out on nice days and but they have to be in before it goes dark. So this week whilst daughter off school bringing them in about 3 ish. But when she is back at school it is something I will have to do by taking a late lunch. Luckily I can get to stables from work in 5 minutes, bring in and get back to work in the hour - fingers crossed. The difficultiy we have is we are not allowed to turnout in the sand school for them to have a blast. But our field isn't muddy at all unlike the others. We will just have to get them turned out as much as possible for as long as possible. But as you say there isn't many yards round here that are handy, have winter turnout and have vacancies. Roll on when Calli is workable!!!!

 

[EquestrianFairy]

we're really lucky as theres loads of land at our yard so all year turnout and all horses are separated into Ponies/Mares and Geldings so all fields are rotated constantly and others left to recover.

 

[mrdarcy]

We rent land (7 acres) so its really up to us when whether we turn out or not... however we don't want ruined fields for next summer so we're cutting our turn out down to a few hours on nice days and staying in when the weather is awful. The horses will be worked most days and on days they aren't worked will go out for a few hours. We do have an all weather school but have vowed not to let them hoolie round there as its a great surface and we don't want to ruin it. We do also have a large yard area where we park. The previous residents fenced part of this off in the winter for their horses to mooch round so we might end up doing this... the surface consists of hardcore mixed with rubber (that blew off the school ages ago!) so it's quite nice for them.