Fort those that have had a fair amount of snow, are you turning out?

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happihorse

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Just wondering, my horse has been off work for three weeks now and only turned out for the odd day. However, we have now had a foot of snow so I'm worried about turning him out now.

Is anyone turnining out in the snow or am I best to just keep him in his box for the next two weeks!
 
We've had heavy snow for the last month and mine are still getting turned out every day. We had another heavy fall yesterday but my bunch happily out in the field today in a foot of snow. They get masses of haylage to keep themselves occupied and warm. I'm happier with them being able to stretch their legs and move around rather than being confined to barracks for the entire winter.
 
I have nearly 2ft of snow, deeper in places. Mine go out all day everyday, up to 12hrs depending on my work.

They are happy, snuffling around up past their eyes, and I reckon it keeps them fit having to walk through it.
 
Its been too icey for us to turn out for the last week - simply because we couldn't get the horses to the fields, but now that it has snowed they are out again. Nothing is ever going to be completely safe of course though.
 
Yep at least 2 foot and out 24/ 7 and have just gone out for a trot around the field for 10 mins ( 2nd time ridden in 5 weeks ) - I did relent and bring him in on Saturday night but he wouldnt be caught last nite so he stayed out and seemed very happy !


Sharonx
 
I don't see why you wouldn't turn out? Snow isn't an issue as far as Im concerned. Mine (including the one in my siggy who is a lightweight) live out 24/7. We've had loads of snow up here but they're perfectly happy out. As long as they're rugged well, get as much hay as they want and have access to shelter I don't see why not!
 
Our liveries are allowed to turnout still but hardly any are. We refuse to lead any though as 1. horses can be very stupid in it 2. it's very slippy hard to walk in 3. I don't want any horses injured while I am 'looking' after them.

My own horses aren't going out as they just don't want to be out.
 
All still going out or turned out everyday so far. Lucky in that I can make a salty path to the fields for those going back and forth.
They seem very happy in the snow, think they prefer it to up the fetlocks in mud tbh.
They get plenty of hay but aren't ravenous for it, still managing to get some (frozen) grass under the snow.
 
No, we are are not putting ours out.

We have had a foot of snow and we have to go across a road to put them out. Our driveway and the road is like a bottle, so they are staying put until it thaws. I would rather have a mental horse in the school after a week being stuck in rather than a horse with a broken pelvis or worse.

If we didn't have an ice problem they would be out!!
 
Yes!
They are both keeping the same routine, much better for them
The one that lives out 24/7 is still out 24/7
The one that is stabled with 4-5 hours turnout a day, still gets his turnout

And given that I am not responsible for the daily care for either of my horses I'm very grateful to the grooms and YO for continuing to make the effort with my horses in this weather.
 
Mine have to live out due to the stables not being finished yet :(

If I had a choice they would be in at night but would still go out during the day.

My boy is getting bored though as he jumped out over two fences on Sat night (inc electric fence) and spent 7 hours in my neighbours garden. He looked like butter wouldn't melt when they found him in the morning - little sod.
 
Mine lives out 24/7 all year. Her field has natural shelter and a round bale of hay. We are lucky in that our yard has a heated toilet with a tap so no need to worry about frozen pipes. There is about a foot of snow just fallen here over night. She wears a HW full neck rug and a LW turnout rug. Since living out she has been happy in herself and keeps her moving. I am glad she can go out as she is nightmare in a stable and will bang the box to bits.
 
Mine are out 24x7 too and they are quite happy. I also live in Aberdeenshire where we have heaps of snow. Mine have a ring feeder though with haylage all of the time, a shelter (that i have to add they never even go into) and have good warm rugs. I am mid stable build but I have to say that even when I have stables I will prob keep them out much more than I would have in the past, I think its much more natural and they seem happy and content with life.
 
I've decided today that i won't turn out again in the snow. We are not alowed to put hay out in the field and discovered that no one is breaking the ice on the troughs! All the horses are standing at the gates waiting to come in. I would be the first to turn out if we could hay in the field but leaving my horse without food and water is not an option! The others are all still turning out pfffffft
 
Our's are all out with haylage by day, but not for as long as they normally are - just for 4 - 5 hours. Some of them love it and play all day, but some really don't like it. I think it does them good to get out though..
 
At the yard horses aren't allowed out :( However we can walk out but it's yard policy so nothing I can do :( Just keep horse as happy as possible.
 
If I were at a yard that didn't allow turnout with hay I would leave - hardly in the best interests of the horses grr!!

Mine are out 24/7. I've opened the field gates so they can come and go to the hay byre so I don't even have to put out hay :) just skip out :(. It's lovely having the neddies pottering about the drive :)
 
All the horses at our yard are out 24/7 at the moment. All are well rugged, shedloads of haylege and water. Some of them had a bit of a who haa when they were initially turned out but all have calmed down and switched off now. We are very very bored though. No mucking out, no riding no nothing.:(
 
Our YM is doing a fantastic job of getting everything out if it is safe. I cannot tell you how good it is to have my horse in a yard where I totaly trust the Ym and staff.
 
If they were out normally then yes but I am keeping mine in because they haven't been out for months and I don't want them to go crackers and something silly.
 
My two are in at night and go out for up to 4 hours in the day. My TB is happy to stay out for that long, but her companion a new forest/dartmoor pony would like to stay in his stable as long as possible!!! I am lucky that as I rent the yard I can decide how long they go out for, if I had the responsibility of liveries I'm not sure what I'd do.
 
Mine go out in the daytime, and after they have eaten a reasonable amount of hay. I have been putting hay in the field, but they don't seem that bothered, but spend most of the day eating grass underneath the orchard trees, where presumably the snow isn't quite so deep. The have an occasional play and roll and canter up to the water trough, but they come up to the gate at 4.00 p.m.

I have to lead them over a concrete yard, but at the moment the snow is so deep that they don't slip. Also neither have shoes on and seem very surefooted.

Horse has calmed down a bit, now it is the third day of deep snow. He was very hyped up the first two days and wanted to go exploring to see if there really was snow everywhere and not just in his field.
 
we haven't this time, mainly because Pickle fell over on way back from the field last time it was snowy (its quite a slope to and from field) and it unnerved me and has made him very very wary of it!
 
Yeah mine are going out at 8 they go straight to the top of the hill, dig around for grass, then waiting around the gate to come in by 2! So they come in with haynet then! Then have tea and night hay later! Suits them :)
 
Ours aren't going out much atm.- that's not because of the snow, it's because heavy clay soil, when already very pitted, then frozen, is fairly lethal.

We tend to judge by my very hardy New Forest pony. Today he shuffled out extremely carefully and slowly and looked fairly peeved about life- if he doesn't like the conditions (being the only one that has common sense) then we daren't turn the TBs out on it. Our older TB mare is also becoming very footsore because the ground is so incredibly hard.

If it was just snow then they'd be outside in a shot- I'd rather not be mucking out twice a day (with the 'flu) if I can help it!
 
JessPickle said:
we haven't this time, mainly because Pickle fell over on way back from the field last time it was snowy (its quite a slope to and from field) and it unnerved me and has made him very very wary of it!
Click to expand...

Even though there's an alternate route to your field down the bottom end...which doesn't have a slope at all...
 
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