Full livery - turnout and bring in times

[wiglet]

People on full livery, or maybe part livery as well - what time does your horse get turned out and brought back in again? Does it vary from day to day depending on the weather or amount of grazing available?

My horse is turned out (after feeding) as soon as the staff arrive - usually about 8am but could be as early as 6.30am if the staff need to be there earlier to get horses ready for competitions or vet visits etc.

In the evening they come in around 5pm - could be later if the YO is there teaching because she will tell the staff to go home after leaving stables ready, then she can just bring in herself.

In winter, although the horses do sometimes go out in semi darkness, they are always brought in before dark. If the weather is dire, they come in early.

So for my yard there's no set time but my horse seems fine with it - just wondered what everyone else's yard did?

 

[Nativelover]

I wish I was on your yard!!!!
I do my horse myself now, as on turnout days (twice a week in winter) it was whenever the YO decided to get up, she would do her own first and often mine would be standing waiting until about 10-10.30.
Then brought in at 3.

 

[XxCoriexX]

When I worked on a livery horses were fed and turned out around 8am, and start bringing back in at 3pm this worked for our yard as it meant that the horses were fed at 4pm and that was at least an hour before the owners arrived to ride. Also fitted in with out working hours, now that I do my horse DIY she is turned out at 7am and sometimes brought in around 3 and sometimes left till 5. I think once they are in a routine they can get a little upset at the change but if they are used to being left out until different times they get used to it. I find it actually makes your life easier!

 

[ihatework]

Assuming weather ok, and 'normal day time turnout' then all yards I have been on generally start turning out 8am and start bringing in around 3pm. They would generally stick to an order, so if your horse was one of the first turned out it would be one of the first bought in.

 

[be positive]

I do livery and am flexible with timing depending on the weather in the winter, they go out after breakfast usually between 8.30 9am unless they are being ridden, come in before dark but if it is really wet they are usually more than happy to come in early, sometimes the owner rides so they bring in or turn out.
In summer they swap round and go out at night and either stay out 24/7 or come in for feed, hay, to get out of the flies, we can then exercise whenever we want, having a routine is good as they settle well but it is not about set times so much as set patterns that they get to know, some mornings they have to stay in to wait for the farrier and they are not bothered by staying in as long as they have some hay to occupy them.
I hate seeing horses stressing because their routine has changed slightly, a bit of flexibility is no bad thing.

 

[wiglet]

Thanks for the input.
I like the routine and it suits my horse however, the yard will be under new management shortly and I'm not sure if the routine will change. Im hoping not but just wondered what everyone else got!

 

[pixie]

Ours are done during daylight hours. So winter it would usually be 9am-3pm, increasing gradually to around 7:30/8am-6/7pm in the summer if they aren't out 24/7. The timing does sometimes depend on other things happening on the farm and having someone to watch the children!

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

People on full livery, or maybe part livery as well - what time does your horse get turned out and brought back in again? Does it vary from day to day depending on the weather or amount of grazing available?

My horse is turned out (after feeding) as soon as the staff arrive - usually about 8am but could be as early as 6.30am if the staff need to be there earlier to get horses ready for competitions or vet visits etc.

In the evening they come in around 5pm - could be later if the YO is there teaching because she will tell the staff to go home after leaving stables ready, then she can just bring in herself.

In winter, although the horses do sometimes go out in semi darkness, they are always brought in before dark. If the weather is dire, they come in early.

So for my yard there's no set time but my horse seems fine with it - just wondered what everyone else's yard did?

fed 7am out after in 4pm spring summer autum 3pm winter

 

[Mongoose11]

End of Oct-mid March out at 6.30 - 7.30am until about 2pm (with about two/three weeks 'in' - not all in one go but just when the weather is awful). Mid March - end of April 7.30am - 5.pm. Then from end of April to end of Oct they can go out 24/7.

 

[DirectorFury]

I'm on DIY but see what happens with the full livery horses. Turnout time during the week is anything from 10:30am - 1pm. During the winter they're usually in by 3:30 and at the moment they're being bought in by 5:30.
Weekends vary, they won't get turned out until midday at the earliest though.

One of the many reasons I would never put my horse on full livery at this yard!

 

[Micropony]

Interesting how different yards vary. At the yard where I keep mine, individual turnout horses have a time slot and stick to that. The ones on herd turnout go out and come in whenever the owner specifies within reason, as long as there's something else out. You just write in the livery book what you want done.

 

[muckypony]

I'm on DIY but see what happens with the full livery horses. Turnout time during the week is anything from 10:30am - 1pm. During the winter they're usually in by 3:30 and at the moment they're being bought in by 5:30.
Weekends vary, they won't get turned out until midday at the earliest though.

One of the many reasons I would never put my horse on full livery at this yard!

Crikey! Why would any one think that's ok!?

 

[leflynn]

Mon to Sat they are turned out from 6.30am (43 on the yard), sunday from 8am. Winter they usually come in around 3.30 or earlier if really really bad (have only had to keep them in twice this winter due to high winds), summer usually in by 4.30/5pm, can be fed when they come in if a feed is left or I don't and feed after I've ridden, they are checked again at evening stable around 8pm

 

[Wagtail]

I run a small yard where all the horses are on part livery. I generally feed around 7.30 and give hay. Then I turn out around 9 am. But it varies between 8.30 and 9.30. I like them to have full bellys before turning out when there's not much grass. They also get hay in the field if the grass hasn't come through. They come in around 5 but if the weather is poor or they're stressing to come in, I bring them in earlier. If the weather is lovely, they will stay out later. I find that so long as they are all on the same routine, that moving times like this is far less stressful on them than sticking rigorously to times despite what the weather ir mood of the horses is doing. In the summer they go out 24/7 but owners have a choice to have them brought in at night or during the day if they prefer. Most years everyone ends up doing the same, which is more stress free for the horses. So very flexible here.