Getting horses in before it gets dark

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Mitchyden

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I cannot understand the logic of some of the liveries on our yard. By hook or by crook their horses have to be in before it gets dark so at the moment most horses are in by 4pm which I think is too early considering many do not go out until 8am.

The argument they have is that their horses don't like being out in the dark which is utter rubbish because these are the same people that have their horses out 24/7 from March to November!

Perhaps the dark is scarier in the winter than the summer!!
 
I think it depends. i like Don in before it gets dark, only because we have to cross a road, and walk about 50yards along it to the yard, so its safer.
 
I agree this is annoying as it means I have to bring my boy in then too as he starts running round his field churning it into mud if hes left on his own.
 
I have to admit to gettng mine in before it gets dark in the winter but in my defence my 17 hander is pretty badly behaved and its a wild hillside so its more of a safety thing :-DD

They actually prefer to be in once it gets dark, partly cos in those months our weather (Cairngorms) gets pretty horrid and wild) and also both are on fairly sparse grass as they are tubby enough and when they come in they can have some chaff etc.

But down south Im not sure why they would need to come in so early....edited to add post above makes a good point if you have to bring in via roads!

Also on a livery yard if some people bring in, then leaving others out in the dark could be dangerous as they might be the only one left in the field.

I would be more concerned about horses that dont get any winter turnout tbh - the 6-8 hours out ones are the lucky ones compared with them.
 
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Another one who if I can will get in before dark. It is so much easier. But then i try not to drive to the yard in rush hour/school drop off/pick up times too. I don't get in before 4 though! It's not dark till 4.45 at the moment.
 
Well I can totally understand it if there is a long walk between field and stable, mine are out 24/7 and plan to keep them this way all winter, thankfully its a very small yard, and my paddock is the nearest to the stables, so by some clever parking and leaving my headlights on in the car i can 'light up' the whole trip from field to stable (along with my headtorch) so its not something i really think about...
 
I think it depends where your field is. If you have to lead along a road or cross one I would try to get in when light if possible.

Mine stays out till 6. I can't get up there any earlier so have no choice but to bring in when its dark. To be honest she is no different, but I appreiciate some Horses may change. I always tell myself that the Horse can see perfectly fine still, it is only me that struggles to see, I am lucky though, I only have to walk down a single grass track.
 
Mitchyden said:
I cannot understand the logic of some of the liveries on our yard. By hook or by crook their horses have to be in before it gets dark so at the moment most horses are in by 4pm which I think is too early considering many do not go out until 8am.

The argument they have is that their horses don't like being out in the dark which is utter rubbish because these are the same people that have their horses out 24/7 from March to November!

Perhaps the dark is scarier in the winter than the summer!!
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I agree it must be very annoying. My daughter had her pony at a yard and they were getting brought in earlier and earlier and put to bed by 3pm in the end. I am sorry but you can't tell me they were left enough forage to see them through to 7 am. Misplaced understanding of horses needs v owners home comforts methinks :rolleyes:
 
On my days off I get them in before it gets dark - simply because its easier due to no lighting between fields and barns and its very muddy! When I'm at work I don't get back til half 6/7 so have to get in then but there's no way around that so I cope :)
 
Is it really anything to do with you op what time they bring the horses in?

I also hate bringing horses in in the dark, and have always paid to have them brought in at around 4.00.
 
guido16 said:
Do none of you lot work 9-5?

How do so many of you manage to bring in before it gets dark?
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Nope! ;) Self employed riding instructor so luckily can build my day around how I want to keep my horse. :)

YasandCrystal said:
I agree it must be very annoying. My daughter had her pony at a yard and they were getting brought in earlier and earlier and put to bed by 3pm in the end. I am sorry but you can't tell me they were left enough forage to see them through to 7 am. Misplaced understanding of horses needs v owners home comforts methinks :rolleyes:
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My girl ALWAYS has hay left in the morning.
 
My horse comes in before dark mainly because she stands by the gate from about 2pm onwards, 6 to 8 hours seems to be enough turnout for her in winter. If she was happy to stay out any longer I would leave her. I'm lucky that OH works at home and herds her in :D She snoozes until I get home at 6pm, sometimes gets ridden early evening, then tea and hay between 8 and 9.
 
amymay said:
Is it really anything to do with you op what time they bring the horses in?

I also hate bringing horses in in the dark, and have always paid to have them brought in at around 4.00.
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It's very annoying when I go to get mine in at 6.30 and half of them have finished their hay and are banging at the door! As most of them are on shavings beds, they then have nothing to eat for over 12 hours purely because the poor little possums can't stay out in the dark!
 
I don't like bringing my two in when it's dark. This is because their fields are VERY muddy, some of the other horses can be very pushy, and there is no light whatsoever by the field gates. If I'm going to get knocked flat on my face in the mud, I'd rather it was daylight so I can see my way out of the mud again :p
 
They come in anytime between 3.30-4pm depending on work etc. They also go out anytime between 7-8.30. Unfortunately work commitments, home life and traffic dictate timings sometimes . My two are very flexible and are happy with whatever. Although in the deep winter the bigger mare is at the gate from 2pm lol :).
 
guido16 said:
Do none of you lot work 9-5?

How do so many of you manage to bring in before it gets dark?
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Tell me about it! I think I am the only one on my yard with a "normal job". Last year we had field politics rumblings cause everyone else wants to bring in at 3.30- 4pm, but I don't even finish work til 5.15.(Give it a couple of weeks ;))

Sometimes i get there at 6.30 - 7pm ish and all is in darkness and locked up:confused:
 
Mitchyden said:
It's very annoying when I go to get mine in at 6.30 and half of them have finished their hay and are banging at the door! As most of them are on shavings beds, they then have nothing to eat for over 12 hours purely because the poor little possums can't stay out in the dark!
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Well that's about not giving enough hay not bringing them in , a completly different issue.
 
Ha ha amymay, Same thoughts.
my response to op is. Mind your own business.
I have 12 foals/broodmares and youngstock to bring in, I'll do it the best way and time for me thanks.
 
I'm in the 'leave them out as long as possible' camp - but my 3 have been waiting at the gate from 3pm (sometimes 2.30) to come in! I dont finish until 5 (get to yard for 5.30pm) so I turn out in the morning for my friend, and she brings mine in when she gets there between 3.30 and 4.30. If they were grazing I would leave them, but my TB waits there until someone gets him and the other 2 just copy what he does.

They have plenty of hay - I do check when I go down and am there until 7.30pm most nights - but they always have a bit left in the morning.
 
it must be really hard if you can't get down to the yard till later, and then have to deal with the issue of churned fields and lock down yards.

Is it possible to pay someone to put the horse in for you ?
 
Ours are rarely in before 5pm unless its desperately bad, ie) raining heavily, extremely windy etc. Not because of the lighting issue but because we like them to get as much turnout as humanly possible. We also have to walk a half mile round trip to bring them in with no lightingand sometimes bring up in 2's or even 3's if we have an odd number of liveries in but it's each to their own. We're very lucky behaviour wise that even the big 2yr old is relatively safe to bring in. I feel for you poor things that have naughty ones in all this mud and rain.
 
I have quite a long walk to my field, only down a track though, i too do not like to bring in, in the dark, especially when there is snow or ice down - so i have two choices, let the yard bring in about 3pm or leave them out till i get there - about 5pm - or if i go onto late shift it will be about 5.30.

The other thing for me, is everything takes so much longer in the dark i.e. driving home, no one seams able to drive in the dark anymore !
 
Rio can be a complete pain to walk in, in the dark as he just turns in to a fruit loop and i end up getting trampled and also he will only come to me in the dark so if anyone else is bringing the horses in it has to be done in the light as he will only be caught by me in the dark :o other than that i dont mind getting them in, in the dark except i cant see as there are no lights down to the field but i work shifts so i dont always have a choice :/
 
And goldenstar is right, it's nothing to do with an hour or 2 difference in bringing in time. If they've finished hay by 6.30 they would be finished by 8.30 if brought in at your designated time. Still to long without food. Mine always have haylage left in morning. Have you told owners their horses are out of hay by 6.30, maybe they don't know.
 
I don't finish work till after dark for half of the year (just leaving now) - no way I could bring in! Not sure how anyone who works full time could manage?

I bring in at about 9pm as have mine at home - no point in them standing in for longer than they need to - I turn out at 8am as I leave the house, so that is 11 hours in a stable anyway (longer than I would like, ideally).
 
Alf was standing in the corner nearest the yard gate when I got there at 4pm, nickering at me. He was soaking wet, plastered with mud and very keen to come in! He is happy in or out - as long as he has food. He does tend to come storming up at the gallop if I leave him too late though, which I'd rather avoid for the sake of his recovery!
 
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