Has Anybody Wintered Out a TB?

My OH's TB previously lived out. He doesn't with us, he has a spoilt life here!!!!

He is a warm horse in terms of the rugs he needs, so would be wearing some kind of HW turn out, and have adlib hay when the weather was poor, with two or three good sized feeds a day with lots and lots of fibre in them, plus beet.
 
Yes, i've wintered out my mare from the age of 7, she still winters out now at 18, also my 10 YO gelding and my 2yo Tb filly has always been out.
Good rugs, but not necessarily heavy one's, I've never had to put a heavy weight on any of them even when clipped, they just get too hot, and a bale of hay or haylage in the field, providing they've always got something to eat they'll be fine and if you're giving hard feed - plenty of fibre ie sugar beet and alfalfa helps to keep them warm too.

My mare lived out happily when she was in work, she only ever had a blanket clip so her back was always warm.
 
Didn't do it myself but when I sent mine off to rehab on Exmoor at the beginning of the year he was effectively living out.
They had a shelter and access to ad lib haylage. He had just been clipped with a highish chaser clip and he had a very nice heavy weight turnout (just the one) that he went down with and he came out of the winter happy and round.
 
I kept my full TB (ex steeplechaser) ut 24\7 for the last 3 years of his life as he stiffened up too much in at night.

He was unclipped (retired so no point) and wore a good quality medium weight NZ with hood and up to 4 lightweght under rugs depending on the weather\temperature. Lots of thin layers are warmer than a couple of thick ones and it makes it easier to remove\add one if the tempereture changes or they get wet or dirty.

I basically fed him as much hay (about a bale a day in the worst of the winter weather) as he wanted in a rack under the trees (we had no field shelter or I would have put it in there).

He did really well and loved it. By his last winter he grew a massive native style winter coat and would sulk when brought in for anything.

NB: you will need at least 2 NZ's and somewhere to dry the wet ones, as even the most expensive do get really heavy and horrid after 24hrs of solid rain. Some spare under rugs too incase they get wet or dirty.

My CB\TB Cross was also kept out rugless for the first 3 years of his life. He is only brought in now from Dec-Mar and only has a rug becuase he is a mudlark (and clipped) and I want to ride without spending 2 hrs grooming.
 
My TB lived out last winter and wore a rainsheet or lightweight until it got very cold and then a HW Premier Equine Winterbuster and he was happy as larry.
 
At my yard there is a really fine full TB who is nearing thirty and has lived out for the last eight years. He cannot be stabled because he weaves himself into a sweat and loses condition. He wears a HW rug with neck cover, never has an under rug, even when it snows. He is well fed, has natural shelter and does better out than he ever did stabled.
 
My 7/8 TB has spent many winters out - unclipped and rugged when really wet or cold - maximum MW rug. She got adlib haylage and fed once or twice a day depending upon need.

The only caution I would add, is that it is best to winter such horses out with similar types, so you can have adlib hay or haylage available in the field. It can be more difficult if you try and keep them with little fatty ponies who need to be on a diet all the time!
 
My TB mare lives out, first winter outshe was pretty poor but had had a foal that summer, she got 2 feeds a day and did okay, would of liked her to have a bit more weight on her but I tried lots and it didn't work.
Every winter fromt hem she hasn't even needed feed, she gets ad-lib haylage in field from november-april and thats it :)
 
Yes. Plenty of hay and a rug. If nec bucket feed should consist of plenty of good quality fibre - alfa a and a good helping of speedibeet as sugested and irt would be worth adding a good dollop of soya oil too.
 
My TB lives out all year round, with access to a field shelter and never uses it! In winter she has ad lib hay, 2 feeds a day with lots of fibre & beet and well rugged (seldom needs a heavy weight though), and did really well.
 
My other TB wintered out every year (box walker/weaver), plenty of comfortable rugs and plenty of good food and quality hay, if anything I'd say any horse is better out if you can manage them correctly and you have the yard to do it on.
 
My TB wintered out before I took him on, he was 13 at the time and was left pretty much ignored for 3-4 months, he coped fine although he does better now that he gets rugged, fed and stabled if horrible weather!
 
Thanks guys!

I asked because I am thinking ahead to when I get my first horse (3 years down the line at least) and have always been attracted to TBs & ex-racers. However I would want any horse of mine to live out 24/7 if possible, am aware that some people thinking wintering out a fine horse is cruel, especially if it is clipped, but then I suppose that horses with fine coats don't necessarily need to be clipped as much as other breeds might living in the same conditions on the same workload. I wonder if anyone's managed it rugless? Also, over time how would one encourage a (of course unclipped) horse to develop a thicker coat of it's own without freezing it in the process?

Thanks again.
 
I had two TB that were racing last year and they both lived out, mostly because they hated being in and would lose alot of weight but did really well living out this year even with all the snow. We just used heavy weights and a medium/light weight underneath and were both clipped. Will be doing it again this year.
 
fencepost said:
I had two TB that were racing last year and they both lived out, mostly because they hated being in and would lose alot of weight but did really well living out this year even with all the snow. We just used heavy weights and a medium/light weight underneath and were both clipped. Will be doing it again this year.
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So they lived out and raced at the same time? I've never heard of anyone doing that! Again, 'cruelty' claims suggesting that a fit, clipped horse is theoretically too lean to live out and be warm enough - was this ever an issue for you (the subject, not the claims that is)?
 
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