has anyones yard stopped turn out due to the wet?

[charlie76]

After yet another night of rain I am seriously considering stopping turn out or requesting that they turn out for a half a day every other day to give the fields a break. Has anyone else had turn out stopped or reduced ?.

 

[Slightlyconfused]

Mine has, they have been in a week now.
Horses are coping okay as we can use the school lunge pen and ride round the farm.

Really hope this weather goes away soon.

 

[Montyforever]

Nope turn out as usual! Less turnout would probably be worse as they will be galloping about more and churning it up more surely?

 

[CrazyMare]

Yes, it's utterly sodden. Even if they are allowed out, I'm often keeping mine in as they hate it!!!

 

[skint1]

my farm horses are confined to the yard because the fields are so wet but thankfully my horses at livery yard are still allowed out, the farm is low lying whereas the yard is up in the hills, I really hope 2013 features less rain, especially for those whose homes have been flooded.

 

[DipseyDeb]

Yes ours has, last Tuesday was the last day they went out!! Luckily we have an indoor school because the rain has barely ceased. The fields have turned into shoe sucking, tendon pulling pits!!!!!

 

[benson21]

We have not been told we cant turn out, we have decided ourselves not to turn out, otherwise the fields would be completely trashed and ruined for the summer. I am lucky as Donovan seems quite happy in his stable, going into the school for an hour or so each day.

 

[HeresHoping]

We have managed one day out this week, and we only have sand corrals for winter (no grass for winter), which are now under water. Our all weather (!) school is also under water and we have no separate lunging area.

YO, who is as unhorsey as they come, has finally consented to allowing use to use the school for 15 minutes regardless. As long as we ride around the puddles.

 

[sarahann1]

We were stopped for a while. Caused a few grumbles but most just got on with it.

 

[tallyho!]

Yes. It's actually quite dangerous on the side of a hill. My filly already sustained an injury and I don't want another. She's not even two yet but prefers being in. Such a drama queen.

Even the others when turned out after a week don't run around. It's as if they resent the knee deep mud and no grass...

 

[charlie76]

Well, in that case I might consider it. We do have fields that drain very well as they are all on hills that run down to a stream but the land is so wet that the hoof prints are stopping it draining. I think if I can keep them off for a few days a lot of the water will go.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

Ar our yard we haven't been stopped, we just used common sense as we don't want the paddocks trashed so badly that it will take ages for them to recover. We take each day at a time & occasionally turn out for a couple of hours. We've found that the horses are too busy eating to charge about much. They are exercised every day though when they are stabled so that takes some of 'the edge' off.

 

[MochaDun]

Where I keep mine there's been very limited turnout for the last week and a half - most liveries in agreement with the YO as field are clay and mud is very deep at the front of the field and also several horses have had mud fever for weeks which no-one has totally managed to clear yet so out of choice we're giving our horses time or days in. If you're there at the right time when the decision is made a few get out for a leg stretch in the field together. Hoping mine will get an hour or two out at some point either today or over weekend. Riding as and when I can but I'm back to work and we don't have a good school. The rain can't stop soon enough for me.

 

[Dottie]

Ours have been in nearly two months now. This is my first winter at this yard and I didn't realise how bad the fields and the track to the fields would be.
It was very frustrating at first, but to be honest, the ground is so bad it's just a pulled tendon/mud fever/ injured horse waiting to happen. They have got used to being in now and we do have 'sacrifce pens' to turn out in when we muck out.
It's just hard work making sure my 5yo gets ridden everyday during this weather!

 

[Tilda]

Ours has said they can go out when it's not actually raining which meant they were more or less in for alternate days but yard manager was sounding a bit worried about the state of the fields yesterday as they are super wet (we have a river that floods some of the lower fields) so think they may decide they have to stay in. I have friends with their own grazing who are wishing they could keep their horses in so I think in this freak weather it is understandable that you may need to restrict turn out.

 

[Luci07]

Our yard has winter paddocks which the YO expects to be trashed over winter. Ours are going out unless it is raining on a biblical scale. There is no point then. She had our school drainage redone last year and even that is getting flooded, though thankfully it drains quickly.

Even our hacking has only got one or two very short uphill canters left which are safe atm...

 

[Shipley]

ours are in fields are shut until they drain a bit but no one wants to turn out we are all riding they last went out sunday before xmas and think it will be a good few days before they are out again

 

[Chestnutmare]

My barn have been in for just over a week as fields are under water n the track getting to them is really terrible but they've all been no problem I've been using walker n riding as much as poss lucky to have use of indoor my mares been fine in happily tucking into Haynets

 

[Goldenstar]

I have reduced turn out as they basically are standing about looking sick after a couple of hours and they get bored and cross with each other when it's raining.
The two winter fields don't look great but I have seen them worse but by feb they will be trashed .
Around here everywhere is awash but not as bad as many areas it's going to seem a long time to spring.
Thank god they are all good in the stable and relaxed and happy if in longer than usual.

 

[dressagecrazy]

I have my own yard & even I'm restricting T/O. The most my lot want to be out for is 2hrs after that they would kill to get back in. Some days they do stay in but I play it by ear daily. I'm on clay my back fields are fine but the front are just trashed from walking through. It's getting rediculous I've never seen my fields as bad in a long while.

My arena & the oldies T/o pen are fine though so I'm coping whilst I'm off work dreading keeping this routine when I'm back.

 

[Tinsel Town]

Ours have been coming in by 3 for about 2 months now, on particularly horrid days they are in around 1-2, luckily we've only had one day where they didn't go out at all. Keeping fingers crossed the rain with go away now!!

 

[Puppy]

The two of mine who usually live out 24/7 came in yesterday and will be on restricted turn out for the foreseeable future. In ten years at my little yard I've never seen the fields anything like this. I'm really worried and stressed by it all.

The two who are now on livery, well, we haven't been told we have to keep them in, but I'm think I will be restricting turn out, to save my paddocks. It's a worry though as my 5 year old does not suit being in and now I've all 4 in I'm so exhausted and achey, that riding seems a chore.

Worst winter ever!

 

[Ambers mum]

I have the opposite problem, mine can't live in as my stables have taken such a battering this year they are no longer water tight. I am leaving them open to provide relief from the wind and rain but the leaks made the beds sludge so I have just got the rubber matting down and feed/hay them in there. My yard is ankle deep in mud now because the ponies won't go into the paddocks and prefer to stand in the stables or on the yard. My fields are actually really good this year apart from about 3 metres of knee deep mud in the gate ways.

 

[Wagtail]

Horses are going out as usual in the sand turnout. But that is like a sand soup at the moment.

 

[little_critter]

I moved yard because turnout was so restrictive. I suspect the horses where I left have hardly seen a field in 3 months now.
I went a bit OTT when I moved and turned out in all weathers - now I'm restricting myself (yard doesn't restrict turnout) because I want my paddock to last the winter.
The fields aren't mud as such - more like an inch of water on top of grass.
I try to turn out at least every other day so she's not cooped up in the stable for more than a day at a time.

 

[glamourpuss]

Mine are still going out but somedays when it's really bad I've been bringing them in early....& they're always ready for it!
The field they are in now is so wet it's not even muddy any more, it just has standing water on it
The worse one for wanting to be in is not either of the TB's but the bloomin' welsh mountain pony. She goes out, walks around the paddock, nibbles on her haylage then stands shouting to be brought back in!

 

[Nicnac]

Mine are at home and they get turned out everyday as we all work. So 6.30 am are chucked out and brought in anywhere from 6-7pm and ridden. Yes their 2 acre winter field is wet and muddy, but I only have 2 horses and am saving the other 6 acres for the spring/summer/autumn.

TBH, the ex-racehorse doesn't enjoy being turned out in this weather, but nothing much I can do about the weather nor the fact that we work.

 

[imr]

Ours are in, but we can turn out for a bit in sand school.

 

[Tzarinaarabians]

I have a field which I have chosen to let it be trashed and save everything else for spring/summer grazing and haylage. To be honest, most of mine wont go out in it, just hang around the gate looking utterly miserable, so if I cant ride them all, I turn them loose in the indoor for a hoon around to let off steam.

I really feel for people whose riding areas and fields are waterlogged and have limited ways of exercising, also those whose horses hate being stabled.

 

[ladyt25]

Why don't people who set up livery yards consider provisions in terms of fields in case of prolonged wet weather? It's not that unusual in this country to have periods when it rains for what seems like an eternity and, in my mind if you set up a livery yard you should have adequate turnout that can be rotated for summer and winter so there isn't an issue of fields being 'trashed' for summer?

We have our own land and 3 of ours are out 24/7 in all weathers. We have 12 acres open up to them at the moment but one field will be shut off come the new year and they will be mvoed to that come March/April when the grass is growing and hence the field they are in now will get rested.

A livery yard across from us that has numerous horse is still turning out every day and they manage their paddocks accordingly.

I don't see why some yards seem to have so many problems with turnout in winter/wet - is it a case of too many horses being kept on too little space??