Has the discipline of horse management gone out the window in modern times???

I would assume it's just a change in work and lifestyle. Far more horse owners who also have full time jobs, more peopel keeping horses at livery with attendant travel time, yards with more horses per groom. Plus some things like strapping have gone out of fashion
 
littlelegs said:
Ignore previous post, I'm with you all the way. Infact I'm building a stable for my daughter Jill to keep her two ponies in, as a xmas present. Currently she keeps her new jumping pony at the riding school.
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It's Perkins here, it'd be a pleasure to build the stable foe Jill and nurture her jumping ponies, I'm only 97 and lots of years in me yet!
 
georgiaziggy said:
When mine used to live out I didnt even carry the haynets to the field ;)



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Omg..is that the rare lesser spotted duvet horse!!
 
patch1234 said:
That was my business at that time. However when I worked in the city I still went to yard at 6.00 did the usual went to work came back and groomed. It just wasnt done to have a horse not looking well presented and as I was very proud of my horses I always did what was necessary.
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Blimmin' heck - you must have had a short commute. When I worked in the city, I was on the 6.23 train every morning so horses were chucked out at 5.30am rain or shine if they were in - hay only if there was snow on the ground and brought in whenever. They were fine!
 
patch1234 said:
That was my business at that time. However when I worked in the city I still went to yard at 6.00 did the usual went to work came back and groomed. It just wasnt done to have a horse not looking well presented and as I was very proud of my horses I always did what was necessary.
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That certainly wasn't my routine!

Our horse was kept on a farm. In winter he went out every day unless there was so much snow on the gorund that his steep field was dangerous. I went with my father on the way to work to feed him and put him out. Then we carried on, I usually ate my breakfast in the car, Dad dropped me off at the station and I carried on to work. After work sis and I went to muck out and bring the horse in. There was was a tap at the stable but we had to take water carriers from home to the field. There was no electricity, so we used a candle ina jam-jar (as prescribed by the farmer's wife) to light our way. We had a flashing orange torch to warn the traffic as we led the horse from field to stable along the road. In summer the horse lived out 24/7. I do remember brushing his tail out every time I rode which I don't necessarily bother to do these days.
The RS where I learned to ride turned their ponies out 24/7 all winter. They only stayed in on Saturday night so that they were ready for work on Sunday. The only equines that stayed in were the hunters. They were all healthy and i had never heard of KS either - I wonder if close fitting saddles are to blame.
 
:eek: all mine are kept out 24/7 and have never had mudfever/ rainscold or colic! they have a fab field shelter so they can come and go as they please and they choose to stay out and seem only to use the shelter as a loo which i muck out daily!!
 
I remember 30 years ago there being as many people on my yard who would turn up at 10am to turn out as there were people who turned up at 6am.

Think sweeping generalisations were as relevant then as they are now...
 
When did this firmly held belief emerge, that horses who live out in the winter spend their entire time looking miserable, up to their hocks in mud with nothing to eat? i keep reading posts recently that suggest there are only two alternatives - in a lovely warm cosy snug stable 24/7 all winter (bar the hour on the horse walker) or outside standing in mud.

Am I the only one who has happy horses who live in a field that is occasionally wet, but still covered in grass?

I mean, it rains a lot here, in the wilds of the north, but somehow we come through each winter with grass still on the ground, and horses who haven't seen enough mud to end up with mud fever. Oh, and fit too, as they've been outside walking around, rather than imitating their owner and eating their lunch sitting down at their desk :D

Love hearing from Perkins, by the way. I am sure I remember my nana telling me she could never have got into her sidesaddle without his help :D
 
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Thankyou Perkins! Jill will be off having a jolly good time saving the riding school from bankruptcy so you can build it while she's out being a good egg.
 
We've got a pond in the middle of the field and the four G's love paddling about in it.. Mind you a lot of the field is mud at the moment but they use that to roll in :rolleyes: them boys are total pigs!!
 
TrasaM said:
We've got a pond in the middle of the field and the four G's love paddling about in it.. Mind you a lot of the field is mud at the moment but they use that to roll in :rolleyes: them boys are total pigs!!
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Dahhhling ! You poor thing, how frightful to have such common bog ponies. Get Perkins to come over and give them a good strapping.
 
Brightbay said:
When did this firmly held belief emerge, that horses who live out in the winter spend their entire time looking miserable, up to their hocks in mud with nothing to eat? i keep reading posts recently that suggest there are only two alternatives - in a lovely warm cosy snug stable 24/7 all winter (bar the hour on the horse walker) or outside standing in mud.

Am I the only one who has happy horses who live in a field that is occasionally wet, but still covered in grass?

I mean, it rains a lot here, in the wilds of the north, but somehow we come through each winter with grass still on the ground, and horses who haven't seen enough mud to end up with mud fever. Oh, and fit too, as they've been outside walking around, rather than imitating their owner and eating their lunch sitting down at their desk :D

Love hearing from Perkins, by the way. I am sure I remember my nana telling me she could never have got into her sidesaddle without his help :D
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My pony lives out, naked 24/7. He has a large field with a woodland attached to it. Spends his days hooning around with his friends and eating the grass. If I bought him in he'd be a complete nightmare to handle, fat as anything and generally an unhappy sod. A livery put on Facebook yesterday that she had spoken to my horse while poo picking and he had said to her he wanted me to pay for him to have a nice cosy warm stable as he was cold and miserable out! She also suggested I rug him. He has the equivilant on a super heavy weight in his own fur. He sweats stood grazing! I pointed out he is the happiest horse on the yard. Each to their own I say x
 
Oh my stars Perkins. It really is you! Only Perkins would know about the goats. I must tell Mummy she always worried what happened to you after Daddy dismissed you for being too old and doddery. 70 years service with our family wasn't it.

How nice to hear of Jill too, and she is still doing her gymkhanas by the sounds of things. No doubt white washing away merrily.

Splendid memories. Do keep in touch.
 
Life has changed completely. People work long hours, and no longer keep horses at home. We have to rely on livery as it's not affordable for a lot of people to buy land, thus spaces for keeping horses are smaller as livery yards try fit in more.

But ... Horse riding is not longer a stuffy sport you can only do if you are upper class and dressed properly, and that has opened up a sport to so many people, and I for one think that is wonderful.
 
littlelegs said:
Ignore previous post, I'm with you all the way. Infact I'm building a stable for my daughter Jill to keep her two ponies in, as a xmas present. Currently she keeps her new jumping pony at the riding school.
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Liked this one... Sounds like it could be a storyline for a novel...
 
horserider said:
Dahhhling ! You poor thing, how frightful to have such common bog ponies. Get Perkins to come over and give them a good strapping.[/QUOTE

Was thinking of making an application to the community service ppl to see if they had some miscreants who need keeping out if mischief and repay their debt to society. Sounds like old Billy Perkins will be busy until after Christmas :D
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The OP is going back quite a long time, when livery yards were mostly hunting yards. For private owners the option was to keep at home, rent a field or keep at a riding school.

The rise of the DIY yard has enabled lots more people to own a horse. Some are a long way from perfect and I expect there is some bad practice, and some things that the old timers would throw up their hands in horror at - but horses can survive quite a lot of different mangagement and virtually all owners have their horse's welfare at heart.
 
It's soooo common to leave your horse out spotty falula, & please don't tell fibs, the poor thing is only distracted from how cold & unhappy he is by the rainscald & mudfever all turned out horses have.
 
littlelegs said:
Thankyou Perkins! Jill will be off having a jolly good time saving the riding school from bankruptcy so you can build it while she's out being a good egg.
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Thank you ma'am. Jill will 'ave a complete set of stables, an indoor and an outdoor school by the time she gets home from saving the riding school and winning the Posh School riding competition (all in one day) cos she's a jolly good egg.

By the way, can I 'ave my stoop back? I left it under the foundations.
 
Brightbay said:
When did this firmly held belief emerge, that horses who live out in the winter spend their entire time looking miserable, up to their hocks in mud with nothing to eat? i keep reading posts recently that suggest there are only two alternatives - in a lovely warm cosy snug stable 24/7 all winter (bar the hour on the horse walker) or outside standing in mud.

Am I the only one who has happy horses who live in a field that is occasionally wet, but still covered in grass?

I mean, it rains a lot here, in the wilds of the north, but somehow we come through each winter with grass still on the ground, and horses who haven't seen enough mud to end up with mud fever. Oh, and fit too, as they've been outside walking around, rather than imitating their owner and eating their lunch sitting down at their desk :D


Love hearing from Perkins, by the way. I am sure I remember my nana telling me she could never have got into her sidesaddle without his help :D
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Oh yes and do remember him running in front to open all the gates ah those where the days.
 
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