Horse living out for the first time

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TheBayHorse1210

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Hi all, After 2 extremely stresfull winters with the monkey I have decided that this year it may be time to try 24 hour turnout. Reasons being he is constantly full of energy and always bouncing off the walls to the point where he is in a stallion chain to be led around, he is unsettled in the stable, arguing with neighbours (he has been in several different stables but never seems to get on with them) and ends up throwing him buckets out the door at passing people/horses. And now that the spring is coming we have had the week from hell, kicking, biting, rearing on hacks (for the first time in his life), refusing to come in and the last straw came when I was holding a gate and he reared up with me on him causing my hand to literaly rip open through the muscle. I know many horses are suffering from the spring sugar blow but this is getting out of hand. The only drawbacks I can think of is that he is a total mud magnet and manages to come in with it all over including the front of his face and under his rugs (??!), and that he isnt the type to stand and eat, he loves to play so will inevitably lose a lot of weight.

Im looking for any tips to help us prepare and survive our first winter living out.

All comment appreciated and sorry for the essay! :)
 
I was very worried when Hugo arrived - he would be living out for the first time. But everyone advised that he would be fine as long as he was well rugged up. So I got him some super heavyweights and out he went. Then the snow arrived (literally the day after he did!), so he was stuck in the field for a fortnight, with just a rug! I could get to him every now and again, but some days the field was totally inaccessible. When I did get to him (with pockets full of carrots!), he was lovely and warm! Even when it was -8, he was warm as toast. He has lived out happily every since - in fact, I think he is much happier in his new home as he has friends and freedom.

He has lost some weight (he was a bit of a porker before, actually), but not too bad and looks very fit!

As everyone on here said to me, don't worry - it is best for the horse in the end! I am thinking about doing without the rugs eventually (he has a lovely woolly winter coat!)
 
Sounds like he would definitely benefit from being out! Is he not out now though? Sounds like you're still bringing him in at night - I would try get him out asap, would seem he has a lot of energy to burn and a 12 x 12 (if that's what he's got) for hours does not suit him. Every horse is different and some just prefer not to be cooped up whatever the weather. At the end of the day horses were meant to live out and some have that natural instinct more than others I guess. mine comes in over winter at night as he's fully clipped and, as I've been doing that for about 16 years he knows his routine and his 'rights' and looke to want to be brought in on the miserable winter nights.

However, some night he won't come in (no idea why) and I think actually he wouldn't care about being left out at all - as long as he has food he's happy!!!
 
Sounds like he's been telling you this for years!

So what if he loves being covered in mud, he's only being a horse? Let him. It keeps the flies off and the warmth in, and the rain off.

Just brush his saddle and bridle area for when you want to ride, and go out on your hippo! ;-)
 
He may surprise you, unless he's clipped he might not need big heavyweight rugs. Even my Arab never needs anything more than a medium weight. This is a good time of the year to start. Get him unrugged asap, and don't rug him too quickly when the weather changes. Horses don't melt when they get wet. In these sort of temperatures if it rains hard a rain sheet might help him to keep dry and warm, depends on how much fur he has.
I have had horses living out for years. I think half the battle is having plenty of forage for them, so get your hay stock lined up so that you can give him plenty when the weather is bad.
Don't worry too much about mud and personally I would say that all you need to do is put something on his legs to repel mud once the winter weather starts. Avoid mud fever rather than having to treat it in the field. But if you do have to... I have had experience of that as well.
Sounds like it will be great for him. Don't assume he'll lose weight and over-feed him. Every horse I've changed to living out 24/7 has turned into a "good doer". They come with people saying "he has trouble keeping weight on" and 6 months later are unrecognisable. (Scruffier too LOL!).
 
Get him out defo - it will be the best thing you ever do for him. I did this for my TBx Autumn 2009 and we have never looked back. He is so chilled it is wonderful (he was never as bad as yours but tension always a problem). He loves his life and has come through two very snowy winters well. Good food, rugs and hay is all you need and he will be fine. You will be surprised at how little they need in the way of rugs to be comfortable. I feel it is much worse for them to be too hot than too cold. If they get cold they just go for a run around.

My boy used to be spotless - I wouldnt ride unless he had a full groom and all mud removed. Now it takes some doing but you have to be firm with yourself and just remove the mud that matters, bridle saddle patch the rest forget it. They only plaster themselves as soon as they get back in the field. And a body brush, whats that - just stick to a mud scapper and a dandy brush, leave all that lovely oil in to keep him warm. My boy gets fully clipped because he works hard and he is fine.

Go on - you know you want to!!
 
Sounds like your horse needs to be out for safety's sake. Although my lad is not out 24/7 as he has to be off the grass for a time to avoid laminitis, he did live through this winter un-rugged for the first time and I was worried about not being able to ride because of the mud situation. But I was able to clean off the saddle and back area each time and get on with it. So even if yours is a mud monster, he will be fine, it does not matter and is a small price to pay for his sanity...I would get him out today if it were me.
 
I've got 2 horses who live out, they were both stabled in their previous homes, I didn't do anything to prepare them & they're fine.
As long as he's got a good rug, plenty of shelter (either natural or man made) & plenty to eat he should do well. It sounds like he'll mentally be much healthier.
If you're worried about keeping him warm, lots of forage will help as digesting it produces a lot of body heat - it's central heating for horses.
I bought my tb in the autumn & she was a bit on the lean side, I clipped her, put her in a good rug (a full neck rambo), fed her nothing but forage, kept her in light work & she put on weight through the winter.
On christmas morning it was -11 & she was snug as a bug.
You'll get used to the mud, I often just brush the bits where the tack goes & leave the rest muddy.
I think you should go for it, if it's not working out you can always change back
 
Ive got a 17 TB whom before he came to me had only 1 hour turnout A DAY. He has lived out 24/7 happily for 11 years, they all have their own shelter bedded down and have the choice to stay in or go out.
I compete at aff dressage and in the winter you can tell the difference he is so chilled compared to the rest and unlike others in the snow ours did not run round like nutters and hurt their selfs.
Just make sure he is always warm enough, got shelter and ad lib hay, he will be so much happier and your live will be easier good luck.
 
Don't panic about warm enough OK? You'll be surprised. I get Fal Pro rugs whenever I can, they are really efficient for their "grams" and never leak. This last cold spell my Arab has been toasty and dry in his Fal 40g rug.
 
Thank you all for your replies. He's fully clipped at the moment and with the sunny weather last week I took his MW off and he was in just a sheet for the first time day and night. He is in at night currently as we only have one field of geldings (and they're all stabled) as there are so many mares at the yard so we cant chuck just one gelding out. During snow the horses on 24 hour have access to a large round bale of haylage but I doubt he'll stand still long enough to eat!

Fingers crossed he'll take to being turfed out in the cold!!
 
Very interested to read this thread because i think next winter my young chap is going to live out. To be honest i think he'll be happier out anyway..:) x
 
I find they don't run around and play as much when they are out and will settle into a routine when not confined. My youngsters played in the snow, they found it fun but then settled down and there was no hooning around flat out being silly. Having kept horses by both methods over the years including those in hard work there is no contest out is much more natural and they love it.

As you can see I do rug mine because I can't see the point in feeding the weather. They do use the field shelter in the summer but not in the winter! The one on the left was being weaned and he is so laid back, his mum is the other side of the fence but because he can play when he wants there is not going OTT.
SnowAvatar.jpg
 
Keep him out and let him be a horse! It's the best present you'll ever give him. Just make sure he's got a good quality (not necessarily super-heavy) rug, like a medium weight with optional neck cover, some shelter, natural or man-made, access to water, good quality hay/haylage and a companion, and I think you'll find you have a very diffrent, much happier horse.

I keep my horses at home, and they've lived out for the last 19 years. They do have two bedded-down barns they can go into if they wish, and there's a concrete ttack and a concrete stableyard where they can - and do - come out of the mud. We had 3 weeks over Christmas where it went down to -11C most nights, and never above freezing by day, but they were as warm as toast - and the Welshie x TB livery wasn't even wearing a rug, as she had a "thatch" the depth of your fingers.

So long as you knock the mud off the bridle and saddle areas, forget the rest. Oh, and in my book don't wash their legs - just encourages nasty things. After all, they don't get washed in the wild. Good luck!
 
I'd defo say go for it! I hadn't wintered horses out for about 16 years until I moved yards two years ago and had the option to do it again with my current boy and decided to go for it. So much easier! They get adlib access to round bale haylage in the fields, he gets fed ever day through the winter - although much less than he got when he was stabled - and I do rug him well. 300g PE combo for most of the winter, 450g PE combo through the -12 temps. He's not clipped but not a warm horse and did really well both winters. Nice and chilled, no mud fever, rain scald etc. Much better imo :D
 
I dont get why people assume a horse will be colder outside. A horse outside moves about to keep warm, whereas in a chilly/draughty stable they can't.

Your horse will be absolutely fine! If Im honest, why on earth didnt you do it sooner considering how unhappy your horse has been?!
 
Mine have wintered out very happily, the 2 TB X's and cob, were all fine and very laid back. None lost weight because during the snow, they stood eating at the hay bales and because we couldn't ride, actually got fat. Clipped Cob wore a lightweight and TB X's wore m/w with no neck, anything else made them too hot. We didn't rug til quite late in the year, and rugs have been off for weeks now. Next year unclipped ones will be unrugged.
The stressy mare is stressy no more, she is a dream to ride and handle, whereas when stabled in winter she was a nightmare. All three have comeout of winter very shiny and healthy. Its only now the midges and flies are about, that they have started using the shelters.
Looking to move this year and live in fear that they might end up in a yard where there's no grass livery. Never again.
 
He'll love living out I'm sure! Some horses just need to be horses!
My horse is living out at the moment because the weather is good and no midges are out (he's very sensitive to them) so now is a good time for him to live like a real horse, however, he is getting quite bored (and he's being ridden) He's so humanised and wants fuss and cuddles all the time!! :)
 
I advocate 24/7 turnout if at all possible. A lot of horses just accept their situation but sounds like yours is one of those who is telling us how he feels. My cobs are like that - super grumpy if in, so they live out and are now very chilled. If you’re worried about him getting filthy invest in one of those Snuggy Hoods, I’d imagine you’ll save on bedding so it’s not going to cost you in the long run. You’ll be kicking yourself you didn’t turf him out sooner!
 
TheBayHorse1210 said:
During snow the horses on 24 hour have access to a large round bale of haylage but I doubt he'll stand still long enough to eat!
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He will if he's hungry!!!

Agree with others, he's obviously not too happy about being in. Can he see mares from his field? Will he not stay out with them for company over the fence? My boy is happily turned out alone overnight with just a couple of geldings in the next field...

I'd look at having him on a high fibre diet which will help to keep him warm from the inside out and if you need to, add a conditioning cube to help with the weight.

I wouldn't worry too much about using lots of rugs. A decent mediumweight should do the bulk of the winter if he's unclipped, otherwise obviously a heavyweight will be needed at times.
 
Frube said:
Very interested to read this thread because i think next winter my young chap is going to live out. To be honest i think he'll be happier out anyway..:) x
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They are and being young tend to chill better than their stabled mates

Not to mention how much time and money you will save
 
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