Horse not keen on turnout

Mouse19

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Is anybody else's horse not keen on winter turnout?

I've had my mare for 6 months or so, the old owners didn't turn her out at all, but all of the horses at my livery yard pretty much live out all year which I love. So she has been living out ever since and seemingly loving it.

However with the first frost the year after the clocks changed brought a change of attitude. Despite having plenty of grass (two of them are in a 5 acre well managed field) She started becoming desperate to come in, in the morning, standing by the gate after being turned out looking very forlorn and being super sharp when ridden.



So last week she's started coming in at night and shes happy as Larry. Due to the yard routine she'll only be out 5 hours in the day which worries me a bit, but she seems quite happy.

I've not come across a horse that actually prefers being in!?
 

Pippity

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A couple of horses on my yard make it very clear when the weather is not to their liking and they need to be in now. They were both raised with minimal, if any, turnout - we suspect that one had never been turned out in a field until he was 19 - and although they definitely enjoy being out, they're very clear about the fact that it should only happen in nice weather.
 

Pearlsasinger

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I have one! She was imported from Europe aged 12 (not by me) and I assume that she was wintered in a yard system, which is common over there. She makes it very clear that she doesn't like weather - a bit unfortunate because we are at the top of the Pennines and rather exposed! She did on one memorably wet day turn round swiftly in the field gateway, as I put her out, nudging me aside with her large bum and leg it back into the stable! Needless to say after I'd stopped laughing at her she went back out. I have found that she is more comfortable in a full neck rug, even no fill.
 

Cortez

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My lot love their stables, and the oldest isn't at all keen on being "nature horse", coming up and rattling the gate if it's A. Cold, B. Wet, C. There are flies, D. Looks like rain, E. Slightly inclement in any way. But then they are Spanish, and used to being stabled. It took them a while to get the hang of this eating grass thing too.
 

Mouse19

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Phew! I'm glad I'm not alone. I've been all holier than thou for months saying 'oh look how much better she is being out, aren't I a good owner with my au natural chilled out routine' only for the mare to tell me in no uncertain terms she prefers being in her stable wrapped up like an armadillo
 

WandaMare

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One of my mares was like that when I got her, she wouldn't tolerate bad weather or hot days in summer. I have introduced her to the elements very gently, leaving her out longer and longer in mild, wet weather and she has improved. We still have major panic sessions if there is a heavy shower (she ran through the wooden gate on one occasion) but they have got fewer over the years.
 

ElleSkywalker

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Two of mine don't. One is home bred who wintered out first few years of her life and usually goes out overnight all year but she gets very cross when she thinks she's cold or hungry and demands to be in. Makes box rest very easy though :D

The others breed I will leave for now and will welcome guesses. She hates being out in the wet and mud to the extent that she brings herself in. Through electric fencing and will even open a wooden gate to stand outside her stable till someone opens it for her. Rugs make no difference she just wants in. Subsequently she only goes out in winter when the conditions are perfect (sunny, no breeze and dry) even then she only last a few hours before demanding in. *sigh* Any guesses what breed she is?
 

Leo Walker

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Yup. Mine worked hard this summer and I tried to give him a couple of weeks off in the field. He was a nuisance from day one but I persevered for ten days thinking he would git it. He didnt and had to start coming in over night again. I despair of him! most horses love turn out, he prefers to stand in his stable. He hasnt done it at this yard yet, but he can and will jump out and bring himself in when hes had enough as well!
 

PapaverFollis

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Both my mares are bit precious about being outside. I think they just understand that there's a fat net of hay waiting in the stable and compared to grass that's a bit meh the hay wins. If I had my own spot I'd give free choice but sadly I don't so it's 5 or 6 hours turnout for them in winter tops. They seem quite happy but it annoys me! :lol: The old girl could do with more outside time with her arthritis but chucking herself around in a muddy gateway doesn't do her any good either. The Beast should know better as she is a big hairy cob from deep in Ireland and I doubt she wintered in as a youngster! But shes definitely motivated by that haynet! I have regular daydreams about equicentric and track systrms. :lol:
 

iknowmyvalue

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Yep. Mine brings himself in if he thinks he's been out too long or the weather isn't to his liking. He has grass and ad-lib hay in the field, and does it regardless of rugs or whether he's out alone or with others. Doesn't bother me, as fits nicely with the yard routine. He goes out overnight in the summer and for a few hours during the day in the winter. He seems perfectly happy, so I guess I'll just let him be :D
 

Goldenstar

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All my horses but one love their stables and yes they all want to come in this time of year .
IME it's not all unusual for horse to choose stabling once the weather get colder .
 

SEL

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Please pass some 'i love my stable 'vibes my way. Both of mine have decided that I'm locking them away in a prison overnight and throwing away the key - despite haynets and tea being provided. I've never seen my mare have such a strop about coming in. Obviously the view from her new stable is not to her liking.....

And the boy horse decided he would leave his stable yesterday morning like someone had shoved a firework up his backside. I decided hanging onto 700kg of flying draft horse wasn't going to happen and watched him gallop off to the field gate with rope trailing behind. Please bring back summer and 24:7 turnout. Please. Please. Please.
 

FfionWinnie

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I’ve got two who have lived very constrained lives and getting them to live out has been a challenge. Last year one of them I had to bring in because he’s old and skinny and he would charge around the field for hours of an evening and I rather like my fields with grass in them. This year he’s older but less skinny and touch wood so far he hasn’t noticed it’s winter. I’m planning to keep him out 24/7 as long as the fields / his attitude allow. Hopefully I’ve done the arguing with him over the summer months and he will behave himself tho.

The other one I’ve had a year and never successfully got him turnout on grass. He’s been out 24/7 on an all weather surface which he was happy with but in the field he was a complete loon. However recently I got sick of mucking him out (eats and therefore produces 3xs what a normal horse does!) so I threw him out. Again so far so good.

My usual response would be tough but those two for various reasons I couldn’t tough it out so I suppose you just have to take it on a case by case basis. Try a heavier rug and see if that helps.
 

oldie48

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Mr B loves his turnout as long as there are no flies, plenty of good grass, it's not too windy, it's dry, it's not too hot and he's not been out for too long and he's got company, otherwise he'd much rather be in his stable munching haylage or having a snooze. Seems quite sensible to me!
 

Antw23uk

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Loving these responses, lol :) Thankfully my two prefer living out but i do have an open yard/ stables policy and will feed hay in the stables and on the yard to save the fields but thats when i start feeding hay ... which isnt going to be, hopefully, until December.
 

NinjaPony

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My two natives like coming in overnight in the winter two-both are greedy, love their hay, and like to have naps somewhere warm and dry! My welsh a kicks up a big fuss if he isn't warm enough or the weather is horrible and refuses to stay out 24/7 so he continues to live a pampered life and is much happier that way!
 

Coblover63

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Until I bought my mare, in Feb, I would have poo-poo'd "soft" owners who keep their horses in because said horse appears to not like winter turnout. HOWEVER, for the first time ever, I appear to have bought a wimp. Like the OP, although she is out in a paddock with loads of grass, in the last couple of weeks, instead of ignoring me when I go to fetch her in, she has now started to whinny and walk to me, so I suspect that the worm is turning again!

I should add as a postscript that said mare is a supposedly "hardy" 7yo traditional cob!!!
 

exracehorse

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Yep. My exracehorse had to be stabled at night in winter. I had to get him in by 1pm as he’d start to panic. I had him for a long time and he never altered. He’d sometimes be in for a good week if weather was bad. Wind and rain was a no no. He’d refuse to come out of his stable. I’d also have to bring him in during the day. In the summer. He couldn’t cope with the heat and flies.
 

The Fuzzy Furry

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Two of mine don't. One is home bred who wintered out first few years of her life and usually goes out overnight all year but she gets very cross when she thinks she's cold or hungry and demands to be in. Makes box rest very easy though :D

The others breed I will leave for now and will welcome guesses. She hates being out in the wet and mud to the extent that she brings herself in. Through electric fencing and will even open a wooden gate to stand outside her stable till someone opens it for her. Rugs make no difference she just wants in. Subsequently she only goes out in winter when the conditions are perfect (sunny, no breeze and dry) even then she only last a few hours before demanding in. *sigh* Any guesses what breed she is?

Hmm, Nev the Shetland by any chance? :D
 

MagicMelon

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Does she actually like being in though or is it something else she wants? For example, if she knows she gets a nice big haynet in her stable (and a feed possibly) and she has no hay out in the field then this could make her appear to want her stable when actually its the food she's wanting?

I had one horse who had been kept stabled previously, they said if they turned him out then he'd just gallop about. It took me months to get him used to being outside. I had to start with 10 mins then increase it slowly and ensure he had nice things out in his field like his feed/hay etc. then he was out 24/7 and loved it. So I think a lot of it is to do with simple habit, if the stable provides other benefits then they'll prefer it, if you reverse that to the field providing the nice things then they'll prefer that option. I personally have yet to find a horse who actually would prefer to be stabled for long periods. I love my system of simply leaving my stable doors wide open directly into their field so mine live out 24/7 but come in whenever they want for a nap.
 

Tiddlypom

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Mine mostly live out 24/7 with access to my rubber matted field shelters, which they often use. However, I don't think I've had one which wouldn't have preferred to be stabled for at least part of the day - overnight in winter or during the day in summer. The woolly rescue ponies were at least as bad as the horses for wanting their creature comforts!
 

Mouse19

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Does she actually like being in though or is it something else she wants? For example, if she knows she gets a nice big haynet in her stable (and a feed possibly) and she has no hay out in the field then this could make her appear to want her stable when actually its the food she's wanting?

I had one horse who had been kept stabled previously, they said if they turned him out then he'd just gallop about. It took me months to get him used to being outside. I had to start with 10 mins then increase it slowly and ensure he had nice things out in his field like his feed/hay etc. then he was out 24/7 and loved it. So I think a lot of it is to do with simple habit, if the stable provides other benefits then they'll prefer it, if you reverse that to the field providing the nice things then they'll prefer that option. I personally have yet to find a horse who actually would prefer to be stabled for long periods. I love my system of simply leaving my stable doors wide open directly into their field so mine live out 24/7 but come in whenever they want for a nap.

I would have thought not, she gets hay on the floor when she comes in and a small token feed of chaff with her vitamins. But what do I know lol. They still have plenty of forage out and supplemented with hay when required.
 

Leo Walker

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Does she actually like being in though or is it something else she wants? For example, if she knows she gets a nice big haynet in her stable (and a feed possibly) and she has no hay out in the field then this could make her appear to want her stable when actually its the food she's wanting?

I had one horse who had been kept stabled previously, they said if they turned him out then he'd just gallop about. It took me months to get him used to being outside. I had to start with 10 mins then increase it slowly and ensure he had nice things out in his field like his feed/hay etc. then he was out 24/7 and loved it. So I think a lot of it is to do with simple habit, if the stable provides other benefits then they'll prefer it, if you reverse that to the field providing the nice things then they'll prefer that option. I personally have yet to find a horse who actually would prefer to be stabled for long periods. I love my system of simply leaving my stable doors wide open directly into their field so mine live out 24/7 but come in whenever they want for a nap.

Nope. hes out on still good grass. When I tried to give him the time off I started bringing him in, working him hard and putting him straight back out. Made no difference! He doesnt care if its daytime or night time but he expects to come in for at least half the time. I always refer to him as being institutionalised!
 

WelshD

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my little section A is useless the minute it gets wet or cold. He is already in a heavyweight rug now.

What I have come to realise is that he wont lie down to sleep when the ground is even slightly damp, this means that if left out for more than a day or so he gets unbearably cranky, paces the fence and looks very sorry for himself - I am assuming from lack of quality sleep, once I realised this it became so much easier to manage him and he comes in regularly even in mid summer

Even when he has eaten his hay overnight in his stable and has nothing to eat you have to physically push his arse out of his stable in the mornings on a wet day, he would happily live in with minimal turnout over winter but as I work full time he gets kicked out in the morning and has to get on with it
 

laura_nash

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Is anybody else's horse not keen on winter turnout?

I've had my mare for 6 months or so, the old owners didn't turn her out at all, but all of the horses at my livery yard pretty much live out all year which I love. So she has been living out ever since and seemingly loving it.

However with the first frost the year after the clocks changed brought a change of attitude. Despite having plenty of grass (two of them are in a 5 acre well managed field) She started becoming desperate to come in, in the morning, standing by the gate after being turned out looking very forlorn and being super sharp when ridden.



So last week she's started coming in at night and shes happy as Larry. Due to the yard routine she'll only be out 5 hours in the day which worries me a bit, but she seems quite happy.

I've not come across a horse that actually prefers being in!?

I have known two horses like this. One was a mare who was stabled full-time in winter from ages 1-5, the other a stallion who came from the continent and had possibly never been turned out as he seemed to have agrophobia when he first arrived! The mare never approved of being out in rain, cold or other inclement weather the whole time I knew her, the stallion came around to the idea and years later much preferred being out.
 

Ceriann

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My new mare - had her 7 months now - was stabled a lot by her previous owner, and by her admission was brought in when it rained. I like mine out as much as possible. The first decent amount of rain we had she gave a very clear call when I arrived home that it simply wasn't acceptable. Few months in though and she's getting used to this living out lark, especially now she's turned out with my other two (was a gradual intro). She's taken to rolling I'm mud too!! At some point I will bring in overnight (they come in once overnight now to dry out feet and legs) but it looks like I've got a reprieve for a little longer!
 

Queenbee

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Yep, mine does. don't get me wrong he loves going out having a blast in his field and filling his tummy but the worst thing in the world to him is staying out at night (at any time of the year) If left out at night (regardless of provisions of company and extra forage) he will tear through his fencing. He is stood waiting for me every evening to come in and when YO starts bringing hers in for the winter (they come in around 3pm) she has to start bringing him in for me as he will tear his field up in temper to be bought in at the same time (I don't normally bring him in until 5pm (ish) otherwise). I spent a few years trying and failing to find a set up where he could stay out and we could all be happy - then I gave in to his royal highness's demands and started stabling at night
 

claret09

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agree I have one who loves being out in his big field on a nice day. he loves the heat - but really isn't keen on the cold or the wet. he will hide in the back of his stable - he would hate to think that someone might think he wanted to go out in the wet or cold. he is always rugged up to the nines - not popular I know but it suits him
My lot love their stables, and the oldest isn't at all keen on being "nature horse", coming up and rattling the gate if it's A. Cold, B. Wet, C. There are flies, D. Looks like rain, E. Slightly inclement in any way. But then they are Spanish, and used to being stabled. It took them a while to get the hang of this eating grass thing too.
 
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