Horses and the weather!

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C&C

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Do ur horses mind the rain?

My horse hates it, he is the one thats standing by the gate after 5 mins of being out looking peed right off wondering what the hell hes done to be chucked out in this weather!

I keep him in when its heavy rain. He loves his stable and is very happy to be in. He comes in at night anyway but if bad weather will stay in 24!

I am the owner that will drop everything at the sound of thunder and lightening, jump in my car and race to the yard to bring him in (if poss) but thats my choice and what i have always done.

Im so sick of people telling me i wrap him in cotton wool - hes my horse and i know what he likes and doesnt like! Ive had him a very long time now so i can safely say we know each other inside out!
 
C&C said:
Do ur horses mind the rain?

My horse hates it, he is the one thats standing by the gate after 5 mins of being out looking peed right off wondering what the hell hes done to be chucked out in this weather!

I keep him in when its heavy rain. He loves his stable and is very happy to be in. He comes in at night anyway but if bad weather will stay in 24!

I am the owner that will drop everything at the sound of thunder and lightening, jump in my car and race to the yard to bring him in (if poss) but thats my choice and what i have always done.

Im so sick of people telling me i wrap him in cotton wool - hes my horse and i know what he likes and doesnt like! Ive had him a very long time now so i can safely say we know each other inside out!
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I'm exactly the same with mine! And my horse is just the same!

Nothing wrong with it! U know your own horse! Mine is so accident prone that I hate him being out in the wind or rain as he runs like a loony or bangs his foot at the gate
 
I went down about half hour before feeding time to do my feeds, expecting them to come up to the gate hoping they can get fed early because of the weather. They didn't even look up when I arrived just carried on munching lol.

So no I don't think mine do mind the rain lol!!

Mine are pretty tough, they get plenty to eat and stay out 24/7 so are happy enough.

I'm sure if they were brought into the stable regularly they would be waiting because that is what they are used to.

But all horses are conditioned to live the way they do and soon get used to different ways.

I don't believe in wrapping mine in cotton wool. 4 years ago my big lad would have been at the gate shivering giving me the "if I stay out here I will melt" look, but I was a mean mummy and didn't give in, just made sure he had plenty to eat and once that was established and her realised he didn't come in for tea anymore he was more than happy to go off and come up to the gate to be fed and then mooch off again.

That doesn't mean you are right or wrong, it's personal preference, I know mine are now a lot happier in themselves in general since living out 24/7 even if at first they weren't massively impressed. I much prefer them out 24/7 but that's what I want. It's a big deal for me to have them out and only use the stables when absolutely necessary.
 
Ive had people tell me i wrap him in cotton wool but then say how their horse is so miserable and moody and how they have bad feet, are getting mud fever, coming in starving, fields are getting poached!!! :-/

I refrain from telling them there is a simple solution.
 
Mine doesn't seem bothered being out there but does come in a lot easier! Usually I have to drag her from her field! She acts very silly in wind or rain though and is very difficult to lead!!!
 
Mine will tolerate it for a while if there is grass or they will want in, I have seen Arabi walk backwards in windy rainy weather he hates it in his face bless him, this rain is non stop though so cant blame them its horrible.
 
Our Girly freaks in a stable believed she has had an accident or a beating in one :-( very happily lives out in a rug good doing cob who doesn't get mud fever due to the terrific pig oil :-)

If that's what you can do for your horse good on you ! As long as they are not starving and skinny who cares ?!

Tell them where to go haha :-)
 
I used to have an absolute poofter (aka malcolm) of an arab that would refuse point blank to leave his stable if it was raining. If he out in a field with a shelter he would run for cover at the first drop of rain. He always had a rain sheet on in summer because if he got caught in a downpour he would be tucked up and miserable the next day. I have no idea what people thought, they never said anything about it to my face.

I have a yellow horse that does exactly the same, if he was ever stabled I suspect I would have a hard time getting him outside some days.

Mostly though, they just stick their tails to the wind and get on with life. Even if they did whinge to come in they couldn't, I have more horses than stables.
 
I was thinking about this the other morning. It was cold, windy and rainy but not too heavy. I had asked my friend to pop a couple of haynets in for my two as I was going to keep in. However she turned them out and 3 hours later they hadn't move from the gate to eat!! Que me feeling mega guilty and bringing them straight in!!
It made ne think though, the really must prefer to be in when it's wet as they were turned out at their usual time etc but had chosen not to walk down the track to eat for all that time!!
So no mine definitely do not like it!! :D
 
Mine dont mind the rain but the mud and slush and lack of grass they do not like after 1 hr in the field if i go to the gate they come running up, so i bring in and they are put to bed, but they also get exercised if not ridden then lunged so i do not mind them being in too much.
 
Mine live out 24/7/365. They have natural shelter and rugs in winter, plus plenty of hay.
They are quite happy and much less stressed than they used to be when coming in at night. I have one cob, one TB and one PBA.
 
Mine has the choice to be in her stable or paddock, with open stable door all the time. Today she has chosen to mostly stay in, wander around for a graze now and again, and then go and munch some haylage. She hates being shut in though.
 
I have a Welsh Cob and he's in 24/7 in winter. He hates going out! Luckily in summer he goes out 24/7 :)

What I cannot stand is those owners that make their horse go out "because he's a horse, he must go out", more likely you're too gawd damn lazy to muck out twice per day! Then the horse is either miserable standing by the gate, paces or gallops around like a lunatic until brought in.

All of my liveries have been keeping in quite a lot recently, they have the choice to turnout but have decided not to! However, we have really good facilities....indoor arena, outdoor arena, horse walker and round pen, so they have lots to get them out and occupied.
 
Mine isnt bothered what ever the weather, The wetter the better! (I believe she is part hippo) everyday i walk to the farest corner of the field. She will watch me as if to say "oh your coming for me, are you?"
 
mine hate rain and wind - taz will tolerate it as he doesnt like being stabled but you have to drag rio out of his stable and drag him down the field. if you let him stop there is no way you will get him moving again its a pain! he tucks his ears into the hood of his rug and stands there like he would rather have his throat cut then stand there any longer :o
 
I personally am of the belief that they evolved not to melt in the rain and would rather not rug or under rug than over rug - however, I'm sure there are other liveries that feel bad my horse is out in all weathers usually just in a lightweight rug!

The only time I tend to keep in, is if it is too icy to safely lead to the fields.
 
Each to their own. I had a Wb x who didn't care though he wanted in at supper time. My mare on the other hand, wants in when it starts raining regardless of what time of the day it is. It's when it's raining AND very windy that I want them in!
 
I have one who happily goes out whatever the weather and another who I have to man handle out of his stable if it is slightly chilly or wet! Ironically it's the ex racer who is happy to be out and the connie who hates it!
 
Mine are out 24/7 and frankly they are miserable tonight :(. They have adlib hay and the big ones are rugged and they just look hacked off. The two little ones (both hardy, fat natives) haven't got rugs and they are shivering. I can't bring them in. Feel so bad for them :(:(
 
MillionDollar said:
I have a Welsh Cob and he's in 24/7 in winter. He hates going out! Luckily in summer he goes out 24/7 :)

What I cannot stand is those owners that make their horse go out "because he's a horse, he must go out", more likely you're too gawd damn lazy to muck out twice per day! Then the horse is either miserable standing by the gate, paces or gallops around like a lunatic until brought in.

All of my liveries have been keeping in quite a lot recently, they have the choice to turnout but have decided not to! However, we have really good facilities....indoor arena, outdoor arena, horse walker and round pen, so they have lots to get them out and occupied.
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Someone who thinks like me :D:D
 
Aww I know how you feel. Mine wintered out last year and my connie was as miserable as sin. I used to lie awake at night hearing the wind and rain feeling awful. I am sure they will be fine, tomorrow isn't supposed to be as wet.
 
I must add, i have no problem with anyone that keeps their horses out 24/7, i am very much in the mind of 'each to their own and we all know our horses best'. My mum keeps her Sec D mare out 24/7 as she doesnt like to be kept in. She has a field shelter but never uses it! :rolleyes:

Its the owners that do stable, say at night time, that stick their horses out in all winds and weathers then moan like fook about things :( Mainly on how miserable or stroppy their horses are, how dirty they are or how 'under the weather' they seem! Excuse the punn! I cant help but feel that some, like mentioned previously, just cant be arsed with the extra work that goes with keeping them in, or maybe its expense which is a seperate issue.

I feel for the peeps that would like to bring their horses in when the weather is bad but cant :(
 
my horses have always been kept in if the weathers really bad or just go in a corral while i muck out ,my small purely decorative sec A wont step foot outside if the weathers bad he just doesnt see the point and tbh if they had a choice of just standing in the field eating a net getting wet and cold or standing in a dry stable eating a net -its no contest really! they are both grey and both very clean in the stable (very luckily) and they get walked and/or ridden so get to stretch their legs twice a day anyway:D
yes i feel for people that dont have the choice of whether or not to bring them in- ive been there-its miserable
 
MillionDollar said:
What I cannot stand is those owners that make their horse go out "because he's a horse, he must go out", more likely you're too gawd damn lazy to muck out twice per day![/B] .
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Yep, that would be me then, and yes, I am too lazy to do it :D

I have 20+ horses here at any given time, no way on God's Green Earth am I going to muck that lot out daily.

They live out because it suits me. If anything benefits from coming in, then in they come.
 
My Arab normally prefers to be out, but has been in 24/7 these last few days as there are no fields because the river has escaped. Before that she was in for nearly a week because of mud fever.

She seems to have survived, but is getting very fat. My purse, on the other hand, is getting very thin...
 
One of mine couldn't give a monkeys, she's not very food orientated, luckily very good doer, & likes puddles & mud. So will happily stand in the centre of the field in torrential rain. Or more likely wind the others up to come play in the rain with her. The other is a wuss, I've seen her reverse across several acres rather than walk head first into the rain even in a light shower. When its very rainy & windy she spends more time in the sheltered area under the trees. And won't go through a muddy patch to reach the grazing at the bottom on wet days, she doesn't do wet legs. However, even when its torrential, she'd rather be under the trees with hay than stood in during the day.
 
Our two have the option of coming in at will, it is so muddy and wet here, for the last two days they have been in the barn area, my lad has been out as he is wet, the mare tends to stay in, she's 18 and arthritic so knows her limits, my lad is a mud monster, now rugged for my benefit, it took so long to de mud him, I didn't get to ride the other day.
Neither are seeking food, just respite from the wet conditions
 
all 3 are out 24/7 two shetties and a TB. they have access to a stable/field shelter and adlib hay. TB is only out in a lightweight, and if it wasnt constantly raining he would ne naked :eek: as he is always roastie toastie :eek:, he comes and goes into the shelter as he see's fit, hates to be kept in and will be happily munching away in the middle of the field in a down pour whilst the two fatties are tucked up in the shelter :rolleyes:
 
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