horses out all year...

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oliviacharley

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Ive rented my field for 4 years now...it is a small 4 acres but is surrounded by woodland so alot of the grass gets swallowed up by trees and there is not much grass all year so I have been having to rent a bigger field across the road for 6 months through the summer. It has a stable and a barn which I have managed to build an indoor stable into for my old pony.
I really like it, but I can not strip off the land very easily due to a footpath running through it and it is based right next to a main busy road so riding is only in the early morning or late evening when less traffic. I also ride out on my own all the time as no one horsey is local and I need my hubby to guide me across the roads which can be a pain as I have time off in the week but he is at work so resort to just riding in a the tiny field.

Although both my horses are good with traffic I have a friend who has her youngster at a yard about 6 miles down the road.
There are fields which run up the lane to her yard and I have asked if she would mind finding out if I could maybe rent one.
I would then be up the road from her, hopefully beable to use the yards school for winter time lessons and have no problems with busy traffic.
The only problem is I would not have stables and I would not have anywhere to keep my hay dry...
Can you let me know what your experiences have been about keeping horses out all year..I always feel horses look much better if they are stabled but let me know if im wrong....and the best way to keep the hay dry...?
 
When I used to just rent a field and field shelter I used to bring the hay in the boot of the car every day and store a little in the garden shed. If this isn't possible then I'm afraid I don't know.
 
One of my horses is out all year and much prefers it, and one I havent had through a winter yet but I can see he'll want to be in, the other is so laid back she wont mind being in or out. So I guess only you know your horse and as to whether it'll cope being out all year round. I think with the rugs we have now its certainly alot easier to keep them out. Re the hay, can you not fence off a corner of the field with electric tape, use pallets to keep the hay off the floor and cover with a waterproof sheet.
 
I have no storage for hay, so you need some palletts and a good tarpaulin over them, but if its windy it does have to be very secure, but to be honest i have switched to haylage the last few years you can keep it outside perfectly.
 
mine love living out 24/7. This year they have access to field shelters but they have managed without as there is lots of trees etc to shelter under. Re hay. I have big bales delivered weekly and they have 1 at a time in a hay ring. Other than that I just tarpaulin it on pallets.
 
poppy lives out 24/7 keeps her hardy the wee monster lol!! i prefer her being out to being cooped up, obviously this isn't possible for fine horses tho. she always has either good natural shelter or a field shelter or both. the is also given hay, and if it very very very cold she is given some small amount of hard feed. and yes tarpaulin
 
thanks everyone for the great advice...had horses out 24/7 before in the past but have a slightly finer horse now who has been used to being stabled last year with previous owners and just wondering how he will cope. He has been out all year this year and last winter unless it snowed..my old mare is brill and used to the harsh conditions...
 
I have a 16.3 tb,have owned him since he was 8mnth old,he now 12,never had any scary moments in a stable but....he hates it,has to be able to see and touch neighbour(grills between walls)or he stresses huge time,ran up every year,still carried weight but he stressed alot off!!1st year of him living out i was a wreck(2yrs ago),panicking when it snowed etc(they had shelter),neednt have he was out asleep in it all,lol!!We had big round bales of hay delivered into the field when they needed it,so be add lib,2 feeds aday,by the time last jan came he was on a diet,lmao,he loved it and i have never seen him look so well,if you rug up well and let em eat as much hay as they want you shouldnt have a prob!!x
 
thanks Handfos - thats great to hear about a TB.
Ill see what happens, but nice to know that it can be done as far to often you hear people are desperate for stables...
thanks :0)
 
we have a hannoveirian and 7/8ths 18HH TB who both live out all the time. They are in a much better mental state for it! I bet, if you cleaned up a you kept out 24/7 it would look better than a stabled one, they just look better as they are clean!
 
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