Horses Permanently Stabled

From my own personal experiences; I have one horse who I'm sure wears a watch as knows exactly when it's time to be turned out, he definitely prefers being turned out, but enjoys a few hours in to snooze.

The other seems happy to be turned out and have a hoon about and a graze, but regardless of how long he's been turned out he always comes over to be taken back to his box, even if it's only been 5 mins, and he's always very settled in his box.

So I do think it depends on the individual horse, some just like being in, but personally all mine are offered turnout on a daily basis and I wouldn't have it any other way.
 
ladyt25 said:
Why do they "hate" it though? Is that because they have been kept in an unnatural environment since they were born?

Having kept horses over many years, I have not met one that loathes being out. We have had some who dislike being shut in but I have never had one who does not like being turned out. If there are ones that do, I can only imagine this is because they have been institutionalised which again I feel is wrong. A human would be the same had they been shut in a small room for their entire life!

I'm sure people will disagree but that's the beauty of a forum and everyone having their own opinions isn't it.

And to note, a horse roaming free is not that likely to suffer from laminitis or mudfever. These are conditions mainly caused a result of us keeping them as we do. yep, they could get abscesses (which would more than likely sort themselves out) and possibly break legs etc etc (if they were truly wild then their natural predators would finish them off so they wouldn't actually suffer for that long)
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I bought my horse as a 3 yo last September, at which point he had never been stabled in his life. I initially kept him out 24/7 (approx 2 weeks), and then decided to stable him at night as he was a bit of a so and so to handle and I thought that being led t and from the field twice a day would be helpful. After a couple of weeks he had decided that his stable was far preferable to a wet field. Eventually I gave up on keeping him out all day and compromised with 4-5 hours of turnout in the morning - even then he was stood by the gate after an hour.

For me the 'natural' argument has a lot of holes in it. We don't keep animals in natural circumstances, in fact we don't even keep ourselves in natural circumstances. I as a human was not designed to spend 8-12 hours a day in an office, live in a house (most of the time in which is spent sitting down), drink tea, or travel about in a tin box. Does that mean I am unhappy and unhealthy? Not as far as I'm aware.

Domestic paddocks are often not the idealistic places for a horse that the owner would like to think they are. Some people keep their horses on fantastic land that provides them with a lot of space, variety and natural shelter, but many don't.
 
DabDab said:
For me the 'natural' argument has a lot of holes in it. We don't keep animals in natural circumstances, in fact we don't even keep ourselves in natural circumstances. I as a human was not designed to spend 8-12 hours a day in an office, live in a house (most of the time in which is spent sitting down), drink tea, or travel about in a tin box. Does that mean I am unhappy and unhealthy? Not as far as I'm aware.

Domestic paddocks are often not the idealistic places for a horse that the owner would like to think they are. Some people keep their horses on fantastic land that provides them with a lot of space, variety and natural shelter, but many don't.
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I totally agree with you DabDab - horses have learnt to adapt in order to survive, just as we have. Both of mine get turn out, but once the weather turns they are obviously happier in their stable with ad lib hay, a dry bed and warmth. There natural environment is not that of their wild ancestors, anymore than mine is.
 
Whoopit said:
So, you go up in the morning at stupid o'clock, as I do, and how long would you fight to get your horse to come out of the stable so you can feel better thats it gone out?

45 minutes I spent once. No luck. So would you rather me battered it out with a whip just so it I turned it out? Frankly, if it won't come out, it can stay in - i've gotta go to work and haven't the time to spend pratting around with a horse that might change its mind at 10am! My other one goes out no issue.

As soon as either go out in the winter, ten minutes and they spend ALL DAY standing knee high in mud at the gate. They don't graze. I'd love your advice on how to lead a horse to water and make it drink, i really would!!
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Interesting that so far no one making statements about how terrible it is to keep horses in 24/7 and they would never do it has responded to the OPs specific situation which doesn't appear to be down to owner choice or the yard dictating management style. What do you do in this situation apart from keep the house in and be labelled a bad owner for not turning out! ?
 
IME they stand by the gate as when they come in there is food of high value, large quantities and it requires no effort to get it. if you brought them in to and empty stable every day for a month i reckon that as long as there is food, shelter and company in the field most would be happy to stay out -at least a lot longer than without.

we had a mare at work that would go mad after an hr in the field and if no-one got her in she would jump the fence-after a week of bringing her in to an empty stable and not giving hay or feed for the first hr she was in she stopped mucking about and is now out 10-12hrs per day. when i went on holiday her routine changed and she was coming in to feed and hay as before and within 3 days she was behaving as before, made those at the yard realise how clever this mare is and how quickly her behaviour can change inaccordance to her routine.

it does not work for every horse/pony but i do think the vast majority are conditioned/institutionalised and it is very bad for their physical and mental well being to be stood in the stable-are they not beginning to make it illegal in europe to stable 24hrs per day or is my mind playing tricks on me?
 
I know I wouldn't want to be locked in my bedroom all day, only going out to be exercised or fed.

I can see both points of view here as my horse was the opposite. He hated his stable and would take every opportunity to break out. But now, after training and reassurance he now loves his stable!

Some horses like to be in, whether it be from being stabled as a youngster or having box rest, some horses just adapt to being in and find it stressful to be turned out.

Some horses like to be out 24/7, grass kept horses are often the happiest, they usually have less ailments, injuries or illnesses - such as gastric ulcers that many stable kept horses get. Whilst there is a higher chance of injury, most do well at self preservation and only get the odd scrape. Generally there diet is healthier due to being able to forage different grasses, trees, bushes and plants. They pick up natural minerals and vitamins as well as getting vitamin D from the ultraviolet sunrays.

Some horses like half and half,
Like my horse he prefers to be out 24/7 in summer and come in overnight during the winter.
He loves basking in the sun during a lovely summers day. His coat gleams and he looks so peaceful and relaxed. He comes in every evening for a groom, feed and ride then he's turned back out.
During the winter he enjoys being out in the day - in pretty much any weather. He is rugged and booted and is pretty happy mooching about his field. However, once the sunlight starts to creep away he gets a little tense and spooky. He does not like rain and wind when it's dark and quite literally drags me to his stable. He is exceeding grateful and happy to be in his deep, warm and clean bed whilst having plenty of feed and hay. Once morning comes, he's happy to go back out.

I believe each horse is different in what it enjoys. I would always try and keep mine out and in overnight in winter. Fears and anxiety can be overcome - you just have to have time and patience
 
Twiggy2 - if I tried that with my Clydesdale she would park herself in the stable doorway and not move.

She did this a couple of times when I had to bring her in to assist in keeping her trim. In the end I had to always ensure there was some food in her manger.


Jenny Connor, you are a human with a totally different type of brain, you cannot compare the human and horse brain. Horses thrive on habit, hence the reason they know what happens when you arrive.
 
Horses for courses as the saying goes. To force a horse to endure any system that causes it stress is poor management. Changes, if needed should be gradual. Personally mine live out half the year, rest of it they come in at night and if the weather is disgusting ask to stay in during the day as well, just going out for a leg stretch twice a day whilst mucking out.
 
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