Horses that are kept in all day...

arwenplusone

arwenplusone

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 January 2007
Messages
6,160
Location
York
www.freewebs.com
....do you think they are happy?

I don't mean high end competition horses (though personally I do think that ALL horses should get some turn out), rather I mean leisure horses that are in for one reason or another.

Here's an example. Horse I am concerned about has been in since Xmas - 24/7. Is seen to in every respect, given hay and water & feed, twice a day, and is lunged once a day and owner has the very best intentions. Not a neglected animal by any means.

BUT - IMO the horse looks poor in condition (her coat is dull), she has lost a certain 'spark' that she had before & (dare I say it) I think she looks depressed.

I have tried in many ways to convince owner to turn out (even offering to t/o - bring in myself), even just for an hour - especially as we've had some lovely sunshine, but she is not entertaining the idea and, to be honest, it probably really isn't my business to keep nagging on.

But I feel sad for this mare, to not be able to graze, roll, touch other horses, gallop about at leisure. I mean it isn't a welfare issue, and yet for me it is becoming so.

Should I just leave alone & mind my own business
Thoughts?
 
Is there any reason why she's keeping the mare in?
I've been on yards where turnout was restricted during winter and my mare has had long stretches of box rest and tbh she was fine and never altered at all. :)
Kate x
 
Bit of a long story why she's still in, but being given every reason under the sun at the moment.

In brief, she used to get a lot of turn out (owner had 2 horses and they were out together, but sadly one was PTS last year) anyway she colicked over the winter when we had the first cold spell before Xmas, so she was in for a bit then, being monitored. Then it was 'too cold' to turn out, and she would just be 'standing around'. Then she was in to keep weight on, then she was in because owner works late & there is no-one to bring her in (not necessarily true as I have mine brought in), now she is in because she doesn't have a field mate/field (though YO would find her one as all horses on our yard get turn out from 6am to 5pm if they want)

I must stress, she is not neglected and has all her basic needs covered.
I guess I just like a horse to be out of their stable if there is no reason for them to be in it.
 
I would leave well alone. I too like to get my horses out as much as possible (they went out every day in the recent snow) but as the mare is being looked after it is really down to the owner what she does. There may be a reason she is being kept in that she doesn't want to discuss with anyone - although I can't think of one.

A friend of mine had a mare who never went in the field. For some reason she just did not like being out and would jump the gate to come back in.
 
Although I totally believe in turnout and want my own horses to be out as much as possible, I have never met a horse who was depressed because not allowed turnout... I've been at so many yards (yes high-end competition yards, but not all the horses there were high-end competition horses, if you know what I mean) which kept horses in 24/7, and all looked perfectly happy, coat in exc condition etc.
 
IMO it is wrong to keep a herd animal kept in 24/7 verging on cruel IMO. Ok if the horse is unwell or other genuine reasons for box rest fine, but horses need freedom. Imagine being kept in a bedroom all day only to be led out once twice a day, i'd be depressed too. Stables are not a natural enviroment for a horse, by that i mean no horse was ever born to be kept in 24/7
 
my mare spent all winter in due to restritions in winter and tbh she was very happy. she got haylage 3 times a day, feed twice yard owner around most of the day so she made a fuss of them. never felt sorry for herself, got exercised everyday.

as long as the horse is getting excercise and all the other basics she will be fine imo
 
There is a horse at our yard that is in 24/7, except for 1/2 hour daily of lungeing. He is "in training" and his paddock is "being rested". No contact with other horses, a postage stamp of a bed.......I just think poor sod.
 
hmm, you are right - perhaps I am anthropomorphising too much. Just because I think a horse would be unhappy, doesn't mean she is! I'm not comfortable with it, but guess should let it lie.
 
The mare is obviously being looked after and is fine - if I were you I'd leave it alone. All horses are different - my own horses have been in a lot over this last winter and in fact my mare hates going out at the moment. Even though she is with her best friend, she simply stands by the gate until I bring her in again. As for having a gallop about, roll etc - forget it, she doesn't do any of those things. I think you are worrying unnecessarily to be honest.
 
My girl went out today for the first time in weeks. Why? she doesn't like it when its cold, wet, windy. She is down right miserable, roars around the field getting herself in a right stew, she falls over she is hooning around so much, she hates it and will injure herself and trash in field if left out all day.

She would much rather be in her nice cosy stable with as much hay as she wants in her jim jams, she is happy, ridden every day for at least an hour, she is fit, sparkly eyes and drags you back to her stable when she has been out. She went out today for 3 hours and by then she was ready to come in. When the sun comes out she will be put out for a few hours and I will just keep an eye on her (or ask the other liverys who are down at different times to keep a check on her) I see no point at all in forcing her to be out if she is unhappy. Horses for courses as they say, they are all different :D
 
That sounds like a sad situation, from what you say it sounds like the owner is thinking 'what if' too much for her mare and taking away a more normal life for a horse, i.e being allowed turn out.

Its very tricky to get involved, has anyone else noticed or mentioned it at the yard?
 
hmmm, lots of mixed views here.

But all of you are saying that the horses you know of that ar ein are healthy happy and bright eyed. This mare isn't.
But yep, on balance I am probably interfering! :p
 
I think its pretty ridiculous that she is in all this time, if there is no real reason for it.

Perhaps there is another reason she doesn't want to discuss, but come on we are nearly in Spring now and to be in 24/7 just begs belief...
 
Moggyinmanolos said:
That sounds like a sad situation, from what you say it sounds like the owner is thinking 'what if' too much for her mare and taking away a more normal life for a horse, i.e being allowed turn out.

Its very tricky to get involved, has anyone else noticed or mentioned it at the yard?
Click to expand...

Yes! Everyone has mentioned it. YO has tackled her about it a few times.
Still, all mare's needs are catered for, if owner doesn't want turn out then is her prerogative I guess...
 
All of the horses needs are being met, except it's emotonal needs. No animal would choose to be confined 24 hours of a day every day. If there is no reason for it then it is just wrong.
 
There is a gelding on the yard where I work who never goes out. He did when I first started there, but he was a danger both to himself and to us. He is as happy as a pig in poo inside, and actually starts kicking out and snapping if his new zealand comes into view! Very odd!! In fact even the cob on the yard who came to us as a terrible one to catch and who would barrel the doors if she thought she had been in too long now prefers to be in after her initial half hour of rolling and silly business.
Mine on the other hand would kill to go out every day!
 
personally i believe horses should have as much turnout as poss, 24/7 if poss. However that it is only my opinion and other people have different ideas. As this horse is getting well looked after i think it is her pergrogative. it sounds as though she's worried that the horse will fall ill in the field or something seeng as she had her other horse pts last year and this one colicked.
 
I have problems getting mine out their stables. We have a 12 year old ISH Mick and a 23 year old cob, Shiney. The 12 year old hates all sorts of weather and the cob cant get a good grip on the grass at this time of year due to him having old teeth (the vet told me that I would have problems with his condition at this time of year) and he is quite happy to stay in and munch on hay.

This morning I hacked Mick and put Shiney out. I got back from hack and was told Shiney stood at the gate all the time I was gone. So I bought him back in for some hay, then put them both out and luckily they went down the field together.

When we had the snow they went out for half an hour in the morning while I mucked out but came back in. They were in this routine for 5 weeks and were really happy.
 
My older mare is happy in her stable when the weather is nasty, but as soon as it is dry and warmer, she wants to be out as much as possible. She was on a yard for about a month where she got very little turnout, and she nearly kicked me when I was mucking out.....I knew she wasnt happy.

My little mare was on the same yard for the same length of time. She refused to eat and lost about 50kg in that time as she was so depressed.....

I do believe some horses are ok with it.....but mine arent! They are happy to stay in when it is really wet and for the odd day, but they arent happy long term.....
 
My horse is kept in 24/7 at the moment, and I can honestly say I would be mightily peed off if anyone dared to question me or tell me I was being 'cruel'! We moved yards in November because we wanted individual turnout after Ellie was very badly kicked in a group at the old place. But she started being very fractious out in the paddock and wouldnt settle, even with other horses in surrounding fields. She then injured herself whilst (we think) galloping round wanting to come in, so since then we made the decision to keep her in until the grass greens up and there is more incentive for her to stay out!
I can honestly say she has never looked more well in herself than she does at the moment, and she certainly feels and acts well too! She is exercised in some form every day, whether that means riding for an hour, lunging for half an hour or walking out in hand for half an hour. Whatever I have time for at the end of the day, really! And she certainly isnt suffering for it.
So in answer to the OP's question - I would leave well alone!
 
You will always get very different views when it comes to turnout/stabling etc. Each person no doubt (hopefully) will be doing what is best for their horses needs.

I personally would not keep a horse in 24/7, I think even a few hours a day is needed, especially with youngsters.
 
I think it is cruel to keep a horse in 24/7.

If I was shut in a small room for 23hrs a day - and just let out for 1 hour to run round in circles on the end of a rope I'd be depressed too!

My TB didn't stay out a huge amount this winter due to awful fields (pure mud - no grass) but still got at least 5 hours a day T/O.

My other two are at a different yard with nice fields and live out 24/7. I much prefer that!
 
Yes, not all horses are the same, some can cope with long periods of being stabled and some can't. Arwenplusone the horse you mention sounds as though she's going to get more and more depressed, and my heart bleeds for her. Her basic needs are being catered for, but what about her mental state. it's just SO wrong. And...you could say to her owner that being stabled for such long periods are going to lead to muscle wastage, leg problems and vascular deteriation.

Rosehip, the horse you describe sounds as though he's become totally institusionlised, how sad!
 
To answer the original question I would advise you walk away and leave well alone. You might not like it but the horse's basic physical needs are being met, it's not a welfare issue and none of your beeswax.

Personally, I think it's wrong to keep a horse in 24/7. I detest seeing horses in stables for any length of time other than when essential. I think they should live out in herds and mixed ones at that. Keeping them in is for human convienience and although they might not seem stressed or depressed I truly don't believe you'll see their whole personality unless you let them be a "horse"....
 
Having recently had someone interfer with my horses because they were staying in, and being absolutly furious with the person in question, I would leave well alone.

I turned mine out at 8.30am this morning, whereby they both wee-ed, rolled, had a drink then charged back up to the gate and stood there all day. And I do mean all day as I drove past them twice and OH once...YO also noticed they had stood there again all day. One of mine bites at her TO rugs, but doesn't at her stable rugs when you change them.

I choose to keep mine in if they have a vet/farrier/dentist/lesson etc booked for that day, or if I know I might be late, or...or...or...

I really wouldn't get involved.
 
I do think every horse needs to get out even if it's just for a short amount of time, one of mine lives out 24/7 the other is stabled over night but turned out 7.20am and in earliest 3pm.
 
Hey. I could be well of the mark here but I'm wondering if the owner is having a real crisis of confidence about turning out her house. If I read this right she lost one last year and the current one has had colic.

She may have had a 'fright' `and is keeping her horse in as she feels its the way to keep it safe. She may be worried about turning out with another horse incase it gets a kick / there's an issue etc etc. Keeping her mare in, particularly in frosty days may limit the risk of colic re-curring, just lunging is exercising the horse while keeping it out of harms way etc.

The only reason I suggest this is that when I brought my youngster back from the vet hospital i was terrified of turning him out. Don't get me wrong I did, but it was hard and i worried myself into the grave for months afterwards and in fact its still left a legacy of worry.

But who knows.
But who knows. *shrug*.
 
Very difficult position - yet another reason to hate livery yards, just too depressing seeing how other people treat their horses. The yard one of my friends keeps her horses on has no turnout in the winter and every single one of the horses on there is depressed. I hate going there. Have to say I do think keeping horses in 24/7 is a welfare issue. Part of the Animal Welfare Act stipulates that animals should be allowed to exhibit normal behaviour patterns. That's totally impossible for the stabled horse. For those people who say their horse hates being out in the cold/wet/etc - do they have ad lib hay/haylage in their field? If you turn a horse out in a field with nothing to eat of course they will wait at the gate - their first instinct is to eat... it's a matter of survival. Again for the people who say their horse prefers being stabled - I presume you have no need of a stable door? If they prefer to stay in then you would be able to leave the stable door wide open, or remove it altogether and the horse would stay in.

Unfortunately in this situation I don't think theres much you can do that you haven't tried already. There are so many institutionalised horses, kept stabled up for the vast majority of their lives that it'll take a massive shift in attitudes to improve the life of many of our equines. It boggles the mind really when you think how up in arms people became about zoos in the eighties, which resulted in most zoos shutting down and those that remained having to vastly increase the size of their enclosures - yet so many people see nothing wrong in shutting a horse in a small box hour after hour, day after day. Would anyone lock a dog in a cage not that much bigger than itself for 23 hours a day? I don't think so...
 
My horses are happier in then they are out, they just stand and at the gate waiting to come in, however they only get turned out 3 days a week maximum!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top