How important is routine to horses?

Well aren't you a charmer...

Just because you are on a crap yard surrounded by crap liveries do not tarnish us all with the same brush.
 
I am at uni, therefore lectures are at different times every day, so when I get a chance to be there and ride and groom etc varies, however YO does feeds and bringing in/out so that stays consistent mon-fri.

I would not want him to have a strict routine, as it is inevitable that this cannot be stuck to. In two months he has already has 2 stints of having to be on field rest and it hasnt stressed him out in the slightest, whereas if he had been dependant on a strict routine I am sure it would have.

I do have a routine in that if I bring him in from the field to be ridden, everything will happen in the same order...bring in, groom, tack up, ride, food, back out. However when this happens can vary.

I just try to keep a bit of a happy medium :)
 
I own and run a yard... JFTD, you are welcome to come and live with me any time :D
I have a routine, maybe, sort of as in things are done in certain order, but that's about it.
Winter out of necessity brings more organised way of doing things, simply because I have plenty to do and few hours of daylight to do it in, but the horses need to fit around lambing, calving and the fact that I do need SOME sleep.
I have to say none of the horses get stressed at all, yeah, some are less patient then others, but they just have to get over themselves, frankly :D
 
Mine aren't in a strict routine and never have been, they dont seem to care. I dont think it matters unless they're stabled. Mine live out so all I do in the morning and at night is move them about about into different paddocks, give them feed and hay. Riding-wise, weekdays I ride after work but weekends I ride whenever (ie. I dont ride at the same time every day).
 
I have just read the "debate" occuring on here...oh wow!

My horse is DIY at the weekends and I currently only go and see him once a day. He is currently out 24/7, and he does not care in the slightest. If I cannot make it up there due to work/uni commitments, then so be it, he still does not care. My education and working so I can afford him are more important than going to see him twice a day just so I look like a perfect owner...he always has food, water, is checked over, has appropriate rugs on etc, and he is an incredibly happy boy!

I think to assume that anyone who goes to see their horse after 10am is awful is incredibly narrow minded. I have to travel for about half an hour to get to my yard, I also work weekends, and have to find time to study. If I cannot make it to the yard until 4pm, then so be it. As long as I am there. I have people who will check on him and if he needs bringing in then this can be done, same goes for feeding as all horses are fed together.

Everyones situations are different, but one thing that stays the same is that we all do as much as we can to have a happy healthy pony, and that is surely all that matters!
 
Wowsa this thread has really taken off!! I do like a good debate. Well done to those who do not keep a routine, others may see it as miracle they have survived especially if they are not seen to before 10am, have you not heard that this causes horses to end up sitting in the corner front hooves clutching the sides of their heads rocking back and forth muttering to themselves?? SHAME ON YOU
:D
 
claudiacox14 said:
Everyones situations are different, but one thing that stays the same is that we all do as much as we can to have a happy healthy pony, and that is surely all that matters!
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You are mistaken, it is what everyone else thinks that is FAR more important. To be seen on the yard first is to be the one with the most respect, knowledge and best cared for animal-FACT

(tee hee hee!)
 
fatpiggy said:
Actually, if you read my original post properly, I said that my horse likes routine, and if she that is what suites her, then so be it. It was ME that was then insulted by being told that because I put my horse's needs before my own, I am treating her like a baby. As it happens that is doubly insulting to me as I can't have children, not that that is anyone's business but mine. My horse is an animal and treated appropriately, but with care and consideration because she still has feelings, animal or otherwise. It isn't me that puts glittery hoof oil on an animal, it isn't me that dresses her entirely in pink like a Barbie doll, or a rug which makes them look like a giraffe,it isn't me that sticks tinsel up around the stable door at Christmas so that she can "enjoy" a fake human festival but it is my horse that is the ONLY one on the yard to be seen anyone at all twice a day and I think that is very sad. Sad for the animals who don't know whether they are coming or going, whether they will get a feed that day, whether they will get some fly protection etc etc, and sad for the morons who take on the huge responsibility of having an animal and then pick and choose which bit of that responsibility suits them and ignoring the rest. How many posts are there here every week about people not turning up at all to attend to their animals and another livery having to give them hay and water? What about all the complaining posts about lack of hoofcare of some horses that people have seen and who should they report it to? Its no different, just more or less of the same thing. If you want to turn up at midday at weekends to feed and turn your horse out, that's your choice, but I certainly wouldn't be asking you to care for my horse in my absence, that's for sure.
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1. You said that because it's not acceptable to make a baby wait for it's food it's not acceptable to make a horse wait - that is tosh and, as it has been pointed out, the 2 can not be compared.

2. I hardly think 9am is midday.

3. Who has said they dress their horses up and put on glittery polish etc?

4. Why, just because someone does not always go at exactly the same time EVERY DAY to see to their horse does it mean that it must be neglected?

5. I'm very sorry for you personal situation but we can't exactly be accused of insulting you when we don't know about it can we? And as you say that's your business not ours anyway.

6. I wouldn't offer to care for your horse, she sounds bloody high maintenance! And by the same token I would not allow you within a mile of mine.
 
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mcrobbiena said:
Wowsa this thread has really taken off!! I do like a good debate. Well done to those who do not keep a routine, others may see it as miracle they have survived especially if they are not seen to before 10am, have you not heard that this causes horses to end up sitting in the corner front hooves clutching the sides of their heads rocking back and forth muttering to themselves?? SHAME ON YOU
:D
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:o;):D:p
 
mcrobbiena said:
You are mistaken, it is what everyone else thinks that is FAR more important. To be seen on the yard first is to be the one with the most respect, knowledge and best cared for animal-FACT

(tee hee hee!)
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Only if you watch til someone else turns up then rush to get your horse in the school and make it look like you've been at it ages & therefore must be very dedicated and knowledgable and fabulous! :D
 
It is not only horses that benefit from routine, liveries do too. All mine are on part livery and I always inform my liveries of feed times, turnout and bring in times as they find this invaluable to plan their day around. I ended up changing the evening feed to 9.30 pm so that no horses had their feed times disrupted due to owners needing to ride.

I agree that when horses are out 24/7 then routine is less important. However, I do think that feed times shouldremain pretty constant not only because horses like things to be predictable, but for health reasons too. Evenly spaced out hard feed is important IMO.

In terms of turning out and bringing in, I think horses do stress if they are left in whilst others go out or if they are late going out one day for whatever reason. However, they always seem very happy to change their routine and come in early if need be but absolutely HATE it if they come in late.
 
claudiacox14 said:
My horse is DIY at the weekends and I currently only go and see him once a day. He is currently out 24/7, and he does not care in the slightest. If I cannot make it up there due to work/uni commitments, then so be it, he still does not care.
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Presumably, though, he is looked at at least twice a day - because others check him in your absence??


I have to travel for about half an hour to get to my yard, I also work weekends, and have to find time to study.
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Most of us on here work full time in one way or another (i.e our work / family / life commitments mean that our horses etc. fit in around our other occupations). This should never be used as an excuse for "I'll get round to doing the horse when I can".

I think to assume that anyone who goes to see their horse after 10am is awful is incredibly narrow minded.
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But your horse is not standing in a stable - he's out in the field. So as long as he's checked am and pm the timing really doesn't matter. As for narrow mindedness - I think you may have missed the point of what I was trying to say in terms of routine and obligations to our animals.

Everyones situations are different, but one thing that stays the same is that we all do as much as we can to have a happy healthy pony, and that is surely all that matters!
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Absolutely!
 
Pearlsasinger said:
I couldn't have put it better myself!

Our horses live at home and their routine is that they hear the sounds of us getting up etc and then go out, in winter. They hear us come home from work and then come in for their tea etc. It really doesn't matter what time any of these things happen, so long as they happen in the right order.

I really cannot abide the dogmatic way in which some people insist that their way is the only right way.
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This ^^^

My horses are done in the same way every day but not necessarily at exactly the same time every day. The moment my front door opens everything swings into action, the same as it did the day before and the same as it will the following day. Most of mine live out 24/7 and any who are stabled have auto-water and enough hay to last them oh probably for 3 days! The stabled ones don't stress if their feed arrives an hour early or an hour late. Things change on my stud farm as we have to deal with foalings, breedings, competitions etc and not all of those things happen within the parameters of the regular routine of the day. If a mare decides to foal at feed time then that takes precedence over everything. If the mare and foal have to stay stabled for a few days afterwards then this is out of her normal "routine" but it's not a big deal for her or us. People do what they do and for the vast majority of horses they handle it well.

I'd like to ask what problems horses who live on a very strict routine have when the clocks change? If they can't handle their owners being 2 minutes late for feeding how on earth do they handle being fed an hour out of sync?

Good thread which made me laugh a lot particularly the poster who mentioned the headcollar antics :D Geez if only I had time!
 
Wagtail said:
It is not only horses that benefit from routine, liveries do too. All mine are on part livery and I always inform my liveries of feed times, turnout and bring in times as they find this invaluable to plan their day around. I ended up changing the evening feed to 9.30 pm so that no horses had their feed times disrupted due to owners needing to ride.

I agree that when horses are out 24/7 then routine is less important. However, I do think that feed times shouldremain pretty constant not only because horses like things to be predictable, but for health reasons too. Evenly spaced out hard feed is important IMO.

In terms of turning out and bringing in, I think horses do stress if they are left in whilst others go out or if they are late going out one day for whatever reason. However, they always seem very happy to change their routine and come in early if need be but absolutely HATE it if they come in late.
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Horses for courses I think (pardon the pun!).

What works for 1 doesn't work for them all and as I said in my original post I think it's an interesting question.

Not keen on being accused of being lazy and neglecting my horse tho just because my 'routine' differs from some elses! ;) Just because it's different doesn't mean it's wrong does it?! :)
 
Wow, took me a long time to read through all the replys. :p

IMO, if you want to put your Horses in a strict routine then you are asking for trouble. My Horse is not in a routine, she goes out from 6-7 am and comes in between 6-8pm. I have yet to see her waiting at the gate for me or kicking down the stable door. On weekends I do have a lay in, not because I am lazy, but because I work bloody hard all week and I deserve to have a lay in atleast once a week. She will get more hay on the friday evening to last her extra and then I will be up between 9-10 am. She really isn't bothered and I doubt she is standing there thinking if she's going to get fed/turnout/ridden. She has hay water and company which keeps her happy. I hardly think this is neglecting her :rolleyes: If you want to do your Horse early then that is completly and utterly up to you,which I respect. However calling us lazy and implying that we do not care about our Horses is completly out of order.

I would also never put her in a strict routine as you can never predict the future. For example: on Friday I will be bringing her in at 12.30 were she will then be sedated and injected with steriods. She will then go into her stable and sleep it off. I know she will be absolutly calm because she is used to coming in at different times. Wereas a Horse that "needs" routine will be completly stressed in this situation. I can also bring her in at any time for farrier/dentist/pysio etc and she will remain calm.

I couldn't have an animal that dictated my life. At the end of the day, yes my Horse is a huge responsibility but she has to fit in around my life.
 
I couldn't have an animal that dictated my life. At the end of the day, yes my Horse is a huge responsibility but she has to fit in around my life.
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You see, I don't think you can have that philosophy when you own an animal - especially one as time consuming as a horse.............

It certainly is interesting the amount of differing views that this post has prompted.
 
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Agree with you AmyMay, she does take up a lot of my time. But I would still not get up at the crack of dawn because she could be kicking the door. She gets fed/turnout when I get up there, simple as. I certainly wouldn't lay in til gone mid day. But I do like a lay in once a week. But she doesn't go without and hasn't yet called/kicked door/collicked because I've been 1 or 2 hours late (Touches wood :p)

It is very interesting, but if we were all the same, the world be be a boring place!
 
amymay said:
You see, I don't think you can have that philosophy when you own an animal - especially one as time consuming as a horse.............

It certainly is interesting the amount of differing views that this post has prompted.
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I know exactly where you're coming from AmyMay tho we have different views on this particular subject and to a certain extent I think you're right but in general I have to admit I feel the same as LaurenBay.

I could not stand it if my whole life had to revolve around a horse for fear of it being upset or stressed - they are a huge commitment as we're all aware and I sacrifice a lot including holidays, new clothes, new cars and even seeing my only child grow up to a certain extent. I know I am not alone, most people make huge sacrifices for their passion for horses.

I'm willing to do all of this because I love my horse and wouldnt be without him and want to give him the best life I can BUT I will not allow him to dictate every waking second of my life. It doesn't mean he's neglected in any way shape or form.

I love the fact that he's so easy going and in all honesty I couldn't cope with something stressy or uptight and I doubt I'd find much fun in horse ownership at all if that was the case.

Personally, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a horse to wait in the stable or field for a couple of hours extra (as long as we're not talking being left in all day etc) as long as they have adequate food, water, company and protection from the elements if necessary.
 
LaurenBay said:
Agree with you AmyMay, she does take up a lot of my time. But I would still not get up at the crack of dawn because she could be kicking the door. She gets fed/turnout when I get up there, simple as. I certainly wouldn't lay in til gone mid day. But I do like a lay in once a week. But she doesn't go without and hasn't yet called/kicked door/collicked because I've been 1 or 2 hours late (Touches wood :p)

It is very interesting, but if we were all the same, the world be be a boring place!
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Yes, I think essentially we're comming from the same place - but whereas I start getting twitchy at 4.30 in the afternoon about getting the horse in (winter, not summer obvo), and potentially being late, you would be more relaxed about it. Which is a much more stress free way to live :D
 
Sarah1 said:
I know exactly where you're coming from AmyMay tho we have different views on this particular subject and to a certain extent I think you're right but in general I have to admit I feel the same as LaurenBay.

I could not stand it if my whole life had to revolve around a horse for fear of it being upset or stressed - they are a huge commitment as we're all aware and I sacrifice a lot including holidays, new clothes, new cars and even seeing my only child grow up to a certain extent. I know I am not alone, most people make huge sacrifices for their passion for horses.

I'm willing to do all of this because I love my horse and wouldnt be without him and want to give him the best life I can BUT I will not allow him to dictate every waking second of my life. It doesn't mean he's neglected in any way shape or form.

I love the fact that he's so easy going and in all honesty I couldn't cope with something stressy or uptight and I doubt I'd find much fun in horse ownership at all if that was the case.

Personally, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a horse to wait in the stable or field for a couple of hours extra (as long as we're not talking being left in all day etc) as long as they have adequate food, water, company and protection from the elements if necessary.
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And I think all of the above is entirely reasonable. Maybe I need to take a chill pill :confused::p:D:D
 
I think its very important when bringing a youngster on as horses learn by repetition. ie tie up pick feet up front first, then hinds etc etc I know mine knows the drill!


However with the old boy I can get into the same old routine to fit in with my work but sometimes I do change it deliberately ie when he is expecting to get me to move the electric fence for another few inches of grass I dont like the expectation or assumption as he will pace up and down(so I dont like this behaviour although completely my fault). Also with hacking I tried to go a varied route especially if it meant coming back past a spot on a hack where he may have played up going the other way! It did help.

They should do what you want and not vice versa anyway with or without a routine. At the end of the day as long as they are happy to come to you and it works well for an easy life.
 
I would not want to train a young horse to pick up feet in a certain order. My 4 month old foal will pick up any foot I ask her to, wether I start from a back one or a front one left or right. She does try to predict where i will go next though bless her! But what if they had a leg stuck in a fence? You have to pick up all her other feet until you get round to it?!
 
indie999 said:
I think its very important when bringing a youngster on as horses learn by repetition. ie tie up pick feet up front first, then hinds etc etc I know mine knows the drill!
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Completely disagree with the theory behind this - I expect all mine (inc yearling) to respond to the same question in the same way regardless of the situation - i.e. I can equally catch him, tie him up, pick up fronts then back or I can walk up to him in the field and ask him to pick up a hind - and he will do it without fuss. He understands the question - i.e. please pick up this leg - rather than knowing that after doing x, y and z I want his foot. This is extremely useful if you need to deviate from your usual routine for any reason (e.g. in an emergency).
 
fatpiggy said:
Actually, if you read my original post properly, I said that my horse likes routine, and if she that is what suites her, then so be it. It was ME that was then insulted by being told that because I put my horse's needs before my own, I am treating her like a baby. As it happens that is doubly insulting to me as I can't have children, not that that is anyone's business but mine. My horse is an animal and treated appropriately, but with care and consideration because she still has feelings, animal or otherwise. It isn't me that puts glittery hoof oil on an animal, it isn't me that dresses her entirely in pink like a Barbie doll, or a rug which makes them look like a giraffe,it isn't me that sticks tinsel up around the stable door at Christmas so that she can "enjoy" a fake human festival but it is my horse that is the ONLY one on the yard to be seen anyone at all twice a day and I think that is very sad. Sad for the animals who don't know whether they are coming or going, whether they will get a feed that day, whether they will get some fly protection etc etc, and sad for the morons who take on the huge responsibility of having an animal and then pick and choose which bit of that responsibility suits them and ignoring the rest. How many posts are there here every week about people not turning up at all to attend to their animals and another livery having to give them hay and water? What about all the complaining posts about lack of hoofcare of some horses that people have seen and who should they report it to? Its no different, just more or less of the same thing. If you want to turn up at midday at weekends to feed and turn your horse out, that's your choice, but I certainly wouldn't be asking you to care for my horse in my absence, that's for sure.
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It's very difficult to debate with people who have difficulty grasping basic concepts, but...

I think you will find that I did not suggest you treat your horse like a baby - I stated that there were flaws in the logic behind your statement that you don't understand why there are double standards for humans and horses. I have no idea how you treat your horse and I couldn't really care less.

I also don't think it is relevant for you to proclaim that you can't have children. You're not alone in that by a long shot - we were in no position to know that about you, as you are not in a position to know the situation of other posters. Whilst you have my sympathy on some levels, I can't stand people who believe others should walk on egg shells around them because of things in their private lives which are bugger all to do with the rest of us.

Your ramblings about treating ponies like barbie dolls are also largely irrelevant. It's not a crime and it's not significant in answering the question at hand.

Furthermore, you leap from a routine deviation of a couple of hours to "coming up at midday" or even leaving horses for days on end without care or appropriate treatment. That's not logical. I could lower myself to your level and proclaim that I pity your horse for only being seen to twice a day. I am not alone in preferring to check mine more regularly than that, but actually I wouldn't criticise people for being up less frequently as I'm not convinced it's essential - it's just how I choose to keep my animals.

You also bypass all the important questions I (and others) raised - most significantly, is not deviating from the morning turnout time more important than ensuring the overall time spent in the stable / unattended is unchanged or indeed kept to a minimum?

Whilst Amymay's views differ from my own on this matter, I find her contributions to this thread interesting as they outline her beliefs and understanding of the relevant issues without condemning others who have opposing views or judging situations which she doesn't have the relevant information to judge. My point in saying that is simply that I am not getting at you because you believe routine is important - I'm trying to make you understand that you are looking at the world with blinkers on.
 
Amymay - Chill pill adviseable! YM lives on site and can see him from near enough every room in the house, fields are all located so all horses can be seen clearly the second you enter the yard and there are 10 other horses in his field, so effectivly he is probably being checked on way too many times throughout the day!
Have to agree with the other poster who said that horse has to fit in with my life, I do not revolve my life around my horse. Horses are a huge responsibility but should also be fun, and tbh my idea of fun is not getting itchy as soon as the clock hits a certain hour because I need to be at the yard asap. I am not making excuses for anything, he is just as well looked after as any other horse, it just so happens that my lifestyle means a dead set routine is not possible, so he fits in with that very happily :)
 
JFTD, why do you keep thinking I am aiming my replies at you personally? You attacked me for babying my horse (in your opinion) from the outset despite the fact that my original message was to the OP who was asking a perfectly valid question. I can't see anything in that message that was rude, argumentative or slagging any one off - it was actually written quite tongue in cheek hence my final comment that my horse has other habits and routines entirely of her own. Then you take pot shots at me and wonder why I got rather mad. I would entirely agree that a horse that is out 24/7 is far less in need of routine- they can feed and water themselves at their leisure. I am talking about stabled horses who having eaten everything and pooed in their water (or whatever), are entirely at the mercy of their minder, and hence shouldn't be left unchecked for excessively long periods eg. not coming up until lunchtime when the horse went into its stable at 5pm the night before. I have no choice but to feed my horse at the same times every day because she has to have medication in it which MUST be given at similar times and intervals to be effective. So she doesn't dictate to me, the veterinary profession does, but because it is my responsibility to care for her the best I can, I have to abide by it or live with the consequences. I have spent my entire horsey life watching SOME other people treating their horse not much better than a piece of rubbish and ok, that has probably made me rather touchy about standards of horsecare because I can't stand cruelty and neglect (like many other posters on here) but I won't apologise for caring. I am quite happy to accept that many people might think I do too much for my horse but again, that is their opinion and my choice. As long as horses or any other pet for that matter are happy and healthy there are lots of ways of getting to the same destination. What really gets my goat is people like the woman who has 3 with mine - until someone called the welfare recently, she was quite happy to leave them completely unattended for days at a time with 6 months hoof growth meaning a 9 year old pony could barely walk. On the occasion that she suddenly thinks they might get laminitis she shuts them up in their stables for 2 or 3 weeks at a time, with no exercise at all and doesn't change the water for several days at a time. Or the chap who left a fully clipped horse out in a November night time storm with no rug and no shelter because he couldn't be bothered. He couldn't be bothered to have the farrier much either and left the shoes on for 20+ weeks at a time. As I said before, my horse is the only one of 16 to be seen and checked over twice a day. In no way is that boasting because I firmly believe that twice a day is the minimum. I think it is sad that others think otherwise. I just can't understand why people who only live a few minutes away can't just come and cast an eye over what is, lets face it, an expensive purchase if nothing else.
 
Last time before I bash my head of a brick wall...

I responded to a post in which you quoted something I had said - it's fair to assume that it was aimed at me since you quoted me, and since myself and Sarah1 were the main posters at that point saying that routine isn't the be all and end all of horsecare. Your original post may have been aimed at the OP, but on an open forum, we're all welcome to jump in and disagree with whoever we please. I'm not taking pot shots at you, but I am criticising some the more sweeping, generalising statements you have made. There is a subtle difference there.

Furthermore, whilst I stated that my horses live out 24/7 now, I also mentioned that on previous yards I had kept a similar lack of routine (or rather, not stuck to specific feed times etc) whilst they were stabled. But that's irrelevant - my point is that I don't believe routine in the sense that it has been interpreted previously in this thread (i.e. rigid feeding / turnout / bring in times etc) is important...

With respect, the cases you describe are not a lack of routine, or adherence to a flexible routine (as myself and other posters have described) but are cases of neglect. Nobody on here is saying it's ok to leave a horse without farriery for 6 months - we're saying it's ok to feed it an hour or two later on the weekend, assuming you've given it a bit extra hay so it's not starving. Nobody is accusing you of caring too much, but in your previous post you stated that your mare (not her medication) dictates her routine or she reacts negatively. If you're happy with that, it's fine, but I personally wouldn't allow my life to be dictated by a horse who gets in a strop if I'm half an hour late. Not that it's a problem I've ever had. But this is again, irrelevant to the OP, other than to illustrate that different horses and different management regimes will mean that routine is more important to some horses than others.

It's all very well to believe that routine is important, but to rationalise that statement with hyperbole about neglected animals as the alternative isn't constructive - and THAT is the side of your posts that I disagree with - if you see the distinction?
 
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