How long do you stable your horse for?

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Field04

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I have two boxes which I usually keep open for my 2 ponies to come in and out of as they please. However, with this bad weather I am thinking of closing them during the night. The boxes are 3m x 3m each and one is a shetland and the other is about 14.2 hands.

I don't like the idea of them being closed in, but at the same time need to minimilise the field being damaged as I don't have a huge amount of land to use during the winter as most of it is waterlogged. Is it execeptable to stable them from 6pm - 8 am for example.

Thanks
 
My boy is currently in overnight 4pm until 8am, he sometimes comes in earlier if the weather is bad and he's stood sulking at the gate.

With plenty of hay/haylage overnight to keep them occupied I'm sure they'll be ok.
 
Mine go out two to three hours this time of year .
Ones not in work he gets a bit longer on a nice day.
However they are all hunting and the not in work one starts next week .
I don't mind they will cope with box rest if bad things ever happen to them more easily if they have times in the year where they are stabled more.
I would however never do this with Youngstock or horses not in work like retired horses.
 
Our boy comes in just before dark and goes out as soon as its light in the morning. He's very fond of his dinner so is very keen to come in. All horses are out every day no matter what the weather and in at night, which means the fields don't get trashed.
 
Most days Elvis is in from 4pm until 8.30am. On bad days he may come in at 2pm, sometimes earlier as he'll just stand there looking miserable. On truly awful days he might not go out at all. (By truly awful I mean extreme winds and non stop torrential rain)
 
Oh Gosh, my woose stands at the gate after a few hours if the weather is bad! I enforce a no bringing in too early rule, we aim at 6 hours, and it is only shorter if it is absolutely foul. But, he is in pretty consistent work as well, woring at least 4 days a week, and I think that keeps him better occupied.
 
My 15hh Welsh is stabled at night all year round as a prevention measure for laminitis. In winter he is stabled from 4.00pm to 5.30am (13.5 hours) and in the summer he will be stabled from 6.00pm to 5.30am (11.5 hours).
Whilst the amount of hours seems a lot, it is better than laminitis - in my opinion. And besides that, his field is a marsh currently so at least his feet can dry off each night.
 
Most horses which "work" (i.e. are ridden regularly), spend at least some time in a stable. It would be pretty much the norm for horses to be in over night in winter, so I wouldn't worry too much about yours as long as they get sufficient exercise and arn't overfed.
 
The weather here is pretty foul so they all in overnight, they generally come in about 3.30pm and go out at 7.30am. They all love being in at the moment, but when this awful weather clears they will go back to in at lunch time and out at 8pm.
 
In this weather ours are not even getting out every day. When it's not too bad they will be out 9am - 3pm ish at this time of year, on really bad days they stay in but do go on the horse walker.

This is a competition yard set up though, and most of the horses are worked every day or near enough.!
 
Mine are worked for up to three hours every day from the field they hate stables and wouldn't thank you for one so I personally would leave it so they could come an go as they please
 
I've moved my mare to livery 5 weeks ago and so she went from out 24x7 to in 6pm to 6am and she is loving it and gone from stressy to relaxed both to handle and ride. She also has more oomph ridden which is a nice side bonus.
 
My lad is out at 6am and brought in between 4.30pm to 5.30 depending on weather. He is ridden in the evening and then checked again about 8pm. Would love to check him later but I can't stay awake!!! He is out in nearly all weather's. Only in if belting it down and windy. He can cope with rain or wind, just not both!! Out 24/7 as soon as weather allows.
 
At this time of year, P goes out about 6.30-7am & comes in about 4.30pm. He'll either come I early or stay in if very wet/very bad weather.

I'm sure yours will be fine stabled overnight, with enough forage - it's sensible to try & preserve your fields :)
 
Mines are in 24/7 at the moment with the weather being so bad, there field isn't the greatest and they seem happy staying in at the moment but normally in the winter they are only out upto 4 hours a day.

I just wish i had my field from home up at the yard i'm at(livery them at winter) its great well drained and my retired horse and pony live out all the time with a field shelter and its holding up great, so if i had that option at the yard they would be out for longer but still brought in around 4ish for the night!
 
At the moment he's out from 7:30/8am until about 3pm and then gets exercised for about an hour at around 7pm.

He's stabled longer than I'd like but he is more than happy to come in at the moment with the crappy weather.

I can tolerate it though because he'll live out from March/April to December who out 24/7 most of the year!
 
I am sure they will be fine - you sound like you are still offering plenty of hours out.

Because of the wet, ours are going out at approx 8am then come in around 2pm. If the weather is settled and dry they may come in a little later. They are both hunting twice a week and excercised daily, so seem to be quite happy.

Roll on spring!
 
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My own go out at nine and in at twelve. They are worked in the afternoon. The liveries vary depending on how long they will tolerate but at the moment they are out for about five hours. In the summer they are out all day.
They are all happy and look fab.
 
Fit the last few months mines been stabled about 23 hours per day poor thibg but now managed to move yards which do as much turnout as possible woooooo :D!!!! He's in overnight but will try and get him out all day tomorrow :D
 
It's interesting. Where I am, in winter, they get generally 8am-3pm turn-out. Some are gagging to get out there and are b////rs to catch because they are happy in rain and mud, and don't want to do any work. Others have an hour or so and are hanging round the gate, just can't wait to get back into that nice warm stable.
 
In the summer Ben comes in at about 8am and is turned out about 5pm, so he is in for 9 hrs, in the winter he comes in at about 5pm and is turned out about 8 am so is in for 15 hrs, he has the biggest mountain of hay and fresh straw which he moves onto if/when his hay is eaten, breakfast and dinner and is happy as anything, every night he is standing at the gate waiting to come in! However, I will say I've never known a horse so in love with his stable as him!
 
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