How long do you turn away your youngsters for?

[MileAMinute]

Just asking as when in conversation with a friend, she is just finishing turning away her rising 4yo mare and is bringing her back into work next week. In total she had 6 weeks off.

My rising 4 yo has been 'turned away' since the end of August, and will remain so until the new year.
I quote it as he does go for inhand walks and partakes in groundwork but this is to work on his manners as he learnt very little with his old owners. So I guess it's mainly being turned away from ridden work, but I feel that's the priority for him.

So, how long do you guys turn away for? And do you literally throw them in a field and leave them or do you still do stuff with them?

 

[Boxers]

Last winter when Jay was 3 he was turned away from end October until end Feb. he was in a huge field with 3 others and I didn't do anything wth him at all apart from visit him to check him over every few days (the other horses owners went on the other days, so all were seen every day by someone).

This year he has gone away again and as before I am doing nothing with him til end Feb.

I think as babies it's good for them to just relax totally and just stuff their faces, grow and mature. There is Plenty of time ahead of them to work and learn.

 

[Spring Feather]

I don't turn away. It's always seemed rather pointless to me because of the way I train mine. I take my time with my youngsters and I don't rush them the way many do. I don't fry their brains so they don't need turning away. If I were doing rush jobs in the space of 6 or 12 weeks then maybe I would see the merits in turning away, but I don't so I don't.

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

I don't turn away. It's always seemed rather pointless to me because of the way I train mine. I take my time with my youngsters and I don't rush them the way many do. I don't fry their brains so they don't need turning away. If I were doing rush jobs in the space of 6 or 12 weeks then maybe I would see the merits in turning away, but I don't so I don't.

This is the same for me. I have always done things so slowly and gently that I have never turned away, although I have had a massive break since breaking in the last horse, until Nell now!
Each to their own really but I have never done it...