how much turnout do yours get? (also in NL)

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tinap

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Was talking to a girl last week about our ponies & had mentioned something about turnout, to which she screwed her face up & replied that the ponies she competes don't get turned out other than on their day off when they get 1 hour. Is this the norm? Am I turning out ours too much? Would appreciate opinions please!!

Ours is 14hh & is rode 6 days a week (45-60 mins 4/5days a week, then usually once occasionally twice a week either all day at pc, unaffil dressage or BS or trailblazers jumping (between 90cm-1.10m). Competing at a high ish level (ie qualifys for just about every national final but doesn't do much when gets there!!) Turned out every other day for 6 hrs, stabled the rest of the time (tends to get fat & lazy if turned out any longer!!)

Coffee & fruit cake on offer for your opinions!!! xx
 
tinap555 said:
Was talking to a girl last week about our ponies & had mentioned something about turnout, to which she screwed her face up & replied that the ponies she competes don't get turned out other than on their day off when they get 1 hour. Is this the norm? Am I turning out ours too much? Would appreciate opinions please!!

Ours is 14hh & is rode 6 days a week (45-60 mins 4/5days a week, then usually once occasionally twice a week either all day at pc, unaffil dressage or BS or trailblazers jumping (between 90cm-1.10m). Competing at a high ish level (ie qualifys for just about every national final but doesn't do much when gets there!!) Turned out every other day for 6 hrs, stabled the rest of the time (tends to get fat & lazy if turned out any longer!!)

Coffee & fruit cake on offer for your opinions!!! xx
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my horse gets 24 hour turnout when shes competeing in summer
 
Two of mine are out 24/7, but one of them is only 2 years old, and the other is a 15 year old who struggles to keep his weight. My other two (who I compete) are only turned out for a few hours in the afternoon...HOWEVER, this is only because they're in huge fields (mare in a 10 acres field and gelding in 25 acre field) and the grass is so rich. Normally when I have the at home, they're out all day and in at night, and in little fields!
 
In the summer the comp horses are turned out for 5hrs a day and the rest about 20 and in the winter the comp horses get about 1 hour and the rest get about 5
 
If your horse is happy and your getting the results you want than your doing something right. :)

Min is out for 10 hours a day- any less than that and he has too much energy. :p
 
Have four horse, one at present is on box rest, old boy (23) is out 24/7, but has Saturday in to have a rest, 3rd one is out at night and fetched in around 8.30 to stand in for the day, whilst the last one is out in the day and in at night, just really so that my box rest girlie has company 24/7, also it works for my girls, the one that is out at night doesn't eat as much so keeps her weight nice......If I'm competing then they will come in the night before a competition........
 
All of mine are out 24/7 in summer. In winter the ones in work are in 24/7 (only because they hate going out though). 95% of the liveries are out 24/7 in summer too, and around 6-8hrs per day in winter :)

Do what your horse is happy with, that's the key! Don't let others influence you.
 
Mine is out 24/7 during summer and in winter is out about 6hrs a day unless the weather is really bad.
 
Mine all live out 24/7 - although i have a 3yr old, 6week old and a broodmare!! However 3yr old is being broken currently, he will hopefully stay living out as long as possible, i personally think its much better for them to live out. When my broodmare comes back in to work im hoping she will be able to stay living out aswell.
 
Mine are our 24/7 ... My show stopping cob won her affiliated class yesterday and looks like a mud monster today! I am always in fear of her doing injury, scars, etc, BUT she heals quickly and is a healthy, fit mare. I do rug her in the days running up to a big show and have been known to keep in with bandages on particularly vile show eves, but the rest of the time she wallows like the happy pig she is!
 
Both mine are out 24/7 currently, although Mally might stay in the night/day before a comp depending on what time I need to leave.

Henry lives out 24/7 al year round and does very well, despite his first winter out being this year when we had horrific weather! Mally is stabled in the winter, but goes out as much is possible during the day.
 
IMO i dont think you can turnout for to long :) I would *like* mine to be out 24/7 but unfortunatly yard rules and other liveries not wanting there horse out with particular ones means mine has a max turnout if 4hrs per day. And some days not at all. She doesnt mind though as she has plenty of food. Each to there own.
 
Mine lives out 24/7 all summer and has 6-8 hrs in the winter unless it's vile, she loves her time out and I would never dream of restricting it I'm just lucky she can eat what she wants and not put on weight (I wish I was like that lol)
 
All the horses at our yard are out from 5pm to 8am at the moment and from 9am to 3pm in winter, including an eventer who went clear inside the time at Bramham a couple of weeks ago! He's out all night in a 10 acre field with 5 others, he also does 4* comps with no fitness problems.

I don't know why people have the perception that a comp horse shouldn't be out, I think some people want to regulate their diets and others claim it's to prevent injury but I suspect that often it's just for convenience.
 
I would defo find it more convenient to live out!! I found it bizarre that the girls ponies had virtually no turnout - they must be miserable :(
 
j1ffy said:
I don't know why people have the perception that a comp horse shouldn't be out, I think some people want to regulate their diets and others claim it's to prevent injury but I suspect that often it's just for convenience.
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Agree!! Some people, not all obviously..

My eventer is out 24/7/365 and has been since recovering from a suspensory injury 3yrs ago. He is happier, healthier and injures himself much less now!
Yes it is a pain bringing in a wet muddy horse to ride in the winter (and a grey one at that!!) but my horse's happieness and soundness are much more important to me now than having a pristine white horse! He was very prone to injuries (did his SL in the field) and lost shoes when he was stabled/out a few hours a day. I am lucky with the ground where I keep him, as it is very well draining in the winter but I have had to sacrifice having a lovely arena to ride in for that!

I cannot see how anyone can justify turning a horse out for 1 hour a week, how can that be good for the horses legs/muscles/digestive system/mental health.! :confused:
 
in an ideal world I'd have them out during the day, and in at night ...

But where I ride (in moscow), none of the horses go out at all....unless they are walked out in hand. They sometimes get fed fresh cut grass, but I would imagine that many of them have probably never been out in a field. They seem fairly happy, and the yards are always buzzing so there is lots to see, but it really makes me sad.

Oh, and if you could see the amount of oats they get fed whilst being confined, you would be quite scared to get on them, but surprisingly, most of them are very well behaved!
 
I don't care what anyone says, stabling a horse 24/7 is awful and cruel IMO. They are outdoor, herd animals, not hamsters!!

G is turned out 8-6 in the summer and 8-3 in the winter. Merlin is currently out from 3 in the afternoon until 8.30 next morning where he is brought in to rest/sleep/have his dinner.

They need to be able to be horses, stretch their legs, interact with others, eat and BE HAPPY!
 
I have a dressage horse, working at psg/inter 1. currently he's out 24/7 . In winter he goes out in the day when the weather is good. He's been living out since March.
 
Ripley is out all day and in at night (4 yr old learning the ropes and starting a light competition career). Other is out 24/7 while we wait and she if she can come back to showjumping after a fetlock injury. Second mare is a diva and used to demand to come in if it started to rain - now happily lives out and doesn't want to come in!!!And her fetlock has never looked better!
 
You CANNOT turn out too much! That girl is a moron, 1 hour every nown and again is criminal and downright cruel in my opinion. Permanent stabling takes away the horses very nature - its a grazing animal, designed to be out ALL the time, ANY weather.

I compete mine and always keep mine out 24/7 all year round. The only time they ever come in is if I have an event early the next day (unfortunately my current horse is grey, pretty much white so needs a bath the night before). He has just done a CIC* this weekend and was chucked back out in the field as soon as he got off the trailer - that IMO is ideal.

I dont understand this stabling mentality. Everyone is looking for a reason to turn out, when it should be the other way round. And competition horses definately should be out IMO - they keep themselves ticking over fitness and suppleness wise.
 
Mine are both our 24/7 in the Summer, and my 6 year old was out 24/7 in the Winter. My older mare comes in at night in the winter.
 
Mine are out after being ridden around 10am and come in around 6pm. In winter they come in about 3pm. The only time they don't go out is if it's absolutely pouring down as they only stand at the gate to come back in (wimps)
 
Thank you all!! Fingers crossed I can get my boy used to his muzzle & out more pretty soon, I hate him being stabled but he's just like me - piles weight on just looking at something yummy :)
 
novice / intermediate eventer out 24/7 15.2 4 year old out 24/7 and 12.1 nanny out 3 hours with friends then strip grazed for 7 hours before going in the crew yard over night
 
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