How much turnout per day would you be happy with?

the 2 in work would be fine on 3/4 hours per day. The old semi retired one i would want out for at least 6 hours daily to keep him moving.
 
Depends, on the horse's desire, the amount of work, the state of the fields, the weather, the flies, whatever. I like them out, of course, but every horse and his lifestyle is different.
 
Cortez said:
Depends, on the horse's desire, the amount of work, the state of the fields, the weather, the flies, whatever. I like them out, of course, but every horse and his lifestyle is different.
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Agree with Cortez. I moved last winter from a yard that stopped all turnout in winter as even with plenty of exercise I didn't think this was an acceptable way to keep my horses. That said, both my cobs are very happy to come in over winter. They have a roll, a quick hoon around, a bit of a groom and then they hang around the gate. Also depends hugely on the state of the fields. I would always want the option of at least four hours a day, for horses in regular work.
 
Mine gets about 9 hours in winter, basically whilst I'm at work, so she would get put out in the morning by 8am, and would come in anytime between 5 and 5:30pm.
Our fields are up on a hill, so luckily they don't get too wet.
If I moved and turnout was restricted though, I'd want at least 4 hours. I hate the thought of some horses not getting any turnout in winter, it's so unnatural.
 
Crugeran Celt said:
Yes I do, they very rarely come in except when it is very warm mainly to get away from the flies so I usually have more mucking out over the summer months than the winter. I have three minis and three horses, all under 15.2hh, on about 10 acres which in the winter they have access to all of it. There is plenty of natural shelter and a small river for water. In the summer I do restrict their grazing as they are very good doers and don't need so much grass. I only have three stables but the three minis and one of the horses always share the biggest stable. Saying that the other two usually share as well and I have an empty one. I also have a small yard in front of the stables that is partly concrete and partly woodchip which is very dry so always somewhere to get out of the mud. They are a very happy little herd. The only problem is that in the winter they tend to stay in the furthest fields so twice a day I have to hunt for them to check on them, always when it is wet, dark and usually windy! In the nice summer weather they are right next to the house! No consideration my horses.
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Sounds perfect :)
 
Deltic Blue said:
Mine gets about 9 hours in winter, basically whilst I'm at work, so she would get put out in the morning by 8am, and would come in anytime between 5 and 5:30pm.
Our fields are up on a hill, so luckily they don't get too wet.
If I moved and turnout was restricted though, I'd want at least 4 hours. I hate the thought of some horses not getting any turnout in winter, it's so unnatural.
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I don't disagree re turnout being essential. But if you have wet lying, poor draining land, sometimes horses aren't that keen to be out that long, and would prefer to be in with hay more.

My yard offer turnout 8.30am, bring in before gets dark all year round. January and February my horses wanted in by 11am, and were no yard services, so we all swapped round a bit to try and bring in by lunchtime, as were fed up in fields.

Also my older horse lost 7 shoes, January to March in clay!

I've requested to build a small patch of hard standing in my winter field to feed hay on (as only my two in field this year), but I don't think the yard owners are going to give me permission.

Some yard areas are compromises. And if you own horses with medical conditions, not all yard set ups are suitable e.g. my weak SI horse cannot go on steep hill in winter etc. And some people saying you wouldn't own a horse, if couldn't have 8 hours of winter turnout is fine, until you have an older horse, with medical history and limited future home suitability.

Praying for a drier winter and have a slightly better field rotation plan for this year!

I am thinking that formal half day turnout in my winter field earlier might help keep it better for longer too.

I am wondering re evening exercising under lights. My sharers hack mid week about twice a week. I wondering if I pony out hacking one midweek morning, school the other mornings, and then evenings do lunging / polework / ponying both round school / in hand work and walking round the hard standing circle. Evenings are exercise, mornings are work.
 
We have ours at home and have an 20 x 15 all weather turnout pen with shelter. They are in this overnight during winter with adlib haylage (have one with RAD so he's better not being stabled). During the day they are usually out for about 8 hours then they come in the stables to be ridden, fed, then in the t/o pen for the night. If the grounds not great they might just get a few hours out. I think we had collectively over last winter about a weeks worth of individual days where it was really too wet and they had to stay in the pen.
 
we've had 6 hours the last 3 years, given that we are on a well draining slope with plenty of acreage I don't think more would make any difference but thems the rules. I was ok with that when F was in full work and then ridden most nights. Now he is going to be dossing a bit more I have moved him back to Mum's where he can have lots more turnout as I wouldn't be happy with him stood in that long at his age.
 
Mine get about 10/11 hours a day in the winter. I've been on one yard with restricted or no T/O in winter and it didn't work for me or my horse I had at the time,
 
Bertolie said:
Thanks. One yard I'm looking at doesn't offer 24/7 turnout, horses are in at night all year round. During the worst of the winter they get turned out for 2-3 hours a day unless the fields are really wet then they may have to stay in for a day or 2. The area where I live is predominantly clay so not sure I'm going to get much better than this. There are 3 outdoor schools so can always lunge if weather is bad. Just weighing up pros and cons before deciding.
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This is similar to what I have in the winter - my horse is happy and there is an all weather arena so I can always exercise him. TBF all the yards round here are all on clay so the fields are inches deep and my horse just stands by the gate to come in anyway. He goes out from 5/6pm to 9/10am from May to October though.
 
All horses here can be out as long as they want, summer or winter. They are out 24/7 in the summer, but will probably come in late September and be stabled during dark hours over winter. No issue with muddy fields, although we are on clay because we are not overstocked. The only issue can be muddy gates, but that is simply solved by putting up an inner electric fence to keep them away.
 
30 odd years ago I had zero turnout all year round on a show jumping yard in Belgium. All horses were very happy, no ulcers or stable vices but all in hard work, hacked out a lot and a very strict routine. For past 22 years I have kept mine at home and they are out 12 hours a day in winter whatever the weather as I am out at work; 24/7 in summer.

I wouldn't go back to livery where I had less turnout personally.
 
In the winter the pony would have got 9-4 (7hrs) and the horses either 9-4 or else 11-4 (5hrs) if they were ridden in the mornings. They were all more than happy with this.

As the nights get lighter, they get to stay out longer though, and have been out 24/7 since start of June.

In previous years, they were just as happy to come in at night during the summer (coming in about 8pm).

FIona
 
My 2 will probably be in most days 24/7 due to boggy clay ground and only having 3/4 acre. But they hav access to a field shelter and all weather turnout area. They are very happy and content. The field is a work in progress and I'm making a track around it. They also have a small track to go on. ATM they're out 24/7 with access to the field, it depends on the weather and how they seem.
 
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