I find it strange.

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hackinharry

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That people are so, so worried about turning out their horses in rain, wind, sleet, snow, cold, dark and worry about what rugs and what feed this time of year, and yet think nothing of turning out a horse in nearing 30 degree heat in direct sunshine with NO shelter or shade whatsoever.....hmmm that thought just occured to me!!
 
Umm...if my horse is cold, he is rugged and given access to shelter. If he is hot, he is offered shade and water.

However, I find there is always someone looking to criticise, and I can see why people would come on here for advice and reassurance. Doesn't mean they are clueless or cruel, or like to bake their horses :o
 
hackinharry said:
That people are so, so worried about turning out their horses in rain, wind, sleet, snow, cold, dark and worry about what rugs and what feed this time of year, and yet think nothing of turning out a horse in nearing 30 degree heat in direct sunshine with NO shelter or shade whatsoever.....hmmm that thought just occured to me!!
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I don't personally know anyone who does that.
 
Just a couple of yards I drive past, have tiny little square paddocks, no shade or shelter from the sunshine - I'm not criticising anyone at all, but you never see many questions about the heat - yet sunstoke is potentially alot more serious than a horse getting a bit chilly!!
It's their horse and their business - people think I'm odd at my yard because I turnout every day, but it's just a thought that struck me - or am I not allowed and opinion or a thought on this forum?? - is that just reserved for the elite few??
 
I think you have a point, but to be fair, many livery yards take decision making away from the owners. Small, electric fenced off paddocks for one or two horses often have no shelter from the sun. I used to dread very hot summers as using their stables wasn't any better if they faced the sun and were stifling hot, the horses had no escape from the heat.
In the rain/snow, YO's tended to stop turnout to save the fields. I absolutely hated it. At last, since moving to a new area, I've found livery where they have natural and man made shelter and tend to use it mainly to escape the heat and ignore it in the winter.
 
I think it has a lot to do with how we, as humans, react to the heat and the cold. Most people I know prefer a hot summer day to a cold and wintry one, people tend to assume their horses feel the same way. (Doesn't make it right though).

It got to be -6 Celsius and snowy here last week and I was feeling bad that I don't have a blanket on my horse (she sweats whenever I blanket her). I went online and found a really interesting article that basically said horses are much better equipped to deal with the cold than they are the heat. It said that their "optimal operating temperature" is between -4 and plus 6 Celsius! (Of course I can't find the article now to post a link! - UGH).

Anyway, fwiw.
 
I always prefer mine to go out in winter whatever the weather - even if its only for a couple of hours. If in doubt, chuck him out is my motto!

However, he is in during the day in summer (our stables are cool) and out at night as he doesn't particularly enjoy the heat.

Luckily at our yard, that is an option but as someone else said, if you're on livery you can be restricted by yard rules/practicalities of what you can do.

But broadly I agree with you - lots more posts about cold/inclement weather than the summer. Although there do tend to be lots of posts about flies then, good doers getting porky, sweet itch etc so I guess it swings in roundabouts :-)
 
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