charli_
Well-Known Member
If both the horse and you are happy, do it!
I like to stable at night...is that wrong???
- Thread starter lunarlove
- Start date
HashRouge
Well-Known Member
We have an Arab mare and a Welsh D gelding who currently go out every day at about 9am and come in at 5-6pm. I know this is the time of year when most people enjoy turning their horses out 24/7, but this pair can't live out in the spring (much as we'd like them to) as they are big lami risks (especially the mare). We have tried various ways of managing them but the best way seems to be to limit their hours out during the spring when the grass is at its richest. I'd rather not have to do the extra mucking out (I'm also a groom so mucking out is part of my job) but I'll admit that I do quite enjoy tucking them up for the night with their dinner. They both seem quite happy to stay in at night and I honestly don't think it does them any harm so long as they get regular turn out. Obviously 24/7 turnout is the ideal but I don't think keeping horses in at night has a negative impact on them.
Echo Bravo
Well-Known Member
If your horse is happy with his routine, does it really matter what other people think.
MagicMelon
Well-Known Member
Thing is, the fact that it IS proven healthier for the horse by way of mentally and physically, I dont really see how you can be "sick of this opinion"?! I find it surprising that nothing would keep your horse in... how about a high fence! Stallions often go out in highly fenced (like deer height) paddock so why can't you do this for your horse? The cost of the fence would probably work out cheaper than bedding for the year!
Whilst of course there might be the odd horse who had to come in for veterinary reasons but for those who say their horse hates being out... well I think the vast majority of those are wrong. One of my horses was basically kept stabled permanently in his last home, so when I got him as soon as he went out, he would gallop about flat out and jump fences. I started putting him out for 20 mins a day in a small 6ft high pen then spent the next 6 months increasing his time out and making the pen bigger until he was then out 24/7 in a big field no problem and he is so much calmer and happier as a result. If you put the effort in, ANY horse IMO can live out and be happier for it but like any change in routine, it must be done slowly. Too many people seem to chuck a horse straight out (when its used to being in where it has its hay and feed) and then wondering why it stands around the gate... its not the stable it wants, its its food probably!
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PolarSkye
Well-Known Member
conniegirl
Well-Known Member
MM my lad has spent the last 4 yrs living out 24/7 I bought him and started bringing him in at night. He does not get fed as he is a fatty but now come 5pm he is a sweaty mess wanting to come in!
He likes his stable and is perfectly content in there!
He likes his stable and is perfectly content in there!
AdorableAlice
Well-Known Member
Totally agree. My horse is 21 and retired after a very full on competitive life. He has been stabled far longer than he has been turned out. He is a horse of habit and routine.
Injured in 2011 he spent a year on barn rest, he is now retired in his own paddocks with a large airy field shelter, half of which is deep shavings and the other half deep straw. His hay is adlib and in nets in the shelter. He puts himself to bed around 7pm at the moment and goes out again around 6am. In deepest winter he goes to bed as it gets dark. In the height of summer he goes to bed all day and I know if it is about to rain because he puts himself to bed a few moments before the rain starts !
It is very much a case of what suits your horse when making decisions on how to keep him. My lad will happily come into the yard at night and be shut in but if I shut the field shelter gates all hell lets loose, yet with the gates open he stays inside all night.
MagicMelon
Well-Known Member
He must get fed if he's brought in at night as in hay? If he's a fatty then I assume he's probably on limited grass when he's out so he'll be quite hungry and knowing he'll get hay in the stable will likely be a huge factor...??
micramadam
Well-Known Member
All of ours come in every night. They are not allowed to be out 24/7. Not enough land or grass but at least they are out. They like the routine and pace the fence waiting when they think its time to come in. They are out in the summer for at least 12 - 15 hrs a day.
We're lucky in that they also get winter turnout, at least 5/6 hours a day. That is very unusual round here as land as at a premium. This has been the routine for them since we bought them or they were born and they seem very content with it.
We're lucky in that they also get winter turnout, at least 5/6 hours a day. That is very unusual round here as land as at a premium. This has been the routine for them since we bought them or they were born and they seem very content with it.
Caol Ila
Well-Known Member
I think my horse would be quite happy if she had a set-up like AdorableAlice's horse, a field with a shelter she could go in and out of as she pleased. The reality of it is that finding a livery yard that provides individual field shelters, as well as meets our shopping list of other requirements, is impossible.
conniegirl
Well-Known Member
He is a fatty but not a lami risk so is actually on fairly decent plentiful grazing, of course he gets hay in the stable but not a massive amount because he doesn't eat it and if he is given much he pulls it out and poos in it. He never comes in and heads for the hay, he normaly comes in, goes to the back of the stable and snoozes.
He doesn't get hard feed as he is not doing enough work to warent it and I don't want him feeling too good whilst breaking him
WandaMare
Well-Known Member
One of my horsey neighbours told me my horses were 'agrophobic' and 'shut-down' because they like coming in at night. And there was me thinking I was doing OK with them...
Honey08
Waffled a lot!
I agree with this.
I don't think there is anything wrong with horses coming in at night, as mentioned in the earlier comment mine do (or during the day) due to flies and fat issues. They do indeed wait at the gate a bit worried if they aren't brought in on time, but that's because they have been conditioned to do so. Despite my two coming in, I accept that it is more natural and relaxing for a horse to live out if its possible. That doesn't make it evil to bring a horse in. I don't know why people are getting so defensive because someone pointed it out. Generally speaking, most horses that stress when left out have been trained to do so over the years by how they've been kept. My two are kept on a hardstanding in winter with lots of shelter, on the days they go out they are total wusses if the weather turns bad. They didn't used to be several years ago when they were out more, they've become wusses, but have had to be because of them getting mudrash. If we were to move to another area that wasn't so boggy and didn't have so many flies and midges I would start to train them to live out again.
lunarlove
Well-Known Member
Interesting reading, thanks guys, my boss sent me a pic of my boy and his boy both led out snoozing in their big straw beds last night when he did evening checks, made me feel very content
conniegirl
Well-Known Member
hmm so in 4 weeks of bringing him in at night i've undone 4 years of him living out obviously!
The horse had never been in a stable untill I bought him and you know what yesterday when I left work a bit late and hence got to the yard about an hour later than I normaly do I was informed that he had jumped the fence and galloped into the yard and into his stable (causing general chaos on the yard!).
all horses out, stable not mucked out, no hay in stable nothing but he was quite content in there! obviously me owning him for 4 weeks has deeply traumatised him!
I would like to see the actual medical papers that prove forcing horses to go out is better for their mental health! and I'd love to know how many horses the study was conducted on, how they conducted the study, how they removed bias, how they included all types and backgrounds as they must have spent billions of ££ on such a broad and all inclusive study!
Honey08
Waffled a lot!
I don't think you should need to see medical papers to work out that a horse living out in the wild is living how horses are meant to, and that the nearer to that we keep our horses, the better.
If you have only owned your horse for four weeks it won't have settled properly anyway - my own horse used to do the running to the gate thing for the first summer I had her, then after a couple of months didn't want to come in at all.
And finally, again, I'm not saying its wrong or attacking how you keep your horse (I bring mine in too), its impossible to have all horses living out considering the conditions we keep them in and the work we expect them to do. But I personally can accept that GENERALLY SPEAKING (as I said before) its probably better for them.
If you have only owned your horse for four weeks it won't have settled properly anyway - my own horse used to do the running to the gate thing for the first summer I had her, then after a couple of months didn't want to come in at all.
And finally, again, I'm not saying its wrong or attacking how you keep your horse (I bring mine in too), its impossible to have all horses living out considering the conditions we keep them in and the work we expect them to do. But I personally can accept that GENERALLY SPEAKING (as I said before) its probably better for them.
Cortez
Tough but Fair
Hm, not sure that keeping horses like they are in the wild is actually the best thing. There are practically NO horses over the age of 15 in the wild, and domesticated horses are, well...domestic, just like cows, sheep, pigs; none of our modern animals would do well under natural conditions.
_HP_
Well-Known Member
Actually what Honey08 wrote was...
'.....a horse living out in the wild is living how horses are meant to, and that the nearer to that we keep our horses the better'
And I agree...
Honey08
Waffled a lot!
Actually what Honey08 wrote was...
'.....a horse living out in the wild is living how horses are meant to, and that the nearer to that we keep our horses the better'
And I agree...
Thanks.
And while they're living out, it doesn't mean we can't alter conditions to make things better, such as adding food for poor doers in winter and muzzles in summer for fatties etc.
WandaMare
Well-Known Member
I agree, living in the wild can be a very harsh environment for horses. Some horses might thrive living out but not all of them do. Also I'm not sure where taking them back as nature intended should go, should we stop riding them and jumping them because its not natural and risks lameness or other injury? Who says that its right to domestic them in one respect but not in another?
I'd be interested to see the results of the studies too, not necessarily to oppose them but to understand the number and types of horses and conditions involved. How did they assess their improvement of mental health for example..
Fides
Well-Known Member
Although I believe it is better for a horse to be out 24/7 with 'extras' if necessary I have had an example of a horse that just didn't do well living out. I feed hay in the field in winter - large hard standing with a big old gate post in with tie rings on each side. I would tie 8kg of hay twice a day for each of the horses (3 at the time) and they would also get 3 meals a day (high fibre, high protein, high oil with a balancer) and despite being really heavily rugged the 10yo TB would just not keep condition. She did need in at night in winter.
Honey08
Waffled a lot!
I've never said that all horses should/can be out 24/7.. As I keep saying, mine have to come in by day/night in summer for flies and are on hardstanding in winter due to mudrash..
conniegirl
Well-Known Member
Most wild horses are dead by 15, don't carry riders on their backs, work on roads etc.
No my lad hasn't settled but do you not think that if all horses were happier living out a horse who has never known anything other than living out would be the one to prove your point. Before I got him mine had been handled probably a handful of times in his 4yrs of life, never been stabled, lived out in a large herd on 800 acres of Irish hills.
He now comes in at night and enjoys it so much he brings himself in!
Horses have been domesticated, we've stripped a lot of thier instincts, bred intelligence into them and generally altered them such that most would never survive in the wild.
No my lad hasn't settled but do you not think that if all horses were happier living out a horse who has never known anything other than living out would be the one to prove your point. Before I got him mine had been handled probably a handful of times in his 4yrs of life, never been stabled, lived out in a large herd on 800 acres of Irish hills.
He now comes in at night and enjoys it so much he brings himself in!
Horses have been domesticated, we've stripped a lot of thier instincts, bred intelligence into them and generally altered them such that most would never survive in the wild.
Spring Feather
Well-Known Member
You know, I honestly don't care how other people keep their horses, it's up to them. Providing the horse gets enough stimulation and exercise, is well cared for, fed and happy then what does it matter. For myself, no I would never stable a horse for extended periods of time without a good reason. Many of my horses are either competition/working horses, or ex-competition horses who have lived in for most of their competing lives; regardless all of my horses live out 24/7 but all have come in at periods in their lives. Some of the competition horses took a little while to figure out that they no longer came in at night but all have accepted it, and imo prefer it now. I own all breeds and types of horses, have had loads of others here on livery, and all have embraced the living out experience.
I personally think that most horses are pretty flexible and adaptable so whatever the owner prefers generally works for the horse given enough time to acclimatise.
I personally think that most horses are pretty flexible and adaptable so whatever the owner prefers generally works for the horse given enough time to acclimatise.
sunleychops
Well-Known Member
If you want to keep your horses as close to in the wild as possible then turf them out in a field miles from any form of civilisation, Cease all interaction with them and do something else with your life.
That is the only way. No such thing as natural fu***ng management.
That is the only way. No such thing as natural fu***ng management.
STRIKER
Well-Known Member
my mini lived out all his life before i got him at 16 yo, i thought well this is going to be a problem with stabling, the chap likes it so much he takes himself in, and if i walk to the field to get them he is the first wanting to be hooked up and led in.
Spring Feather
Well-Known Member
That's a bit of a silly argument. Of course a horse living out and/or getting a lot of daily exercise and interaction with other horses is going to be beneficial to the horse and is closer to what is natural for horses than a horse living alone in a 12x12 box for a significant amount of hours every day.
_HP_
Well-Known Member
JDee
Well-Known Member
I've always stabled at night in the winter and during the day in the summer (when they go out at night)
It's part of their restricted grazing routine in the summer and in the winter they have a warm dry place to lie down and eat hay that isn't frozen solid, covered in snow or muddy
Judging by the way they all gallop in when called no one has told my horses that they're happy to be out in all weathers and biting bugs!!!
It's part of their restricted grazing routine in the summer and in the winter they have a warm dry place to lie down and eat hay that isn't frozen solid, covered in snow or muddy
Judging by the way they all gallop in when called no one has told my horses that they're happy to be out in all weathers and biting bugs!!!
DragonSlayer
Well-Known Member
Your horse.
The universal words '**** Off' always work well in these cases.
The universal words '**** Off' always work well in these cases.