I like to stable at night...is that wrong???

[Equi]

I stable my little ones at night. The neighbour has a pack of aggressive dogs and if they ever got out they would have a field day. At least during the day he is usually about and the farmer is usually about and would definitely shoot at them.

 

[glinda]

Just a thought- my gang all come in at night (as I posted before) They always have done since I owned them (a couple did live out 24/7 as youngsters) and are all perfectly happy to be in a night BUT my stables all have large grills as walls so they can all see each other and touch noses if they want to- I do think this makes a difference to the stable situation…..

I am not sure I would want them separated in isolated stables…..with no interaction with the other horses….. JMHO

but neither do I want them out all night….. too much grass and too little protection in my fields- top of hill overlooking massive valley and we get the FULL force of all the weather…. no trees either to break the force!…..

 

[Honey08]

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.

Your not getting my point at all and I can't be bothered saying it again. I've said it several times on this thread now. Especially if all you can do is swear when you debate.

 

[MagicMelon]

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!).

I would like to see the actual medical papers that prove forcing horses to go out is better for their mental health!

You've had the horse 4 weeks and have dramatically changed his routine, doesn't surprise me he's going a bit nuts! How do you know its not because this is simply how he deals with stress? Or it could be something basic like he doesnt get on with whatever horses he's out with (or the opposite, hates being on his own if hes not used to it) so wants to escape by jumping out.

There's no "forcing" involved with them, you've clearly just got a very upset horse right now. Personally, if I bought a horse who had never been stabled I would not immediately chuck it into a stabled routine...

I can't actually believe you "need" to see actual evidence that keeping a horse outside in a field is better for them than keeping them cooped up in a small box (they are small, no matter how big your stable is - you would never put a dog in something comparatively sized for such long periods) where in a lot of cases they can't even touch (or see!) another horse let alone socialise (I think we all agree a horse is a herd animal... not solitary...) and they can't even graze which IMO is the most basic need for any horse.

 

[windand rain]

As to the need to bring in to restrict grazing it has been proved that horses stabled or muzzled for any time at all can eat their ration of grass when turned out in less than an hour so unless your grass is restricted by length and movement. Horses that live out 24/7 rest graze rest again groom each other and dont in the main guzzle grass down as fast as the can as it is always there. The same applies to big bales in the field in winter the greedy restricted horse will stand a a bale and eat it until it is finished for a very short time. Once it realises it is always there it will leave it doze off and groom its mates. All behaviours well documented.
I still maintain and always will it is the owners choice as to their management. keeping horses in doesnt sit well with me but science and common sense tell you that a well established routine will always have the same as Pavlov's dogs so which ever method you use the horse will act accordingly. Those that think their horses prefer to live in should realise that they do because they are expecting it not because they prefer it just as those that expect theirs to live out should provide ground conditions and food according to their horses needs.
A horse standing knee deep in mud is the same level of bad management as a horse standing 24 hours in a small cage but at least in most cases the horse can move away from the mud and move around to keep warm. The worst case scenario and one I have seen is horses turned out from filthy stables to a very small paddock knee deep in mud without even a small dry patch to be returned to filthy stables after an hour or so.
So management should be in the horse's best interest be it in or out and should be the choice of the owner and no one else and if they have a clear conscience then that is fine.

 

[Cortez]

"and they can't even graze which IMO is the most basic need for any horse."

Which is why you provide fodder, presumably. But whatever; some people like to keep their horses out, some like to keep them in, most will use some combination of both and I'd say with reasonable accuracy that the majority of horse owners just want to do what's best for the horse, themselves and their situations.

 

[Fides]

"and they can't even graze which IMO is the most basic need for any horse."

Which is why you provide fodder, presumably. But whatever; some people like to keep their horses out, some like to keep them in, most will use some combination of both and I'd say with reasonable accuracy that the majority of horse owners just want to do what's best for the horse, themselves and their situations.

The horses digestive system relies a lot on movement to aid digestion and prevent stasis. It's not just about fodder

 

[BSL]

Havent read all replys. My shetland and pure bred arab are turned out at approx 6am and brought in any time between 4pm and 9pm depending on heat/flies/weather in summer. Have loads of grass. They have ad lib hay. which sometimes they eat and someimes they leave. Their stables are always clean and tidy. ie no box walking They seem content and happy to sleep and rest, ready for play time the next day. Horses for courses.. that's what ive learnt over the last 40 years...

 

[PolarSkye]

The horses digestive system relies a lot on movement to aid digestion and prevent stasis. It's not just about fodder

My boy comes in to a 14x14 stable and manages to move about just fine . . . his hay and water are on opposite sides of the stable and he is naturally "active" (which is why his bed looks the way it does in the morning) . . . but he would still rather be in (at night) than out - he's made that perfectly clear.

Oh, and he's fed in the field . . . sometimes bucket feed, sometimes hay and when he lived out always bucket feed, always hay . . . and he still made it clear he'd rather have some time in.

I'm not directing this at you, but I really am pig sick of the "one size fits all" approach so prevalent in the horse world today . . . ALL shoes are bad; ALL stabled horses are stir-crazy, ulcer-riddled, bat-s&*t crazy nut jobs, ALL horses ridden in any kind of "gadget" are abused, ALL horses who stick their heads in the air and beggar off have kissing spines; ALL NH/Parelli practitioners are idiots who don't ride their horses; ALL thoroughbreds are hot and sharp; ALL cobs are plods . . . you get the idea.

P

 

[Fides]

My boy comes in to a 14x14 stable and manages to move about just fine . . . his hay and water are on opposite sides of the stable and he is naturally "active" (which is why his bed looks the way it does in the morning) . . . but he would still rather be in (at night) than out - he's made that perfectly clear.

Oh, and he's fed in the field . . . sometimes bucket feed, sometimes hay and when he lived out always bucket feed, always hay . . . and he still made it clear he'd rather have some time in.

I'm not directing this at you, but I really am pig sick of the "one size fits all" approach so prevalent in the horse world today . . . ALL shoes are bad; ALL stabled horses are stir-crazy, ulcer-riddled, bat-s&*t crazy nut jobs, ALL horses ridden in any kind of "gadget" are abused, ALL horses who stick their heads in the air and beggar off have kissing spines; ALL NH/Parelli practitioners are idiots who don't ride their horses; ALL thoroughbreds are hot and sharp; ALL cobs are plods . . . you get the idea.

P

Just for the record I have 2 horses who live out 24/7 and have one who always came in at night. What about what I am saying is one size fits all. Movement is crucial for gut health thee is no denying this, if though health wise it is better for the horse to be stabled part of the day then that is great too

 

[PolarSkye]

Just for the record I have 2 horses who live out 24/7 and have one who always came in at night. What about what I am saying is one size fits all. Movement is crucial for gut health thee is no denying this, if though health wise it is better for the horse to be stabled part of the day then that is great too

Did you read the first phrase of the first sentence of the second paragraph? "I'm not directing this at you" . . .

P

 

[MagicMelon]

The horses digestive system relies a lot on movement to aid digestion and prevent stasis. It's not just about fodder

Exactly.

 

[Queenbee]

I have one out at night on her summer routine and Ben is in at night... He did go out at night but decided he didn't like it and wanted to cozy in his stable, trashed his fencing repeatedly, came in cut and lame one day, not having learnt from that he trashed his fencing again so we switched him back to winter routine and he's been good as gold ever since!

I think I have a hoof print on my forehead!

 

[LessThanPerfect]

When I had a pony (70s onwards) everyone seemed to stable at night for security reasons mainly (theft prevention). Our pony was out during the day and in at night although his stable was rather unusual in that it had its own individual little yard attached.

It was a little concrete area with wooden walls about 5 foot high so he could still see over and was great for tying him up to muck out. All the stables had one. He had this routine for all the 24 years we owned him and remained completely viceless

 

[my bfg]

When I first got my mare we were on a yard where you had to stable at night, she hated it, would bolt her hay then box walk. We quickly moved to a yard where she could live out 24/7 which she loved. Last year she had to be stabled for a week due to a matching pair of shocking foot abscesses, I was fretting about how she would cope, but she loved it, I've kept stabling at night since and now if I've left mucking out till evening she actually paces the fence line to come in!
She's much happier, the fields are less churned up and I'm happier knowing she's tucked up in her PJ's warm an dry plus as a secret mucking out fan I get the pleasure of bringing her in to a clean fluffy bed each night x