If you dont turn out

RubysGold

RubysGold

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We're on day 3 of no turnout, its too wet and horrible. I don't mind because its not regular that they stay in.

So just wondering what other people do on days they don't turnout. Do you always ride? Do they get in hand grazed (for how long) do they go out in an arena?

We don't have an arena. And I cant ride every day because its too dark.
I rode one horse Wednesday, the other had a 10 mins walk.
They both had 30 mins in hand grazing yesterday and probably same again tonight.
But I don't worry if they don't go out.

I read on a different post earlier that a horse would need walking round the yard for 45 minutes? I cant see why
 
Mine are all out 24/7 so me taking them for a bit of exercise and a stretch is not necessary, however if I had any horses living in then yes absolutely I'd want them out of the stable for at least an hour or two every day, preferably split into a minimum of two stretches. Standing around for hours and hours on end is not good for any horse.
 
We've had a few odd days where they have been stuck in, or on short turnout (3-4 hours). Not ideal but not the end of the world. I usually go up as early as I can, before it is fully dark, to get him out of the stable. We have a wander around the arena for 20 min then do some in hand schooling. I am quite lucky though, mine is grey when clipped out so I can still see him in the dark! Our stables are quite big though (12ft x 16ft) so thankfully he has plenty of room to move around, and he is only little.
 
I would only stable 24hrs per day for injury or in an emergency,

but as above if I got caught out I would want them out as much as poss in hand or under saddle.

when we move yards we have 48hrs in my mare was ridden the 8.5 miles to new yard then turned out in round pen for a roll and excited stretch, she was good and tired then was quiet in stable, next morning in round pen for a leg stretch for half hour then hours grazing, hacked out in afternoon for a couple of hours, next day worked hard on lunge then in hand grazed then turned out for an hour, then out every day.

standing in slows the gut and being fed hay also slows the gut, this outs the horse at increased risk of compacted colic so the more movement and grazing the better IMO
 
My horses never ever stand in unless they are on box rest because of injury.
The minimum I do is lead them for forty five minutes .
ATM they get two to three hours out and about an hours exercise .
If we can't turn out in the field I would turn out in the school when mucking out and exercise as well . I would give no rest days and lead the horse from another horse on the day after hunting .
Spending the 24/7 in the stable in very bad management 45 mins is the bare minimum I would allow which I would probably split into sessions .
 
Mine goes out in the arena during the day because the fields are flooded, haven't rode properly in about 3 weeks either other than hacking/going to the beach oops! But then again mine happily snoozes all day and stands at the gate wanting in when she is turned out, as long as she's out for at least four hours a day I'm happy shes at least stretching her legs:)
 
flurryjuno said:
Mine goes out in the arena during the day because the fields are flooded, haven't rode properly in about 3 weeks either other than hacking/going to the beach oops! But then again mine happily snoozes all day and stands at the gate wanting in when she is turned out, as long as she's out for at least four hours a day I'm happy shes at least stretching her legs:)
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hacking out and going to the beach are proper riding
 
Mine are allowed out but they're having a couple days in at the moment due to the field being really wet and horrible! They are happier to be fair standing in the dry with food!

I get them out for a minimum of 25 minutes. So they've been in for 2 days at the moment so yesterday i rode for half hour and free schooled the other for 25 mins making her really move around and today both were lunged for about half hour or so. I'll probably chuck them out in the next couple days again though as I like them to mess about in the field :)
 
Ours are not going out into the fields until it dries up considerably, I'm not having them standing around in slop all day. So they get turned out in the arena for at least half a day and either lunged or loose trotted for minimum 20mins and then either ridden for 40-60 mins or loose schooled again. So they are out of the stable at least 3 times a day, and ALL hard feed has stopped. They are not having any difficulty with this routine, no careering about or looking bored, not getting fizzy or disobedient.
 
Mine goes for walks when she is spending the day in the stable. Her field is far too boggy to put her out at the moment so long walks are a must.
 
Mine only stand in if it's too icy to turn them out (so hardly ever). I feed soaked hay anyway, but IMHO its especially important to soak hay if they are fully stabled, to prevent impactions. This has its problems, as if the ground is frozen, so is my yard's outside tap! Cue a Heath Robinson hosepipe arrangement coming out from the house via the cat-flap, to various black bins scattered in the garden, which I tip over and drain on the lawn (yes this does make a mess).
 
When my girl was restricted to being in I used to let her have time loose on the yard (obviously if you can) whilst I mucked out. She would mooch about and investigate things. I also used to use a decahedron ball with some food in (nuts mixed with chaff to slow down the rate that it came out at) to keep her amused, she would kick it about all over the place. Also would spend some time grazing in hand and walking about. Suede on a string is also a good one to keep them occupied in the stable.
 
Mine stayed in today - they usually get a few hours out at this time of year, but was so vile, kept them in.

This morning I rode and lead for an hour, then put them back in with a net. Then I lunged each this evening, which they didn't really appreciate because of the sideways rain, but at least had another leg stretch!

The way this winter is going, they will be having more days in than out - I have little grass left and they don't want to be out for more than a few hours, and if I put hay in the field they just bicker over it and churn it into the mud.

For me, if they are in they HAVE to be excercised, whether a hack, lunge, session on a horse walker or even an in hand graze.
 
Mine have only had about 3 days out in the last 3 weeks....the field is foul and the weather hasn't been great.....apart from a hoon about when they first go out, they stand wanting to come back in and the field is pretty wet and boggy. It's entirely my choice....we are able to do what we want with the fields. We don't have a school, but we are lucky in that our stables are in a big barn, so the horses roam free for a couple of hours whilst we muck out morning and evening. I also try and ride most days when they've been in....they aren't any more or less lively that when they're out 24/7!

They all seem happy, and I'm far happier than having to trek across a bog to turn out and bring in....and it seems silly to churn the field up completely for the sake of a couple of weeks.
 
my horse is in on weds , sat and sunday until the fields dry out a bit and i like to either ride him in the morning or eve
i make sure this is at least an hour and a half - two hour hack rather than 20min schooling to keep him out the stable for as long as poss
he then gets to go in the school for a roll and a wonder round for 10 mins in the eve

but i am very lucky in that i'm self employed so i can arrange my day around my horse and make sure i have day light hours to ride in ,our arena is also open all the time as long as we don't use it for turn out we can "loose school" ;) in it
i understand that some people are not as lucky to be able to ride every day though but i do think the horse should be out the stable as much as is possible even if its just a walk to the muck heap and back twice a day to empty the barrow
 
Mine have been out in the field once this year so far! Call me cruel, but they don't seem bothered. Fields are so boggy after all this rain and they like to run around and play rough so just not worth the risk of injury. They are much happier in and munching on their haylage. :) I do turn them out most days in the school for a roll and a buck and/or ride them. I also grade them in hand. I love them ti have turnout usually but this winter as made that almost impossible and tbh keeping them stable kept isn't as bad as I thought it would be.
 
Mine stayed in today, I rode for 45 mins out hacking first thing then she was tied up outside with a net for a fair old while whilst I mucked out and soaked hay nets. She is more than happy to be on the yard, and went back in content to watch over the shetland who had a wander around the yard whilst his stable was done. They were all out for 3 hours yesterday, but the slightest hint of wind or rain and may mare starts charging around to come back in again. The lady I bought her from had kept her in for a month when she had bad mudfever and said that with daily riding she was very content living in, which surprised her as she had always lived out 24/7 year round. I actually think she prefers the comfort of her stable at the moment!
 
I don't know why people are surprised that horses do OK kept in; as long as they get enough exercise it is perfectly possible to keep horses stabled for extended periods, as is done in many other countries. It is only in relatively recent times that it is considered normal if not "essential" to turnout in the UK. With proper management many horses can be kept stabled and happy, but it does require significant increases in the amount of work horses are asked to do, something that may be a challenge to most peoples time management.
 
My boy was in today. He is hand grazed in the morning once I've mucked out. He is then hand grazed and skipped out in my lunch break and was ridden for an hour this evening. We get about 4 hours turnout at the moment but I have chosen to keep him in more as the fields are so slippy and he is currently turned out with a bit of a thug. He is quiet happy being kept in stuffing his face x
 
Mine are never turned out in winter. Out 24/7 in Summer. So what to do - well you ride every day - yes in the dark. Very powerful head torch, lights on horse and rider plus hi viz on all. You have to be confident. I ride week days in the Winter on the road 06.45 every day unless sheet ice or impassible snow, unless hunting. I have two sane horses (1 a TB ) achieved by riding and leading. And best of all no mud fever. I have done this for 10 years.
 
I got them out for 40 minutes in hand today.
I will not ride in the dark, some of the other girls do, riding in hi viz with flashing lights but I wont.

Tomorrow, my only day off I can do more with them
 
As an owner of a good doer I dont quite get the fields trashed argument for no turnout, when does a field not recover in spring?

I've seen some totally trashed fields 'spring' literally- back to life as soon as he weather turns and the longer it stays poor the better for me with a section d who can live on air. But seriously the talk of dangerously wet fields and grazing trashed, is it not being over cautious. If i kept my mare in for days on end sure as 'you no what' she woud go nuts on turnout, instead she's out 12 hours a day come rain or shine and yes her field is boggy, muddy, trashed but she comes in dries off and come April we'll all be moaning about weight and grass. Are those keeping them in being too careful??
 
Cortez said:
I don't know why people are surprised that horses do OK kept in; as long as they get enough exercise it is perfectly possible to keep horses stabled for extended periods, as is done in many other countries. It is only in relatively recent times that it is considered normal if not "essential" to turnout in the UK. With proper management many horses can be kept stabled and happy, but it does require significant increases in the amount of work horses are asked to do, something that may be a challenge to most peoples time management.
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This.

An old friend of ours used to keep her boy in full time, and barring those with working horses who are out earning a crust all day, she is the only person I have ever known do it properly. She worked from home so her life could revolve round him. He lived right outside the back door as part of the family, and she had him out for three decent exercise sessions every day.

Actually if you stick to the old fashioned timetables in the old fashioned horse books, you won't go far wrong. That means starting at 7am, finishing at 10pm, giving three exercise sessions a day and three decent grooming/strapping sessions a day. This will go a good way to replacing the exercise and stimulation the horse would get if living out. The issue is that this regime isn't compatible with being on DIY and working 9-5.

Of course they will cope with odd days where life gets in the way, but keeping a horse in is darned hard work.
 
On days mine stay in (due to flooded fields) then they both get exercised without fail. Genie is prone to getting stiff so she also has the yard to walk on. Both also get a leg stretch/play in the school. Neither of them care so long as there's food, and Genie happily hoovers up any of the hay Fanfare drops over the stable door!!!
 
Cortez said:
I don't know why people are surprised that horses do OK kept in; as long as they get enough exercise it is perfectly possible to keep horses stabled for extended periods, as is done in many other countries. It is only in relatively recent times that it is considered normal if not "essential" to turnout in the UK. With proper management many horses can be kept stabled and happy, but it does require significant increases in the amount of work horses are asked to do, something that may be a challenge to most peoples time management.
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I think the difference now is the rise of the working owner with a horse on DIY/part livery where exercise is not included. Keeping horses fully stabled only works if you can ensure they are exercised properly, and this is difficult for someone who works full time and can only do their horse in the dark during the winter months, especially if they have no arena. So the regime of in at nights, out during the day has become the norm for those who work full time, as it ensures the horse receives enough exercise.
 
I'm regularly puzzled by folk, who have an arena and/or off road hacking, who claim they can only ride twice a week over the winter because it's dark. Really, has the thought of riding in the dark never seemed a reasonable solution?
 
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