Is it unresonable to keep horses in on xmas/boxing day?

[ChestnutConvert]

As above really, just wondering what people's views are on yards that don't have turn out on these days..... is it unfair or just a day 'off' for them??

 

[dressagelove]

Is it heck For one day, they won't bother, as long as they are usually okay to stable anyway. I worked on a yard where we took turns to just do an hour for feeds, muck out in the morning, and same at night so we could spend the rest of the day with the fam

 

[Bettyboo1976]

Ours stay in, I don't mind she is a warm weather sort of horse lol, we will be up Christmas morning to muck out and will give her a loose school then she will be back in her stable with plenty adlib hay. YO does them in afternoon and evening. Just to mention no one in our house gets to open presents till cat fed, dog walked and horses seen to! Lol daughter hates it, I think it's fair and wow you've never seen a teenager work so hard lol

 

[rhino]

I doubt it will do them any 'harm' but no, I don't think it's really fair either

 

[ChestnutConvert]

All the horses are pretty happy being in, most would probably prefer it as long as they have food esp if cold/wet/snowy. If owners come to ride then fair enough but they will have clean beds and be fussed over then tended to again in eve so not neglected

 

[be positive]

Mine will be happy to stay in on xmas day, they are used to having the odd day in if the weather is bad or if they are competing. I feel that although they need a routine in general there are times that they cannot go out after breakfast and they should not get stressed about it, they will have plenty of haylage to munch on and get out boxing day.

 

[SusieT]

It is unreasonable to change a routine-if a hrose colics over christmas that won't be mnuch fun will it! Running a business with animals you have toa ccept that animals don't have holidays! Better to employ a freelance groom for the day adn charge owners.

 

[martlin]

I don't think it is particularly unreasonable, but is it really labour saving? I will be actually turning out earlier than usual and bringing in later - it will give me most of the day to spend on xmassy things and it will reduce the amount of muck that needs to be shifted.
You have to ask yourself a question: which is quicker - turn out and bring in or muck out twice

 

[ClassicG&T]

Unless you have a horse that would bounce off the walls if it was kept in there is no real harm in keeping them in, its just one day! just give them plenty hay as a treat

 

[Tiffany]

Providing they are used to staying in on occasions I don't think being in 1 or 2days over Christmas will be a problem.

 

[dafthoss]

Mine will be out at martlin says its more labour saving for him to be out as its only one muck out a day and he much prefers being out so he will be happier. But he will also probably be hacked to my house too so he can see the family.

 

[criso]

Don't think it's fair and as I rely on public transport I can't get up to ride either.

Plus unless you're the sort of yard that is happy with horses left fetlock deep in s**t, mine is so dirty that it's definitely less effort to turn him out that have to keep his stable clean.

 

[Mince Pie]

Mine actually go out Xmas eve night and don't come back in until Boxing Day evening! They get hayed and fed in the field twice a day so a lot quicker

 

[Lollii]

I know people who leave their horses out at Christmas but none that leave them in.

Mine would prefer to be out rugged up with a load of hay while I'm eating and drinking

 

[Tnavas]

One of the yards I worked on worked everything on Xmas day - we made it a special day for all the staff and then were left in on Boxing Day. Feeds were reduced accordingly and anything that was likely to reall go off its trolley was given some time in the indoor.

Boxes were just skipped out. We all got boxing day off completely which was great.

 

[muddygreymare]

I don't see a problem in keeping them in as long as you have a horse that is sane in a stable My mare would be fine seeing as she's had to be in for almost a whole month now because of the fields I don't think either way is wrong, if you have them in or out but I'd prefer if she could go out just because she's getting pee'd off at being in for so long now haha and i'd be going up the yard twice anyway and its not really much extra effort to swap rugs and put her out.

 

[littlescallywag]

Couldn't keep mine in regardless of what day it it, he doesn't know and wouldn't care anyway,he would go mental if stuck in all day
So its turnout in morning as usual,muckout ,bring in at 4 ish. Both days

 

[ISHmad]

Whatever the normal routine is for the horse is the one I personally think should happen.

 

[Pedantic]

Why should they stay in just because people can't be bothered to turn out etc, they don't know it's xmas, to them they will just be stuck in away from the fresh air for about 36 hours, merry xmas horseys

Better to rug up and leave out and put hay in the field, they are designed to be outdoors.

 

[Alfiem]

Why should they stay in just because people can't be bothered to turn out etc, they don't know it's xmas, to them they will just be stuck in away from the fresh air for about 36 hours, merry xmas horseys

Better to rug up and leave out and put hay in the field, they are designed to be outdoors.

This. I'm pretty sure one of the horses on the DIY I'm on will be left in xmas day and boxing day on a ****** bed with hardly anything to eat or drink because of it's lazy owner....

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Whatever the normal routine is for the horse is the one I personally think should happen.

thats what mine will be doing - usual weekend routine.
Fed around 7, yard chores, then poss a hack out around 8.30, then out to play out in the fields till tea-time as usual

 

[skydancer]

I dont think it would do any harm BUT i dont agree with it ! Mine will be going out as usual - it is after all our xmas not theirs.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

It is unreasonable to change a routine-if a hrose colics over christmas that won't be mnuch fun will it! Running a business with animals you have toa ccept that animals don't have holidays! Better to employ a freelance groom for the day adn charge owners.

what a crock .

We for the last 6 years ALWAYS keep the horses in on Xmas Day and New Years Day .
Will always do in the future.
My mare is on box rest anyway , but my others and the liveries all know this happens before they join they all accept it with out a glimmer of problems.

My Hubby and I get up early feed water and skip out . Then drive to my parents in east Anglia or Sis in Twick. So not so easy if your relations live miles away and you go there. We do NOT employ outsiders to run the yard , we have had to many problems doing that in the past. We keep it in house ( liveries helping ) A livery comes up later to give them more feed and skip out and feed them. Once they all realize no one goes out they all settle down. Some liveries ride I dont they go out on Boxing day as usual.

Its less effort to keep them in here as we dee poo the fields and when we get back the fields would not be done as its dark around 9 pm, we pride our yard on our poo free fields and good grazing, ours are not standing in S*1t as they are skipped out am and pm .
If your horses get stupid if left in fair enough ( god knows what would happen if you horse had to go on box rest )

Most horses should be able to accept box rest as you never know when they need to stay in ( Tendon - surgery_ colic_ laminitis_ any other ailment ) .

 

[rockysmum]

Is the question whether the horses will suffer from being left in, or whether the yard staff should do it for you.

Mine will be out on Christmas Day, I love going down to get out of the way of my mother cooking Christmas Dinner (doesn't matter whos house we all go to, she takes over) and crappy movies and the Queens speech in the afternoon.

That said they wouldn't care if they stayed in for the day, it doesn't do them any harm occasionally.

I dont think the yard staff should have to do it though. They work lousy hours in dreadful conditions for not very much money in most cases. They deserve some time with their families. If mine were on full I would be down their helping them so they could finish quicker and enjoy the holiday.

 

[Piglet]

Mine goes out EVERY day, rain, hail, snow and Christmas Day, I am very lucky to be on a yard where the YO isn't greedy and have too many horses for the amount of grazing. Horses like routine and even though it probably wouldn't harm them, I don't think it is fair

 

[JennBags]

We have AYTO but if weather is bad, YO asks for horses to be kept in a day a week sometimes.

As all the horses are in, none of them stress.

So, no, I don't think it's unreasonable to have horses in for a day or two for the owners convenience. If the horse is not being mucked out, hayed etc, that's a whole different ball game!

 

[Jesstickle]

My friend who is in the box next to me very, very kindly does mine Christmas day and boxing day. I let her decide if she wants to put them out or leave them in as she is doing me a massive favour and I'm not about to start dictating to her. There are no staff on my yard so can't ask anyone else. She usually slings them out as my filly is a pig and she doesn't want to have to tidy her box more than once a day but I'd have no problem with her leaving them in.

They're used to occasional odd days in (farrier visits, show days etc) and don't seem to give a monkeys FWIW

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Mine goes out EVERY day, rain, hail, snow and Christmas Day, I am very lucky to be on a yard where the YO isn't greedy and have too many horses for the amount of grazing. Horses like routine and even though it probably wouldn't harm them, I don't think it is fair

This is not always the case we have more horses than acreage , BUT our horses go out 363 days of the year either 7 am till 3pm winter and go out 4pm till 7 am summer .
We have so much grass despite the land as we maintain it well and can still get 250 bales of hay if we choose.

So its nothing to do with greed in half the cases. I only increase the amount of horses when we found we had to much grass for the ones we had.

Also none of ours are on grass livery which makes a difference .

That said I have know some places where the grazing is parched weed infested, over grazed . They do how ever have grass liveries this of course means you cannot have the same amount of horses.

 

[amandaco2]

why would they have to stay in?
it wouldnt be any different to how they would react any other day they may have to stay in.
but mine go out every day anyway.....they dont understand 'special' days.....

 

[nikCscott]

Ours stay in, I don't mind she is a warm weather sort of horse lol, we will be up Christmas morning to muck out and will give her a loose school then she will be back in her stable with plenty adlib hay. YO does them in afternoon and evening. Just to mention no one in our house gets to open presents till cat fed, dog walked and horses seen to! Lol daughter hates it, I think it's fair and wow you've never seen a teenager work so hard lol

I grew up on a farm and 4.00am on Christmas day we'd be up mucking out horses, pigs, feeding and getting all feeds ready for evening to enable my Dad to spend the day with us. I quite enjoy getting up early on Christmas day to muck out (just 2 horses now though) and get sorted then come home and stick the turkey in x