is this crazy ...

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robynandTilly

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Currently thinking of moving to a new yard. present yard has 24/7 grazing in the summer turnout for at least 8 hours in the winter BUT the same feilds are grazed and grazed without being rested hence me now spending 40+ pounds a mobth trying to keep some weight on my tb which is not working :( our feilds are starvation paddocks. Yard in consideration has 24/7 turnout in the summer but they are in in the winter 30/10 - 01/04 with ad lib hay/haylage while the fields are rested fertilised etc there are small turnout pens plus and indoor school lunging pen and outdoor schools all this works out £7 a week more than current yard. what would u do :s
 
If your horse has been used to all year turnout, will it be happy with restricted over winter? We have limited grass turnout from oct to Easter, but our yard has plenty of sand pens where they can go out, they only come in if it is REALY bad out, and they have ad lib hay. Only you know your horse and how it will cope.
 
I personally wouldn't but that's just my opinion. How much exercise would you be able to provide? 5 months with no turnout is a long time... x
 
The new set up is my current one. It's fine. The horses do tend to become a little loopy during January and settle back down until end of march.
It's wonderful not traipsing through muddy fields!
And you will be able to exercise more as there is an indoor.
Mines are in turn out pens daily for around 10 hours
 
I'd move to the new yard, you can turn out for a while when you muck out and have a chat. You can ride every day without getting wet.

Is the 7 pounds extra over your current yard, after you've taken the 40 pounds of feed into consideration or before? I mean, is the current yard (including the 40 pounds feed) 33 pounds more expensive than the new yard? If so I'd definitely move, especially if the 40 pounds feed isn't actually working to keep the weight on. You'll be better off financially, even with needing extra bedding where they're in more.
 
Neither yard sounds ideal, starvation paddocks are useless for a tb that needs weight but on the other hand my tbs would b nuts stuck in all winter.. I'd keep looking...
 
You said fields (plural) in you post. Could you not speak to your current yard owner about a more suitable grazing regime? Could some of the fields be rested even if that means more horses grazing the other fields in the short term? I think I'd rather twice as many horses in one field for a short time than permanently grazed fields.
 
So.. basically, if my maths are correct, you would be saving £12 a month (4 x 7 = 28, and currently spending £40 on supplementing grazing) Will £12 a month make a huge difference to you? Enough of a difference to compromise on turnout and also risk moving to a yard where you might not be as happy as you currently are?

Annagain's solution sounds better to me.
 
I wouldn't consider a yard where no turnout is offered in the winter. Personally I don't mind yard where they have to stay in the odd day if the ground is saturated but no turnout at all is a big turn off!
 
£40 pounds a month is £10 per week not an awful lot to be spending on feeding a TB

I feed at least that to maintain weight on my native. I would rather spend that and have him out. Than have cheeper livery and keep him in
 
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