Just curious... what are your reasons for stabling at night?

[Sooty]

We bring Beano in at night all year round because he is a youngster and needs moer food than Toffee. Also, he likes some undisturbed rest. Toffee is in at the moment at night purely to give her feet a rest from the mud and to give the field a rest from her. She was out 24/7 last year, we tend to play it by ear.

 

[PoppyPony]

None of these apply...I am on a livery yard so follow their restrictions. I would turn out 24/7 if had my own land.

 

[gailt]

I bring in, for handling reasons with my yearling, if it was my yard id do 24/7 when he is a bit older..

 

[Clodagh]

I'm too lazy to deal with the mud! Mine are out all day and in at night. Come mid March they'll be out 24/7 until next October, and I do have a well used field shelter!

 

[LoneRanger]

Mine's in at night in the winter because otherwise he gets depressed and stops eating. It's a matter of horses for courses: some prefer being in, some prefer being out. You just do what makes the horse happy because then they'll perform better for you.

 

[merlins-mum]

If I bring Merlin in at night it's so that he can get a supper AND a breakfast and to save time getting him ready in the morning.

 

[RachelB]

Mine is out 8am-1pm at the mo because that is what our yard does, to save the grazing. However, we are getting more grazing in April so she will be out as long as possible during summer and winter. I'll probably still keep her in at night in the winter because of the elements, but it will otherwise be dawn 'til dusk turnout depending on if I want to hack or not.
Roll on April!!!

 

[Parkranger]

Grazing reasons really, plus my boy was stabled 247 before so i didn't want 247 turnout for him - he's always ready to come in by 3.30 for his tea!

Typical poncy TB!

 

[lillie]

linx was always kept in before i brought him & he doesnt like being outdoors particularly when weather is horrid so i would rather he be in relaxed than out all the time getting stressed!

 

[Evadiva1514]

Mine are stabled at night as our land gets very wet during this time of year and i think the fact that they are lined up wanting to come in by lunch has something to do with it.

 

[TLL67]

yard rule is they have to be stabled @ night, not enough grazing for 24/7 in the winter. They come in @ the end of October @ night, turned out during the day until April when summer fields are open for 24/7 turnout.

 

[sevenoceans]

In the whole world i would love to keep him out 24/7 if it wasn't for mud fever!! grrrr!!

 

[nicknack]

Mine are out 24/7 from spring to the start of winter with open stables so they can wander in out of the way of the flies. They come at night only over winter.

My old mare gets very upset if she can't get in if its cold and wet and due to her heart condition, gets very tired so we do like to pamper her a bit.

The old pony is finally succumbing to old age (late 30s) and we noticed he picked up when he started coming in at night this year - I think he rests better.

The younger TB would be fine out (and does winter out with his owner), but we don't have the grazing so he has to come in at night.

As other people have said, if you have limited space it does make catering for different dietry requirements easier.

I'd LOVE to have Tia's set up!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Enfys]

For the last eight years I have had to stable my horses from November until May as that was the yard policy, basically it would have been a nightmare to feed horses that were out, so everyone came in. Most were only to glad to have a dry bed under their feet as we could have grown rice in those fields they got so wet.
Since moving, I have the horses at home, a luxury I haven't had since childhood, I have a big barn with 10 indoor stalls (not all usable right now) and have used them for about five nights when I got fed up with the totally unnecessary self inflicted drudgery.
Thankfully, I came to my senses and split the ponies up, bullies in one field, wimps in another, now everybody gets to eat their hay in peace and use the shelters when they want to and I don't have a panic attack if I haven't been out to feed by 8am.
I don't think there's a right or wrong way, some horses like to be in (I had one of those) and others don't, also, many people don't have the luxury of an option. If I didn't have well drained land and the fields were in a dreadful state then I would stable them merely to save the fields, and to give the horses a chance to dry out. For now, the horses are out, we'll see what the rest of the winter throws at us and play it by ear.

 

[icklemadame]

Ours come in at night - but there are 32 of them so the grazing would become very poor very quickly - plus a field shelter to fit all 32 would have to be very large indeed!! Them coming in means we can check them all properly every day and keep an eye on food/water intake etc. as well. Plus they do all line up at the gate looking sorry for themselves come dusk!!

 

[Enfys]

32! I hope you have help mucking out!!!!!!!!

 

[sunsation]

Because of the drought here at the moment, mine have to come in otherwise I'd have absolutely no grass!!! I'm lucky though, I do have grass, and it 's getting gradually greener with the recent rain.

I also bring them in as they each have a different hard feed (pm) but can be fed breakfast (hay) together without too many dramas.

 

[dieseldog]

Because he is a complete woss who loves his stable and thinks I have totally neglected him if I get him too as late as it is.

 

[SouthWestWhippet]

Mine is in 24/7 at the moment - no T/O at my yard until April. Actually although it is a pain mucking out etc, she seems to have adjusted well, isn't going totally mental and we have a 1/2acre T/O paddock she goes in a couple of hours per week and a horsewalker.

I don't mind them being in in the winter - although I know they are horses and all that, at the end of the day, we don't keep them (even when in the field) in a totally natural environment. At least when she is in, I know she is warm, dry and not horribly injured in some way from charging about in mud or scrapping over the last blade of grass. Plus I don't have to wade through 3feet of mud to catch her in everyday and spend 40minutes scraping mud off her back before I can ride (this is lazy and selfish of me I know)

 

[Rambo]

Both of mine live in 24/7 at the moment, with limited turnout during the day. We simply don't have the grazing to do anything else unfortunately.

One of them is a wuss anyway and quite simply *must* have his luxuries

If it rains he stands by the gate waiting to come in...

The other will go out as much as possible when the weather improves, and might even switch to living out 24/7 in the summer in an attempt to help him with his joints. That will depend on YO's agreement though

 

[spotty_pony]

To protect horses from the elements, also all of the horses at my yard are in at nights as grass livery is not offered. If grass livery was available and there was good shelter in the field, then I might consider letting my connemara pony winter out but I think my TB would be in whatever because he is getting old and so will be finding it harder to regulate his body temp. x

 

[the watcher]

I only stable mine at night because the YO insists on it during winter, previous years mine have lived out 24/7

 

[hussar]

This is the second winter mine are out 24/7. Current yard is very relaxed about trashing the grazing - they just roll the pasture and reseed in spring. The field is enormous, undulating, ringed all round with trees and a stone wall, and has a field shelter which the horses don't use. Bits get poached - the gateways and round the ring feeder - but on the whole it's well drained soil.

 

[Dannie]

I agree I think people can be very sentimental about their horses, afterall they are horses.
but as long as all are happy with their own routines then what does it matter!

the only reason my boy comes in at night is because we aren't allowed to keep out at night in the winter but if I could I would keep out 24/7 - I have a man made shelter, lots of hedges, huge big field and a very hardy horse (good, good doer) and as far as I can see no reason to bring in at all - other than our YO requests it.

 

[gemz666]

Mine is in because we arnt aloud 24/7 turn out in winter and the field we are aloud to turn out in is more like a mud pit now so i choose not to turn out in the winter

 

[squiff]

I stable mine also for security, and to stop her getting too fat on grass

 

[Bex7]

Bert is in at night, although not really "in" as he has the yard and a stable so he can go in or out as he pleases but is out of the mud.

He used to be out 24x7 and was happy with a field shelter. Can't wait for spring when I will be lobbing him out again. They joy! less mucking out no bedding costs, roll on spring!

x

 

[hannah87]

in the summer mine are out 24/7 , they have the choice to come in to a humongous stable if they like and are always in it out of flies etc- atm they tend to choose to stay in it all nite and this means i will start to stable them overnite shortly as they r ob feeling the chill of the colder nites

 

[PennyJ]

It's Yard Rules...

 

[rara007]

Mine come in so i can check them over, their feet dry out, they get their hard feed and I exercise them in the evenings and wouldn't want to turn them out hot...