Keeping horses stabled during the winter

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bamby00

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Hi all,
I was just wondering what other people do about housing their horses during the winter. We tend to keep our two ponies in all the time from around mid October to February as they would destroy the paddock otherwise, they also both get a high trace clip so we find it easier to keep them in as only one rug each! It also keeps them much cleaner :) So how do ye look after horses/ponies during the winter months? :)
 
The first place I kept Mollie offered no winter turnout and there was no off-road riding in the winter either. Within a month she was very stressed, and far too worked up to get onto and ride on the road :eek3:

At Christmas that year I moved her to a yard where we have daytime turnout in the winter in all but the wettest weather, plus a floodlit arena which is usable except if the ground's frozen solid. :) We're both happier and safer for it.


ETA she's not clipped and almost never wears a rug. I think I rugged her once last winter, when the weather was a combo of driving rain, bitter cold and high winds. In all other conditions, she's fine. She's an outdoorsy girl. :)
 
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Out as much as is possible provided that the ground is ok (not flooded and totally boggy!). Rugs & clipping don't come into it for me, they'll have whatever is appropriate for the workload & weather but my main aim is that they should be able to live like a horse as much as possible. :)
 
I wouldn't keep any horse in over winter unless advised to by a vet. Mine will be out during the day and in at night when the worse weather hits.
 
Over the years my horses have been on DIY, part livery and now live at home. They've had times with limited turnout and more recently with 24/7 turnout. I'm going for a whole new option this year and giving them a choice. I felt bad when they were out 24/7 as they did spend more time in their shelter than I had expected but equally when they had limited turnout they clearly weren't happy either.

My plan is to leave them with access to both the field shelter and the stable yard so if one wants to spend more time indoors than the others she can. A luxury most aren't able to offer their horses but I'm looking forward to seeing how they use the facilities open to them. With stabling for short periods I can also limit feeding for some and give one extra when needed without all three pigging out. No idea how it's going to work....
 
Out as much as possible. Will need to reluctantly stable at night on this livery yard, but preference is out 24/7 because the horses stay fitter and happier with good shelter and forage. My favourite yard offered open barns for the herd to use but they tended to ignore them except in summer to escape the flies.

They'll be clipped but only need a medium weight rug most of the time.
 
It's a toss up between what's best for the horse and what's best for the land - both have to be cared for. Mine tend to like being in their stables quite a lot, but then they all work and don't worry about much in life.
 
Like Cortez above me I try and balance what is good for he land and what is good for the horse. They come in at night for about 8-10 weeks and then back out. I time them coming in at beginning of Januray with their only full clip of the year. They are clipped as early as necessary, got one that may need doing next month if he gets wooly quickly and it stays warm. They get rugged as appropriate. There is no way that I would keep a horse in for five month of the year!!!
It would be cheaper to invest in extra rugs!
 
luckily we have enough land to rotate, so our herd can get a field pretty boggy over the winter and rest it over the summer, it recovers quite well. we also open up more grazing as the winter goes on. we are hoping this winter is not as wet as last one though, as i had to start bringing mine in over night as it got too muddy and they all started to get mud fever.
i know some people find it hard as they have much less land, but even if i exercised them twice a day in the winter they would go crazy with no turnout. the only good thing is we have a barn so mine are in a large section together so can still groom and eat side by side, almost like in the field.
this year i may bring my boy in an night for longer as he is getting stiff behind, and slipping on hilly fields puts a lot of strain on him in the mud. but he will still be out from 7am-4pm in the darkest part of the winter.
 
out at night in for a few hrs during the day, clipped and in full work, rugged as needed. i would only ever stabled 24/7 on vets advice and then only if there was not other option
 
Out as much as possible- ground dependant but even then tbh I set aside one field which I am ok to trash. Last winter they had to spend some full days indoors because the field flooded a few times. I hate it though and me and my o/h spent ages "walking" them up and down the lane to stretch their legs!
The wnter before they spent loads of time out- day and night. They are clipped but rugged accordingly.
 
Out, rain hail or snow.

Because we have a herd of four, two of whom are TBs whose health has been negatively affected from being stabled constantly when they were younger. One has RAO, and can just about manage damp hay fed on the ground in a breezy location. One has hindgut ulcers that flare up if she's confined and fed anything other than forage. Both of these have stereotypies caused by being stabled that don't happen when they're turned out.

My own horse hasn't been stabled much, but has a chronic sacro-iliac problem that is exacerbated if he doesn't move around as much as possible.

The final one is itchy, and will rub out tail if kept in.

We manage the field so that it doesn't get excessively muddy - it is a hillside, so well drained. They don't come in, so don't hang around the gates. I feed hay on the ground in a different place each day so the ground doesn't get poached. It's quite possible, through a bit of forethought, to keep two TBs and two ISHs out all year round in the same field without it getting thrashed, and without them getting mud rash :) And we never have to lunge to burn off excess energy - mine's ridden - from the field - year round and is happy and settled.

So I can't really see an argument in favour of stabling any of our herd at all, and they're also testament to what happens if you do stable horses for long periods.
 
My TB is out 24/7 - think he was in a grand total of 5 nights over last winter, when it was literally raining sideways and field was flooded. He has PSSM, so starts shivering more when he's kept in. Also he's pretty sharp when he's field kept - don't think I'd be able to stay on if he was in 24/7 in winter!!

We're ones with 20 acres of land and 3 horses and 2 ponies, so we certainly have space for them to trash once area over winter and be able to let it rest in the summer - the three big lads are back in last winter's field now, after it being harrowed, rolled, reseeded and fertilised back in the spring, and its looking great.

Personally, I like to have 24/7 winter turnout, but it is much easier to find up here in NE Scotland than it is down south. If the yard I was on required stabling at night, and it suited my horse, I would consider going down that route. However am very glad mine is out - much less work, and he's much happier!!
 
In at night out during the day what ever the weather, but I do have 3 small paddock for the winter time that I reseed every summer, if I left them out 24/7 I would have no hay and no grass.
 
Does nobody ever consider making all-weather turnout? Horses need to get out, move around and socialise - they don't have to be grazing on grass :) I'm working (slowly) on making an all weather track with an open shelter at home, so when the horses get older and creaky they can be here, munching on hay, walking around together and in/out as they choose - but without muddy grass to deal with. I only have 3/4 acre at home: if I think of it as "grazing", I have to keep horses stabled all winter. If I think of it as "turnout", the options become much more usable.

Isn't the "stabling all winter" just because we have a traditional belief that a horse is either in a field, or in a stable - we just don't seem to be able to think outside the box (sorry :o) and get an option that's more horse friendly but doesn't ruin our grazing/hay fields.
 
I use a track system over the summer, the centre of the field is grazed by sheep and then rested all Autumn, which means I have plenty of grass to graze over the winter by gradually strip grazing. Mine is out 24/7 with free access to her stable unless the paddock floods when she is in overnight. She is far happier and healthier like this and the field copes fine.
I wouldn't permanently stable over winter and if I was forced to then I'd ensure that the horse was given at least two hours good exercise daily, which most people just don't have the time for.
 
Mine is out during the day and in at night all year round. He does love to come in for his food and comfort of his stable at night but I would dread having to keep him in 24/7 - he'd go completely insane!

To be honest, I hate the idea of any horse being in all day unless there is a medical reason. Horses need to get out with their friends, socialise and just be horses for at least part of their day.
 
I am lucky as have mine at home, and don't work between nov - feb (seasonal job with National Trust), so can be very much at the beck and call of our horses.

They are currently out 24/7 and will remain so until Oct. They will then come in at night and turned out for approx 8 hrs a day up until xmas, then when the weather and grass takes a turn for the worse, they go out for approx 5 hrs Jan -March. However I do also have the luxury of being able to excercise every day and a sand school to turn out in if very wet/snow on ground.

I agree that it is better for them to be out as much as possible, but horses do generally adjust to whatever situation they are presented in, as long as all their basic needs are met. I have friends who keep theirs in all winter and they cope just fine, but again get regular excercise and school turnout.
 
Until this yr my mare has been out 24/7 clipped and well rugged. Last yr was the first yr they had a shelter! Thank god coz it was the wettest winter I've know. Fields were ruined.

This yr I've moved yards. I have 8 stables for my 3 and a massive barn, which I've fenced off and opened up at the side so they can get in and out from their field. My farmer wants them in at night nov to feb so ill prob shut them into the shelter area when it's to too horrible and bring them in on the worst nights
 
Luckily I have my own place, it's on clay so gets very wet & muddy. That said I keep my horse numbers down so that I can give them as much turn out as possible.
Mine are out 24/7 spring, summer, autumn. When the winter weather kicks in they come in at night. I have 2 winter fields that I rotate & trash but they are only used December to March & rested for the rest of the year.
Mine are clipped as needed & rugged appropriately for the temperature, I'm also a fibre fiend & they are never left without some sort of roughage....they have access to hay/Haylage in the field as well as the grass & ad lib when stabled.
Also my current stables are a barn sectioned up, the partitions are such that they can touch & groom each other but have their own section for eating etc. They are also open fronted & have windows at the rear so plenty of fresh air & can look all around, plus they are heeeeeyoooge!
IMO a lot of the no winter turn out yards that we see nowadays are purely because there are too many horses for the land.
 
Luckily I'm at a yard where we have winter turnout due to having 30+ acres between 4 horses. The ground below us is sand, so we have amazing drainage and our fields are never muddy (I could've walked round our fields in flip flops last winter and wouldn't of got a speck of mud on me!) or left with puddles, so they could go out 24/7 365 days a year, but we choose not to.

All the horses are out for 12 hours a day and in overnight in our American style barn, which is fab for keeping the bad weather out and the warmth in! Between the 3 of us we work really well. Two of us work full time, where the other lady is part time; she goes up every morning and turns all the horses out so I don't have to go there before work. In return I bring hers in at night, to save her another trip out. It works really well this way and definitely saves fuel and time. I can ride at night in the floodlit outdoor at night too.

My horse usually has a full clip, but I leave the face and legs on (might not have to if I buy him a turnout onsie!!) He's rugged to the hilt as he really feels the cold and it out in pretty much every type of weather. He wears his PE 450g turnout with a 360g stable rug underneath and sometimes a 200g underneath that too. He also wears his equilibrium turnout chaps to keep his legs safe - some people may think this OTT, but he never comes in too hot or sweaty.

I think I prefer day out night in during the winter as I would hate to leave my horse out in gale force winds and driving rain during a freezing cold night. There is nothing more warming than seeing your horse tucked up in bed while it's bucketing down outside!
 
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Mine go out everyday all day unless it is awful and they want in, and I only have 3.5 acres for two horses and it soon recovers over the summer, no way would I keep horses in all winter, my horses are ridden everyday and without turnout both would be quite fresh to ride without it.
 
Mine will be out all winter, with all the gates open, so that they have the run of 3 paddocks (10 acres) plus the sand school. I'm hoping that several access points, and all weather surface by the stables, where they will most likely congregate at feed time, will be a reasonably good plan in terms of minimising mud baths.
My summer fields are separate, and will be rested all winter.
 
sandy soil and barefoot horses so no mud issues. They go out 6.30-3 in winter, or 6.30am-11 if heavy snow on the ground (with hay).

i dont believe in keeping them in for no reason but that said, if it was the choice between turning out on heavy slippy clay bog or keeping in i would keep them in, but ride every day, make sure they had turnout in a surfaced pen/turnout arena for half an hour to let off steam, and got hand grazed twice a day.

ours are happy to come in after an hour or so in bad weather so TBH if they had a spin round a turnout pen, and were hand grazed, i dont think they would mind in the slightest.

we are lucky the land drains so well and we have TONS of grass, so they are happy enough out in the current situation, if they were looking fed up i would keep them in more.
 
In some countries stabling 24/7 is illegal, horses have to have access to pens adjoining their stables at least.

Here, there is no requirement to attempt to meet horses biological and behavioural needs, how things look is seemingly more important in some cases.
Only lip service is paid to the five freedoms and it is mostly used in welfare cases. Time it was used wholesale imho.
http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Sat...PCABlob&blobwhere=1210683196122&ssbinary=true
 
At current yard they come in at night over winter. I think YO likes them in from about October onwards. This year they went out 24/7 in April and are still out. We have individual turnout (big fields) and paddocks only really get churned up around the gateways. TO depends on light - towards the end of the winter they were out for about 8.30am and in about 6pm. In the depths of winter, out around 9.30/10am and in about 2.30/3pm (if YO fetches in - if I do it myself after work, he stays out until I get there). We hay the fields when needed although because fields are big and rotated/ rested, there is a fair bit of grass cover anyway. They went out in the snow and only had a few days in through the entire winter, when it was really deep. Couldn't get to the field and when we did, they were thoroughly miserable in it. Our stables are big (12ft x 16ft) so they don't mind being in for a bit.

Clipping... depends on work. Last winter he had a blanket clip for most of it then hunter clip at the end of Jan/ early Feb so I don't have to deal with hair coming out until June!
 
I did temporarily move to a yard with very restricted grazing back in winter 2011. It was a very rushed move as a couple of people took their horses to their own private yard leaving mine on his own - which he hates. Whilst I was looking for another livery I moved to a fairly big, newly built yard. It had small turnout paddocks, and internal stables. I didn't have many options so I moved there. For the 2 weeks my horse was at the yard he was turned out for a total of 4 hours. I hated going to the yard and seeing him so depressed, he would stand with him bum in the corner and just droop his head. He had no interest in anything and started to become a bit lifeless. They didn't have an arena for exercise and no outdoor lighting to take him for a walk after work. His exercise was a 10 minute walk around the stable blocks and then he went back to bed. When it came to the weekend he was a nutter to ride as he had so much pent up energy.
After I found another livery for my old yard, I packed his stuff as quick as I could and took him home, he sprung out the trailer like a gazelle and had a good gallop and roll when he went back in his old 10 acre field!

I would never consider taking my horse to another yard with limited/restricted/no winter turnout again.
 
I've got an all weather turn out - stone and sand on top and drained. Its not huge - about 15m x 12m. They go out every single day in that area, unless its blowing a gale and chucking it down, at 6.30am-7am, have a run around, mooch between haynets, have a roll. They come in around 4pm-5pm ish.
 
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