Keeping the competition horse

[madhector]

Just wondered how everyone else kept theirs? How much turnout do you give them? Do thy get turned out in company or are they kept seperate to avoid injuries?

I used to keep J on his own due to him being a complete hooligan in the field, but now I am down to 3 horses I have started turning him out with my 2 yr old welsh pony for company (as this was the ponies purpose!) He is out at night and in during the day, and had him like this all last winter to keep him sane, but tempted to keep him in at night this winter and see how he copes... might regret this!

Just interested in how everyone else does it?

 

[RachelB]

Although I can't really say I've ever kept a horse as a "true" competition horse, a few at my old yard are "proper" competitors (BD and BE mainly). They are turned out in pairs (matched up for suitability) overnight in the summer to avoid the midges, and for about five to eight hours in the day in winter. As long as they have a routine, *touch wood* they tend to cope well (and certainly are happier in summer with the longer turnout!)

 

[Sarah_Jane]

Sarnita goes out al day for about 12 hours unless the weather very bad (she doesn't do wet and windy!). She is turned out in an electric paddock next to another pony for company. She wouldn't go on her own totally but I do like to keep her a bit seperate as very precious!

Poppy lives out totally with a companion pony. She is only brought in in extreme bad whether and events off grass. I do find it helps some relax.

 

[Hattikins]

Hattie is in from 9am until 4 or 5pm and then out all night in a fairly small paddock (because she's a fatty!) with hedge and electric fencing. She's on her own for her own safety

and because we dont want her getting "attached" to other things! she has two miniature horses that are penned in next to her which she loves - she thinks they are her babies! They keep her sane and stop her being stupid in the field!

 

[NewHeights_SJ]

The SJing yard im on has a very good routine. All horses get fed together, hayed at the same time, turned out/brought in etc at the same time. Fee is kept in a paddock with one other but does not go out everyday - mostly about four times a week for the day, all horses are stabled at night in both summer and winter.

 

[TiaPony]

Tia goes out from 9-4/5 every day, regardless of the weather. She is out with another mare although this does change as liveries come and go - soon she may be out on her own which I think she will issue great disgust at. She is part pony and hence a fatty and generally quite sane so she is fairly easy to do!

 

[not_with_it]

My mare is stabled at night and out during the day on her own. She doesnt mind being on her own and after all the hassle with her damaging her back when the gelding mounted her she will be staying on her own. My youngster lives out but when he is working he will be brought in at night. He will probably go out with my mare eventually as they are both good with other horses, and I will have no one to blame if either gets injured.

 

[KatB]

Goddy goes out every day with either a Welshy or a Dales, he gets on with everything so I would rather he has company. He goes out from about 7.30 unil about 5.30 everyday on sparsish grazing. He is fine turned out on his own or in company though, and will go out on his own in winter to preserve his winter grazing

 

[almorton]

how lucky are you lot! mine are stabled 24/7 in the winter with a quick hour in the sand paddock (winter = sept til may!) in the summer they get 6-8 hours out in the day. im currently underwater tho and if it gets worse they are all coming in this wkend prob for good this year :-(
i guess thats wot 1 get for living in sunny (!!) blackpool....

 

[H-J]

Dexter when in work is out 8.30-3.30 in a field of 8 winter & summer

not my personal choice with all those others but no other choice on livery

He isnt in work at the mo though so has been out 6.30-5.30pm in a small sick paddock.

Dougal is out with 8 others (same field as Dext) and is out 6.30-5pm at the mo but is usually out 8.30-5pm. In the winter he will probably come in with Dext so 3.30pm.

We have good grazing all year round usually

 

[Skhosu]

all ours have turnout together and during the summer out 24/7 as much as possible. This includes poor and good doers, we range from competitive eventers to ponies and all seem to thrive on this.

 

[lizzieb]

All of ours are stabled at night then go out for between 3 and 6 hours in the afternoon. I would like them to stay out longer but our grass is very rich because we're a dairy farm. My mare goes out with my sister's gelding as they get on well together but my gelding is stabled and is turned out by himself (he does have some cows for company!) as he gets very attached to anything. He lived out all last winter as I didn't have a stable for him and thrived.

I just adapt the routine depending on how horses are looking and feeling.

 

[_jetset_]

All my horses are out in the daytime (from 9am til 5.30am in summer) and in at night... In winter, we have very limited turnout in this area of the world due to it being so damn wet

All three are in a field together since the beginning of this month, and so far seem quite settled (I'll regret saying that). When it was just Grace and Han, Grace had some REAL separation issues, but now there are three, she is wanting to come in first and quite happy chilling in her stable when the other two are out which was a real problem before

 

[catembi]

Adrian is out 24/7 all year round with an elderly companion pony. He only comes in overnight when the weather's filthy. He BDs & BSJAs off grass, plus 2 feeds a day.

 

[dressagecrazy]

Mines out of a night in the summer & in during the day. In winter he's out for 12 hours normally i don't do 24/7 as the horses do like there comfort & i have clay ground. Comp horse has a paddock to himself & has been since i got him, he can touch my 2 older boys in the next paddock.

This is the only thing i do different with my Comp horse, they can do damage regardless of T/O in company or not. But my boy does like to play so it's a good thing my TB is the other side of the fence believe me.

He's more than happy having a paddock to himself though & ive never had any separation anxiety issue's by keeping him this way either.

 

[Laafet]

Ditto Catembi, Tarquin is out 24/7, I am fortunate enough to have plenty of grass but having him stabled isn't really an option as he hates being in and trashes the box then is a complete nutter to ride. My old trainer evented her TB's upto Advanced level off grass and they were fine. So I guess it depends on the horse really. Most are tougher than we think.

 

[piaffe]

Veinto is currently kept on his own. But this is more due to the fact we have individual turnout at current yard. Before he went out with about 4 other geldings in a HUGE field.

I try and keep mine out as much as poss as I prefer them this way.

 

[Tempi]

I dont have any say in when Archie goes out as hes on full livery - but he tends to go out everyday for an hr/2hrs in the summer if the weather is ok. Its all individual turnout. Then in the winter turnout is very minimal as they dont like the fields getting muddy. Hes not fussed either way tho as he happily lives in - when he was with my trainer for 6wks he lived in the whole time as they dont turn out.

 

[SpottedCat]

B lives out 24/7 in summer whatever the weather in an individual TO paddock. In the winter he's out from about 8am to about 2-3pm every day unless they are hunting round us.

 

[Leg_end]

Leg is out 24x7 in the summer (from May-Sept ish.. weather dependant!) which he prefers and then will be out from about 7:30-16:00ish in the winter. His routine doesn't change regardless of whether we are competing or not