Keeping your eye on the ball while your horse is out

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Drzoidberg2

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I have a lovely mare on loan, but she was a hunter, so really brightens up in the winter. That combined with less field time, and me having less time to work her has turned her into a total livewire in the last while, with silly spooks and bucking fits every time a horse so much as twitches it's tail in her eyeline.

The combination of that and me just being tired of mucking out etc. while battling the elements and various winter illnesses that just stuck around a long time this winter led me to the decision to throw her out 24/7 for a month until she's settled back down and I've had a bit of a break.

The thing is I feel a bit like I've given up the minute things got tough. I'm coming back to horses after a freak fall a bit over a year ago, and I just feel like the minute my lovely loan mare got a bit iffy I threw in the towel.

I know she's only delighted to be out, and she's out with a friend so is absolutely fine being left out, but I just don't know if the break will do me good, or make it harder to get back into the swing of things, so I'm looking for any tips from anyone who has done similar. Even just a few suggestions of things I can do while she is out to keep me in the right mind set to tackle the job of getting back on track when she comes in...
 
Tbh at this time of year most people are finding it a slog. If she's on good grazing and is happy out - then why not? And of course you can still ride at the weekend.

But I have to ask - why can she be turned out 24/7 but had 'reduced' field time when stabled?
 
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amymay said:
Tbh at this time of year I most people are finding it a slog. If she's on good grazing and is happy out - then why not? And of course you can still ride at the weekend.

But I have to ask - why can she be turned out 24/7 but had 'reduced' field time when stalled?
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There are a lot of horses in the yard, so fields are being minded carefully, we've had a lot of rain.

I moved her down the road to different grazing in order to put her out.
 
I'd rather her be threw out for a couple of weeks to chill out than stuck coming in every night with no exercise winding her up more. There's no issue :)
 
Don't feel bad. This time of year is tough and quite hard work.
I think if a horse isn't in work for a reason or being aimed at something why. It just turn away for a bit. The evenings are starting to draw out already and spring is round the corner (sort of!) so have a break and start again refreshed and ready to go.
I often used to give my horse time off over December/January. He was only hacking and it was getting impossible to ride regularly so he and I enjoyed a break ;)
 
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