Lack of winter turnout.

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Walrus

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How many people here lose their turnout in the winter? I've been chatting to people at my new yard (I've been there for 3 months) and discovered that turnout is severely restricted over winter. Sounds silly but I didn't think to ask about it - I just assumed it would be available all year round. Even in the snow last year we managed to get about 2-3 hours of turnout a day at my old yard.

There is a horse walker (which we obviously have to pay for) which is good and probably going to be a godsend. There is also a floodlit school. My pony has restricted turnout anyway because of his weight so he's used to being stabled but I'm still starting to worry already!

I totally appreciate that it's not ideal, but the yard is brilliant in every other way - definitely the best in the area in terms of service provision. I am required to travel occasionally with my job so although I'm DIY I need to be sure someone will sort him when I'm away - that was one of my main priorities when looking for a yard.

So who looses their turnout, how long for and how do you cope?

ALso: sorry for mentioning the winter word when it's not even August!
 
considering the amount of land to horses we still turn out
we have 4 back paddocks two of 2 acres 2 of 1 we use one pair then rest a pair winter turn out is 7am- 3pm some times 2 if really ****** or if i c horses standing around gates at 2 ( their choice then ) as i need to dee-poo in daylight. winter was gr8 i bought a little sledge from H***base put a poo bucket on it and dragged it round field was so easy also good for moving feed backs and water buckets.

We keep them in xmas and new year day and a max of 3 other days if we have a week of rain they stay in one day to let rugs dry otherwise we always turn out
 
All the horses at the yard lose proper turnout in winter, last year we had 7 and they would be split into two groups and would go out on the menage for a couple of hours per day.. not ideal but they all seem very happy and content. I however was not - having to hand poo-pick the menage with a glove.
 
Hi
We own/manage a full livery yard and we restrict grazing in winter for several reasons. We always ensure customers know from day one although some have acted surprised / been resentful even so.

We try to ensure turnout continues unless weather is horrendously wet/icy/snowy when we may close fields for horse and staff safety and for field management so we can guarantee excellent grazing throughout spring/summer/autumn.

But from approx mid Dec to Mid March, we are only able to turn out for 3 hours a day as we find horse behaviour worsens if they are out for longer as they are bored, cold and hungry - and they trash the fields.

We only have 35 acres for 26 horses so management is essential.

We offer free use of horse walker if fields are closed due to extreme weather conditions.

I think winter turnout is not as important as good exercise is. Some of my riding school team come off the fields to give liveries priority and thay are all fine about it as they get plenty of exercise + horse walker.
 
GGRider said:
Hi
We own/manage a full livery yard and we restrict grazing in winter for several reasons. We always ensure customers know from day one although some have acted surprised / been resentful even so.

We try to ensure turnout continues unless weather is horrendously wet/icy/snowy when we may close fields for horse and staff safety and for field management so we can guarantee excellent grazing throughout spring/summer/autumn.

But from approx mid Dec to Mid March, we are only able to turn out for 3 hours a day as we find horse behaviour worsens if they are out for longer as they are bored, cold and hungry - and they trash the fields.

We only have 35 acres for 26 horses so management is essential.

We offer free use of horse walker if fields are closed due to extreme weather conditions.

I think winter turnout is not as important as good exercise is. Some of my riding school team come off the fields to give liveries priority and thay are all fine about it as they get plenty of exercise + horse walker.
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Totally agree - the reason my lad only had 2-3 hours a day last winter was because he would go out, eat his hay, pace about at the gate and then be an obnoxious idiot to bring in because he wanted his hay.

I was just a bit concerned about no turnout at all for the worst months! I'm hoping it will be workable - especially with a horsewalker and a school.
 
we try and turn out as much as possible right through the year, we are on clay so prolonged rain makes paddocks very mudddy but we rotate as much as possible and when really bad we turn out in the school, giving each small group a few hours minimum. Last winter when snow was so bad no one could get to yard by vehicle (liveries all live to far away and lane the stables is on was up to your knees in snow) we still got them out 3-4 hours a day as we live close by so we could walk to stables, we luckily kept everyone happy and healthy, school was to frozen for riding but again a leg stretch was enjoyed by all, lots of hay, big beds and plenty of warm rugs, oh and a wood burning stove in the tackroom kept us all happy
 
Mine live in a lot in the winter, I won't turn out on frozen ground, nor will I turn out on frosty grass. They're fine with it as long as they're fed. Horses do learn to cope with things.

There was a period of about 3 weeks with the snow where they did nothing but get walked in hand round the yard for 10 mins a day as it was just too dangerous, they coped fine, perfectly happy.
 
Ours go out about 8-5 everyday in winter... we have a field specifically for ice/snow days - however my mare will be worked more and not go out in ice.... snow yes - ice/solid ground definately not....

she did last year which was very stupid of me as the ground was rutted.
 
my lot go out every day. yes we do get mud. hay is ad lib and put in fields. spring reseeded. rolled harrowed fert and sprayed. yes it does recover well, (but does cost) the elderly /infirm/pathetic come in early. a walker is available.
 
Ours are out 24/7 in the summer if we want, from around October half term time until April half term (weeks depend on the weather), they are in at night but no restrictions about the time you turn out from until they come in.
Our guys go out about 6am and back in 7pm (ish)... in the snow they had hay provided in the fields too which kept them entertained :)
 
I personally couldn't keep my two in all winter. They'd be complete nut jobs!! I turn them out no matter what the weather, even if it's just for a few hours on a really bad day. They even go out on xmas day! I have 6 acres split into 3 paddocks so they just trash the one paddock (very sheltered) and then it gets repaired in the spring and rested. I have a menage however it floods really badly in one corner, turning into an ice rink so can't always ride/turn out in so I prefer to turnout in field. I just make sure I buy lots of grit in so I can get them from stables to field (3 metres away from gate). TBH if I didn't turn out one day, they'd go out like complete idiots the next and hoon around, increasing their risks of injury! I'd rather turn out daily with hay and have them mooching around than galloping around like nutters! Plus one is arthritic, so he's much less stiffer being out in the day.
 
Mine has all year turnout. In winter from 7am til dusk or earlier. I will keep in on days when the weather is absolutely foul and he seems to prefer it that way.

Jane
 
chestnutmarelover said:
We have no turnout in winter (fields flood), no horsewalker, no arena & I work full time so if you have at least one of the above, think yorself lucky, if you have more, stop bloody whinging!!!!
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Thanks, that's helpful. If I had none of the above I'd move my horse! I was asking how people coped as I've always been quite insistant about my horse having some turnout every day. Now if you had said I have none of the above but this is how I cope, or my horses get used to it or it's hell do everything you can to get a field then you would have been a bit more contructive.
 
Personally I would not be on a yard that did not provide turnout 365.

I would rather have less immaculate grazing in spring/summer/autumn than restricted in winter.
 
I'm lucky to be on a yard with 24/7 grazing all year round, so my boy lives out with the occassional night in through the winter so he can have a good sleep!

In the past I've been at yards with restricted winter turnout and I've never stayed for long as I find the horses do not cope well. The least I would accept is all day t/o in the winter and in at nights. A couple of hours a day is not enough freedom imo. They also don't get bored if they have company and hay!
 
We generally loose turnout from November to April, during which time they only get about an hour a day in either a small paddock (stony ground) or the outdoor arena. I hate winter as horse is obviously very full of energy when ridden. However, I am hoping this year to of built a field shelter before the winter so I can keep him home some of the time, and he will have turnout the whole time. Anyway fingers crossed, if not in for another rubbish winter!!!
 
chestnutmarelover said:
We have no turnout in winter (fields flood), no horsewalker, no arena & I work full time so if you have at least one of the above, think yorself lucky, if you have more, stop bloody whinging!!!!
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What a delightful response :rolleyes:

I'm afraid I wouldn't entertain a yard that didn't have at least moderate winter turn out. I don't think it's fair on the horses.
 
I had no winter turnout at my last yard, but we did have an indoor arena and an out door arena with no lights.
However, the YO would teach through the winter in the indoor arena, so when I got there after work, I couldn't use either arena. So I moved yards.

My current yard has 24/7 turnout from Easter through to end on October, and then they are in at night. However, these last 2 years, the snow and ice prevented turnout and we were either in, or on restricted turnout in the fields for 6 weeks the first year. He wanted us in from before Xmas to Easter this year! We came to a compromise - out on cold, dry days. In when it rained. It worked for us.

The YO is a farmer, who treats his grass like it's his hope of salvation (ex dairy farmer). We have to remind him that our horses don't need the quality of grass, or amount that his cows need.... :D
 
I have no arena, horse walker and very limited winter turnout as the fields are clay and become flooded and trashed.

Mine have ad lib hay (mananged to get fatter over winter) and a small (about stable size) yard each outside their stables so they can have a little wander and see friends. They have to wear turnouts full time as can wander in and out as and when they please and it does get a bit chilly due to drafts so they have big straw beds.

They also have licks and toys to keep them occupied. Plus lots of different feeds spread around stable.

If not out in the field at all on a bad day they have about 20 mins each end of day loose on main yard whilst I tidy beds up. I try and get them out if I can even if its just for a few hours but theis is mainly dictated by the weather and ground conditions.

Hope that helps. Any questions feel free to ask.
 
We have a specially designated all weather turnout arena (separate to the riding arena) that horses go out in during winter. They never miss a day turnout although they only get 3 - 4 hours but they seem quite happy with that as are ready to come into their warm stables. I used to turn out in the field but had a couple of accidents caused by the mud and so don't risk it any more. The liveries are happy with the winter arrangements and love the fact that their horses are nice and clean and mud free. The horses are chilled and remain sensible to ride. It's hard work though as have all of them to muck out plus poo picking the turnout area 3 times a day so it stays nice.
 
I have a yard, and from April to end of November horses can be out 24/7. Then at the beginning of December all the horses move into the winter paddocks, in their own small groups. There is loads of grazing and we bring in at night. So they are turned out from 8am - to about 5pm daily. No additional hay as loads of grass out there, and great gorse hedgerows around the fields that they happily nibble on. All horses are fed adlib hay at night. We rarely hay the fields as to be honest it rarely gets eaten and just gets trampled in and even if the ground is flozen they nibble on the hedges. The horses are relaxed, happy and thrive on this regime. They are out 7 days a week regardless of how much snow, if it is deep I will put hay out during the day as we have had some very deep snow. they also stay out if it rains etc. They are all happy to come in when they are called, but non of them stand round the gate from early on waiting to come in
 
We have 24/7 turnout in the summer but are restricted in the winter.
From about mid October the horses are all out in the days on their summer fields but have to come in at nights. When the weather starts detoriating and the fields are really suffering then mares and geldings do alternate day turnout in the 3 winter 'fields' with everybody in at night. We usually do this from early November to early May but it varies with the weather, last winter we had so much snow that the horses were allowed out daily on summer fields until just after Christmas!!!
We have an indoor school free of charge or an outdoor which is free at certain times or the horsewalker which is always charged for.
 
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