Late check - how early are you comfortable with?

pinkcatkin

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 November 2007
Messages
1,630
Location
East Anglia
Visit site
I am not happy with leaving the horses unattended from 5pm until 7am the next morning. They are stabled out of earshot and eyesight from nearest house. Both of them are mature, sensible ladies and have never had any problems with being cast, colic, etc. and we have had them for so long that we know them inside out.

However, my friend who owns the other one is happy to put them to bed at 5pm and not go back. Which leaves me going back again to check on them as I just can't sleep easily without doing so. I would never forgive myself if something happened that I could have prevented.

This only applies from Nov to March as they are usually out for the rest of the year.

What are you comfortable with? Do you think I am a bit neurotic???!!!
 
I think if you can then it is good to check as late as you are comfortable with. However, we live a few miles away from the yard so they aren't checked from about 5pm until 7am - not ideal but....

If I could, I would check them before I went to bed, so no I don't think you are being neurotic.
 
TBH....I think what will be will be...you cannot watch them 24 hours....I go to the yard for six in the morning and return at six(So my horse does not have to long a night!)
My biggest concern would be fire....that would be my biggest worry,and I don't think I could deal with that! I have dealt with alot of things being the first on the yard,but the yard is well looked over by the owners!
 
Ours are always checked on late at night, between 11pm and 1am (depends if we fall asleep on the sofa before we've checked them you see
blush.gif
)

However, I live on a farm and the stables are not 50 yards from the house. Plenty of people do keep them in a livery yard that has no late night check though. I know I wouldn't like it, but that's just what I'm used to.

My hubby also goes out and checks them on his way to milking the cows in the morning....about 5.30am
 
I don't usually leave the yard until about 7.30 - 8pm and I get there at about 7.30am (usually
blush.gif
)

YO checks all the horses at about 11pm before she goes to bed and the house is right next to the stables. I wouldn't like to have my horses somewhere with no-one living on site, though.
 
Duringwinter 2 of my horses are in and 2 are out, they are stabled between 4pm and 6pm (depending on weather). it's our own land and stables and about 2miles from our house with no houses directly near the field which is down a track with 2 locked gates at either end. We have been broken into numerous times and it's horrid. i do not check the horses once have put them 'to bed' until going in a morning which can be between 6am and 8.30 am depending whether i have to do them before work or not. Would lvoe to live at the field and am in the process of trying to get permission to build a dwelling on the field but has have just been refused as is greenbelt yadda yadda. My dream is to live there so horses outside door and I shall appeal my so far refused application!!!
grin.gif
 
I usually check mine at about 11pm before going to bed, can see them from the kitchen window anyway, but always like to be sure
smile.gif
When we go away I have CCTV in their stables that transmits onto a screen just up the lae at Grandma's house, so I feel quite happy about them being ok
smile.gif
 
mine get last hay at 9.30-10ish. Our house is above the stables so we hear every snort/fart etc-we have no need for an alarm clock!
grin.gif
I wouldnt be happy with a no check situation, most colics seem to begin when everyone has gone home for the night. M.
 
Our YO checks the yard between 9.45pm-10pm. The horses get their first feed at 5.30am, which isn't too bad.

I am usually up at the yard until around 8pm, occasionally 9.30pm during the summer.

I personally feel that the horses are well looked after.
 
I keep my horse at a friends house, however she wont check them when she gets back from work so I usually go up about 7/8pm to check them and skip them out. They go out about 7am so Im quite happy with that. Obviously I would be happier if my friend checked them saving me an hours round trip but hey-ho you cant have everything!
 
ours are not checked at night, everyone is usually gone by 6pm and first one there in the morning is around 7am.if i had them at home then i would do a late check but im 6 miles from the yard. YO parents live next to the yard and her farmer brothers 100 yards down the road so if there was another fire there are people who would notice pretty quickly.
 
I'm lucky enough to have my stables just yards from my back door, so mine get checked just before I go to bed when I let the dogs out. However there is a livery yard next door and the YM sometimes leaves at 4.30 and is never there before 8.30 in the the morning. Her liveries don't seem to mind, but nothing has gone wrong yet!
 
I keep my horse at my friend's house and she is on holiday at the moment so they don't get checked after I have put them to bed at about 5.30pm. I get to them in the morning at about 6.30am. It is not ideal but its only for the couple of weeks while she is away - but then as its already been said, it only takes them 5 mins to get into trouble.
 
Late check 11.30pm, when I am going to work I start them at 5.30am (they are asleep then like me but it's only 2 days per week, thankfully). Otherwise, morning stables are 7am (8ish at weekends) but they are at home!
 
mine get late night check (but are only less than mile away from home) if its firework night or something out of the ordinary.

They would be right fed up if I kept checking up on them lol!!

It all depends on where you are, the type of horse etc etc.
 
Our YO checks the horses at around 10pm and gives them all a bit more hay over the door. However now Henry is going out again after 2 weeks box rest I'm going to be worried more, as he injured himself in the field, and was lucky to do it during the day.
 
Mine goes to bed about 6.30pm, there is normally someone there until about 8pm through the week (Im normally the last on a weekend) and through the week and every other weekend someone is there at 6am, if not its about 8am. Our YO cant be bothered to do the simplest of things never mind check the horses so its just fingers x'd that nothing happens, like nicki68 says tho they only need 5 mins to get into trouble (worst trouble I had mine was in the field in the middle of the day lol!)
 
We are very fortunate, the horses are at home. They are checked at 12ish at night, winter and summer. I have to say there is little better than sitting in the field on a warm summer evening next to a horse who stays lying down, with her head on your knee.
 
ponies are checked just before i go to bed, normaly i switch the stable lights on from the front door of the house, nip accross quickly and peer over the door.
 
Top