Live out or stabled?

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xponyloverx

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Just wondering if anyone could give me some help and advice on what i should do!

I currently full loan a pony and he has always lived out- apart from when he was young and apparently he was shut it the stable for long periods of time which resulted in him refusing to step foot into a stable.

However i have built up his confidence and putting him in the stable at my current yard with feed hay or sometimes just when i groom him and he is so much calmer and seems to enjoy them. Last winter he coped fine, but he wasnt in very much work- however now im working him 5 days a week and competing quite a bit. What should i do keep him living out or as he now he seems to be ok in a stable (and realises what is in it hay and feed!!! ) to put him in a stable as he will be in a lot of work over the winter?.

Thanks
x
 
He will be perfectly capable of carrying out the same amount of work load if he is turned out, you will just have to boot and rug him to try keep him cleaner and dryer for when you bring him for work or be prepared for a lot of brushing and scrubbing
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Well done for gaining his confidence, personally I would contiune this for longer periods after all he might be fine stabled for a few hours whilst you are with him but may struggle to cope with a full night at first. Good luck.
 
why can he not live out and be ridden 5 days a week?

it is up to you whether you want him in or out but there is nothing to stop him living out and working through winter.
and he will probably prefer to live out anyway!
 
Mine live in as I fully clip, are you wanting to fully clip or just take a little off to make sure he doesn't get too sweaty?

I know people do winter out fully clipped horses, but personally, mine come in.
 
Well done on building up his trust.

Does it have to be a stark choice of in 24 hours a day or out 24 hours a day?

I would personally always prefer out rather than in all the time, but could you not just play it by ear - if the weather is ok and he is happy leave him out, if its dire get him in at night?
 
I second Crazymares comments - it really depends if you are going to clip. Anything other than a run up the front and he really may be better off coming in. Otherwise, there is not reason for him not to be perfectly happy staying out all the time. My ponies mostly did and thrived.
 
My loan pony lives out all year round. He will be worked 5 days a week too - I haven't worked out what i'm going to do about clipping, but I do know in the past he has been fully clipped and stayed out well rugged. Don't think i'll do that but he will need some sort of clip as he is a hairy monster!

Sounds like he'll be much happier out.
 
Are you intending to keep him stabled 24/7 over the winter? No choice IMO, I would leave him out well rugged etc or bring him in a night and turnout during the day.
 
sounds like you've done a good job with his confidence!

I would keep working on it though - and leave him out as much as you can so that you don't go backwards with it.

My big lad is clipped out (hunter clip) and is out from 6am to 8pm each day during the winter. with the right feed etc there's no reason why yours couldn't live out all the time!

you could always try it for a while and if it's not suiting one of you then make changes rather than rushing into a final decision!
 

As others said, if he can cope outside then go for it :-) Obviously depends on shelter/clip/rugs etc etc

On other side, think your doing right thing about bringing him in for short periods. My worry would be if for any reason *touch wood it never happens!* he'd need to go on box rest for a while. If he hates stables with a passion this might be quite distressing for him so if you can get him used to his house might prove useful in future even if you decide to keep him out.
 
It is up to you. It is all dependant on the clip and how good a doer he is.
Personally I bring my mare in at night in the winter because the grass isn't very good. She is out all day, and on 2 feeds a day yet still comes in and practically attacks her hay. She does come in hungry. So a deciding factor for me would also be the quality of grass out in the field or if the field is provided with hay?
Izzi x
 
I think it makes no difference how many times a week you work a horse as to whether you stable or keep out all year round, just depends on how the horse copes. You mention it is a pony, they are very tough and can live out perfectly well all year round.
Plenty of people keep horses out all year round fully clipped, as long as they are rugged accordingly i do not see a problem with it. I do not give my girl a full clip, just because i do not feel it necessary, and she is a very sweaty sort and lives out, an irish clip or similar has always done us just fine
 
Most of the horses on our yard live out 24/7. Most of them are clipped and rugged. Mine was unclipped and unrugged last winter, and ridden 5 or more times/week. I'll try the same this winter, though I may clip him if he sweats too much.
 
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