Living Out

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Flicker

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Friend is thinking of switching her boy (TB / ID) from stabled to living out for his COPD. He is about 15.
He's out at night now, and in during the day, but she wants to make the move as quickly as possible so he is prepared for it when winter comes.
Does your horse live out all year round and what do you recommend in terms of keeping them comfortable? There is a field shelter facing away from the prevailing wind and access to a stable for emergencies (but at additional cost). Also got access to as much hay / hayledge as he needs if the grass gets bad and the fields are rotated. Field is bordered on 2 sides with a hedge.
He has rugs ranging from rainsheet to full-neck heavyweight.
Any advice gratefully received.
 
Sounds like your friend has it covered. She will need to give the horse access to adlib hay/haylage during the winter months. And obviously it will need a companion as well.

Apart from that, get it out now (It is summer) and crack on.
 
He will be much healthier and happier living out. I have known of many TBs who live out. There is a breeder down the road and all her very posh youngsters live out all winter with no rugs. My friend has 2 TBs who are in full work. They live out 24/7 and have rugs in winter.

She is correct to take time to aclimatise the horse. Stabling and excess rugging ruin the horses thermo immune system. Tiz like when you were a kid and got told not to wear your coat indoors because you won't feel the benifit of it outside.
 
i am sure your friends horse will do well out 24/7, my mares lives out mostly 24/7, rarely bring her in, as long as they have some degree of shelter, even natural shelter, plenty of feed and the right rugs they are generally as happy as larry
there was one time it was rotten out and i was thinking my poor horsey, i got up the yard and went to her and she was snug and dry as a bone in her full neck rug, so i gave her hay and left her very happily to it
grin.gif
 
Thanks everyone, for your encouraging posts (and the posts from the TB living out thread). My friend will be much reassured and I'm sure her boy will be made up. He's got a couple of other new friends at the yard he will be going to and YO is very good with hay etc, so it sounds like a good decision has been made
smile.gif
 
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