Lock down

We have 6-8 hours turnout daily for the live in lot, we have huge amounts of off road hacking, 2 outdoor schools and 1 indoor. I have one out 24/7 unless the weather is bad then she comes in and one in at night, neither ridden. If we didn't have all year turn out I wouldn't stay at that yard tbh, but we are lucky enough to have sacrifice fields just for winter.
 
This only happened to us when it was icy last weekend - on Saturday it was deemed too dangerous to turn out in the field (all churned up mud then frozen, leg-breaking type stuff) and the arena had also frozen solid so I think only one horse had a leg stretch on it at his owner's discretion. The next day I believe most of the horses had as much of a leg stretch as they wanted in the arena, and it was turnout as normal on the Monday.

The horses have anything from an 30mins-a full day's turnout in winter, all treated as individuals. My old lad was having a full day but this winter has preferred 2-4 hours out and to be in the rest of the time.
 
No restrictions formy boys, very lucky to have plenty of land. I wouldn't want to ride or even handle my Welshie with no turnout.. He's enough of a dragon at the moment with 12 hours a day out!
 
Luckily all five of mine have remained out 24/7 with no issues and just a small area of mud in one gateway. Not really a lot of land I guess, but enough. (5 acres) From 9.2hh - 15.2hh
 
We are on heavy clay but still have at least 6hrs a day turnout!
Our fields havestood up well and are not perticularly muddy and certainly have more than enough grass on them
 
If I had to use a livery yard I think one of the very first questions I'd ask about would be winter turnout and I simply wouldnt put my horse into one where it was limited, especially on "lock down" where literally the horse is stabled all the time - no way. If I were your friend, I would look elsewhere. It may be hard finding another yard that offers winter turnout but I imagine there must be a few around. I dont know of many yards in my area that "lock down".
 
MagicMelon said:
If I had to use a livery yard I think one of the very first questions I'd ask about would be winter turnout and I simply wouldnt put my horse into one where it was limited, especially on "lock down" where literally the horse is stabled all the time - no way. If I were your friend, I would look elsewhere. It may be hard finding another yard that offers winter turnout but I imagine there must be a few around. I dont know of many yards in my area that "lock down".
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You know, this was the very first question I asked on all of the yards ive been on in the NW. Every single YO lied to me about what happened in winter, was promised daily turnout with a min of 3-4 hours on the first 2 yards. These were the worst, they shut the fields in September until end of May. No alternatives provided, and summer turnout was approx 6 hours maybe 8 if I was very lucky. When I questioned the difference in what I was promised, I was told I turnout far too much and expected far too much too!!
 
We still have turnout and the fields are still green. Pony out every day though waiting to come in today at catch in time.

I do feel lucky to be in SE though as I think thought there is perhaps less grazing land available the weather tends to be better and I have never been on a yard that closes the fields in the winter. Though if there is heavy snow sometimes the horses prefer to be in.
 
My yard is turnout as normal was very happy to arrive at the yard on Sunday to see my horse turned out before 7am (full livery). I generally bring him in around 3-4. He wants in by then if the weather is ok I try and leave him out but he starts climbing gates..
Our fields are boggy but we all including yard owners prefer them out. Never been restricted st this yard. Have been on a previous yard we were on complete lock down was horrendous and I lasted a week on lockdown before leaving. I found it hard to find somewhere that has decent turnout through winter but still offers 24/7 through spring and summer. Most at my yard don't bring in till November and their all back out 24/7 in April.
 
We don't have livery but I am restricting my stabled horses ATM my place is waterlogged you can hardly walk in the trash field ,they go out roll walk to the hedge and stand so I cut food and upped ridden work and they go two hours a day when the weather is a not at it's worse .
This is the wettest I have seen my land in 25plus years .
I am going to try to build a hardstanding for next winter .
 
We built a hardstanding turnout area a few years ago, it's been the best thing that we ever did. It seems like each winter is getting worse and worse (wetter and wetter) so it is going to become a huge problem. Heck people have had their houses flooded time after time in some areas.
 
I'll probably get slated for this but I chose to move mine from 24/7 turnout to 24/7 stabled at the end of November, and just in time before the county flooded. Both my horses had developed rainscald and mud fever. They are now coping with being indoors, it works well as there's 17horses that can all see each other in an American barn type unit. People coming and going all day. We have a lit indoor arena and small hard standing outside we can use whilst we muck out. Yes the set ups not ideal but it's only temporary and I can exercise them. They're much better off than those stood knee/belly deep in mud battling the Cumbrian winter. Unfotunately yards in general don't have enough land for the number of horses they keep. More horses = more money for YOs. You'd struggle to find any yard around here which doesn't limit turnout over winter.
 
I'm not on a livery yard. We have summer grazing which we rent and then we have a very small amount of winter grazing - the farmer who we rent our summer grazing off doesn't want the horses out all year round and TBH the fields normally start getting very wet and muddy come October.

Our winter turn out is about 1.5 acres - it's not meant to keep them going in grass it's meant for a leg stretch and they normally get a few hours each day.

We also have a fair bit of hard standing on the yard and a small paddock.

Our winter grazing is currently a mud pit - we are not using it as all that happens is they fling themselves down for a roll then come and stand at the gate. We are letting them mooch around on the hard standing as much as possible - we put piles of hay out and then let them wander.

So far we've had 3 days where we were on complete lock down and that was because of ice.

We have however had days where they have point blank refused to leave their stables even after the doors have been opened.
 
We have no restrictions. They're still going out 12 hours a day. The yard is at the top of a hill and the land drains fairly well. About 40m all around the gate is like soup, but luckily not very deep as there's not a huge amount of soil before hitting bedrock. The rest of the field is wet but not awful, despite there being 9 horses in there instead of the usual 6.

There's normally 12 horses who live together on the big fields in the summer and split into 2 herds of 6 for the winter, but as we were down to 9 this winter, the plan was to keep them together and rotate fields. As it's been so wet and mild though, there's still a bit of grass out there (and spring grass is starting to come through) so YO has decided to leave them in that field as long as possible even if they trash it and then move them to the other field.

The horses have definitely looked like they want to come in a lot more than usual this year though, particularly when it's raining. In the heaviest of rain someone has usually grabbed them in early as they all look so miserable.
 
i couldn't bare to do a lock down, though i have restricted turnout to 6am-2 or 3pm depending on weather but after reading all these posts think ours are lucky. I only have 1 field to use but like honey 008 i put a hardstanding in a couple of years ago and it has been a life saver this year, infact i intend to extend it in the summer as i think this is the way our winters are going to be in the future. Alot of yards round me are not turning out at all at the moment.
 
We're not turning out as long during the day at the moment because the fields are wet and we don't want them trashing, the horses don't seem bothered, they have a walker and exercise. It's amazing how attitudes change when it's your own paddocks you're trashing.
 
I'm on full livery, my horse is turned out every day whatever the weather. Luckily, the yard is on sandy soil, there is no mud. Turnout is 8am till about 3pm at the moment, longer in spring/summer. However, if it's raining heavily or snowing etc, the YO brings them in around lunchtime because they're all stood at the gates! I like and insist on turnout everyday but it doesn't have to be all day, sometimes a few hours will suffice.
 
Our seasons are changing, it's raining more, when in years gone by it would freeze or snow. We are all going to have to find a solution to this.

I have mine at home, my fields are not overgrazed, and I'm having to reduce turnout, sometimes they stay in for a couple of days. My fields have drainage, but it's still very wet. The horses, well thy seem content. If they have to stay in, they get turned out in the arena for a bit while we muck out.

As for livery owners, I feel for them. It costs a fortune to put drains , hard standing / all weather turnout etc. I personally don't see any harm in reducing turnout in these conditions.
 
RunToEarth said:
We're not turning out as long during the day at the moment because the fields are wet and we don't want them trashing, the horses don't seem bothered, they have a walker and exercise. It's amazing how attitudes change when it's your own paddocks you're trashing.
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actualy I used to have my own place and still prefered horses out in all weather! grass will recover!
When I was at home my ponies lived out 24/7 from march untill November then between november and march they were in between about 7pm and 5am! yes the gate ways got trashed but we put hardcore in the worst areas and had a haylege bale on some hardcore to encourage ponies to linger there but if we rolled the muddy patches when it was dry enough and then left it to rest it was good as new normaly by around june!

My current yard owner doesnt mind a bit of mud either!
 
How many of you would be willing to keep your horses in a barn-type environment? Without shoes?

My own land is not usable right now. I've yet to meet the horse that likes being in a bottomless pit (and my land isnt very poached) in the sort of weather we've had this week. Over the next two days we have an amber wind warning plus warnings for snow, ice and rain. I persuaded the farmer I rent some land off to let me rent an old byre-its got a gate on one end, has built in drainage, ventilation, water. At 30 x 60ft, its plenty big enough for my three who get on well-their movement is not that restricted, they can interact and much better for their feet than standing in water (before xmas I was having recurring nightmares of their feet dropping off!) and the byre is knee deep in straw (I had quite forgotten how good long straw is at cleaning muddy legs!). They go in overnight atm (we've not had any nice nights since I got it lol) and will probably stay in from tonight until Sunday morning if the forecast is right. They seem quite happy in it.

Not as cost effective to a landlord perhaps but in areas where there is a short growing season for recovery (we only get one cut of hay, last year grass didnt start until May and it drops right off end of september although continues slowly for a while after).

Horse owners are going to have to rethink keeping horses out in winter and they're going to have to pay for it. At my own place I have forked out for a pole yard and will be forking out for another hardstanding turnout area.
 
I have to say for all of you wanting daily turnout for your horses regardless of how bad the ground is and how much grass there is/isn't I understand that we all try to do the best we can for our horses but is daily turnout in a field that is so muddy that it's practically liquid really what your horse would choose?

I mention this because I've recently taken on board 2 lodgers. Over Christmas we got a call from an old friend - she had 2 horses living out and needed a temp stable as we thought the mare had an abscess. We went to pick the mare up and I have to say I was horrified at the state of the field - what little grass there was was underwater (field was rented). Yes they were getting the forage that they needed but those poor horses looked so miserable. We ended up picking up the pair of them and bringing them back to us - they are now sharing our little yard and will be with us indefinitely - our summer grazing is ample and owner is happy for them to 'suffer' the same restrictions as ours in the winter.

Her mare didn't have an abscess - she had pulled something at the back of her heel - probably because of the state of the field. The TB gelding took himself into his stable and then for 3 days afterwards refused to set a toe outside his door unless we gave him plenty of encouragement. Both of them have really bad mud rash - poor gelding has been very very sore with it.

So in circumstances like that which do you think is better for the horse?

Also both horses had had new rugs mid November - they obviously hadn't even had a lie down as the rugs didn't have any mud on them at all. They are both pootling around quite happily on the hard standing and both look much better for it.
 
We are lucky on our yard. It is a working farm and we have ample turnout the only condition is at the moment to bring in as early as possible. So my boy goes out at 6am and comes in between 12 - 2 depending on who is getting him in. The fields are so wet as the weather has been awful. When the weather sorts itself out and the fields dry up then I am sure we will go back to normal turnout where he won't come in until I get back from work.

Thankfully a few of the girls who are up during the day if they see any of the horses just stood at the gate in the mud they will just get them in. My boy certainly lets it be known when he is fed up of the mud!

Bring on the summer is all I have to say I cannot wait for 24-7 turnout!
 
I would love to have a big barn available to pop mine in if they needed to come in. I would also love to have a hard standing/all weather turnout area.
 
Faracat said:
I would love to have a big barn available to pop mine in if they needed to come in. I would also love to have a hard standing/all weather turnout area.
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I'd love this too. I rent my land but if I owned it this is what I would do. there is an disused barn on the adjoining land which I look at longingly but the owners don't want to rent it

I'm doing the best I can, my two avoid the mud if they can and at the moment are turned out for twelve hours on a mud bath but as Madlady says its not ideal and they do spend the odd day in. They are tolerating it well, the six year old is not keen to go out but the three year old needs play and a good run around so its a delicate balancing act and a lot of compromise to keep them both happy
 
PeterNatt said:
It has been a wet Winter but no excuse as yards should make it quite clear in the written contract they have with their liveries that there is limited turnout when the weather conditions worsens.
Otherwise they should have drainage installed in their field and have sufficient acreage to accommodate the number of horses/stables they have.
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^^
this. Too many yards have too many horses and no proper contract with liveries.
 
My yard is on lockdown. We've been in for 10 days and probably will be in for another week at least. My routine is to go up before work, muck out and hand walk with a half hour grazing session. My father kindly does a 1pm visit for another walk and half hour graze with a skip out and I return in the evening for another graze in hand/ride/lunge and muck out. The horses are content with this as they are all in and can see they're in the same predicament. It's time consuming and expensive on bedding and hay, I would like a couple of hours in the field but clay, rain and horses only makes for liquid mud.
 
I'm lucky to be at top of the winter hill field, and mine go out between 7 and 2 every day, although they will come in earlier if the weather is really vile. They are fine with this.
I have never seen it so wet, or so mild that the grass has remained green through the winter.
 
MotherOfChickens said:
How many of you would be willing to keep your horses in a barn-type environment? Without shoes?

My own land is not usable right now. I've yet to meet the horse that likes being in a bottomless pit (and my land isnt very poached) in the sort of weather we've had this week. Over the next two days we have an amber wind warning plus warnings for snow, ice and rain. I persuaded the farmer I rent some land off to let me rent an old byre-its got a gate on one end, has built in drainage, ventilation, water. At 30 x 60ft, its plenty big enough for my three who get on well-their movement is not that restricted, they can interact and much better for their feet than standing in water (before xmas I was having recurring nightmares of their feet dropping off!) and the byre is knee deep in straw (I had quite forgotten how good long straw is at cleaning muddy legs!). They go in overnight atm (we've not had any nice nights since I got it lol) and will probably stay in from tonight until Sunday morning if the forecast is right. They seem quite happy in it.

Not as cost effective to a landlord perhaps but in areas where there is a short growing season for recovery (we only get one cut of hay, last year grass didnt start until May and it drops right off end of september although continues slowly for a while after).

Horse owners are going to have to rethink keeping horses out in winter and they're going to have to pay for it. At my own place I have forked out for a pole yard and will be forking out for another hardstanding turnout area.
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I would love this - I think a barn which could be left open to a field so the horses could choose whether to be in or out would be my perfect setup, especially if it had a nice hardstanding area between the field and barn. That way you could keep them off the grass in the worst weather and you would be able to drive into the hardstanding area to deliver hay and bedding to the barn.

madlady said:
I have to say for all of you wanting daily turnout for your horses regardless of how bad the ground is and how much grass there is/isn't I understand that we all try to do the best we can for our horses but is daily turnout in a field that is so muddy that it's practically liquid really what your horse would choose?

I mention this because I've recently taken on board 2 lodgers. Over Christmas we got a call from an old friend - she had 2 horses living out and needed a temp stable as we thought the mare had an abscess. We went to pick the mare up and I have to say I was horrified at the state of the field - what little grass there was was underwater (field was rented). Yes they were getting the forage that they needed but those poor horses looked so miserable. We ended up picking up the pair of them and bringing them back to us - they are now sharing our little yard and will be with us indefinitely - our summer grazing is ample and owner is happy for them to 'suffer' the same restrictions as ours in the winter.

Her mare didn't have an abscess - she had pulled something at the back of her heel - probably because of the state of the field. The TB gelding took himself into his stable and then for 3 days afterwards refused to set a toe outside his door unless we gave him plenty of encouragement. Both of them have really bad mud rash - poor gelding has been very very sore with it.

So in circumstances like that which do you think is better for the horse?

Also both horses had had new rugs mid November - they obviously hadn't even had a lie down as the rugs didn't have any mud on them at all. They are both pootling around quite happily on the hard standing and both look much better for it.
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I have always been in favour of 24/7 turnout, but not in a position to have my horse out all year as the best I can get in my area is what I have i.e. 24/7 in summer and in overnight in winter. My horse is happy to come in but even happier to go out......usually. This winter is the first one where I've questioned this. The boys are ready to come in long before I can get there due to work so they're spending an hour or two at the gate, in a swamp, waiting. That's not doing them any good and is filling me with guilt. As I said above the ideal would be a setup where they can choose. I think I'd have to buy my own place to achieve this though and I neither want nor can afford to do that.
 
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