Musing over next winter......

[L&M]

I am very lucky to keep my horses at home and would like to try and winter them out this year (they are currently out 24/7 and have been since the beginning of March).

The horses are all native cob types, good doers and all around 14.2hh. One is retired, one is older but still in full work, but has issues with stiffness if stabled for prolonged periods, and the other has just turned 6yrs, so feel that 24/7 would be better for him as went a bit 'nutty' last winter after being stabled too much.

I have 3 available fields - field 1 is the summer grazing, approx 3 acres and split into 3 sections for rotation. They come onto this at the beginning of March until end of Oct.

Field 2 is 1 acre and a 'spare' if we run out of summer grazing ie heatwave and grass stops growing for a few weeks.

Field 3 - a 3 1/2 acre well draining hill filed, with natural shelter and a water supply, which is being rested from now until winter.

Would field 3 be enough to sustain the 3 small horses from Nov - Feb ie 4 mnths? Initially there would be plenty of grass and would of course supplement with haylage as and when needed. Ideally I don't want them on the other 2 fields as want them rested ready for March.

The other question is that how much of a pita is it to ride from the 'field'? I hunt 2 of the horses, but as one is grey, have to bath before hunting anyhow as is a muck magnet.

Finally, how is it best to feed them in the field? They are all greedy little beggers and am a little concerned fighting may break out, especially with bucket feed?

Any thoughts gratefully received, and sorry to mention winter on this lovely early summer day, but do like to plan ahead!

 

[L&M]

Thanks for that and very helpful.

The field I propose to use for Winter has been rested since april and hope they won't go on to it until at least the clocks change so am trying to plan ahead. I was thinking of splitting it into 2 - using one half up until xmas, then letting them have the other half after xmas. Once all the grass has gone, which I imagine would be around feb time, then open up the whole field and letting them have the extra space to pick at whats left.

I would rather not bring them in as they all have various issues which living out would hopefully help - but have stabling for any extreme weather!

We are lucky though as this field is on the side of a hill and the only mud we get is around the trough and main gateway, as is so well draining, but equally I have never had them out 24/7 in it so will be quite an experiment!

With the grey I am used to scrubbing off stable stains on a hunting morning, so will just be swapping that for mud! my only concern is that if he gets mud fever, but didn't suffer last winter, so will have to keep my fingers crossed...

I shall have a nosy at your blog....thanks again.

 

[catembi]

When I used to compete my (very white) grey, he lived out all the time & we have orange soil, so he used to come in orange! My tips:

Rug with a neck.
Snuggys hood if you get on with them.
Tail bag.
Every time you wash the tail, condition it as it seems to stop the dirt sticking.
Don't bother too much with legs. I used to give them a quick brush at home, then have a canter about in the warm-up at the comp, so after 5 mins they were dirty anyway!

Never had mud fever, but we're on sand which drains extremely well.

When I had 3, I used to catch one in at feed time, tie one up outside & feed the other in the field. Then put out more hay piles than horses.

I did manage 3 on 2 1/2 acres, but the fields are looking better now that we're down to 2 horses (oldie PTS last year).

T x