New Yard With No Turnout Causing Problems with My TB

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jellycat

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Hi everyone

I have recently moved to a new yard with no turnout and am having some big problems. I have an 8 year old TB mare who I have had since August. She was an absolute angel at my old yard, never put her ears back or showed any signs of distress at all. She was turned out every day unless the weather was really bad. BUT I moved to a new yard a short time ago and it's been a nightmare! They don't have winter turnout apart from a small sand paddock and she is going CRAZY! I can't ride her as she has now thrown me off three times (this has never happened before) and I am worried I will end up getting seriously hurt. She also is starting to show signs of stable vices and has turned into a totally different horse. She seemed depressed from the first week she arrived. She has also always been troublesome to lunge and it's got 10x worse at the new yard (rearing up)

People at the yard seem to think that no turnout is fine as long as you ride/lunge your horse every day but I am not sure that's right for my TB. She has had a reputation for being herd bound in the past and I think this is causing problems too.

Please let me know your thoughts.
 
I exercise my TB everyday near enough, but he turns so sour if he's left in for a period of time. As you describe ears back, grumpy and very er... sprightly to ride. I try and turn him out most day, and maximum 2 days in.

So i would agree it's the turn-out that's the problem.
 
Move yards - Her change of behaviour is most likely due to having no turnout. Listen to your horse. She's telling you she is not happy!
 
i agree that it is probably the turnout! will they absolutely not let you turn out, even if you tell then why and how she is behaving? or maybe you'll have to move again, or another option if you don't want to move could you rent a paddock near by for winter turnout??
 
Please dont get upset but I really really think you need to change yards asap. This isnt acceptable to any horses, especially thoroughbreds. The only temporary solution would be to fence of a little yard area so your horse can stretch its legs and get some air, even if no grazing - you can just put piles of hay out. The sand paddock is fine but she needs several hours there, ideally with company to de-stress her.
Horses are designed to walk around (keeping them in stables for too long is not good for them mentally or physically).
I am shocked that a livery yard can charge people and yet offer no turnout.
You can see yourself that this could end in disaster, you could have an accident on her and she could hurt herself.
You will both be far happier and you should get your old horse back if you move to another yard. x
 
Even if you are riding for 2 or 3 hours a day, that still leaves 20-odd hours where your horse is basically locked in a box. Some horses will deal with that, but IMO that doesn't make it a good way to keep them. I would move asap, even if that means you lose some facilities like indoor schools etc.
 
I can definitely move yards. I looked at somewhere today which is more like where we were before, with turn out etc. Just wanted to make sure that I am not wrong about her because people on the new yard like pointing out that their horses are fine without turnout. I have tried to explain that she's an ex-racehorse which makes her different from other breeds/types of horses but it doesn't seem to sink in! The worse thing is I get an audience of whispering people whenever I try to lunge or ride her! This makes me nervous which she picks up on and makes it even harder :(
 
JoBird said:
Please dont get upset but I really really think you need to change yards asap. This isnt acceptable to any horses, especially thoroughbreds. The only temporary solution would be to fence of a little yard area so your horse can stretch its legs and get some air, even if no grazing - you can just put piles of hay out. The sand paddock is fine but she needs several hours there, ideally with company to de-stress her.
Horses are designed to walk around (keeping them in stables for too long is not good for them mentally or physically).
I am shocked that a livery yard can charge people and yet offer no turnout.
You can see yourself that this could end in disaster, you could have an accident on her and she could hurt herself.
You will both be far happier and you should get your old horse back if you move to another yard. x
Click to expand...

There is definitely no chance of turnout... I have asked and explained the problem. She currently only gets 15 mins per day!
 
jellycat said:
I can definitely move yards. I looked at somewhere today which is more like where we were before, with turn out etc. Just wanted to make sure that I am not wrong about her because people on the new yard like pointing out that their horses are fine without turnout. I have tried to explain that she's an ex-racehorse which makes her different from other breeds/types of horses but it doesn't seem to sink in! The worse thing is I get an audience of whispering people whenever I try to lunge or ride her! This makes me nervous which she picks up on and makes it even harder :(
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Are their horses really fine, or are they just so institutionalised and miserable that their owners can't tell any more? Even the riding school in the centre of London I used to go to scraped together some turnout for their horses every day. They also sent them away twice a year to the country for a month in a field - and the difference when they came back was huge. You could really tell when they were due to go, that they needed a break.

Keeping a healthy horse in 24/7 is not good - especially for most horses in the UK. People might have got away with it back when horses were working in the fields 8 or 9 hours a day, but most people now school once a day and think it hard work. It isn't right - it's something done for human convenience, not with the best interests of the horse at heart.

**Climbs off soapbox**:o
 
I feel for you jellycat, but I think the answer is going to lie with having more turn out, some horses just can't deal with being stabled 24/7. Is there another yard that you could move to that at least has turn out during the day?
 
Spudlet said:
Are their horses really fine, or are they just so institutionalised and miserable that their owners can't tell any more? Even the riding school in the centre of London I used to go to scraped together some turnout for their horses every day. They also sent them away twice a year to the country for a month in a field - and the difference when they came back was huge. You could really tell when they were due to go, that they needed a break.

Keeping a healthy horse in 24/7 is not good - especially for most horses in the UK. People might have got away with it back when horses were working in the fields 8 or 9 hours a day, but most people now school once a day and think it hard work. It isn't right - it's something done for human convenience, not with the best interests of the horse at heart.

**Climbs off soapbox**:o
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I totally agree. I want my horse to live as natural a life as possible.

BTW they didn't make is clear there was no turn out available. I have never been anywhere before where there was nothing so stupidly I just assumed that she could go out in winter. You live an learn I suppose!
 
SusieT said:
Move. I don't understand why you moved there in the first place unless you were told there was turnout..
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They told me there was turnout... but it's in summer not winter. The way they described the situation was as if she would be in a field with other horses as soon as I moved her. It was only once I got there I realised I had been misled.
 
I'm glad that you're going to try and move, sounds like you'll both be a lot happier. We have an ex racer, I couldn't imagine what she'd be like with no turnout! :D

Just out of interest, is there no turn out at all or is it no turn out just in winter?
 
skint1 said:
I'm glad that you're going to try and move, sounds like you'll both be a lot happier. We have an ex racer, I couldn't imagine what she'd be like with no turnout! :D

Just out of interest, is there no turn out at all or is it no turn out just in winter?
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Just winter... but they're saying it'll be the end of April before she goes out! Two months is a long time with 15 mins per day and no riding she'll be crazy
 
I hope you manage to find a new place soon. Then just give her time and hopefully with proper daily turnout and company you will get your horse back. Try to do it sooner rather than later, even if it means rugging her up and putting her out 24/7. Don't let her stress become a habit. Good luck, hope it all works out.
 
Spudlet said:
Keeping a healthy horse in 24/7 is not good - especially for most horses in the UK. People might have got away with it back when horses were working in the fields 8 or 9 hours a day, but most people now school once a day and think it hard work. It isn't right - it's something done for human convenience, not with the best interests of the horse at heart.

**Climbs off soapbox**:o
Click to expand...

**Applauds Spudlet**
Agree it sounds like she isnt happy, FWIW I don't believe all horses need to be out all the time (for instance I have an ID mare who is ready for in after 15 minutes), but they do need some form of time out.
 
We have no TBs, have a range of native, Appy, ID and cob, mot one of them would cope with being in 24/7. The longest they have ever had to stay in is 48 hours in the very worst of wonter. We normally turnout for 12 hours, but they always get at least 2 hours out, even if the weather is so foul that we can't leave them out for the full day. I can't understand livery yards that 'don't allow' turnout.
 
**Prepares to be controversial**

If a yard can't manage at least some turnout all year round, it means they have taken on more horses than the land can deal with.

**Runs and hides**
 
Yes I think your very right yard move in order! in my last horse a full tb for 13 years until her sad death and she had to be out every day! no matter what the weather she wanted out from early morning and would get upset about staying in. even in the snow she was out as long as i could persuade one other horse to go out. if she stayed in for some reason she was a nitemare to ride dispite being in regular work. I think with some TBS their quite hardy and just need to be out all year every day. I see a lot of TBS that live out with no rugs and they are fat as butter ad super happy. good luck with no new yard. x:)
 
Unhappy horse, unhappy you, upsticks before it all goes really sour.

[I have tried to explain that she's an ex-racehorse which makes her different from other breeds/types of horses but it doesn't seem to sink in! ]

ps, sorry, but I can't see what difference her being an ex-racer makes in the least, racer, ex-racer, they are no different. They all just horses, never quite got my head around this fallacy that they are more special than any other type to be honest. I've worked with dozens and dozens of them, on and off the track, both tbs and arabs, flat, NH and more recently standardbreds, they are still just horses.

It is the other way around on my yard, stabling is limited, I have plenty of them, just don't like having to muck them out, so I don't rent them out;)
 
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Spudlet said:
**Prepares to be controversial**

If a yard can't manage at least some turnout all year round, it means they have taken on more horses than the land can deal with.

**Runs and hides**
Click to expand...

I agree with this to a point. I only have 7 horses at my yard and 7 acres of grass but they don't go out on it when it's muddy. I have a sand turn out and the horses go out in shifts and get at least 3 hours out a day in small groups with haylage. At least they get out every day of the year this way. All of them including two TBs are totally chilled out. Turnout does not need to be on grass as long as they get to stretch their legs and socialise with other horses.
 
Enfys said:
ps, sorry, but I can't see what difference her being an ex-racer makes in the least, racer, ex-racer, they are no different. They all just horses, never quite got my head around this fallacy that they are more special than any other type to be honest. )
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I just mention that because, on the new yard, it feels like it's the best way to make them understand that she's not happy. And, although they're horses might not have the same problems as her, there is a reason why she's like this. My old loan TB was the same. He had AWFUL stable manners, the worst on the yard, when I took him on... but... when turned out every day he was a new horse. They both just have a lot of energy and are both easily upset by things. And, in my experience, much more sensitive than the other horses I have had. I understand that no all TBs are like this just as some horses of other breeds would react the same as my mare to the same situation.
 
Wagtail said:
OP, why did you change yards?
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Because my boyfriend got a job down south on a temporary contract and I couldn't afford to live on my own/in a shared house. Also I am a full time PhD student and needed to stay reasonably close to my university. The answer was to move to a town nearish my uni with family but too far away to keep her at my old yard.
 
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