No turn out

[Marigold43]

So I am fast learning that lots of yards don't do winter turn out, or very little!!! I have the choice of just one yard that I can get to and there seems to be no turn out during the winter months!!!! The arena is like a bog because of this hideous weather too!!! I have been taking her my girl out for a walk to stretch her legs but the lanes around the yard are so slippery and muddy, I worry that she or/and I will go over!!! Anyway, I am wondering what else I can do to help alleviate some of her boredom??? To be fair, other than being very fresh when she does get out, she doesn't seem too unhappy being kept in. She is only moody towards one other mare in the yard and is no in bad humour towards me for not getting her out as much as I should. The yard is a big American style barn so plenty of light and fresh air. I am just worried about her and being a new owner, don't want to get things wrong......any advice greatly appreciated 😃

 

[Maryann]

Ask your farrier about road studs, get out as much as you can and enjoy your lovely made. At least you don't have to excavate her from a pile of earth every time you want to ride!

 

[Doormouse]

Ours are in a lot at the moment because of the weather and we turn them out in the school everyday for about an hour each just so they can stretch their legs and have a good roll. Our school is also a bit of a bog but at least they can't slip up in the school or completely trash the surface when they are racing about.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Ours are in a lot at the moment because of the weather and we turn them out in the school everyday for about an hour each just so they can stretch their legs and have a good roll. Our school is also a bit of a bog but at least they can't slip up in the school or completely trash the surface when they are racing about.

Round here hardly any keep them in- ours are out 7 am till 3pm

 

[Doormouse]

Round here hardly any keep them in- ours are out 7 am till 3pm

Thats lovely but it's horses for courses do you not think?

As far as I was aware the op was asking for advice in her current situation which I offered. It was not to start a row about the right a d wrongs of turning out or not.

 

[Marigold43]

Thanks for all your comments guys. I know each yard has their own approach and mine does state all year round turnout but this isn't the case. Because I am new to owning my own horse, I was just interested in ways of keeping my lil lady as happy as I can whilst she is having to be in. She seems ok and is never grumpy towards me. I guess in am just trying to make the best of a less than ideal situation 😄

 

[catroo]

While not how I'd keep mine, in this situation you need to make sure she's getting adlib forage which might mean soaking hay or adding straw if she's s good doer. Also you need to get her out of the stable at least twice a day, maybe a walk in hand in the morning, even if it's just grazing from verges/areas around the yard, with a good hack in the afternoon.

 

[Cortez]

Can you lunge your mare? Or even loose school for 20 mins? That and a ridden session should at least keep her exercised and out of the stable. With this awful wet weather there are many places which cannot turn out at the moment (mine included), as long as the horses get enough time out of the stable they will cope. People's problem seems to be not having enough time to exercise properly.

 

[Goldenstar]

Can you lunge your mare? Or even loose school for 20 mins? That and a ridden session should at least keep her exercised and out of the stable. With this awful wet weather there are many places which cannot turn out at the moment (mine included), as long as the horses get enough time out of the stable they will cope. People's problem seems to be not having enough time to exercise properly.

Agree so much with this no turn out and lots of work is fine , no turnout and isuffient exercise is not acceptable.

 

[chestnut cob]

Agree so much with this no turn out and lots of work is fine , no turnout and isuffient exercise is not acceptable.

This.

It is what I am struggling with ATM. No arena lights, working all day (ie, not being able to go to yard in daylight ATM) and only being at the yard in darkness plus limited turnout (but still better than none) makes things difficult. January, I think, is the worst time of year. It seems so dark all the time. I was at the yard in darkness this morning to muck out with the aim of lungeing, but it didn't get light enough until after 8am which is really too late. However, this time in 2 weeks we will have over 30 mins more daylight at the end of the day so it is getting easier!

OP, we are lucky to have 24/7 turnout in summer (April to Oct), then up until this week the horses have been out all day and stabled at night. It's only now that our fields are totally sodden (as in, so sodden I have never seen anything like it) and they are miserable, that turnout is limited to maybe 3 hours. It's not ideal but it's not the end of the world, and only for a limited time.