Not living out for summer......

Paint Me Proud

Paint Me Proud

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Next summer i wont be able to live Chico out, so he will be in over night and out in the day.

Friend has moved off the yard as she wants her horse to live out next year (fair enough)

I went to visit said friend at her new yard and another of her friends was there.

Friends friend then asked me 'So are you moving too?'

To which i replied 'No'

Her reply 'Really? You're seriously going to bring him in and out all summer. I couldnt do that!'

I am of the belief that a horse will follow whatever routine you, the owner, set up for it. If you leave them out all day that's where they stay, if you bring them in that's what they do.
I bet the horses dont think 'oh god, got to come into the stable with all that hay again today *sigh*'

I was surprised that she thought it was so unthinkable to live a horse in overnight in the summer.

What are your thoughts?
 
well we have 2 lami's on our yard (one of which is mine) and they both are in overnight and out during the day. Neither are bothered that they have to come in whilst the other horses stay out 24x7. In fact if we are late bringing them in they are stood at the gates waiting for us.

Both seem to aactually prefer their stables to the field as long as they have some turnout I don't think either would be bothered if it was for only an hour a day.

i guess their thinking is very little grass in field but net with hay in the stables far less effort involved :D
 
Although its always good to have them out as much as possible (more for your convenience than anything) if your yard can't give you that option and having your horse in overnight works for you then fine.

I was on DIY many years ago and all the horses had to be brought in during the day and then out at night. It was inconvenient but "themz woz the rulz."

If it bugs you, move. If it doesn't stay :D
 
I dont think its a problem for the horse,they do like routine so should be happy.
The owner however has more expense,bedding costs all year round,more hay and probably increased feed.
It also is nice to not have to muck out through the summer.
The other thing is if very hot I would rather the horses were in during the day and out at night.
I feel that in the summer you should be able to choose what suits you and your horse best.
 
There has always been a time over the summer when I've brought horses in either during the day or overnight - purely as it's much easier to manage their weight.

However, for both horse and owner it is bliss to have them out 24/7 for at least part of the summer - and I would be loath not to be at a yard where I coud do this.
 
Ours have been on a yard where they lived out 24/7 in summer and have also been on a yard where they are brought in at night during summer (current yard, brought in at night). And they seem to settle to the routine very well. Their behaviour doesn't change and they look forward to going out and coming in.

I'm sure yous will be fine :)
 
Chico did live in last year so i know all about the extra cost and routine etc. And the majority of other horses on the yard live in all summer anyway.

I dont mind him living in but was surprised that the other lady thought it was such an atrocity to do so.
 
Paint Me Proud said:
I am of the belief that a horse will follow whatever routine you, the owner, set up for it. If you leave them out all day that's where they stay, if you bring them in that's what they do.
I bet the horses dont think 'oh god, got to come into the stable with all that hay again today *sigh*'
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Agree with you on this. We choose to have them living out as much as poss, our yard doesn't offer 24/7 turnout during the winter so they come in overnight. They are mega chilled staying out, it is good for our older mare as she does stiffen a little when kept in overnight, and my mare has copd so staying out works well for her too. On the occasional very wet night or particularly hot and still day then they come in for a few hours. Suits us as the cost of bedding is horrendous, and suits the horses as I believe they are healthier and more chilled for being out and having the freedom to do their own this. When they are in overnight they tend to just pig their hay as there isn't anything else to do, when turned out 24/7 they are much better at regulating their feeding so our good doers actually are much easier to keep on their healthy weight when they are out.
 
When mine are eventing, they go out at night and in during the day. It works really well as they are around to be ridden etc during the day, and out of the heat/flies. It also doesn't matter if you have a sleep in, as they aren't standing in a stable with no food, so you can relax the rigidity of routines a bit.

This summer they are living out and semi-roughed off, but they still come in for two or three hours so that they can have muzzles, masks and fly rugs off for a break, and also so that my mare doesn't get too ferral!
 
We started off having ours out 24/7 but on suggestion from Instructor started to stable him overnight. Now he's having some time off I tried to leave him out - he hates it!! He just stands at the gate waiting to come in... So back in he is!!
 
Honey08 said:
When mine are eventing, they go out at night and in during the day. It works really well as they are around to be ridden etc during the day, and out of the heat/flies. It also doesn't matter if you have a sleep in, as they aren't standing in a stable with no food, so you can relax the rigidity of routines a bit.

This summer they are living out and semi-roughed off, but they still come in for two or three hours so that they can have muzzles, masks and fly rugs off for a break, and also so that my mare doesn't get too ferral!
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I used to put my mare out at night and in through the day in summer, went part DIY over summer, they would bring her in from the field in the morning and give her water, I would muck out in the evening etc. I actually found this convienient as she had been in all day and wasn't full of grass and I could ride, turn her out sort the bed and haynet (I just used to make 7 haynets up at the weekend). Found that if she was out through the day and came in from the field in the evening working her was a bit difficult as she didn't want to work because she had eaten too much. Now prone to Cushing induced laminitus so only goes out for a couple of hours, but is quite happy at that.
 
We've always had ours in for some time during the summer, currently we have them out 6pm-7am, there's no way we'd be able to have them out 24-7 - they'd be just so fat! I do find that having them in during the day does mean their stables stay cleaner compared to having them in at night, have no idea why...
 
With ours it depends what we're doing with them.
The youngstock are out 24/7 for as long as possible - they're not in work so no point in them standing in.
The harness horses go out for about 4 hours in the day - they're in training so we don't want them out all the time and they're usually asking to be brought back in by the time we go to get them.
The fat mini is only allowed out for short periods as she does on hot air.
The TB's when they come back into work in the next week or so - they're currently enjoying their summer holiday - will be alternated with the harness horses for turnout time.
 
I'm going to break the mould here, and say I couldnt stand having to bring roo in in summer, I love that feeling when your nearing end of winter and can stop mucking out. (i have had roo in through the day a few times but not all summer)
But that isn't to say i think it's atrocious or whatever, just I prefer her out
 
I'd love to keep mine out 24/7 in the summer. Less mucking out and less cost to me... But it's a myth that all horses prefer being out. He hates it - i tried last summer and he pretty much ran the weight off himself and kept injuring himself. Much easier to keep him in for part of the day -he's happier, i'm less stressed and he gets to eat!
 
Mine has been living out for a couple of days (prior to being injured) and loves to come back to his stable for a couple of days rest. At my old yard, he was in at night, out during the day and liked coming in at night, he is a cob.
 
Out 24/7 during summer has traditionally been looked upon as a handlers holiday from clockwatching and mucking out I think.

Personally, I think many horses would prefer to come in out of the heat and away from the bugs to the cool of a stable. Mine don't see the inside of a stall for months during the winter but there are some (especially the Paints with their pink noses) that spend all day dozing in the barn quite happily in the heat of summer.

Summer can be dreadful for some horses that are sensitive to flies, or burn etc, I imagine it is actually more beneficial for them to actually stand in. This is something I can't quite wrap my head around on some occasions when people say "Oh, I'll give him the summer" when putting off pts for old/ailing horses, poor buggers, stomping old bones on hard ground, wheezing in the heat and plagued by flies, is that really best?

OP I have no problem with stabling at night if that is what suits. It is no-ones' business but your own what you do with your own horse, stick to your guns and travel your own road.:)
 
mine come in at night all year round - they love their stables and will quite often take themselves in and stand there. I would like personally to leave them out all day and night but if they are happy tucked up with creature comforts then why not? :D
 
I think it all depends on individual circumstances and horses - some people might be horrified when I keep my horse in on a vile winter day and think it horrendous that he still comes in at night over the summer but hey ho - I wouldn't even put my horse in some paddocks that other people seem quite happy with. As long as you and your horse are happy then that is all that matters!

It's just different strokes for different folks :)
 
My horse likes coming in to his stable in the summer! He has ringbone in one front leg and isn't 100% comfortable out 24/7 on the hard ground so he comes in each day for a few hours - lies down, rests properly and is generally a much happier horse for it.

If your horse is happy that's all that matters, ignore your friend! I'd love to leave mine out 24/7 in summer but I can't because he'd be lame and he's also be twice the size he is now!
 
RubysGold said:
I'm going to break the mould here, and say I couldnt stand having to bring roo in in summer, I love that feeling when your nearing end of winter and can stop mucking out. (i have had roo in through the day a few times but not all summer)
But that isn't to say i think it's atrocious or whatever, just I prefer her out
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Nothing at all wrong with that. I agree. Ours come in for various reasons - mainly a break from all the rugs and muzzles etc they have to have on due to sweet itch etc, or to stop them eating for a bit!
 
I'd really like mine living out next summer. At the moment we are at a yard with an abundance of grass and they are all just too fat - so we are currently turning out at night and bringing them in during the day. It has also really helped with the flies which are really bad at our place - so they are enjoying coming in to have a rest from the sun and insects.

Just to add this is the first year I haven't had to worry about fly masks and rugs and sunburn etc.
 
I haven't the grazing for 24/7 turnout, but my lot do enjoy coming in at night, short feed etc:- and to get away from the flies.The 9 acre field my 2 mares were in they have completely grazed down and with the lack of rain, grass isn't growing, so yes I had to bring them in at night and they are completely happy, the 2 boys were stabled at night anyway as they are ridden.
 
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