Not sure about what happens in the winter!!

horserider0912

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Hi,
im new to having a horse and just wondering about the winter.

Q1
In the winter how many times do you have to go up to the horse to clean them out and give them hay?

Q2
Do you have any sort of heating in the stable as well?

thanks!
 

Saxon_Jasmine

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Hiya, I was new to having a horse last winter.

It depends whether your horse is stabled or has turnout. If he is in his stable all day and night you need to muck him out in the morning, then skip out in the evening. As for heating in the stable, if you put a thick bed down and rug him approprietly then he won't get cold (make sure you don't over rug though).

His breed, condition, etc will determine how much hay you need to feed. I have a TB who is a poor doer so I feed her as much hay and haylage as she can eat, however if your horse is a good doer or overweight then you will need to ration the hay.

Hope this helps :)
 

Dirtymare

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Hi,
im new to having a horse and just wondering about the winter.

Q1
In the winter how many times do you have to go up to the horse to clean them out and give them hay?

Q2
Do you have any sort of heating in the stable as well?

thanks!

Sorry, but if this is not a joke, then I suggest you get some help from someone who knows how to look after horses.
 

applecart14

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Hi,
im new to having a horse and just wondering about the winter.

Q1
In the winter how many times do you have to go up to the horse to clean them out and give them hay?

Q2
Do you have any sort of heating in the stable as well?

thanks!

Apologies for being blunt but if you don't know the answer to these questions you shouldn't really have a horse. I'm all for people asking questions, we all have to learn after all, but these are very basic questions and if I were you - if you are not already - I would put your horse on a livery yard, even if it is DIY as you will get lots of help from people.
 

horserider0912

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thanks for the advice to some of you!
To the rest of you i would just like to say that we all have to start somewhere and im so sorry if im not an expert. Its my first winter and im still learning and im sure you are to! lol! ;)

By the 1st question ( was not very clear)
How long does it take a horse to eat a hay net full of hay. I might put 2 hay nets in.....
 

Puzzles

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thanks for the advice to some of you!
To the rest of you i would just like to say that we all have to start somewhere and im so sorry if im not an expert. Its my first winter and im still learning and im sure you are to! lol! ;)

By the 1st question ( was not very clear)
How long does it take a horse to eat a hay net full of hay. I might put 2 hay nets in.....

Guys - constructive advice is required here: whether or not the OP should or shouldn't have a horse is irrelevant simple because s/he already has one. Therefore OP, in answer of your question, a horse can eat 1kg of hay in as little as 12 minutes. How much hay your horse should eat depends on his breed, height, weight, workload and lifestyle (i.e. stabled 24/7). An example might be, just for the night, choosing 2 large haynets (the biggest you can find) with small holes (the smallest you can find, or put 1 haynet inside another) and stuff them to the brim with hay. This will encourage your horse to slow down when he eats (which is especially beneficial if he is gains weight easily) and will make the hay last longer.
Do you plan to keep him in 24/7, just at night or what?
 

NicoleS_007

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My winter routine is the same as my summer routine tbh. I muck out once a day and leave the bed up in banks to dry whilst my horse is in the field. If your clipping your horse you will need appropriate rugs to keep him warm indoors and outdoors. If not clipping he may only need a light turnout depending on how much you horse feels the chill. I usually feed breaky lunch and one haynet for tee, usually takes 2 hrs for mine to eat 1 haynet hope that helps :D
 
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martlin

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Hi,
im new to having a horse and just wondering about the winter.

Q1
In the winter how many times do you have to go up to the horse to clean them out and give them hay?

Q2
Do you have any sort of heating in the stable as well?

thanks!
Q1
Hard to say, if a lot time in, you will need to muck out twice possibly.
A big haynet should see the horse through the night, but you might have to experiment a bit with that.

Q2
You are joking, aren't you?
 

AmyMay

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The best advice I can give you is to ensure that you are stabling on a really well run and supportive livery yard. It will invaluable to you as the novice owner.
 

horserider0912

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ok he is 14.2hh, cob, gelding, chesnut.
He goes out in the field in the day with a fly rug or lightweight rug at the minute. He stays out at night when the weather is nice but comes in if there is heavy rain.
I ride him about every other day for about an 1-2 hours ride. He does not have a feed but when he is ridden i give him a carrot, apple or a hand full of pony cubes just for being good really. His main meal is grass though. Is there anything else?

thanks!
 

Saxon_Jasmine

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If he is in during the day and night you will need to muck out in the morning and in the evening. If he is only in during the night then you can muck out in the morning when you put him in the field.

As he is a cob I'm pressuming he'll be quite a good doer, so you will probably only need to feed 1/2 nets of hay when he is stabled. He may loose weight as there is less grass in the winter so you should think about getting a feed as well for him to ensure he gets all the nutrients he needs (fibre, oil, vitamins).

You should really get an instructor or knowlegable friend to give you some advice and help you out a bit. Do you keep him at a yard or on his own?

Hope this helps :)
 

em2010

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Some of the comments on this post are uncalled for?

Being in the same situation (my first winter owning a horse) I was a little unsure about rugging so all I have to say to the people that think it's ok to mock her and say she shoudlnt have a horse: 70% of you are grown adults and need to realsise some of us havnt gown up owning horses and what you have learnt as a child from parents ect we are trying to learn from other horse owners, sorry if I'm mistaken but isn't that the point of this forum? to help others and get your questions (no matter how simple) answered..

Sorry I can't be much help answering your questions as this is my first winter too (Oh and sorry for the lil rant :eek: )

Good Luck xx
 

bonnie93

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slightly disturbing that u dont no the answers to these questions??? i dont mean to sound rude but u really shudnt own a horse if u dont no basic care! i get rather angry (thats me being polite!) at ppl who think they can just chuck a horse in a field! mean bit over...

firstly, how old r u?

do u have someone with experience to help u? e.g an instructor. if you are on a yard then ask other owners for help, they will be more than willing!

as for feeding, get it contact with a feed company as their nutritionalists will help you to devise a feeding plan right for ur horse, allen and page are good (i use their feed, so i would say that!)

as for rugging, is he a very hairy cob or not, will u be havin him clipped during winter for work and how old is he? ppl forget that age is an important factor. if hes and average cob id say a medium weight (200g fill) would be the max u need, if u want him to be snuggly warm get one with a neck (im a softie wen it comes to rugging lol)


as for mucking out, heres my winter regime

i start work at 6am, so
5.00am, rug up and feed (i feed all horses at the yard, not just my own!)
she then gets turned out by another livery bout 8am (i bring her horse in at night i return)
4pm i muck out, fill nets, do feeds then bring in and ride
6pm shes tucked up for bed and fed

repeat until summer lol!!!

my horse gets hard feed morn and eve, massive small holed haynet at nite (6-8kg), and smaller one in morn (2-3kg) to keep her goin til turnout. BUT she is a 17yr old 16.1 wb who is in work everyday and competes everywkend, so its just to giv u idea =)

very long post (sorry) but hope it helps!

suggest you maybe take a small course in horse care/ management, most riding schools and colleges do them, and swot up on lots of books!
 

sally2

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To all those who took the piss give this person a break even if it was a tongue in cheek remark people require encouragement when taking up a hobby or sport. We all have to start somewhere and i am sure none of us have all the answers. However, in relation to the original question it depends on the type of horse and what it has been used to with regard to being stabled. Personally i prefer to keep my horses out rather in prison but if they are used to being stabled that is what you should probably carry on with. I would say most cobs are probably more than capable of staying out with rugs and some kind of shelter either natural or man made. As to mucking out it is probably better done at least once a day. Hope this gives you something to think about and good luck and enjoy your horse and never be afraid to ask questions even if you think they are daft.
 

Mike007

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Now I dont know how serious the OP was ,but lets give the benefit of the doubt here. At least the OP is concerned enough to be asking questions at the beginning of September,and not mid December.
 

Cedars

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Better to ask now than get to mid december with a horse freezing its butt off and like a hat rack, wondering what they've done wrong!

As a general rule with ours, they get two hay nets in their boxes on opposite walls (good for their digestion, keeps them moving between the two) in the morning, and then one again at night. We skip out in the morning (just remove the poos and any soaking wet bits) and then do a full muck out at night - this is because it suits our lifestyle as we often work early mornings, but you could do this either way round =]

Depending on the type of your horse, you'll need different types of rugs, i.e. if its a skinny thoroughbred you'll need many rugs right up to heavyweight. However, if you havea huge gypsy cob then you'll probably just need one medium weight rugs for the really cold nights.

If you have any turnout, you could also consider just having a lightweight almost rainsheet just to keep the wind off them and keep the rain off them.

Good luck, come January you'll be wondering why you thought this horses lark was a good idea!!! But you will come out the other side lol =]
 

Luci07

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Its not a case of looking down on someone asking this questions - because yes we all have to start somewhere and the constant with horses is that you never stop learning!

It is worrying though, that you are taking on the care and responsibility for your horse on your own without any back up. So how are you keeping your horse now? field on his own? access to stable (please ignore the comments about stables being prisons - I am sure if you read through this forum you will find very strong, conflicting and "interesting" opinions!) DIY?.

Are you in a position to get some help? There will (of course) be posters on here who can help but there is nothing to replace support on the ground.. or if you are truly flying solo, might be worth seeing if you could perhaps hook up with another member who lives near you?

and by the way.. when thinking of the winter, don't forget to include winter woolies for yourself in the list as well!
 

jack9

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i have a radiator in my horses stable. when she gets cold i just flick that on for her.

















joke.

seriously ask someone who knows about horses to help you with your horse.
 

Enfys

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The stables in Moscow,built for the Olympics ,have centraly heated stables.Mmmm,nice.

We have them here too in some places;) and heated water troughs, couldn't manage without them.

Horserider, lots of advice in previous posts above for you :)
 
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rcm_73

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mwahahahaha I use a calor gas heater in my horse's stable, goes great with the hay and straw...






joke but just read some of your other posts too and perhaps this is why the 'annoying girl on your yard' as you put it is forever trying to 'help' you....
 

Honey08

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mwahahahaha I use a calor gas heater in my horse's stable, goes great with the hay and straw...






joke but just read some of your other posts too and perhaps this is why the 'annoying girl on your yard' as you put it is forever trying to 'help' you....

Why do people bother answering if they can't say anything nice or helpful? It just makes them look silly and immature.... There are loads of threads on here to look at, perhaps avoid ones that annoy you??? Otherwise its almost bullying...

Anyone who has read the OP's previous posts will know that she is 14, and has a lot to learn. I'd rather have a 14yr old that asks questions than one that thinks they know everything (and there are a few of them on here - usually pecking at the 14yr olds that ask questions...)

Its not that silly asking if a stable needs heating - many henhouses and kennels have heaters...

It sounds as though the cob is being pretty well looked after already. I got my first pony years ago, with little experience, and learnt as I went along, mostly be asking silly questions. No its not the ideal way to start off, but when you don't have horsey parents they don't often realise what they have dropped you in when you are bought your first pony! Generally speaking its the child that suffers, not the pony in these cases.

OP is there a branch of the pony club that you could join? They will have indoor rallies over the winter that have stable management lectures, which will help you. it would also introduce you to a lot of local instructors who would be able to help and advise you. In the meantime, get yourself a copy of The Manual of Horsemanship, which is the pony club book, and will help you with most things that you want to know.
 

ossy

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I do think some people on there have been a bit harsh and it is obviously very good that people care enough to ask questions but seriously come on its makes me mad that people just get horses not really knowing how to look after them, or not doing any research into it, learning as you go is like jumping in the deep end of a swimming pool and hoping you will be able to swim. At 14 yr old (which I believe from your other posts you are) I was a working public at my local RS learning how to look after horses before I ever got my own horse, at the very least I knew general routines on mucking out, feeding and rugging up from this before getting a horse. Its all very well asking us on here and there has been some good advice but you really need the support of the Yard Manager and those around that know your horse, are in the warm weather conditions and know the yard to help you with this and other issues that may crop up. Even after 10 years of owning horses I still ask others advice on what rug they are in tonight ect.
 
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