Not turning out

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speednut

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Need some moral support to put my mind at rest.
I have always been pro turnout even just for a few hours if weather is poor. Like many others at the moment our fields are like rivers and as we are on clay the winter paddocks are already knee deep. My fellow just paces up and down the fence even when the sun is shinning and refuses to settle as there is hardly any grass to munch on.

I hate having him stood in all day but he is so miserable in the field and comes in looking like he has been on a days hunting. He gets grazed in hand and ridden each day. Am I being paranoid as this is the first time he has not been out on a daily basis but it just seems pointless if he is that unhappy being out.

If we get a dry spell and the fields drain a bit maybe he will be a little more enthusiastic about going out.
Anyone else having similar problems?
 
Can you not put hay in nets tied to fence posts? Of course he is pacing if he has nothing to eat, probably has a gut full of acid :o
 
I'm in the same dilemma - first yr I've been at a yard with zero winter to. We can to into a pen about the size of 3 stables on hardcore with nets all day but that's it. Sand school for rolls and games with best friend, seem to b coping ok but it kills me! Will b interested to read replies but you know ur horse best! If he gets completely fed up being in you seem like the type of owner that will notice and turn him out!
 
Same problem! My fields are so bad that ive decided to bring all 11 of mine in this winter. They dont want to go out in the morning and if they are out they stick to the gated hardcore area untill they come back in again! :rolleyes: Iam very pro turnout but now I am only putting them out when the weather is ok and only for about 2-4hrs, by that time they want to come back in anyway! lol
 
I did the same as you once. Winter fields turned into a skating rink of slippery mud. The horses could hardly stay up right on it, so I had to stable them as it was quite frankly too dangerous to turn out.

Needless to say, it was totally unacceptable and I got them out of there a few days later to another yard, even though it meant a 60 mile round trip twice a day for 8 weeks until my house sale was completed.
 
If he's exercised daily, and has an inhand graze then I see no problem. He sounds miserable. So if he's happier in, so be it.
 
New yard has fantastic turnout and loads of grass but the ponies still wanted to come in after a couple of hours of rain today! They had a little run/walk about then just stood waiting to come in :rolleyes:
 
Admittedly plenty of yards with normally adequate turnout are struggling this year, so moving might not be the best solution. But I'd hay in the field, & if at this yard that isn't possible I'd move to one where even if the fields just as wet I could put hay out.
 
Mine are kept at home and all my paddocks are very wet, clay soil and very little grass. I have no intention of using my spring paddock which has quite a bit of grass as that will get trashed and then there will be no grass at all. They are in totally every other day, then go out in the least muddy paddock for about 4 hours , which seems to be enough for them, on the other day. Plenty of hay when they are in and my stables are internal ones so that they can always see someone, and touch noses etc. 2 are ridden whenever weather allows. Yes i would love them to go out everyday, but with mud weather, lack of grass it just isnt possible.
 
Same here. Horses kept at home and on clay. Fields are so wet the horses hate it there is grass, not much, but after a nibble, wander and roll they are ready to come back in. If I put hay out they stand and eat it all then stand at the gate.

So I put out for a couple of hours if dry or put in school for a roll and wander around, except the 2 yr old who I try to have out as much as poss but even he prefers to be in if its lashing with rain. I try not to worry if their in so much as they have ad lib hay and are exercised nearly everyday. They seem to be fine with this and no tantrums at all. But loads more work for me :rolleyes:

Think this will be how it is for the winter.
 
Similar problem although we have grass and fields are not too wet but my horse hates being out when its this cold, stands at the gate nearly all day so stays in mon, wed and fri at the moment out the rest of the days usually and he's more than happy, much prefers being in though:D
 
horserider said:
....... I got them out of there a few days later to another yard, even though it meant a 60 mile round trip twice a day for 8 weeks until my house sale was completed.
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:eek::eek::eek::eek:

Yikes. Wouldn't it have been cheaper and easier to put them on full livery for a few weeks???!
 
With the amount of rain we've had im not surprised many fields are waterlogged, its unprecedented rainfall we've had
My fields are in the main ok. Gates and troughs are a bit muddy, but the rest is fine but theyre still only out for 6-7 hrs on dry days and 3-4 on wet days
 
amymay said:
If he's exercised daily, and has an inhand graze then I see no problem. He sounds miserable. So if he's happier in, so be it.
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Agreed. One of mine is in this routine currently as the weather has been so bad and the ground is terrible down here.

I could move him back to my own fields (which are holding up well), but I would have to resign myself to another winter of hardly riding, which I'm not at present prepared to do. I have horses for a reason, and while he is happy with the situation, I am damned if I'm not going to get to ride him. Indoor school wins, hands down.
 
I have same issue :( my field is on clay. Got a text from the landowner today saying that he wants the horses in at night now. I was trying to keep them out 24/7 with the stables as field shelter but I've bedded the boxes down and put 6 kg of hay in each box for them. I've been haying each box for a while now but the landowner wants the field rested at night. I have saved my spring/summer paddock but the rest is now a mud bath with some grass at the bottom of the field 😞 it's going to be a VERY long winter 😪
 
speednut said:
Need some moral support to put my mind at rest.
I have always been pro turnout even just for a few hours if weather is poor. Like many others at the moment our fields are like rivers and as we are on clay the winter paddocks are already knee deep. My fellow just paces up and down the fence even when the sun is shinning and refuses to settle as there is hardly any grass to munch on.

I hate having him stood in all day but he is so miserable in the field and comes in looking like he has been on a days hunting. He gets grazed in hand and ridden each day. Am I being paranoid as this is the first time he has not been out on a daily basis but it just seems pointless if he is that unhappy being out.

If we get a dry spell and the fields drain a bit maybe he will be a little more enthusiastic about going out.
Anyone else having similar problems?
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If your horse is happy, and you are happy, then do what you think suits him best. There are many, many horses that are stabled full time with similar exercise, it isn't the worst thing in the world. :)
 
I'm on clay too :( I would normally still be strip grazing my ponies! But I've had to open up the whole of the filed which is about 4 acres, they have loads of grass, so I'm hoping it will last a few months at least!

I don't think in 11 years I've ever had this problem of being so wet. I'm glad I have a lot of land just for three of them,

As others have said, if your horse is happy and exercised daily then I don't see a problem apaart from £££££ :)
 
I used to live in Germany where it was the norm for the yard owner to close off all the fields for months in the winter. The horses adapted surprisingly well, although I was lucky to have a stable with an outside yard where the horse could go in and out as he liked so he could stand in the sun when it came out. The horses who didn't have these stables had turn out in a sand paddock for a few hours every day.
 
We're used to wet here, but this is ridiculous. I think in the entire year we've had 3 1/2 weeks which were not some form of mud. My back field has had a pond which has become permanent and has been fenced since last winter. I rent. In short it's diabolical.

I'm in the "no exceptions for no all day turnout" camp. But at the moment I'm not so sure. I have 2 going out in the arena twice a day as one is finishing a stone bruise. They watch their 2 pasturemates head off and could care less. Normally they go a bit crazy. I give out hay and have for the last month or so. I've never seen ground like this. I also have a youngster. Before I bring her in I take her rug off and let her have a buck and kick in the arena with the older mare. At least in there they can move.

I may do the unthinkable and start bringing in at half day and put them out in the arena in pairs in the afternoon for a buck and a kick. Safer than going crazy in the field. Have to admit, no one seems inclined to go running around in the ground.

At any rate it surely is depressing for people and horses.

Terri
 
look for someone where with more turnout ! I've just moved my mare of a livery yard which refused turnout when it was cold,had a slight bit of rain or just when they felt horses should stay in. Horses were all being stabled for at most 5 days in a row (every week )& five horses out of the 10 liverys all ended up with swollen legs & have turned to cribbing now when put out or goton foot rot from standing in messy stables.

my mare has been in her new home now for 8 days :) she's a changed animal. She's having regular turnout in lovely fields & she's back full of life again & is not longer hoarding by the gate to come in looking miserable. she's so back full of life she even managed to jump the fence :D
 
In my neck of the woods, winter to is always on sand paddocks with friends, or if really dire in indoor. Never had grass to in 14 years I've been here.
The horses adapt. None on a yard of 20 or so are loopy.
They stood in water all summer and it got to the point where as soon as mine was out, she wanted to come in :(
 
Well I have every sympathy for myYO. We do have plenty if turnout but even the fields that drain well are now waterlogged. Horses stayed in yesterday and will probably stay in on odd days to give the fields a chance. I'd prefer them no to be in but I also want to know we'll have grazing that isn't pure mud by January... It really is horribly wet at the moment isn't it.
 
I won't leave mine stood in mud if they are obviously unhappy. Yes, living out is natural for them, but not in small paddocks where they can't escape the mud. We have been lucky so far, in spite of being on clay, but I know it will get to the stage where my mare makes it plain she doesn't want to go out and will, instead, spend time twice a day in the sand school. When you have to drag them every inch of the way to the field you sort of get the idea they prefer to be in!!
 
My two sound like they are very spoilt at the moment they are not penned in and have 30 acres of grass and forest surrounding the house to play in :D
Strangely given they have so much space they mostly stay in sight of the house and have taken to standing in front of the main entrance. One of my friends asked me the other day where did I get the horse statue from as he had seen Armas from the distance standing on the drive lol
I feel for you guys with mud swamped fields :(
 
It often isn't as simple as move, areas within striking distance are often on the same soil. It sounds like your horse is happy coming in so I see no problem. Many yards round us are on limited turn out as the whole district is water logged.
 
My horses spend more time in than out in general. My young horse hates being out and normally does whatever he can to come back in! My mare will be out but turns quite wild and it dangerous to handle and ride, if she stays in shes lovely! I do chuck the young on out for as long as he can stand a few times a week but only if i am around to catch him when he gets out!
 
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