Oh dear Lord! - Time to move??

[HoofPicker21]

My yard owner wanted to keep all the horses in today because..... there was rain forecast!!! and her "trainer" told her it was going to be horrendous and very cold!! - I'm not sure whats happened because she never used to be like this!

I mean, I could understand if it had been raining for weeks on end, but it hasn't and its November, whats she going to when its January, put them all in her living room!?

Sorry pointless post but was very shocked!!

Meh...

 

[lhotse]

Well, I'm contemplating keeping mine in as it's horrid and cold out there. My mare hates the icy wind and will just tear round her paddock waiting to come in, then she will be a nightmare to come in! I will feel guilty if I don't put her out, but I will let her decide!!

 

[RaynerK]

Don't ask me, I leave mine in if there's a nip in the air! He doesn't do the cold, living room is a good idea. If other liveries are in agreement with you just have a chat and say you would like them out but don't mind them being in when its really really bad to keep her happy.

 

[soulfull]

Hhm. I'm keeping my welshie in today. It is horrendous here in stafford. Her paddock is water logged and even when not raining she is standing around the gate waiting to come in after an hour.

 

[ticker]

Must admit we are watching the weather sign of heavy enough rain and she stays in with a few hours turn out at night. Simply trying to save the fields as much as possible.

 

[Jesstickle]

Mine is in as other wise the field gets ruined and then they have to get turned out into a mud pit for the rest of the winter.

The ground is sodden, more rain on top and it will just cut up like no one's business and be unusable for the rest of the year....

 

[HoofPicker21]

I completely understand! should have mentioned that they have only just gone on to winter fields and been in pens for a few due to winter fields not being ready yet! and i know before long they will be in the winter pens again eating lots of hay for a long time! Just thought we might be able to enjoy it as it is only raining!

 

[nic85]

Ok, ill be the minority then, both of mine are out

We tend to keep in if its torrential rain for a few days, icy or snow. Mainly because you cant actually get to the fields in the ice/snow and rain because the ground is too wet but its fine at the mo, just the usual mid November state

 

[Goldenstar]

Well it's bitter here but my three clipped out horses are out in medium wieght rugs but they will only be out three hours then in and worked .
You really need sacrifice pastures to manage horses in winter which is hard to do on livery yards with insuffient grazing.
No turnout manageable if horses are in work but it's completely unacceptable when people have horses not in work.

 

[Mariposa]

All of mine are out too! All wearing medium weight rugs so nice and warm, lots of grass and we moved them to a drier field which *hopefully* won't get too muddy ( famous last words probably....)

 

[angellauren]

Mine are both out although I did not enjoy turning them out in the howling wind and rain at 5.30am this morning. I'm not sure they did either... Our field isn't bad right now, they've only been on it for a week.

 

[Liane]

Mine are all out too! although it looks horrid out there I know they are fairly happy and have trees to shelter under.

 

[hnmisty]

Barry had his third night in in 6 months last night

I did try a horse out once whose owner had kept him inside for about 5 days straight because "it was raining".

And having said that, when we got my first pony, Misty, her owners told us she wasn't allowed out in the rain! As soon as we bought her she was out whatever the weather and didn't give a fig!

 

[Cocorules]

I would move yards to one that can offer turnout year round. Their land is unsuitable for horses or overstocked if they cannot do that.

 

[HoofPicker21]

I would move yards to one that can offer turnout year round. Their land is unsuitable for horses or overstocked if they cannot do that.

it certainly IS over stocked and is one clay! I'm only upset because I KNOW this isnt only a day in it will go on for weeks!

They are in, I'm most unamused...

 

[Jesstickle]

I would move yards to one that can offer turnout year round. Their land is unsuitable for horses or overstocked if they cannot do that.

OP suggests they have turnout pens in winter. So they do have winter turnout?

 

[HoofPicker21]

OP suggests they have turnout pens in winter. So they do have winter turnout?

Yes we have lovely winter fields but they get "wet" so then go in to the even wetter turn out pens which they wont relay for us. well they did their full livery ones...

 

[Arizahn]

Another possible solution - why don't some of you club together and rent a field or two to use over winter? The money you save on bedding should cover it, and you could all chip in for large bale hay or haylage if needed. That way you could keep your space at current yard in case you need it for the facilities, stabling in emergency/show preparation etc?

This is what I am doing over winter, little guy is too small to risk group turnout on the winter fields, and the smaller paddocks are being rested from November through to March/April (depending on weather). So he is off on his winter holidays sometime in the next week - he and two other young ponies will have seven acres of good, well rested grazing to mow down

 

[Costypop]

Mines in today as all of the other liveries horses are in. Could put him out but what's the point, once he has finished his hay he will just stand by the gate till I get him later on. May as well be in with company, hay and warm. Hacked this morning and I will stand out for a while to let him have fresh grass this evening. Would much prefer him out though

 

[Mithras]

I try not to be at yards like that. I hate inconsistency over basic things like turnout. Horses cope really well with winter weather conditions as long as they have enough food and are rugged sufficiently if they are clipped. Natural shelter helps too. I'd be worried about swollen legs if they are just standing in a box all day when they are not used to it.

Horses damage fields. I think you have to be careful not to get into the situation where you are maintaining a landowner's land for them, as opposed to being a livery client. Probably not the yard the OP mentioned, but those ones which require you to poo pick obsessively, stamp in divets, keep your horse in if theres mud...

 

[Follysmum]

I keep mine in an odd days , especially if weather is really naff or the hunt are around when fields are wet. I however choose to do this. I would not like to be dictated to in when I can turn out or not. To me the odd day does no harm, its the continuous days locked up I could not cope with.

 

[RaynerK]

I try not to be at yards like that. I hate inconsistency over basic things like turnout. Horses cope really well with winter weather conditions as long as they have enough food and are rugged sufficiently if they are clipped. Natural shelter helps too. I'd be worried about swollen legs if they are just standing in a box all day when they are not used to it.

Horses damage fields. I think you have to be careful not to get into the situation where you are maintaining a landowner's land for them, as opposed to being a livery client. Probably not the yard the OP mentioned, but those ones which require you to poo pick obsessively, stamp in divets, keep your horse in if theres mud...

But so many including my own so obviously do not want to be out. They just stand in muddy bit around gate squabbling until someone lets them in even if they have grass.

 

[SusieT]

Most horses that don't want to be out don't have good enough shelter. I have mine out in a field with good grass, surrounded by high hedges and they are standing watching me shake the bucket without any real enthusiasm for coming in! While I'm standing shivering and willing them to hurry!(coming into nice big beds, haynet and feed for some). I don't think they would want to be out in our other fields that have no shelter and are basically flat squares of grass..

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Mine were as happy as larry to go out as usual this morning at 6am, tho they DO have a good hedge and a field shelter.

Tonight they are out in the smaller winter paddock, FLF rugged with hood & TF in her own fur coat, at 5.30pm I left the pair of them politely squabbling over hay in the larger field shelter, happy that they are together, only because I have an errand to run in the morning & wont get to yard till around 8.
They will be fine.

That said, I have had the odd one who is happier in, in the past

 

[Cragrat]

It was hammering it down with freezing rain at 6:30 this morning when I chucked them out, and still hammering it down at 8:00pm when I brought them in. They (2xTB and a WB ) were snug and happy in their rugs, and have lovely big hedges to back under.
And their stables weren't trashed, whereas if they had been in all day they would have been
I wouldn't stay on a yard that couldn't arrange some sort of winter turn out.

 

[dizzyneddy]

Like afew people my 3 are out at the moment when we had heavy rain last month kept them in at night to save field. My nf ponies aren't rugged up yet as they have lovely thick coats but ISH is in her winter rug. They'll let me know when they want to come in as they stand by the gate & follow me to their stables. Provided the ground is ok & you have natural shelter our pride & joys should be ok l think we sometimes humanise them too much. However it also depends on where you keep them as every yard has different routines & management. One yard l was on never had turnout over winter whilst another had limited turnout which my horses hated & love the freedom of bring out as much as possible as nature intended

 

[dogatemysalad]

I feel your pain OP. I've moved mine swiftly from yards like that.

Grazing isn't an optional extra, otherwise we could all convert our garages and keep them at home for free.

 

[Copperpot]

I was once on a yard like that. My horse didn't go out for 3 weeks solid once. I hated it and so did he. I often wonder how he coped when I look back. Over rugged, no turnout and lots of conditioning feed. I look at him now, out 24/7, handful of happy hoof and rugged sensibly and I see a happy horse in much better condition than he was before. Shiny coat, feet have improved and I don't struggle to keep condition on him anymore.

When it's windy and raining I sometimes feel bad, but then I go yo the yard and he's happily grazing and never in the field shelter.

 

[Arizahn]

I feel your pain OP. I've moved mine swiftly from yards like that.

Grazing isn't an optional extra, otherwise we could all convert our garages and keep them at home for free.

I don't even have a garage...and there are steps leading up into our front garden, which is also the only way into the back garden! <sobs>

Winter grazing here is really hard to find, tbh. We have ONE livery yard that offers the option of 24/7 turnout year round, and sadly it is not a very good yard to be on. Everywhere else is a maximum of six hours turnout per day, generally on hard standing or else in mud up to knees...

My current yard has hard standing and rotated group turnout in a massive stubble field. Amazingly we have no mud! But even then it is maximum of six hours per horse, and they must be in before dark.

So my little guy goes off on winter vacation with some friends this weekend. He comes home in March/April, whenever the fields are ready for 24/7 turnout again at current yard. I am really going to miss him!

 

[linzeypinzey]

mine are out during this weather. mine are all good doers so they dont seem to care. left our old livery yard as they used to keep in at just a mention of rain