opinions on horses in 24/7 during winter?? debate for the night :P

Nope, definitely not. But I have my horse to enjoy and to compete and train - this would probably not be my horses choice either, I am sure she'd prefer grazing day and night and not doing much work! Factors to take into consideration when choosing a yard are things like how easy it is for me to get there, what are the facilities and schools like, are the stables big and do the people seem nice. And cost, to some extent. Turnout is a big factor, and obviously I would prefer my horse to be out on great grassy fields all day, but those places, in conjunction with the other things I need from a yard, don't exist around here. Trust me, I would pay a lot extra for a yard with decent turnout that had the other things as well. Ultimately most of us do have horses for selfish reasons and we try to make sure our horses are as happy and well-looked after as possible, but some sacrifices are just not really possible (like moving to Scotland as there is more land for grazing there)
 
Personally I want my horse to have at least 4 - 5 hrs a day out all year but in the winter esp if it is raining he waits by the gate to come in almost as soon as you turn him out. I am all for turn-out but there is nothing natural about turning out in a field full of mud with nothing much to eat and little shelter. Even now in September I see horses at my yard kicking the cr*p out of each other as we have had virtually no rain for two months and therefore no grass - they are all desperate to come in.

When I was thinking of moving to near Bath in Somerset there were hardly any yards that had winter turnout because of the heavy clay soils in the Area. As pony comes first it was one of the factors that put me off moving.

Lucky those that have their own land and can manage it as they wish.
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go'on the scots :P he he thts me!!!! we are super lucky up here with our grazing, although it can get muddy alot of my grazing is on hills so the water runs down and the grazing on the slopes stays good. as well as this i'm on a farm atm with only 2 other horses who i keep away from mine lol!!! plenty of room, u can come share
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Our 2 TBs are never in. Only if there is an injury where it is prescribed to be necessary. I brought them in to feed them on one occasion last winter when it was sheeting torrential rain and gale force winds. Thought they would appreciate 15 minutes respite. Left the stable doors open, and they both promptly exited as soon as they had finished their feeds.

I am fortunate in that I own my land jointly with my Mum - so I am able to make that choice. We were also, therefore, able to choose to erect field shelters in both fields, and feed ad-lib hay. I do believe wholeheartedly that this is the best for the horses, but I also understand that many just don't have the option. When I got my horse, he was skin & bone. I believe that the major reason he became well-muscled with a glossy coat, and a happy disposition as quickly as he did was due to 24/7 turnout & grazing. That's why I would always do anything within my power to keep it that way. Sadly, this just isn't an option for all those who would choose it.
 
My TB stays out, only bring him in on the odd night when we have had torrential rain for a few days and winter field is a mud bath just to give feet a chance to dry out, but have started him on nettex winter hoof so will see what happens.
 
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sorry peeps for the massive sigi!! the user options wont let me change it ive tried numberous times tonight keeps giving me a message about an email??

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Just tick the box not to show a siggie when you post.
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I really don't mean to be rude, but if you don't resolve it soon, I shall have to put you on user ignore
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Glittery or oversized is bad enough, but both is more than I can handle
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sorry peeps for the massive sigi!! the user options wont let me change it ive tried numberous times tonight keeps giving me a message about an email??

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Just tick the box not to show a siggie when you post.
smile.gif


I really don't mean to be rude, but if you don't resolve it soon, I shall have to put you on user ignore
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Glittery or oversized is bad enough, but both is more than I can handle
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Pups...you are almost as grumpy as me LOL......
 
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None of mine have the option to be stabled, poor little loves!
Bear and Gimley are going to have blanket clips this winter
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But they will have F/N H/W rugs on with vests, it can be quite bleak where they live
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My 23 year old, (16.2, ISH x WB) is out 24/7, and some winters hunter clipped, with only one rug
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and yes, I guess it's quite an open field. She does far better in winter than in the summer, as she hates the heat.
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Second that YorksG!!! There's no luck involved in the amount of money I spend on the mortgage for the land, and the land maintenance (electrics / water / fencing / grass management / building maintenance / general upkeep!). That's before I even start on the inhabitants! No - it is really hard work & sacrifice as you rightly point out!
 
LOL!
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I like sigs; They help me remember people, BUT I can't stand the glittery ones, and more and more frequently people seem to be having HUGE ones - which when you have arthritic hands, and are scrolling on a lappy, is rather hard work
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Please don't equate having your own land with luck
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It is a result of hard work and sacrifice!

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ditto.....
 
Yup. My mother has land, but it's not near enough for us to use for the horses at the mo... I do however rent my own little yard, and in that respect I sacrifice facilities so that my horses have all year round 24/7 turn out - grazing is my priority for my horses' well being.

I have stables should I need them urgently, but I do everything under the sun to make sure that mine are out 24/7. You need only see the scars on my face to know what a devil a usually dream horse can turn into with excessive stabling,
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and my old mare is a colic risk if stabled.
 
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Please don't equate having your own land with luck
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It is a result of hard work and sacrifice!

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ditto.....

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Im glad I rent TBH, its cheap but if there was any major problems land owner would sort them, we pay for minor stuff/topping ect.
Its a lot less stressfull!
£85 pcm for 10 acres!
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None of mine have the option to be stabled, poor little loves!
Bear and Gimley are going to have blanket clips this winter
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But they will have F/N H/W rugs on with vests, it can be quite bleak where they live
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What do you do if one of your horses needs a stable because of illness?
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I'd also avoid yards that limit turnout if at all possible---I'm also in Scotland, so grass livery was pretty easy to find. The pony seemed quite happy out in the field last winter, and wore his rug only 4 times.
 
Being stuck in a box 24/7 is totally unacceptable and I wouldn't keep a horse if I had to subject it to that. Yes, having to come in at night, but not them living in a small cage for months and months at a time. Letting them out to work for a hour or so isn't enough. They must be the lonliest horses going, with no chance to intact with other horses.
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I don't kid myself that, as a human, I can make up for lack of social interaction.

It annoys me greatly, livery yards that take on too many horses so there isn't enough turn out. In fact I know of someone who bought land to build stables and a school and has NO turn out. At all. Not even a little paddock. She sees nothing wrong with the horses being shut inside their entire life.
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Turnout is a big factor for me when choosing a yard. I hate my horse being in 24/7. I don't mind it occasionally and because it's so wet where we are, he did have a few days in last winter. He was on part livery last winter so TO was dictated by YO - if she thought it was too wet, or she wasn't turning out today, he didn't go out. I don't think he ever had more than 2 days in the box consecutively though. We are lucky in that we have a big horse walker, so on the days he was stuck in, he had 2 or 3 walker sessions per day which helps at least.

This year, we have more grazing than YO expected to have by this point and still have about 65% of the fields being rested so we should have plenty of winter TO. My horse has spavins and vet says he has to have some sort of TO each day now, so I have my excuse to insist he goes out, even if it's only for a couple of hours. His field mate won't stay in the box, he goes stir crazy, so even when the weather is terrible, mine and his friend will get at least a couple of hours out.

TBH I don't even think the "my horse hunts twice a week" excuse is reason enough to keep your horse in a box. As JM said, how would you like to be stuck 24/7 in your bathroom? Only coming out to run a marathon every couple of days? Doesn't sound too appealing does it!
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QR We keep our horses at home, and having no school cannot ride during the week in winter. Therefore, turnout is essential. We are on clay soil, which doesn't drain, and it really means we have to sacrifice half our small amount of land and feed hay. However, if I couldn't keep horses in a way that allows them to be horses, I wouldn't have them at all. Surely keeping a horse in a stable 24/7 is the equivalent of keeping a dog in the boot of an estate car?
 
I have my own yard - but the fields are classed as marsh land - means i have lovely green grass in the SUmmer - but totally water logged in the winter! I have the three mares in the worst field with good Shelter and ab lib hay, then the boys are out until the ground gets too bad then come in to be stables over night!

Then i have a stallion he goes out for about an hour in the morning then either out again for an hour at night, or he is lunged or ridden and usually competed at the weekend or out for about 4 hours when i am there!! He usually spends most of his time going mad in the field so leaving him out all day would not be an option as he would either end up hurting himself of come in looking like a greyhound!!!
 
24 x 7 turnout all year round is like hen's teeth in my area - as it is I travel 30 miles a day so I can get turnout.

Our yard is out 24 x 7 from start of May normally to mid - end of October. We then have no turnout on Saturday (no problem as I ride out), Tuesdays and Thursdays. On these days the YO puts my two into the school for an hour in the morning to have a roll and stretch/groom. I then exercise in the evening and give them another hours in the school for their own time.

This works out ok as I have two that are the sort that as long as they have hay, they are happy to eat and chill when in. However, this is the minimum t/o I want. Ideally I would rather then went out for 4 hours every day than stay in three days.

The only time last year they were in for five days was when it snowed and then froze and the lane to the field was too dangerous - I could hardly keep my feet under me, plus the risk to the YO should the clydesdale have gone down was not worth considering, plus I don't think she could have got up on the ice. Luckily the stable are at the end of the indoor school so they could go straight into the school with no risk of slipping.

I loved my old yard, great facilities, but they closed the fields down and it was getting longer each winter - 10 - 12 weeks and this was not acceptable to me, hence I left to a smaller yard with less facilities but the turnout I could live with.
 
i like mine out as much as poss.
i turn them out everyday even if its just for an hour on the very rare days the weather is dreadful.
my worst gripe is seeing fat under exercised horses stuffed with hard feed and left in a 12x12 area all winter.
 
I turn out as much as possible - 24/7 in the summer and usually 7am to 4pm in winter. However, my horse is an elderly TB who really doesn't like wet and windy weather (stands at gate with head down). If it's torrential rain, she stays in (and I do mean torrential sideways rain!) and seems happy enough for it. I also don't risk turning out if the yard is icy - she's an old girl and not as surefooted as she was a few years ago.

In my area we don't get extreme weather often (snow is rare!), so most days she'll be out all day. If I could bring her in after a couple of hours (eg weekends), she'd go out every day unless ice made it dangerous. Sadly I work full time, so occasionally she has to make do with staying in - it's usually approx 4 days over the whole winter, unless we have really mad weather like we did last Feb with all the snow/ice/snow!

She used to live in an american barn - I'd get her ready to go out, bring her out of the stable, lead her to the main door. She'd stick her head out, look round, and back up all the way to her stable again. I think she was trying to tell me something!!

Personally I wouldn't move to a yard where turnout was limited (unless just overnight) - but that's my choice, based on personal experience. It can work for some horses, but I think the majority need daily turnout.
 
I don't think horses should ever be in 24/7 unless box rest.
I have 1 that lives out all year round
1 that comes in at night through the winter but out everyday no matter what the weather.
And 1 that comes in at night through the winter and out in the day unless terrible weather as he gallops round, runs up and down the gate etc all day and much prefers being in if horrible, but his is usually 1 day in every few weeks.

they might stay in for a day and night if i have a competition but i always allow some turnout even if it's an hour while i do jobs
 
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None of mine have the option to be stabled, poor little loves!
Bear and Gimley are going to have blanket clips this winter
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But they will have F/N H/W rugs on with vests, it can be quite bleak where they live
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What do you do if one of your horses needs a stable because of illness?
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There's an ex livery yard/farm bang opposite my gateway, (they run the Gwennap RC) with plenty of boxes, sister in law rents stables 200 yards up road with one empty, livery yard other way down road about 500 yards, and one of my best mates is about 5 min walk!
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No Fear!
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Horses in 24/7 other than for box rest is something I would never consider with our horses. Unless they were literally snowed in because it was too icey to walk across the yard but that's never happened yet.
 
Mine lives ot all year round and is perfectly happy. I must admit in the depth of winter id prefer her to be in a snuggly stable but to b honest i dont think she cares?
Also I think its best for them to be walking 24/7, I can't imagine its overly good for their legs to be stood in a box all day?
 
I never said you didn't work for it - let me apologise

Dear YorksG

Oh I'm so sorry for you having to work so hard to have your own land. You are indeed very unlucky.

The fact I cannot afford my own land must mean that obviously I've never worked hard or sacrified anything in my life?
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One day I hope to be as unlucky as you and be able to buy my own land - but I hope I (unlike you) will consider myself to be lucky.
 
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