Overnight turnout

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Palominopony68

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We have the option of overnight turnout on our yard. I am worried about the obvious - putting on weight and also that he does suffer badly with the midges. Currently the turnout will be 6pm- 10 am. Obviously from next week the south east is set for temps into the 30s so of course he will he going out over night during this period as there is no shelter, but what do others do? Do you swap back once the weather settles down again? If you are on night turnout will you bring in if the weather is bad or leave in the routine? Thoughts please.
TIA
 
Unless they get sweet itch, midges are worse at dawn/ dusk, then leaving out overnight is usually preferable and once they are in this routine they stay in it as far as possible I don't like chopping and changing they will be fine if it rains.
 
mine are out overnight - (a) slightly better fly situation (b) less worry about sunburn © it means i can ride / fiddle about with them in the day without restricting their turnout.
 
Don't worry about putting on weight, there is less fructose in the grass at night so will cause less weight gain then if out by day. He's a horse so can cope with midges, rain and all the rest - he's genetically designed to do so:)
 
I don't know why, but feels awful when you drive off and leave them in the field at night. Only used to 5/6 hours day turnout max - (unfortunately that's what you get on livery yards :-( ) so will be nice for him to b out longer x
 
Why not consider how horses naturally live. I have run a grass livery - 25 horses out all year round - and they are in herd heaven!! It's their complete natural state - what they were born to do. I know a woman who runs a stud. She's from one of the top show jumping and dealing families in the world - all her horses including show jumpers are out 24/7. She recently posted a video explaining how of course it's better as it's natural and makes them happy, now she brings in the jumpers just hours before a competition.

Think about it a stable is like a little prison cell to a horse - a tiny space for an animal that in the wild walks 30 miles a day. You have probably spent a lot of time in liveries where horses are in stables - that's the norm. If horses could talk they wouldn't vote for it. Of course they are able to cope outside, they are built to do just that. You can bet on it that it will be nice for him to be out.
 
My horses have always lived out for the summer at least, but this yard is very limited sadly :-( have to say this horse is known as barbie pony as he spends his time flat out in his stable. He stands at the gate most of the time he is out. He likes a few hours then he wants in lol!!
But I do understand it's natural for them to be out, also presents stiffness and other ailments x
 
My horse, and most of the other liveries are stabled at night most of the time. We do have the option of out at night in summer which I have done the last couple of years as horse gets upset by the heat/flies. I confess the first couple of nights I turn him out I always worry (my baby out in the dark!) but he's always been fine so far. Once I've made the change over I try to keep to it until the days are cooler again but I'm not militant about it; if the weather changes again and it's due to be a cooler day he can stay out 24/7.
 
I choose to turn out late afternoon and bring in for 6-8 hours In the morning. He's blue-eyed and very pink, so helps to avoid sunburn and helps keep him of the grass for a while (at possibly highest NSC time). It also means he has an opportunity to rest in the shade and eat his feed with minerals/balances. From a convenience point of view his bring in or turn out time usually coincides with riding.
 
Mine have always been in at night until this year I moved to a private yard. I was so worried about turning out overnight but really wanted to give it a go so bit the bullet at the beginning of the month. They are so much happier! I had intended to bring in during the day but they don't want to be in. They are fine for about an hour but then start calling, so they are just out 24/7.

The only time I will consider bringing in is if its due to be very stormy, other than that thryll be out!
 
Irish gal said:
Why not consider how horses naturally live. I have run a grass livery - 25 horses out all year round - and they are in herd heaven!! It's their complete natural state - what they were born to do. I know a woman who runs a stud. She's from one of the top show jumping and dealing families in the world - all her horses including show jumpers are out 24/7. She recently posted a video explaining how of course it's better as it's natural and makes them happy, now she brings in the jumpers just hours before a competition.

Think about it a stable is like a little prison cell to a horse - a tiny space for an animal that in the wild walks 30 miles a day. You have probably spent a lot of time in liveries where horses are in stables - that's the norm. If horses could talk they wouldn't vote for it. Of course they are able to cope outside, they are built to do just that. You can bet on it that it will be nice for him to be out.
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In their completely, more or less, natural state horses will seek shelter during sunny summer days and days of flies. New Forest ponies and moorland ponies will shelter under trees, in gorse bushes etc - they don't stand out in the sun and flies if they have chance of shelter. Field kept horses are the same - given free access to shelters, stables etc they will choose to go there to get out of the sun/flies. My horses would come off the field into a wonderfully cool shelter (it had an upper storey so the heat didn't get down to ground level) and they would be there literally all day and well into the evening, all of their own free will. If my option was a field with insufficient protection from the misery of flies and sun then I would stable during the day - indeed I have done this in the past and there were days when the horses couldn't get into their stables fast enough, They also didn't want to leave them til 8 - 9pm when the worst of flies had settled.
 
mine are currently in at night and out during day (9pm to 7am). One is sweet itchy and we have very long dawns and dusks up here so he is better in at that time. We are forecast hot weather this week too (about bloody time) so I may well try and get them out during the night and in during the day then-my field at home hasn't any shade and I have indoor, brick stabling that remains cool. I have Exmoors and they don't appreciate temps over about 18 degrees-I expect the lusitano will love it though! TBH those sorts of temperatures rarely occur anyway. In the winter they are turfed out 24/7.
 
I've kept mine in during the day and out at night in the summer for many, many years. They are kept at home so the time they come in and go out varies according to the flies / weather. In winter I switch over and they come in at night and go out during the day.
 
Ours can be put 27/7 but mine would balloon so he's out overnight and in during the day. He gets burnt in hot weather and there are no nice big shady trees or shelter of any kind in the field.
 
Mine are out at night and in during the day all year round unless the weather is truly horrendous in the winter.
 
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