Please can someone help me understand? *no nasty comments allowed*

I used to stable my boy. I thought he was SO happy to be in, warm, lots of deep bed (like crazy deep - does wonders for the shoulder/arm muscles!) and haylege.

It took me 3 years before I realised after he was out on loan that he was actually stiff when he was stabled. He then from then on wintered out and was super happy, even when it was super snowy he was happier out.

Looking back I see that him being stabled actually caused him to lose weight over winter. Being out yet being fed less he would hold his weight.
 
if they are not clipped out and are not being used i would leave them out ,i don't think it does any harm at all for a horse to live out with or without a rug as long as it is not clipped
however once you start removing hair ,any hair at all even just a little bit ,it is my opinion that the horse should be stabled on a night time and in very bad weather
mine are both in as they are both fully clipped and in work

both my horses have clean bedding to stand on in the morning and have water left in there buckets ,one has a little hay left as he can have ad lib hay but the other one would only have any hay left if you put the whole bale in his stable ;) he is a greedy boy
 
angelish said:
if they are not clipped out and are not being used i would leave them out ,i don't think it does any harm at all for a horse to live out with or without a rug as long as it is not clipped
however once you start removing hair ,any hair at all even just a little bit ,it is my opinion that the horse should be stabled on a night time and in very bad weather
mine are both in as they are both fully clipped and in work
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Mine are out 24/7 the clipped one is in a full neck and is always very warm she has a high chaser clip
 
B1 has nice clean bed in the morning. Poop in same place each day tucked under fresh shavings so she doesn't lie on it. B2 can be a little damp to one side of his box but poop is to one side so the rest of the bedding is clean and dry plenty of space to lie down even for his size. L poop is to one side mainly in a pile and she sleeps with her head in the bank. All have at least 1 full bucket worth of water left and some hay every morning. Left out my nesh ******s are miserable. They're miserable by the time it gets dark. At 32 l really likes to come in and sleep and has been known to refuse to go out some days so I guess they like being in. Down to horse and owner preference. I had one that liked to be out and if he had company he'd have lived out all year.
 
Mine seem to prefer it. By the time its starting to go dark theyre all stood at the gate or outside their own stable waiting to go inside!
They never run out of hay overnight, have clean beds and good rugs on.
I think they like the security and that theyre in a bit of a routine. My mare doesn't sleep much outside but she snoozes forever when shes tucked up :)
 
Just back from the field where I put out hay, and then stood in the snow with the horses around me munching peacefully. We all watched the meteor shower :)

I wouldn't have it any other way :)
 
I don't mind what people choose to do with theirs as long as i don't get comments about the way i keep mine (which i do regularly because they are out 24/7 most the time)...shock horror:eek:

Cob and fluffball pony in the winter are out. They had been kept naked up until Tuesday when it went to -5 and I'd rather be reassured they were warm as cob is arthritic and pony isn't carrying much of a fat layer. However, 6:30am their rugs are straight off unless it's meant to rain. Gives them a chance to feel fresh air again and have a scratch. On 6 acres, with a little grass left so dinner is a small feed and 2 slices of hay each and breakfast is a feed with a slice of hay each. When it rains heavily or like a couple of weeks ago where we were flooded and knee deep in mud, I bring them in overnight. They could stay out but I'd rather not let the mud consume my hay:mad:and it gives them a chance to dry out. They are the latest in and the first ones kicked out in the morning if they do stay in.

I understand stabling for when it's wet/shortage of grass/horse needs to, but I couldn't understand why fellow liveries think that bringing their ponies in and giving them their one slice of hay to last over 12 hours is acceptable when it reached -6 here last night. They must have been stiff, hungry and cold by the morning. Mine stayed out and my field share livery left his 4 out and we gave them a bale of hay to share. As he said 'it's -6 in a stable so just as cold as outside, and at least they can huddle and move for extra warmth'

Each to their own!
 
I don't have stables so mine are out 24/7,and generally I prefer that but I must admit with all this wet weather of late if i had stables I would have put them in at times,to save the ground if nothing else,and because I am sick of muddy legs!!

I am guessing that for the majority of people it isn't really about personal choice anyway,more like yard rules that say they have to come in at night during the winter.
 
I have always stabled the in work horses until this year. Broodies, babies and retired beasties live out. This year 1 is stabled at night and 2 are in the school with access to open loose boxes. They only go in to drink water. There is super hedge shelter in the school and they seem to prefer using this to using the boxes. On the up side it's saving a fortune on bedding.
 
Riding is one, to come up in pitch dark at 7pm to find your horse I side and dry and ready to stick a saddle on is very convenient
 
Haffy yourself a merry Christmas said:
My friends horse (I am just using her as an example and the same can apply to any stabled horse I’d guess) gets put in her stable with a pile of hay. She stands there all night unable to move around much, when she runs out of hay she has nothing to do. By morning, her stable is a wet, smelly bed covered in poo that she has trodden into her feet and feathers, her water bucket is empty and she comes out stiff. (Friend wont feed ad lib hay so horse will always run out)

Friend’s horse is a fat cob, currently in a heavyweight rug, mane down to her knees and in perfect health. She lived out naked all last year without a problem.
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I'm not surprised your friend doesn't feed her horse ad lib hay!
 
My preference is always for the ponies to be out at night, walking around - my belief is that its better for their legs and head!

However, at the moment we have 2 ponies living in at night and out in the day - the reason being one came home very light in condition and our vet recommended she live in at night until she's looking better and can cope with the cold. She is out in the day, fully rugged, and comes in at tea time for her supper, change of rugs, and the other pony is in to keep her company ( and I have to say...he's loving being in at night!)

The others are all rugged, and live out 24/7 over the winter, with hay twice a day spread across their field and with access to a large field shelter, they all seem fine and dandy.
 
My horse whilst being with me had always been stabled but then I chucked her out for a year in a 10 acre field with 2 others, she had hay only when it snowed, was fed once a day, had trees for shelter and then I moved back to a yard where they have to come in at night. Nadia wants to come in as she waits by the gate but her behaviour is actually better when she lives out so i guess you can say she is a mare who doesn't know what she wants.
 
Mine live out all the time and will only come in if they had too go on box rest or were ill.

They are rugged up well and are fed well.

Even the clipped ones live out. They can get to the stables and the field shelters.

Having them out is much more healthier for them.
 
Mine comes in at night. He is a 4 year old WB. At his old yard he was on his own and he stayed out pretty much 24/7 unless it was absolutely soaking. Now, he has to come in between end of December and March at night. The rest of the year it is up to us what we do. however, he now has fieldmates and they do not often stay out at night. when i go down he is waiting by the fence and calls as soon as he hears me. he does not have a field shelter (otherwise I would leave him out more than i do). Hence, he comes in to his nice warm stable with a feed and big haynets. Also, the field is so stinking wet and muddy at the moment that i do not particularly want him out in it all the time. He also, stares at me like im nuts when I put him out at the moment.
 
nikkimariet said:
I'm not surprised your friend doesn't feed her horse ad lib hay!
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She keeps her in as shes worried about her losing weight. Earlier this year she had a bad case of mites and was very miserable. She rubbed herself raw and went off her feed and lost a lot of weight. Vet eventually came and treated her and she slowly put the weight back on and is now a good weight but lacking muscle.

Her routine is this:

Turned out about 10.30 - 11.
Comes in around 4 and has a very large bucket feed of a stubbs scoop of build up mix, a stubbs scoop of high fibre cubes, a smaller scoop of sugarbeet and chaff, then only gets a couple of slices of hay to last her up to 18 hours!!
Shes rugged to the hilt so she doesnt lose weight, but on many occasions YO has taken the neck off the rug or swapped the rug as the poor horse is sweating.

What I dont understand is why she spends a fortune on hard feed, but scrimps on the hay? Surely she would do much better on a lot more hay and less hard feed. Specially the high sugar build up mix. I know she would also be happier in the field then cooped up bored in my opinion.

She lived out, ruggless and with minimal hard feed last year and I was taking her endurance riding each weekend. Now she is out of work. I know its each to their own and all that, but the mare in question used to be mine so I worry about her, and my friend sometimes struggles with the cost of keeping her in, but still does because the YO does!

Anyway, rant over I just find it frustrating x
 
OP, does your friend ride often? Reading your post I would imagine the main reason why the horse is stabled and rugged is so that she's dry/clean enough to ride. You wouldn't feed adlib hay if the horse is overweight (you say she's fat). I do agree with your sentiments though - I like a horse to be out as much as possible and like the idea of spreading hay around the field so they keep moving. But, I wouldn't keep a horse out for the sake of it. There are valid reasons why people stable. Some horses simply don't like being out, I had a mare who would refuse to leave the barn if it was raining!

Personally I stable my horses in winter for some part of the day. My last horse was out at night all year round. In summer to keep him off the grass and out of the heat/flies (not that we had much of either this year!) and in the winter it gives him a chance to dry off. He used to get quite bad mud fever so I needed him in for part of the time so I could dry him off, treat it if need be. Plus if there's been a real deluge of rain I could check rugs and change them if need be. He was a big horse and quite arthritic so it was better for him to be out as much as poss, but it's a trade off because he would get just as stiff out 24/7 in cold, wet weather. My current horse is younger so doesn't stiffen up if he's in for longer periods although he does need to go out otherwise he goes stir crazy (understandably). He is stabled over night. At current yard he goes out for 4-6 hours a day - I'm moving on Sunday to a place where he'll go out 8am to 4.30pm daily in winter and 24/7 from april to oct if I want it. I like him stabled at night simply for my convenience - he is clean and dry for riding.
 
I think it all depends on the horse.

My boy was turned out a few days back due to a stifle issue to see if it would resolve, he has since dropped weight despite the oodles of grass and a ring feeder, he spends all day standing by the gate not eating or running to keep warm, looking miserable. My friend has asked me to come and get him as she said he isnt enjoying it one bit and this is a welsh cob a nesh welsh cob. Its the way it should be but it doesnt suit him.

On my old yard my tb mare and old cob had a stable which went right out into the paddock there was a hay feeder always full of good forage in winter, water, very olf large trees for natural shelter and hedges, well drained, they had company, but she was ALWAYS stood in, day and night and only went out to pee, this was winter or summer.

but old cob was like a pig in muck living out, box walked if he came in overnight or you shut him in for some reason, so we let him choose too and he was never in. They used to go in whichever stable they chose if they chose too.
 
Surely the pros & cons of being in or out at night depend on the horse and the circumstances...

Some possible pros of keeping a horse in overnight....

Coming in will give the hooves & legs a chance to get out of the mud and dry off.
It reduces the damage to fields (considering the weather)
Some horses like the routine and may fret or run up and down the fence line (causing damage to fields & increasing risk of slipping and damaging tendons/muscles etc.)
Some people's grazing may not have mature trees or be well draining.

Whilst I understand the argument for stabled horses getting colder than horses outside, surely this can be counteracted with appropriate rugging, a decent bed and adequate hay? I honestly don't think the speed at which horses move when grazing or moving between piles of hay would help them keep a lot warmer than a stabled horse - especially when you take factors like wind chill into account.

It could be argued that the horse that lives out can choose to move faster if they are feeling cold - but then you might not want your horses hooning about in muddy fields or muddy frozen fields to keep warm. In addition not everyone has a good doer and it maybe easier to keep weight on a horse if they are stabled. In any case in very bad weather I normally see horses stood still in the most sheltered part of the field with their bums to the elements, head down, not eating.

A decent bed, a small holed/double netted hay net, a treat ball with bits of carrot in and an extra or larger water bucket would address the main issues you have highlighted about your friend's stabled horse. Of course if your horse is prone to stiffness/arthritis/filled legs etc. the more time the horse spends out the better and I do believe all horses benefit from plenty of daily turnout.
 
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Our horses live out 24/7 and have done for years, they seem a happy, healthy bunch of horses. It wasnt always this way, we used to keep in at night in winter, it was the vet, when one developed a very mild dust allergy who suggested we keep them out all year.
Living out has many benefits, they can move around as and when they wish, and even at 29 our old man was never stiff, because he had the freedom to keep moving.
A cob we know has spent ALOT of time stabled on wet smelly rubber mats, with not enough bedding to soak up the wet. Sometimes he has been in for days at a time with not even a walk in hand, or a run round the school to stretch his legs. He is now VERY STIFF. My daughter used to ride him but now hes so stiff he isnt up to being ridden. My view is that the owner might have fed and watered him, but is being cruel keeping him this way. She will not get the vet. I think shes worried he will say her bad management has made him like this.
Our horses have company, a shelter, constant access to either grass/hay or even the hedge to nibble, so are never hungry. They get a rug if they need one. They have water when they want it, and a healthy high fibre diet. We put carrots around the field to give them something to do. I know i would rather be one of our horses than the one i mentioned above!
 
Hiya just wanted to say wow you sound like the lovliest horsey mum in the world ! piles of hay and carrots - sounds like horsey paradise hun, I think thats really awesome !


and secondly I grew up round gypsy cobs and the thought of them being rugged is bit weird for me let alone being stabled at night! Theyre so tough and totally made to withstand the elements !



I think its unnecessary and perhaps bordering on cruel to stable for no reason.


No offence to anyone, Im just a bit paranoid about what kind of abnormal pressure it puts on a horses legs and joints being in such a small space for such an extended period.
 
my horse lives out 24/7 because he has breathing problems and its better for him to be out. Ive always had horses in at night in winter before but Im not sure Id stable now.

BTW Im looking for grass livry n. wales if anyone knows of any grass livery.
 
I wish he could be out because I can't ride much at the moment and he has just started getting upper fixation of the patella (he was out of condition when I bought him 2 months ago) so this would be helped if he wasn't stood in stable all night - also my evening is spent mucking out rather than being able to excersize him. It's nice having the stable for drying them off and keeping them in for medical reasons - but I would much rather he was outside moving about :)[/QUOTE said:
My pony has just started getting intermittent upper fixation of patella. I am hoping to put him in a bigger stable soon to help with the moving about. How else are you managing the condition ?? I have yet to meet some one else who has the problem ....?
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Our fields wouldn't cope with horses being on them 24/7, OP your lucky you have enough turnout to support your horses with food and also lucky that it's only yours out at night as I couldn't imagine the "hide the carrot" game going so well with two or more horses being involved.
We are also not allowed to put hay out as it ruins the field, you can't guarantee how much of it they eat and how much they stomp in the ground, gets blown away and it causes fights.
My horse comes in so he's dry and warm, easy to groom, tack up, I know how much hay he's eating, I can cool him down after riding easier than having no stable, i can wash his legs to stop the mud fever he has suffered from in the past, I can feed without him trying to fend off other horses, he has a large dry bed to sleep in instead of a cold, wet patch in the field.
You keep your horse however you like and as long as your both happy then that's great, there is no right or wrong way as long as your horse is cared for.
 
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