Routine on DIY livery

[Hormonal Filly]

Those that leave out 24/7, do you bring in just to ride? Or what routine do you have yours in?

My mare has always been in during the day in summer (8-4pm) my previous yard had a 20ft hard standing pen attached to her stable so was perfect. New yard the stables are only 12x10 and she’s been in during the day this summer but she noticeable has a few stiff strides on her operated hock when leaving her stable.

My vet isn’t worried and it’s related to her hock op 6 months ago but probably would be best leaving her out 24/7

Problem is her paddock has no shelter.. and she has mild sweet itch, so currently comes in to have some time without a sweet itch rug.

Would the no shelter bother you if leaving out all the time? Sounds crazy..but I’ve never left a horse out 24/7 always had mine in a routine, I’d still be going up twice a day and giving her hay.

 

[splashgirl45]

Mine was out 24/7 in summer and I found it very hard to get used to at first, is there no shade at all in her field? Mine did have trees along one side so she could be in the shade if she wanted to, but I never saw her sheltering during the summer so maybe they don’t need it.. if she has sweet itch you may find that gets worse if she is out all of the time but you won’t know till you try. I would try it and see how you get on, you could just bring her in for an hour or so to get her rug off if you feel that would benefit her..

 

[Hormonal Filly]

is there no shade at all in her field?

No none at all. Thank you. It’s difficult.. it’s better for joints to be put 24/7 but equally with her itchiness she might get more bothered.

Field and shelter would be ideal!

 

[Mrs G]

I LOVE the summer months when my horse is out 24/7. I still go down to the yard twice a day everyday to poo pick, give him his feed etc at roughly the same time each morning and evening. I only bring him in to ride/for farrier/ for a groom etc. He wears a sweetitch rug and fly mask all the time, they come off if he's to be ridden and on other days I will just 're-adust' the rug and take the mask off, give his face and eyes a wipe, then reapply the mask. He has no shelter in the field unfortunately but I've only had to bring him in to the stable on extremely hot days. Even in very warm weather as long as there is a breeze and he's got plenty of clean drinking water, grass to eat and horsey company I think he's better off out.

 

[JBM]

I leave mine out 24/7/365 days a year unless we have an orange/red weather warning unless being out is safer than in!
I tack up in the field and head off from there
good quality rugs are essential if you have a bad rain come out of no where as they will dry under a good quality rug if it’s breathable
If no shelter you’ll have to rug more
Keeping the ground dry and not a mud pit will be the hardest depending on the land you have and how much
Having a bit of hard standing to dry their legs off is great

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

As its coming to the end of summer now and not boiling I would be tempted to leave her out maybe just bring in for a few hours around when you ride.

 

[Surbie]

Mine is out 24/7 when others in my field will do it too . I check twice a day still, and bring in once a day usually to ride, take the sweetitch rugs & flymask off and to give him a break from the muzzle.

We have big trees along the fenceline, but not in the field, so there is some shade and nothing really to scratch on - perfect for a sweetitch horse! It's a big field, lots of grass and company, and is usually cooler in the field than in the barn.

I don't have set times for going up. He doesn't hang around the gate and he seems perfectly happy with me showing up whenever. Some days my friend will check him for me so I go up once.

I wish I could do it more. It's so liberating to not smell of horse wee, and it saves a big wodge of cash.

 

[Barton Bounty]

In my last place he would be out 24/7 and had no shelter whatsoever, and a howling wind right off the sea. It never bothered him except when it was windy and rainy together, he doesnt like being out in that.

 

[Peglo]

Mine are out 24/7 in summer. I don’t have a shelter but there is buildings outside of the fence that can give shelter depending on wind direction.
We don’t have to worry really about flies up here so are usually unrugged. I tack up at the field and go from there.

 

[SEL]

I have shelters - they rarely use them

The flies are awful today but they're all moving around the field and maybe that is doing a better job than coming indoors

I bring in twice a day for a tiny feed and check over. It makes sure they're used to stables if they have to come in for vet etc and keeps everyone away from the wheelbarrow when I'm poo picking. Otherwise I'll grab whoever I want when I want for riding. The advantage of 3 in a herd is no one gets too unsettled if one goes away.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Thanks all!

I left her out yesterday and have been up today, fed her and given hay. She seems happy and unphased.

She is in her own paddock, I do have the option to put her out in the herd.. but they’re currently on a lot of grass in a 6 acre field and having got my mares weight perfect this summer I’m worried to jeopardise that.

I bring in twice a day for a tiny feed and check over.

The field is a good 10 mins walk each way, so before work makes sense to take feed and hay to the field instead.

 

[Caol Ila]

Depends on the horse. My mare was out 24/7 during the summer at her previous yard in a large, exposed field with no shelter. She did not mind in May and June, when the flies aren't bad, it's not that hot, and it isn't (usually) that wet and windy here. But come July, when we get more rain, more heatwaves, and clegs, she would be fed up. I could tell because when I went to catch her, she would march happily down the barn with me and when it was time to return to the field, I would have to drag a very slow horse up the road. If it was raining, she would plant when I wanted her to leave the undercover pen.

Also, when I weaned her foal, she got the privilege of moving in with the YO's horses, who lived in a different part of the yard and had field shelters. If it was raining, she would be in one.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Depends on the horse. My mare was out 24/7 during the summer at her previous yard in a large, exposed field with no shelter. She did not mind in May and June, when the flies aren't bad, it's not that hot, and it isn't (usually) that wet and windy here. But come July, when we get more rain, more heatwaves, and clegs, she would be fed up. I could tell because when I went to catch her, she would march happily down the barn with me and when it was time to return to the field, I would have to drag a very slow horse up the road. If it was raining, she would plant when I wanted her to leave the undercover pen.

Also, when I weaned her foal, she got the privilege of moving in with the YO's horses, who lived in a different part of the yard and had field shelters. If it was raining, she would be in one.

They’re funny aren’t they! My mare definitely hates it to hot but equally the rain is her nemesis. She came in trotting sideways with her head twisted touching the ground trying to avoid the sideways rain in her eyes last week.

So having seen the heavy rain forecasted for Thursday.. might put her in for a few hours!

 

[MuddyMonster]

My native's strip grazing paddock has no shelter or shade. I don't find it an issue in the rain but more of an issue when it's very hot & sunny.

He splits his time between the normal field and the strip grazing section so on very hot days I either bring in to his stable out of the worst of the heat and sun or put him in the regular field which does have shelter.

Otherwise he's fine, generally.

 

[Caol Ila]

I think she would be fine out 24/7 with rugging and a good shelter. But most yards around here have horses in large, exposed fields with very little.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

I think she would be fine out 24/7 with rugging and a good shelter. But most yards around here have horses in large, exposed fields with very little.

This is the problem, she has no shelter at all (no trees, hedges) which is why I’ve always been on the side of caution about it. She would be most upset if I left her out in heavy rain but hopefully have some drier cooler weather coming and she can stay out a lot more even if she’s in for the odd couple of hours!

 

[AandK]

Out 24/7/365 with good natural shelter (which is definitely used when weather v bad!). I only bring in for riding/vet/farrier. I also have a trek to the field, so take feed/hay/flyspray etc down to field and do it all there.

 

[Widgeon]

All but four of our yard are out 24/7 unless some medical issue requires stabling (we have plenty of nice stables, we just don't use them). We just bring in for farrier / dentist / to ride etc. Breakfast is the same time for everyone every day (YO takes buckets round the fields at about 6am) but other than that, we all just come up whenever we have time on any given day. The horses don't get tied to a routine and are all perfectly happy to come in and be groomed and tacked up alone before riding.

All the paddocks have good big hedges for shelter but the horses prefer to stand out in the blazing sun!

 

[alexomahony]

Ours are out 24/7 from March - November ish but I do still bring mine ni a couple of nights a week as my grey horse doesn't sleep in the field and becomes noticebly lethargic. They have natural shelter, but don't use it often! I still go up twice a day and usually bring them on to the yard on an evening to groom etc even if not riding.

The horses love being out and this works really well for my arthritic pony too.

I have found I ride less because they're out and moving anyway so it's not an issue if I don't ride - so it takes away that pressure which is also nice. I tend to ride about 4 days a week.

I thnk you'll be surprised how well she copes with it - no shelter wouldn't bother me tooooo much... do you have a trailer? Could you park it in the field so she can get some shade when the sun moves round it?

 

[Birker2020]

Horses fed around 8am and the whole yard was out by 9.15am latest. Brought in at 3pm onwards. This was in the winter.
Horses bought in around 8am and fed, turned out after 3pm unless owner didn't want this in the Summer.

I was up weekend to do my own and my friends horse.

 

[Surbie]

deleted.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

do you have a trailer? Could you park it in the field so she can get some shade when the sun moves round it?

I do, but I think with her itching it would become an itching post!

 

[Birker2020]

I think you might have misread the post - the question was about horses that are out 24/7.

Aha yes, quickly flicking through on my lunch break. Sorry OP, thanks Surbie