snow turnout

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dizzyf

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31 January 2009
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are ur ponies going out or staying in from the snow?
out mine out yesterday during the day- but do they want to go out again in the snow?
 
Mine are in at nights, but have gone out every day in the snow. As long as they have plenty of haylage out there to munch on they are very happy and content.
 
My horse has been in for two days due to the snow but is going out for two hours today as a trusted friend has looked at the weather conditions this morning and made the decision that her horse is going out so I trust her judgement. However there will be no grass to eat, but it will be good for him to stretch his legs. TBH my horse (WB) is more than happy to gorge all day on haylage in his stable, i think if he was holed up in there for a month he wouldn't care so long as his tummy was full and he was warm and content!
 
Two of mine were coming at night and two were out 24/7 but I left them all out last night because the yard is like am ice rink. Yesterday morning the only way I could get them out was by putting a couple of spare rugs on the ground and then making them stand on one while I moved the back one round in front of them . . . . just as well I do lots of "ground" work with them - one is a 2 year old and the other is an 8 month old weanling who was running wild on the New Forest two months ago!!!
I had decided that I would leave them out as it was safer but then it snowed heavens hard yesterday afternoon and evening. I slithered up to the yard after work and gave them all a load of haylage and then the YO with the help of Mr Large Red Massey-Ferguson put out a bale of haylage for them this morning - one of those massive oblong ones - so they'll be fine for quite a while. They have 2 self-filling troughs and a running stream so they're fine for water too.
 
3 of mine live out 24/7. They went walkabout yesterday morning and came down to the yard - just wanted to say hello to the stabled ones (they hate being in themselves). The snow had brought down the electric fencing and the snow was frozen to the tape. The YO fixed their field and took the old boy and brood mare back. Left the yearling for me to take up. I did wonder how she would behave as we had to walk across 3 fields on a different route to the one they used when they got out. She remembered all her manners from the work in the summer - even though she didn't like the sound of the ice cracking. I was so pleased.
My other horse, who comes in at night, will have another day in, as they are still fixing fencing. Its a good thing we are not near any roads.
 
seems like those who are out during te day are given extra hay in the field. We're not allowed to put hay in the field.

I turned them out a bit whilst I mucked out etc.
My 3 big boys were munching on a fallen branch. Then the big bully horse was turned out, I thought all they'd do was fight so I brought them in, now all happy inside munching hay. My little boy was waiting by the gate, and he NEVER does that, so he cam in too!
 
My 2 are usually out in big 4 acre field 24/7 but doesnt seem much point them trashing that as they cant get to the grasss due to thick covering of snow so they are in a small turnout paddock about 1/3 of an acre where the field shelter is with lots of hay. They are not overly happy and keep gazing over the fence at the big field but I figure it will be easier to poo pick that small area once everything thaws and I am not worried about the grass in that area being trashed. Its starting to get very muddy and sludgy though.......
 
my boys are out from 6.30am till 6.30pm as usual, have plenty of hay but are happy enough digging for the grass, of which there is plenty. My horse's love being out in the snow (daft beggars). Only time i wouldn't put them out is if I physically couldn't get them down the road to the field due to snow drifts etc. Little guy looked like a sugar coated pony when I got them in last night (-8 degress C), was so cute and confirmed to me that he is very well insulated!!
 
Mine usually live out 24/7 but have been coming in at night whilst the field has been covered in snow to give them a break. They have seemed quite grateful for it tbh, even though they are plenty warm enough out and have plentiful supply of hay, and are normally happy to stay out. I have to say I've been struggling with the snow balling up in his feet, usually vaseline does the trick but the snow we have is very very dry and its still packing in, which is one of the reasons I have been bringing in.
 
I turned Star out yesterday and today for the first time in a week. I've never seen her out in the snow before. Last year, we were snowed in, and the year before, there was no snow OR winter turnout. It was lovely watching her having fun in the snow.
I put hay down for her, and am monitoring the state of the yard so that I can get her in and out safely.
She's barefoot so her feet seem to be more or less self cleaning. Not much trouble with snow balling up in there.
 
Mine is out 24/7 but today I bought him in to the yard for some extra hay - he ate 3/4 of a slice then got bored banged on his door as he wanted to go back to the field which is just snow covered so he prefers snow covered field to warm stable with hay.

He does get hay in the evening though in his field in the same way as a stabled horse gets hay at night if coming in at night and he has a HW rug on as he is chaser clipped.

I think some prefer being out more than others. Mine is a real outdoorsy one.
 
My horse is turned out 24/7 now but even when I was in a livery yard, we all used to turn our horses out in the snow

Have just upped the amount of hay he gets so he's grazing in his shelter instead lol
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Mine was out with halyledge, but didn't touch the hayledge and went and dug a hole in the snaow instead to eat grass
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She has been out every day in the snow
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