Spring is underway! When are you going back to 24/7 turnout?

[kellybee]

Hello all,

Been ages since I've posted but found myself walking up the fields last night on terra firma instead of terra soggy.

Made me wonder how long before the grass starts to come through again, and whether its going to get wetter before it improves. We put ditches in before winter arrived so our fields are so much drier than usual but I do like to keep the horses in at night as long as the grass is still poor. They usually start coming in when the clocks go back and out in May when the grass is well and truly coming through.

This year however I'm thinking I might start to put hay out at night when the clocks change (only a week to go, HOORAY!!) on the trash paddock - if its not gone back to being soggy!

Whats everyone else doing? Do you have a preferred time of year for 24/7 turnout or do you just leave it til its definitely very dry

 

[Follysmum]

Im turning all mine out 24/7 next sunday as fields have started to dry up well. They will still get a small bucket feed for their supplements in the mornings and will have hay in the evenings ( I tend to feed hay all year round) due to limiting their grass intake. Been a long haul this winter will be glad of the break from mucking out .

 

[Goldenstar]

Tatts is out all winter and the two ID's have been out for a week the two Tbs will go out on Monday if the weather stays settled .

 

[kellybee]

Couldn't agree more. We rested our fields all winter and just had an acre trash paddock that's nothing but mud (albeit hard mud now in most places), but theres an awful a lot of seed in this last batch of hay so I thought if we feed it on the ground they will probably tread a lot of it in and help it to recover/flatten

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Mine both been fully out for past 2 weeks, tho still on hay at night in small paddocks, as TF needs to diet lots still.....

Stables still on 'standby' till end April - in case we get bucket loads of rain & I want to bring them in for a night or 2 to give the ground a chance (and to dry feet etc)

 

[khalino]

Still got my field sectioned off as the grass hasn't come back to what I'd like yet, but hopefully, April is our month!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

We took the decision to leave ours out overnight on Thursday, this week, because the ground has dried up. They are still on winter grazing with as much hay as they can eat and may well come back in if the weather turns again. But we decided that we had had a long enough winter

 

[poiuytrewq]

Our field at home is very dry. It was rolled weeks ago and i could wear flip flops out there! There is however absolutely no grass. I took a photo of my horse this week and was shocked! Looking at the picture you'd not even think he was in a field.
Our other bit of grazing I've not even been down to look at in weeks but last look it was still pretty lake like! so mine are still coming in....

 

[Asha]

Mine have been out since wednesay, and its bliss. Not enough grass, but they have plenty of haylage. Most of the fields are dry now. I found the one that was still wet, as got my pick up stuck, had to dig it out

 

[Mrs G]

Oh I hope to do it soon; have had my poor boy on no turnout for nearly two months due to a minor injury then a waterlogged field. The extra mucking out, walking and grazing in hand is so time consuming and I don't like him spending so much time stabled, though he's happy enough as long as he's got plenty to eat (he would def be a couch potato if he were human!). As soon as the field is dry enough he's going out and if he gets tricky I catch I will know there's enough grass to leave him out!

 

[Farcical1]

I'd like to put mine out full time just now but our ground is still quite damp. My two old girls don't like it damp and cold so still coming in at night. At their ages, I don't begrudge them the last few nights in.
We have grass but it's a bit anaemic looking. They've been out on it the last few days so they're happy. As soon as the sun comes out for a few days, they'll be turfed out for the summer.

 

[sychnant]

MY 4 went out overnight last weekend. It's great, they come in at lunchtime and get worked before tea and turnout around 5. Means I can get them worked without feeling they're missing out on turnout!

We're on clay which has dried out well in the last couple of weeks. Still feeding a bit of hay though.

 

[skint1]

We're not allowed to feed haylage in the field at my yard and although the grass is starting to come through again there wouldn't be enough to sustain them 24/7 for another month at least. They've been in at night from end September which is much earlier than usual so it feels like I've been mucking out since dinosaurs walked the earth. I can't wait!

 

[PerfectCoffee]

Mine go out when it's dry enough so first night out will be tomorrow but with a big bale of hay in the field as not much grass yet.

 

[JJS]

I chucked mine out 24/7 earlier this week.

 

[windand rain]

mine live out 24/7 year round but we are still strip grazing last years foggage got about a third of the field left to go at before moving onto the summer field. Although we have a show tomorrow so the snowy white pony is out on the clean grass for tonight. Hope she is close to clean tomorrow

 

[ShadowHunter]

I aimed for April 1st but in actual fact i chucked her out a week ago. Ground has dried up fast, weather forecast is still looking mostly dry so i went for it. We were both getting fed up and her behaviour was worsening; chilled out horse is slowly coming back.

 

[Nudibranch]

Mine are out all winter; we're lucky as they are huge fields. Much more pleasant now everywhere is dry though. Rugs have been off for a week, even the TBs, since he has grown the coat of a Shetland. They'll move on to the summer field mid April I reckon.

 

[Charlie007]

Not got a great deal of grass so they won't be out overnight for at least another month

 

[AmieeT]

Ours are alternate long between two turnout fields ATM, and I believe 24/7 in a different field in the next few weeks

 

[Kezzabell2]

as long as it says nice a dry like this, we are hoping to do 24/7 in April, just need the field to dry out a bit more, as it has a river next to it, so it gets very wet, once its drier the farmer can roll it and we will stay out then! wooohooo!

 

[sidsmum]

I usually start 24/7 turnout in May but i put my two out 24/7 last weekend. They are still on the winter paddock and I'm giving them haylage...and their stables are ready if the weather turns. But it is nice to have them out with this dry weather!

 

[Enfys]

I would turn out as soon as the ground could take it, and just feed hay.
I opened up my fields a week ago, not that there is any grass but they like being able to wander. My ground is still deep frozen so I don't have mud to contend with.

 

[Sukistokes2]

Last Thursday....