Stabled 24hrs

[PeterNatt]

I am completly amazed that in a rural area such as Yorkshire that yards do not have Winter turn out. My old yard in London had 24/7 turnout if people so wished.

I would most certainly not buy a horse until you have found a yard where you can get daily turn out for your horse. It is positively cruel not to allow a healthy horse turn out.

 

[eventingdiva]

Hi
The dressage horses i work with are stabled 24hrs. their routine is pretty crap, but they're all happy enough. they get hay first thing (normally only enough to last about 1-2hrs) and last thing (again not a huge amount) and they get 3 feeds a day. they are schooled for about 1/2 hr in the morning, and are quickly groomed in the pm. thats all they get, as i said its pretty crap but can be done, and they're all sane (ish), even the young ones.
one of mine had to be stabled all the time she wasnt bring ridden when she was coming back from an injury a little while ago. she could be ridden for about an hour a day. i kept her on 2 feeds a day, but split her hay into smaller haynets, simply to give her something to do during the day. i also put her on 1 kilo of readigrass each day, which she really loved! x

 

[Stasha22]

[ QUOTE ]
I would most certainly not buy a horse until you have found a yard where you can get daily turn out for your horse. It is positively cruel not to allow a healthy horse turn out.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well said!

 

[Blizzard]

Totally agree, ours are out 24/7 all year round , we used to bring them in in winter but they lost condition and got mud fever, now they are out all year round and have been happier and fit as fiddles!

I really feel sorry for these dressage horses, is it that the owners dont want their 'machines' to be damaged if they are allowed out to graze and play?

I know not all dressage horses are kept in, but a lot seem to be, and 24/7 for any horse is cruel.

 

[eventingdiva]

[ QUOTE ]
I really feel sorry for these dressage horses, is it that the owners dont want their 'machines' to be damaged if they are allowed out to graze and play?


[/ QUOTE ]
Not sure, maybe.
where the ones i work with are there just aren't any fields, well not that are used for t/o anyway x

 

[Lou2006]

This again is a general reply to whoever wants to read it.
Unfortunately, I, like many, many other people, can't afford my own land and there is nothing available with all year turnout as I've said, so some of you are saying people like me shouldn't have horses as we can't turn them out every day?
As I have said I would do my best exercising morning and night and paying someone to do it through the day if I couldn't turn out, but I know a majority of people just ride them in the evenings and that's their lot and to be honest the horses seem perfectly happy to me, they go out in the arena for an hour a few times a week, but not every day. I'm not saying I would choose stabling through choice, yes if I had the money I would have my own land and be able to turnout when I pleased, but I don't, that doesn't mean I don't care about my horses.

Thanks for all your thoughts, this topic has become huge!

Lou.x

 

[chestnut cob]

I personally wouldn't want to keep my horse somewhere that didn't offer winter turnout. My horse is definitely better turned out as much as possible otherwise he turns into a bottle of pop and gets bargy.

Last yard turned out at 8am and they were in by dark, which obviously depended on what part of the winter it was. Mine wouldn't stay out alone so he was in with the rest, by 3pm when the nights are really long. TBH he was happy enough to come in after 6 or 7 hours because there was no grass anyway. This winter he's at a different yard as i've moved house and he'll be out 24/7 as long as I can keep him out. There are two others who will winter out so he'll be out with those and away from the horses that are stabled at night. They'll have hay in the field morning and evening. Definitely prefer it this way.

I'm not disputing what you say about there being no turnout, I just can't believe that a county like Yorks has a problem with lack of land! I do believe though that there is no such thing as "not enough grazing", it's actuall a case of "too many horses"!!

 

[Ravenwood]

Oh dear - I am amazed at how strongly so many people feel about horses being stabled 24/7 in the winter. Poor Lou - what a dilemma.

My two horses are both stabled pretty much 24/7 during the winter. Unless we have a really dry spell and the fields dry up completely the horses have to stay in but unfortunately that does not happen very often on Exmoor.

Both mine are perfectly happy staying in and no-one really seems to have argued how a horse should be kept depending on what work it does. For example mine are both fully clipped out in the winter as they hunt regularly and are worked every day they seem much happier being in a warm dry stable with plenty of bedding and thick rugs with plenty of haylage than standing out in a cold, wet, muddy, windy field with a heavy wet NZ rug on hanging about by the gate waiting to be brought back in again. Horses get used to a routine as everyone knows and if that routine is to live in then thats what they get used to. All the hunt yards around here keep their horses in from Sept to May.

I would imagine that most horses get turned out in the Spring anyway (depending on the weather) but even then mine can't wait to come in in the day time during spring and summer to get out of the heat and flies anyway - they love their stables.

And lets face it - I bet most of us are working mums as well so if we can keep clean, fit, warm horses as opposed to hairy, wet, filthy ones - there's more time for homework!!!

 

[Parkranger]

I don't want to appear harsh (it's obviously just my view) but I wouldn't have a horse if it had to be stabled 247 or could only be ridden in a school (ie inner city area).

that's just me though x

 

[clipclop]

Lou, I have to congratulate you.

You have taken everyone's comments (including my own), and not once thrown a strop or got all upset. (Many would have)!!

I think with a level head like yours, you will be someone who will always be keeping your mind open and closely monitoring your horse.

Enjoy your horse.

Cheers
C x

 

[Parkranger]

Something that has to be thought about though is the fact that you have much harsher winters up there than we do in the South - does that have anything to do with the lack of 247 winter turnout?

 

[Claireg9]

Well mine are on Clay but although wet and hideous especially rounmd the gate areas they still go out. Last year it snowed and the track became a sheet of ice so the horses had to stay in due to having to use the track to reach the field. we deiced a small walk way for the horses, in the morning i rode in the sand/rubber school, gave them a small feed and a couple of sections of hay, came home from work, walked them round the deiced bit for 15 mins, let them nibble at the bits of poking up grass, tucked them up into beddy by's with plenty of warm rugs a feed and three to four sections of hay. they have a likit although i dont like to fill it up now as it makes my mare hyper and a treat ball, there also mucked out twice a day!

After only three days of being in when i let my mare out she went loopy, you could see the happiness of her face she loved it.
This is why i think you should look for somewhere that at least does restrictive grazing!

Good luck
Claire x

 

[Happy Bird]

OMG that's heinous ...... I would not move to a yard which had such restricted turn out .... each to their own and all that ...... my horses get turned out 9 hours per day whatever the weather, all year round (unless of course it's of health benefit to the horse).

 

[M_G]

Lou
i think that you have to make the best out of whatever situation you find yourself in. I am at the moment having to find somewheere to keep my girl (out 24/7) at the minute if I can find somewhere close to my new home whether its restricted winter turnout or no winter turn out then thats the way it has to be.

You will do your best by your horse, we dont live in an ideal world thankfully most horses are adaptable.

M x

 

[Lou2006]

Thanks for all replies everyone. The no turnout rule is nothing to do with how many horses we have, because there is only about 14 horses on the yard. But it is a working farm and the farmer doesn't want his fields churning up as the cows live off it in the summer etc. Well I think that's the reason I don't really know. Had a word with yard owner this morning and she is going to try and get a barn for my yearling and her yearling to live in through the winter, then they have company, space to leg stretch and they can still be turned out etc when possible.
We can't all have ideal yards, I just do what I can for my horse and will carry on doing what I have to to keep horses.

Thanks again.
Lou.x

 

[AmyMay]

Surely you wouldn't consider stabling a yearling 24/7

I really hope that something can be worked out - otherwise you really, really should think seriously about different accomodation for the yearling at least.

 

[Stasha22]

A yearling? Surely you're not considering keeping a yearling in 24/7?!

 

[not_with_it]

All the horses on our yard have winter turnout but they arent in fields as the fields get too wet. The YO's horses go into the arena and mine is in an open barn type thing. We find that in the winter when the weather is bad they dont want to stay out long and so come in in the afternoon. They would much rather stand inside with a haynet then get wet! (yes they are all wimps)

I dont see a problem with the horse being stabled as long as he is happy, healthy and gets to have a leg stretch. If there are things going on for him to watch and he has plenty of hay and water then he should be OK.

Only you know your horse, try it, he will tell you if he is unhappy.

 

[Sooty]

[ QUOTE ]
Surely you wouldn't consider stabling a yearling 24/7

I really hope that something can be worked out - otherwise you really, really should think seriously about different accomodation for the yearling at least.

[/ QUOTE ]

Absolutely agree. Sorry, but it would be bad enough for a horse that could be exercised for a couple of hours a day, but for a yearling it would be downright wrong.

 

[vic07]

[ QUOTE ]
Oh dear - I am amazed at how strongly so many people feel about horses being stabled 24/7 in the winter. Poor Lou - what a dilemma.

My two horses are both stabled pretty much 24/7 during the winter. Unless we have a really dry spell and the fields dry up completely the horses have to stay in but unfortunately that does not happen very often on Exmoor.

Both mine are perfectly happy staying in and no-one really seems to have argued how a horse should be kept depending on what work it does. For example mine are both fully clipped out in the winter as they hunt regularly and are worked every day they seem much happier being in a warm dry stable with plenty of bedding and thick rugs with plenty of haylage than standing out in a cold, wet, muddy, windy field with a heavy wet NZ rug on hanging about by the gate waiting to be brought back in again. Horses get used to a routine as everyone knows and if that routine is to live in then thats what they get used to. All the hunt yards around here keep their horses in from Sept to May.

I would imagine that most horses get turned out in the Spring anyway (depending on the weather) but even then mine can't wait to come in in the day time during spring and summer to get out of the heat and flies anyway - they love their stables.

And lets face it - I bet most of us are working mums as well so if we can keep clean, fit, warm horses as opposed to hairy, wet, filthy ones - there's more time for homework!!!

[/ QUOTE ]


Oh well said. Mine are such wimps they ask to come in!

 

[debbielinder]

i live in liverpool about 20 mins drive from the city centre and i keep my horse at my aunties private yard, 5 mins from where i live, were theres her 2 horses my horse her best friends pony and one other horse belonging to another girl, now these stables have been up about 50 years and when my auntie first started riding there before she got them there was fields for miles no however its a different story we have a small field round the corner and a 3 acre one we have to use the box to get to (we use this when giving the horses a day off) and all round us is pretty much built up but west derby village were we are has a real village atmosphere every one knows every one else so hacking on the main roads isnt a probelm. are horses are in 24/7 but all are exercised according to what they need and are given the best quality haylage and feed. we are right opposite croxteth park so can hack for miles or go to newshame park or do road work, once or twice a week we go down to the riding school were my auntie teaches and use their indoor and she competes her 2 in dressage (novice and medium) all of our horses are happy and healthy and although we dont have the best facilities are a lot better looked after than a lot of those i have seen in recent years on yards with schools and acres of land i thinks its just all about good stable managment and knowing your horse. when mine goes out she has a run, eats for 20 mins then comes to the gate to come in. and she doesnt want to go on a hack when its raining never mind stand out in a field in it shes a right wus! i actually had the best compliment from my vet last week, he said shes the best looked after happiest horse he knows i had a grin from ear to ear for a wk after he said that!

 

[debbielinder]

i suppose i should add to this my horse has just recovered from a tendon injury so actually hasnt been turned out at all for 5 months as she was on box rest for 2 months and then in hand walking for 1 1/2 months she wont be allowed to be turned out until say so from my vet. but as i work of an evening i get to the yard about 6.45 and stay there till 3 so i am with her all day (dunno weather thats a good thing or a bad thing from her point of view) shes a lot happier no i am riding her for an hour with short trots but is always content if shes got food! but the way our yard is set its like a big square with a path, that runs up the side of the house with 8 ft gates at the bottom and we let them amble round there thats what mine did while she was supposed to be on box rest vet said was a very good idea and it worked fine