Successfully competing your horse from grass livery

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GEE55

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I have had to move my horse onto grass livery from being stabled every night, in order to save some money - (unfortunately hit by the recession like everyone else).

Would love to hear from other people who manage to successfully compete their horses from the field.

I will have access to a school, but since he has always been stabled am thinking it may be a better option to turn him away during the winter completely and bring him back into work in the Spring when the weather is better. If I did carry on competing him through the Winter do you clip? or partially clip and then really rug up?

Success stories please!
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all my girls live out 24/7. i compete straight from the field and through the winter they get fully clipped. they are rugged accordingly, have access to adlib haylage and shelter should they need it.
 
Hmm, interesting, coz Im thinking the same!!
Im considering putting my two on grass livery, but Ill have access to a school and other facilities, so Ill carry on competing. The horse I compete mostly can survive fully clipped, rugged and out 24/7, my other will just have to be a fluffy show jumper!
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I've evented to Novice from the field - and my eventer is still out 24/7 now and will remain so for as long as I am allowed to leave him out!

It's perfectly possible to compete from the field, my chap is fully clipped now, and just out in a MW with no neck cover. He'll get a neck cover if/when it gets colder, and I have a HW in reserve, but in all honesty he is fine and happy, and my bills are lower, so it's all good!
 
Me too. Ive BSJAd to foxhunter and evented to Novice, including 2 day events and championships from the field. I have stables now but i have managed without for several years before they were built.

The hardest thing is riding in the rain, because without a stable it is much harder to dry a horse off and avoid chills. I would recomend lots of rugs in several weights and at least one decent wicking rug, such as a thermatex. This can be put under a turnout if you get caught out riding in the rain. And of course using a waterproof exercise sheet.
 
My friend competed at Hickstead, on a horse that was kept in a field, and wore a dressage saddle as it was the only one which fitted him. All very unconventional, but she had a double clear !! Oh - she had duck tape holding her boots together as well. All the other horses looked so fancy, and there she was, doing better than so many of them. She did very well indeed on that grass kept horse so yes, it can be done successfully
 
I too compete from a field. I have no school, and no floodlights, so riding between the end of September and the beginning of April is limited to weekends only. Last year the horses remained fit through the winter, they're not the sort to stand still in the field all day, but neither are they hooligans either charging round and going loopy. Their normal daily movement means that they generally lose very little fitness throughout the winter.

I don't clip mine either. Yes, they get sweaty after work in their thick coats, but for the low amount of work they do over the winter I've made the decision that it's better overall for them not to be clipped at all. They are rugged, if an when necessary and, even though unclipped, will still have heavyweight rugs on should the weather conditions warrant it.

My set up works perfectly for me and my horses and I have no plans whatsoever of changing it for the sake of a stable.
 
I'm always surprised when people seem to question competing a horse off grass. I know lots of people who believe a horse can only compete well if stabled all the time which is utterly ridiculous IMO!

I have always competed mine off grass, all mine live out 24/7 all year round. This has included non-natives like an anglo arab, warmblood, TB x etc. My current horse is a Luso x TB and I compete him at BE novice/1* level and BSJA 1.20m off grass. I normally give him a couple of months off over the winter (he is now off as from yesterday) purely because I dont have a school to ride in therefore its impossible in the worst of the winter. I will bring him back into work in Jan, mainly riding at weekends only (he keeps himself fit!) and do BSJA. He'll then be hunter clipped, as long as he's rugged up well he's happy.
 
I do endurance with mine from the field 24/7. My older horse got to the 80k level and the younger one is working his way up there. They seem fitter and healthier - never had a cough or a snotty nose since I gave up stabling 5 years ago. In winter they're well rugged up and have an Irish clip if working; I give small feeds all year round (adjusted to workload) and feed hay when necessary in winter.

Not stabling also helps if you're short of time!
 
I'm similar to Faro in that I have no school, no lights and work 9-5 so only ride at the weekends in the winter.

I do clip though if mine are being ridden at the weekend, as they get rather sweaty, and I do sometimes lunge in the dark if it's not too slippery.

I have access to a double field shelter (no lights) or one full size stable and one half, but then the 3rd pony gets left out on its own, and as they're all happy being out, that's where they stay.

They seem to stay pretty fit this way.
 
Some grass kept horses race from the field..... so it can be done
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Horses keep themselves fitter wandering around the field than they do being stationary in a stable. They also take less warming up as their muscles are already working, so no having to do 10 mins walking just to get the blood pumping etc
 
putting horses into stables (small confined areas) is a human thing.!! got 2 that have evented to intermediate, and hunters which hunt that live out! well fed, well rugged and clipped! and fit!
 
Only competing prelim/novice dressage atm, but unclipped and out 24/7. If the weather is really grotty, I'll pop an excercise sheet on for the hack to/from the school, and by the time we get back from the school, he's dry underneath.
 
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