switching from stabled to living out - issues?

[Welshie Squisher]

I am considering switching my 2 from stabled livery to grass livery because even though I can afford to stable them, it means I don't do much else, as I can't afford to

I don't have any concerns with the cold in winter, not having an Irish and Welsh cob. I know from this perspective they can live out.
Although I'm not sure about clipping and my daughters pony is fit and ridden plenty and had a full clip this winter that was perfect for him.

Mud also concerns me, again my daughters pony had mud fever last winter, but no sign of it this winter being stabled.

I think my biggest concern is weight, easy to manage in the winter, but 24 hours on grass in big fields? I can imagine two shockingly fat cobs!
Mine isn't even backed yet, will get backed this spring but being 3 will obviously only be in light work so riding to control weight isn't an option like my daughter.

One other issue, it's a bit of a treck to the field just a track within the farm so safe traffic wise but unlit. Who has to take horses to and from the field in the dark, I would use a head torch attached to my hat, and even though my 2 are good leading I am concerned as it will be my daughter who takes one if them.

Anyone similar, how do you manage these issues?

Thanks x

 

[Ibblebibble]

i've had mine on farm livery for the last 6 years and have managed fine why would you have to lead them from the field in the dark if they're not stabled? I'm lucky that i work part time so i can usually get to the farm before it's dark, but on the odd occasion where i have had to go in the dark i use a big torch and a head lamp, never had any problems apart from making myself a bundle of nerves by imagining bogey men in the bushes
I the summer i can fence off my field how i like so i have a fatty on restricted grazing and the other 3 in paddocks that i rotate.
never had any of them with mud fever and as i pump water from a stream i don't get problems with frozen pipes like we did on the livery yard i love my rough and ready farm livery and wouldn't go back to yard livery for anything!!

 

[Welshie Squisher]

libblebibble - my daughter is at school so we won't get to the yard until 4 so we'll have a darkness issue in winter. We'll be able to get them out in the light but they'll have to return to their field once dark. Or they won't come out of the field mon-fri in the height of winter and this is no good to me.

 

[Fransurrey]

I have mine out 24/7 with no electricity and I manage fine. I do get stupidly excited about yards with electricity and running water, but it's not a major inconvenience.

I use a head torch for work in the dark and in my case everything is done in the fields. I have a couple of tough stable mats outside the shelter, so I can pick up feet and tack up outside the dark stable.

On large fields I can't imagine you having mud fever problems, but I can imagine weight issues. I would invest in a couple of muzzles and electric tape. My land is divided into two fields, one of which doesn't get a lot of sun, so this is my 'diet' paddock, but not many people have a 45 degree sloping field on the side of a valley!

 

[Welshie Squisher]

Unfortunately I'm not allowed to section off smaller areas as it's a livery yard I am on.
The yard has full facilities, it's just that the grass livery field is a bit of a trec in the dark.

Muzzles are a good idea, definitely worth a try.

 

[kirinsam]

oooooh my field is on a 45 degree angle on the side of a valley!!!!! On the plus side it means there is always a dry bit. I would have weight issues with mine but tape my 3 acres into 6 half acre paddocks ( very smug as still have 2 to use this winter that havent been grazed since last spring , cheap horses) this means each paddock is cleaned and rested as they finish with it. I lead in and out in the dark if necessary , I have stables just choose not to use them , if you are right out in the country you will soon learn your route and need less artificial light than you think (one of mine finds the torch quite spooky) and horses are quite good at finding their way in the dark. Only had mud fever on a yard when they came in every day and had their legs washed for me . I would give it a try , you can always swap again if it doesnt work and spring is on its way so you will have at least 9 months of cheaper horseing ( am convinced that is not in the dictionary but is just the word I wanted)

 

[dunkley]

I've had three out 24/7 on eleven acres. There may be grass in the physical sense, but there is not a lot of goodness in it, this time of the year. You need to keep an eye on whether it is growing, and how their condition changes, or not. I have never had to use muzzles during the winter, ever. The spring is, of course, different. I would put the pony (native) in a strip-grazed pen, and occasionally have to muzzle the ID. In the winter, they would get hay if the weather was vile, and a small feed once a day from Oct/Nov until they stopped mooching for it, usually when the grass started to come through Last winter, with all the snow, I had a large bale put in the field and they completely ignored it, preferring to dig and rootle for whatever was underneath. As soon as the snow melted, it was gone in a week. Your youngster won't need rugging, and will use a surprising amount of 'energy' keeping warm - that is winter weight control If you need to clip, do the smallest you can manage with, for the work they do. As long as they have appropriate rugs, they will be fine. It is easier for a horse to keep itself warm, than to cool itself down. Usually, our pony got a blanket, but last week both pony and one of the horses got full clips as the work is building up. As a child, mine had the usual winter routine of burger-all during the week, and hacking/hunting PC at the weekend. They were never clipped, and never rugged. We groomed the mud off where the leather went - all over if we were hunting, but never used a body brush so they kept natural oils in for warmth and waterproofing. If they got hot and sweaty, they were cooled off by the time they got home, then turned out to have a good roll and 'reapply' their muddy insulation! At the moment, I have three in a large field, with shelters,(which is a new thing for them). They are fed in the field once a day, and have their own strict hierachy as to who eats first and where they stand. Most gets done during daylight hours, but in the past, if I haven't been able to bring in, everything has been done in the field, including poo picking by torchlight. With regards mud fever, there are two schools of thought. I am of the 'leave the feather on' brigade, believing that the feather offers a natural protection, but there are others who believe by getting it all off, you can see it quicker, treat it easier, and the legs dry off reducing the risk of it starting in the first place. See how you go, and do what works best for you.

 

[Rose Folly]

Weight shouldn't be a problem at this time of year. It's the other things, like ad lib haylage, that get the waistones bulging. Our current three, a TB, an old-fashioned cob and a Welsh Section C, live out 24/7, with monitored haylage and for the two natives a very little hard feed (the TB has a lot more). They lose weight in the winter - not dramatically, but that's as it should be.

Presume your issues about getting them to and from the field are because your daughter wants to ride the pony? What would happen if she just rode at weekends in the winter? Sounds like you are giving yourself work. Mud fever needn't be a problem so long as the horses have good natural hair cover. Some horses are prone, some arenot, so it's a case of suck it and see.

The one thing i would have an issue with is changing from stabling to out 24/7 in mid-winter, especially as you have clipped the pony. But with sensible rugging I'm sure you could sort that out.

 

[Welshie Squisher]

Rose Folly - yes my daughter rides 6 days a week and her pony has a week off 4 times a year plus off in winter when everything is frozen. He's fit and in great shape and I'd like to keep him this way.

Regarding the clip, he's almost fully grown back now and was due to be re-clipped, this now won't be done.

I wouldn't normally change this time of year but my hand is kinda forced with having a bad back and it flarred up again last night. I was considering grass livery to save money anyway, it's just happened 2 months sooner.

Well they have gone out today, I will be keeping my stables until I am certain one way or the other, if I am happy they are fine out the change will become permanent

 

[Rose Folly]

Don't think you'll regret it. Good luck anyway. And, as someone who used to have an awful back, the best thing about horses living out is that if your back goes phut and you can't get to them, it's not the end of the world - so long as they have water and some grass they'll survive! And your back will have a chance to get better......