TB - In or out?

[maxapple]

I have a TB who was stabled at night last year. I'm now at a yard where most horses stay out all year.

Does anyone else have a TB who lives out in the winter and is happy to do so? I have a stable and am thinking that when it gets really horrible and wet he'll probably come in at night - or am I just being over protective???

 

[zoeshiloh]

I have two full TBs and a 3/4 TB and they stay out all year - only one has a rug, the other two grow enough hair to keep themselves warm.

If you drive past Newmarket in the middle of winter you will see most of the National Stud mares, along with many others, living out all winter without rugs.

There is no reason your TB can't stay out all winter - rug him up, and bring him in for thr night when it gets really fowl - I'm sure he'll appreciate a warm stable for the odd night, even if he doesn't need it as such.

 

[Parkranger]

Well I'm turning Ty out this winter for the first time - my lovely YO is putting up a field shelter though and keeping her older boy out with him....I know how worrying it is, but they're horses after all!

My old sharer was polish and she used to keep her old warmblood out UNRUGGED in minus conditions!

 

[Maisy]

brrrr.......my fat hairy irish cob and my equally fat native pony will both be inside tucked up rugged up nice and warm!!.....some nasty days they dont even go out......

I couldnt sleep at night if mine were out in all weathers!.....Am already thinking that it feels a little chilly tonight so may bring them in!!!!

 

[Nailed]

Ted stays out all day and is in at night.. however he was out 24/7 until january!

Lou x

 

[Faro]

Hi Maxapple,

You are lucky to be at a yard which allows all year turnout (that's why I rent my own land and put up with no menage, because at yards around here there is so little winter turnout).

I don't have TBs myself (although I do have a half TB who winters out in just a lightweight rainsheet), but I know of several folk who have wintered TBs out successfully, others whose horses simply couldn't stand it. There is no definitive answer to your question - it all depends on the environment, the routine, the feed, the rugs, the workload etc. etc.

I am sure that as the winter arrives, your horse will be the first to tell you whether or not he/she is happy staying outside. In the meantime, why bring him in unnecessarily if you don't have to? Maximum turnout is so vital for a healthy, happy horse, and of course, it must mean less work (mucking out) for you.

 

[Parkranger]

[ QUOTE ]
brrrr.......my fat hairy irish cob and my equally fat native pony will both be inside tucked up rugged up nice and warm!!.....some nasty days they dont even go out......

I couldnt sleep at night if mine were out in all weathers!.....Am already thinking that it feels a little chilly tonight so may bring them in!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Really? No offence to you but I don't get the whole humanising of horses....we all do it to an extent though I guess....

 

[kit279]

I've got 2 TBs, they live out 24/7 all year round and only come in when the weather is really foul or the field's underwater. They hate being in, would much prefer to be out. You just need a decent rug and don't rug too early in the year, let them grow a decent coat first. That said, mine are good doers and it might be more difficult to keep the weight on a bad doer TB living out.

 

[oofadoofa]

I would play it by ear a bit. My TBs always come in at night in the winter now. I decided I would turn one of mine out 24/7 for the winter a couple of years ago as I wasn't riding him and he got ill and nearly died! Probably totally unrelated but I am so paranoid now!!!!

 

[jacksmum]

I have a TB and he will be out at night except for rainly ones when he prefers to come in

 

[Parkranger]

[ QUOTE ]
I would play it by ear a bit. My TBs always come in at night in the winter now. I decided I would turn one of mine out 24/7 for the winter a couple of years ago as I wasn't riding him and he got ill and nearly died! Probably totally unrelated but I am so paranoid now!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Blimey! poor thing!

 

[RagazzoSam]

When I worked in Newmarket, the stallions had their own small yard with large box and exercise area and were always rugged. Visiting mares were boxed without rugs and turned out during the day with their foals when old enough, hatever the weather.

 

[sea_view]

My TB lived out before I bought him and didn't do well for it. I had him in over the winters I had him, he was sold last year and lived out last winter, report back from his new owner is she won't be doing that again, he was quite a hardy TB, rug wise etc but just didn't do well being wintered out. X

 

[Maisy]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
brrrr.......my fat hairy irish cob and my equally fat native pony will both be inside tucked up rugged up nice and warm!!.....some nasty days they dont even go out......

I couldnt sleep at night if mine were out in all weathers!.....Am already thinking that it feels a little chilly tonight so may bring them in!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Really? No offence to you but I don't get the whole humanising of horses....we all do it to an extent though I guess....

[/ QUOTE ]

Just got back from the yard where both my girls are in their fluffy warm stables with some hay to eat. The sky is looking very grey and like it might rain most of the night.

I do molly coddle my girls. I make no bones about it. But I do it with my dogs, though strangely am not too bad with my kids!!

With the horses, I dont want to leave them out when it is wet and chilly cos I dont want their coats growing too thickly too quickly! (thats my excuse and I am sticking to it!!!)

I shudder to think back when I first had my first horse. He lived out 365 days a year, with little hard feed and very little hay on top of the grass (was in a herd in a massive field and they fed them what worked out to be a bale of hay a week each

). He only had one rug too............my girls now are spoilt!!!!!

 

[Chestnuttymare]

my tb would freak if i left her out in the winter. she is out in summer but stabled overnight in winter.(she is in at night at the mo as the fields are so wet) i have never met a horse who is so woosy in the cold and wet. she stands by the gate to come in, she loves her cozy wee house

 

[ladyt25]

I believe actually TBs are a lot hardier than people give them credit for, I mean TB mares and foals are often out in all weathers with no rugs from what I've seen. We have an old TB (24) who is out 24/7 all year. We do put a rug on him in the worst of weathers but mainly cos he's old and now tends to drop some weight BUt I think being out and able to move around helps stop him become stiff and cold. They do have plenty of shelter though and are well fed. I think people do have a tendency to think horses feel the same as us in the weather but they don't they ARE built to be out and providing they have access to adequate shelter whether it be artificial field shelters of big hedges and trees pus obviously enough food, they will be fine!

 

[lialls]

My TB mare lives out 24/7

No mucking out.

 

[Coffee_Bean]

Yes my trak x TB x Arab x welsh, very finely built, TB like mare lives out all year. She stresses being in anyway, but I rug her up and she's fine.

 

[MagicMelon]

Yes you're being over-protective. There is no reason whatsoever than you cannot keep out your TB. It should be the other way round, not "should I keep my horse out" but more "why should I stable" IMO!!

Ive kept a woosy WB, an anglo arab and currently have a TB x Luso (born in Portugal so not exactly built for cold...!) wintering out HUNTER CLIPPED in the middle of NE Scotland winters! He doesnt loose weight, is fed and rugged well and is thoroughly happy about it.