TB that lives out.....

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redmerl

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Just wondering if anyone has such a thing as a TB/WB, or non native that lives out? Do they cope ok?

Particulary ones in work. There seams to be stigma attached to owners having horses that live out. Is this justified?

Opinions appreciated....
 
I dont keep my TB out but I would be quite happy to provided he was rugged up warm enough and had plently of grass/hay/haylage. In a field they will be walking about so this is almost better warmth wise than being in a box. Also, alot of TB's dont have brilliant joints so being in a field where they can walk about is another positive to them living out.
 
i personally think as long as they are happy, warm and healthy they will be fine.
my last horse was a full tb, and i always brought her in at night, which actually she hated.
i sold her on, and her new owners have wintered her out for the last 2 winters rugged up, and she has been a happier horse. it works for her.
i have another tb now, he comes in at night only because the yard does not allow overnight tt.
obviously they did i would probably keep him out.
obviously there are exceptions, as some tb's are not good doers, and drop weight very quicky, but i think it all goes on the horse and if they can cope, then im all for leaving them out!
 
My TB mare lives out, and has done so for the past two years. She is 19 now, and copes very well. She has access to hay at all times through the winter (large roundels of hay in the field), and some shelter with the trees and hedges. She lives in a group of four mares. She is fed once a day, which is pretty high calorie (Show Improver pencils, alfa a and a monster scoop of speedibeet). She also has very good quality warm rugs.

I was very reluctant to winter her out, as she had spent her entire life being stabled and fussed over, but she has taken to it really well, and is much happier out now. If you stand her in for a while, she frets to go out again!
 
My tb lives out with my natives. Same routine except he is rugged and they are not.
He copes brilliantly...no problems at all.
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What is the stigma attached toowners who's horses live out?
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My arab lives out but has access to a field shelter and haylage 24/7 he is well rugged and very happy, much less stressed. When I bought him he had never even stayed out overnight let alone be out 24/7, he was rugged up even in the summer, only let out a couple of hours a day and quite a stress head, you should see him now a much happier, calm boy. You say there is a stigma attached to people whos horses live out what is it as I dont know of one..all 3 of mine live out the arab as above, my rising 2 appaloosa x and my 18 yr old ID all very happy and dont really like being in.
 
we have a mixed bunch of horses living out including a full TB whose owner events her. Just to echo the above comments - most of the horses are in full work, but the owners feed and rug accordingly. The only criteria seems to be that th YO encourages all the owners to send their horses into winter a bit porklike so they have a bit of back up if anything goes awry! my own WB x wintered out, albeit fed still and obviously hayed and came out looking really well so it can be done. There are some horses who just dont like being out for long so they would probably stress too much - ironically every ISH I have had (3 to date) have been extremely precious about being out and seem to have an in built alarm clock!
 
my TB mare lives out 24/7 with 2 other ponies she is an extremely good doer, she is un rugged all year round but has access to a shelter and has a round bale out with her.

I used to bring her in, rug her to the eye balls and she used to be a stress head and driop lots of weight, since being out she is a much happier horse, never drops weight and is never cold.

I did however recently sell a TB gelding who needed stabling 24/7 with limited turn out else he dropped weight far too quickly he was an ex racer and used to living most of his life indoors.

I also have a TBxWB who lived out from 6 months to 5 years and is now only stabled at night as she is in regular work and is better mannered if in a routine, but she could happily live out with a rug and feed if not in work.

I think it all depends on the horse.
 
My TB ex-race lives out and is doing very well.
He has a good shelter and as much hay as he wants and is on a high fibre diet.
I was tempted to bring him in when the snow came but he was very happy out.
I moved from a yard where turnout was limited and he is def much happier.
 
Had my TB stabled at night last year, was feeding tons of hardfeed plus ad lib hay and he lost condition.
He's been out this year apart from when it snowed, hardly feed him at all, he has 2 sections of hay a day (he's 16.2 so that's nowhere near enough!), most of which he leaves and he is a fat little porker! Looks really well too, muscley (doing less work than last year), shiny coat etc.
He had a blanket clip with the face left on and wears thick rugs and has 2 feeds of alfa a, sugarbeet and benevit.
I was never a big fan of having clipped horses live out but have come to the conclusion that some horses actually do much better with it.
(or maybe it's just the benevit, he wasn't on that last year...
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i bring my tb in or he paces the fence when the others come in, i would like to leave him out 24/7 but he shivers something terrible when it rains and is a nightmare to keep weight on. he is prob only about a 2 1/2 condition score now and im pumping loads of food into him, but hes due for worming so im hoping a wormer will help. i think if they are wintered out regularly they harden to it and cope fine.
 
Near my yard there is a field of roughed off Polo ponies (about 10 of them). None of them are rugged and they don't appear to be given any extra fibre (definately no hard feed) but they are all in good condition and seem happy in their little herd.

I think far too many people over feed, over rug and don't let their precious darlings go out and be horses!

I know a lot do need to be kept in etc but a lot don't. My clipped TB has a medium weight rug (I am lucky that she is a naturally 'warm' horse), two feeds a day and is out all day. I would be happy for her to out 24/7 but the YO puts another batch out over night as grazing is limited.
And yes she looks muddy and scruffy most of the time but she is a happy horse!
 
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What is the stigma attached to owners who's horses live out?
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I was wondering the same?!
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I've wintered out TBs, WBs, Arabs etc. I really don't think there is a breed that you can say can't winter out.
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I have an eldery tb, a wb x tb and a tbx. All living out for the first time and they are doing fine. Im pleased with their weight and have no worries.

I began feeding them 1st Nov and began rugging them close to December to give them a chance to grow some winter coat first. Beggining of Dec I also started feeding them hay.

I wished I hadve done it sooner. They are chilled out (literally
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) and easier to handle.
 
I winter out a tb and 2 TBx`s

All of them are doing great. rugged, ad lib hay/haylage and one feed a day.

They have shelter and at the moment it hasnt gone aboce freezing for over a week. Its about -10 overnight and every morning the are toastie!

Much prefer allowing horses to live as naturally as possible.
 
My TB lives out 24/7, the only times he has come in were for bonfire night, and when we had snow on the ground for days on end - more to give him a break as no matter how hard I tried the snow kept balling in his feet.

He's an ex-racehorse too so living out isn't exactly normal for him. I'm told he lived out last winter rugless on the lambourn hills! Someone commented yesterday about how shiney and soft his coat is, not bad for being unclipped and living out!

He lives out with my appy x mare who is as tough as old boots, neither of them ever wait by the gate, the closest they come to this is grazing in the vicinity of the gate around tea time!
 
I think TBs are hardier than many other horses TBH. Ours lives out 24/7 (with a rug on through winter). He is 26 and we 'saved' him from being PTS when he was 19. He loves being out and is probably the most active of the lot of ours. He grows a lovely fluffy coat in the winter. We only rug him really cos of his age to help keep weight on (and probably cos we're a bit soft! Lol).

He also has badly bowed tendons as a result of his racing years yet since he's been with us and is able to roam about freely all the time (plus up and down the hills in our field) his tendons are actually a lot better and are not as puffy as they were when we got him. I think living out is the best way for horses - it's how they are meant to live after all!
 
My TB ex racer lives out 24/7. He hates being in a stable and will only go in one if I'm there to hold his hand! He has a huge warm rug or two when the weather is particularly bad. It helps his old racing ijury too as it keeps him moving all the time. The only time I feed him is when is knee gets a bit stiff and so he has some blue chip to loosen him up. He has a slice of hay a day in the winter but thats it. I have to watch his weight in that he is keeping it down, in the summer months he has to wear a grass muzzle as he gets a little podgy!
 
my yard has 7 big tb/ tbx/ wb's who all live out well rugged on 17.5 acres with ad lib haylage and fed hard feed once a day, all are happy and warm considering where we live
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My TB lives out all year round, he's perfectly happy and toasty warm
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He doesn't even come in when its snowing! He actually prefers to live out, he does come in on the odd occasion (eg once a month or so) but he'd be a total nutcase if he lived in all the time!!
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My WB lives out 24/7 in a large field with a nice hedgerow at the back. There is still quite a bit of grass in there but I make sure to pop out at least a couple of wedges of hay every day even though he rarely eats all of it and a nice warm feed consisting of a high proportion of fibre and oil. He is quite happy with his hw combo on and an under rug if its minus temps. I blanket clipped him and he is coming back into work tomorrow after an injury so fingers crossed.

When I had him in at night in previous yard he started to weave and become quite agressive over the stable door so I feel he is a lot happier living out. The only time I would ever bring him in now is if it was dreadful weather or for an injury.
 
My tb x pony lives out and is a pretty hot pony, fully clipped, fed once a day but has adlib hay out, she she looks greta!
i far prefer them out in the sense they are constantly moving etc,
 
I am still waiting to find out what the stigma is that is attached to people who keep their horses living out - anybody care to tell me?
 
Possibly it may be seen that people do it because they can't afford a stable?

I went to look at a yard and he refused to take my TB for grass livery (despite the field having ad-lib hayledge)
 
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Possibly it may be seen that people do it because they can't afford a stable?

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If some people do think that then thats very narrow minded. Mine live out, yet I have two stables stood empty....they stay out because they are happier and it has nothing to do with cost (although it does save money on bedding, but I still buy the bedding in anyway to have ready....)
 
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