The turnout situation with Dani?

[ycbm]

If no hacking was available, just arena work I wouldn't keep a horse.
.

 

[planete]

I agree that turnout is the more natural way to keep horses and my horses have lived out 24/7 for years but I did work in a show jumping yard at one time where the horses were either stabled, worked or left to hoon around the indoor school singly on their day off and they all seemed very calm (for show jumpers), healthy horses. The yard was seething with activity, the hay ration was doled out in single slices at regular intervals throughout the day and I never saw any stereotypies. My guess is it can be made to work if you have enough 'horse servants' and stimulation. Has anybody else experienced apparently successful zero turnout? We have our own opinions, but what are the facts? Does anybody know what the daily routine of the Spanish Riding School stallions is when they are not on holiday, or our mounted police for instance?

 

[Goldenstar]

Northumbria polices horses have turnout although clearly if they are out working all day they may not get out .
They are stabled at night they also did ( I am not sure about now )school work and jumping for variety.

 

[milliepops]

I agree that turnout is the more natural way to keep horses and my horses have lived out 24/7 for years but I did work in a show jumping yard at one time where the horses were either stabled, worked or left to hoon around the indoor school singly on their day off and they all seemed very calm (for show jumpers), healthy horses. The yard was seething with activity, the hay ration was doled out in single slices at regular intervals throughout the day and I never saw any stereotypies. My guess is it can be made to work if you have enough 'horse servants' and stimulation. Has anybody else experienced apparently successful zero turnout? We have our own opinions, but what are the facts? Does anybody know what the daily routine of the Spanish Riding School stallions is when they are not on holiday, or our mounted police for instance?

when I was a teenager the horses on my yard had no TO from october to april and our routine wasn't anywhere near as diligent as that there were no staff so it was just typical morning and evening care and they were ridden once a day. the horses were all calm - they had very sociable stables which probably helped. they *were* all utterly delighted when spring rolled around and they could go out in the fields though. I think you can manage horses well enough to keep them healthy with no TO, but I like to feel like I'm giving mine a nice life, not just a healthy one. but mine are pets not working animals so i can spend time and energy thinking in that way.

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

I wouldn't "advocate" it either, but having seen the number of contented horses I have which were kept without turnout, I really can't agree that it goes as far as cruelty for the majority of horses.

IF we reached a level of population saturation in this country where no grazing was ever available, then we would be talking about a situation where there were no horses in the country, so none born either. Would a horse really wish not to be alive at all, rather than live without turnout but provided with proper exercise and enrichment? I don't think so, myself. That's the situation I was talking about when I said I would keep a horse without turnout rather than not have one at all.

I would though, reject barn stabling. I get really bad vibes off groups of horses kept long hours in stables in barns.
.

Completely respect your opinion but there is just not way I would keep a horse if it couldn't have any turnout. I couldn't get any kind of pleasure from trapping a horse in a stable and only having it out at my convenience...it doesn't sit well with me at all.

 

[DizzyDoughnut]

I couldn't keep horses with no turnout, it just seems to sad for them not to be able to play with their mates and be a horse.

I used to work on a racing yard and all the horses no matter how expensive were turned out regularly and off season were turned all out in a big herd in a huge field, I never found the top boundary of the field it was that big. My boss always said they were horses and should be treated like horses, the expensive one doesn't know he's worth more than the one picked up for £500.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

In work day paddocks

One of the holiday fields last week - there are 10 horses on 30 acres.




Now if we can do this with racehorses then why cant your bog standard, normal horse not be afforded the same level of care? Or your Olympic horses? As previously said horses don't know their worth they are animals who like company and chill time.

 

[Goldenstar]

In most cases lack of turnout is about space and costs .

 

[Tiddlypom]

Now if we can do this with racehorses then why cant your bog standard, normal horse not be afforded the same level of care?

Money.

How much does it cost for a week's training fees at your yard?

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Money.

How much does it cost for a week's training fees at your yard?

Just shy of 2k

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

I do think that we, as horse owners, are partly to blame for turnout issues. If livery yards were paid a sensible amount for services etc they wouldn't feel the need to cram them to maximum capacity and turnout would be more readily available. I'm guessing it's DIY yards where this is the biggest issue..??
Turnout is my second biggest reason for not using a livery yard (my first reason is people * shudder*)..I rent land and mine live out 24/7. It's bluddy inconvenient at times, esp in the winter...and I have no school to use. But that's MY problem, the horses, however, are happy as pigs in the proverbial

 

[Tiddlypom]

Just shy of 2k

A week ?

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

A week ?

? no miss read - 2k a month not a week. Including all feed, bedding, work etc

 

[ycbm]

Completely respect your opinion but there is just not way I would keep a horse if it couldn't have any turnout. I couldn't get any kind of pleasure from trapping a horse in a stable and only having it out at my convenience...it doesn't sit well with me at all.

It doesn't sit well with me either but if it was the only way for the horse to be alive, I'd take it and do my damndest to make it a life worth living.
.

 

[stormox]

Just shy of 2k

2k a week? Wow!

 

[Rowreach]

2k a week? Wow!

*month