Those whose horses live out but come in when its bad...

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crystalclear

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...I just don't know what to do for the best!!

My horses mainly live out, but if it's really awful I bring them in. Which has been fairly often recently! They've been in since last night as weather was bad and today it's awful too, like really awful all day! After 6pm it's looking ok ish until tomorrow late morning when I'll def have them in.

Question is, do I leave them in all that time or put them out? I'm concerned as it's a long time for them to be in, but the field is proper wet and fairly muddy in areas. Just don't know what to do right, for doing wrong! I'm sure some of you have the same dilemma...
 
I have two mini shetlands that live out but I do bring them on in the worst of the weather. I have had them in for 24 hours before and it has done them no harm. If I were you I would put them back out overnight for a bit and then bring back in tomorrow during the day if the weather does turn out to be bad. Once mine have been in for a day they are usually dying to get back out whatever the weather.
 
What would the horses prefer to do? :)

Our yard is full livery but all of the horses that want to have as much turnout as they want during the day. Some of them want 5 minutes to roll/hoon about and others want a few hours. Wet isn't an issue, if it was extremely windy or icy then they have to stay in for safety.
 
EmmaC78 said:
IIf I were you I would put them back out overnight for a bit and then bring back in tomorrow during the day if the weather does turn out to be bad. Once mine have been in for a day they are usually dying to get back out whatever the weather.
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Yes mine seem quite calm in which is good, when the rain gets bad a stream forms at the bottom of our field! The joys :) yes it looks like it's coming in awful late morning. It just worrys me the fields are so wet/water logged but I know horses can't just stay in really, well I mean I'm sure they could
 
The mud has been so bad with us that the horses have been in for weeks apart from when they're being mucked out when they go out into a little dry paddock for a roll and a leg stretch. It isn't ideal but it's better than plothering around in wet, sucky mud 24/7.
 
My old boy is in today and so are his two chums. It's extraordinarily wet though, not just an average rainy day, so this hardly ever happens.

I'm hoping to get them out tomorrow.

My other boy lives out 24/7 (different place) and his field is on a hill and is fine. He looks a bit bedraggled, but he's warm and dry under his rug, and he has trees for shelter if he wants.

Both appear as happy as each other in different circumstances.
 
All mine live out but this morning the rain was torrential so out I went in the rain in to get the poor wet horses in. They careered around the field, or should I say lake! They were full of it and had absolutely no intention if being caught and brought in the dry. I ended up soaked while the horses decided they had had enough fun, turned their bums to the rain and grazed! I left gate to the stables open with hay for them. Have they come in? NO!! Says it all.
 
my horses live in big barns, always open so they can come in and out as they want. They always come in when it is very wet and will wait for hay to be put in. In some of the awful weather we have had they have chosen not to leave the barn for 24 to 48 hours - makes for a fair bit of work for me but at least they are doing what they want. As soon as it starts to clear they will go straight back to the fields, whatever time of day or night. When they are standing in because of the rain they show absolutely no urge to go to the fields ... they also use the barns lots during the day in the summer but will spend the night out, through choice.
 
Mine were in last night, they've gone out this morning and ill get them in earlyish today. Will try and ride tomorrow if it stays dry enough to fit a quick hack in and then leave them out as much as poss.

Depends on the horse though, at the min mine are dying to be let out in the morning but also want to come in at around 4 so I try and do what I think they want haha!
 
I'm thinking if this heavy rain stops I might turn them out at night then back in when it starts tomorrow late morning. It's then like hurricane weather Monday...what's happening!
 
If they are getting sufficient exercise then I wouldn't worry at all about them being in for a day or two when the weather is foul. Many horses will just stand miserably when it is raining hard, so I'd rather they stood in and didn't a) get soaked and cold and not eat, b) tear up the field.
 
My horses live out but come in if its bad wind & rain as they don't have much natural shelter luckily hasn't been too bad here yet & my fields have dried out with all the wind but if they are in during day and it calms down overnight I will put them out then so if its OK after 6 pm then I would put out
 
crystalclear said:
I have no idea! I wish I could ask them
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you can, my three live out most of the time, when they have had enough of the mud or bad weather, they gather round the top gate (to the barn) when they see me get home, other times they just look up to see if I have hay or a bucket, then they go to the lower gate to get fed, when they start picking on the youngster, I know they are ready to go back out, usually after a couple of days in, they do get walked out when they are in, but it's not the same
 
Depends on the horse. Mine tends to be very good at making his feelings known (dramatic throwing about of the headcollar after he's eaten his breakfast on a morning... or a few weeks ago he tried to run me over and escape out of the stable because I was being mean and keeping him in for the morning as we were going somewhere!). At the moment he needs the extra hay / haylage he gets from coming in to put some weight on (they do have it put out in field but supply of it can be a bit hit and miss and yard have had issues in last few weeks getting it delivered) but he really isn't a fan of coming in. The compromise for him is that through the week he comes in overnight and then on a weekend he is out 24/7. This gives him a break from coming in and gives me a lie in! When the weather improves I'm hoping to have him out 24/7 again but I think his legs and hooves need a break from the wet as well at the moment
 
Mine came in for the first time fri eve - we are in southwest so was the first time I really thought best for them. Out all day. They are back out tonight but I am listening to the wind rage and thinking I have done the wrong thing. The pony is rugged but not much shelter, poor boy. My mare and livery mare have a barn with hay is they want it so don't feel too bad for them. When they were in last night I worried about stables roofs blowing off!
 
So sick of this weather, in 30 years of having horses never remember it being this bad. Changing the set-up completely here as i'm guessing winters and springs are going to be rain and mud-fests in future.
 
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