thoughts on 24/7 stabling in winter... no choice but to?

Not sure if it is an option but could you not keep him on site for summer and move him to a nearby livery for winter?

Then you get to crack on through summer with him and he gets turnout over the winter months.
 
I went to hartpury and I took my horse, we did get some turnout in the winter in sacrifice fields, usually just one day a week. Tbh u probably won't want to turn out on those fields as it ends up a bog, horses lose shoes, pull tendons etc.

Mine coped amazingly well, she was ridden everyday, turned out in the playpen, used as a demo horse on both treadmills and thrived.

The lessons were excellent, the lectures less so but be aware you have to be on the yard to do your horse twice a day, early morning and evening and they are very strict about this so if you enjoy the social scene this could be a problem.

Also the use of the horsewalker was restricted in my second year due to horses getting injured so not sure what their policy on it would be now
 
whizzer- you have to try out for the academy its for people showing talent or promise in their chosen disipline. I think the requirments are successful competition records at elementary or above in dressage, novice eventing and newcomers sj. It doesn't have to be on the horse you are taking (eg if you have a prominsing youngster etc) but you need to have proven to have done it in the past. You can apply then assessed after a few weeks of being there, if you get on the squad you get lessons with top people, i think you get transport to shows and get to be on a better yard (imo).
 
My personal thoughts are not a chance. No matter how nice the yard I could not stable even the loveliest tempered animal 24/7 over winter.
My late mare was a gem and never got funny about being stabled for any length of time if she was medically in need of it, but I would never want to do it out side of medical grounds.
I would personally have to keep looking for another good yard that allowed at least day time turn out over winter....


Fany Du Champ said:
In the end no one can tell you whether your horse will be okay or not with no t/o. Everyone has their own opinion and it is relevant to their horse/s but it is your horse, you have to do what you feel is right. Whatever you decide I hope it works for you and your horse.
FDC
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This is so true. Even though I do not like the idea there are some horses who actually seem to prefer alot of time in their stable...
 
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I think stabling 24/7 is awful, it's so unnatural and usually ends with a horse getting a load of vices or becoming ill in some way due to the lack of movement. When my stable-loving horse broke himself & had to go on box rest earlier this year I thought it wouldn't be a problem but he absolutely hated it, he got very snappy and aggressive towards other people/horses and was a nightmare! As soon as he was allowed out in the day again he went back to his normal self.
Some horses would adapt to it but i don't think it's a very nice way to keep them - I didn't realise hartpury did it!!
 
milesjess said:
When I first got my horse he was on 1 hour a day turnout in winter and he was difficult to handle... To the point where I thought he was either to much for me or going to be sold/ returned. I soon realised that he needed more turnout and he's now like a changed horse.
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This was exactly my experience on the same regime. It built up over a number of weeks until my horse became almost impossible to lead anywhere without bolting back to the stable, and extremely jumpy and spooky when ridden, culminating in a couple of bad falls. Horse also started to bite people to defend his small territory when in his box. Has actually taken him a long time to get right again as once I recovered from my injuries and moved him to a yard with 24/7 turnout, he had become so institutionalised, he jumped out of the field continuously and installed himself back in a stable. Now he is back being a horse, preferring other horses to stables, out all summer, in at nights only in winter. I have gone to a lot of trouble this year to ensure he has winter turnout, that is how badly he was affected by a winter without any.

If I really had no turnout in winter, I would prefer some sort of large barn or yard where he could at least mingle socially with another horse, instead of being stuck on his own in a box all day.
 
I used to work with hunter liveries when I left school and they were kept in from August to the end of hunting. Wether its do with the amount of work they had, when they were reasonably fit they did an hour and half fast hack mainly trotting daily, Saturday hunted , Sunday they were turned out for an hour. They always had loads to eat, were groomed for an hour every afternoon and last horses was at ten, with more food nd a haynet, It was a small yard and they were really settled and not one stable vice between them.
I used to live on the side of the moors and the horses had to come off the land in October,because I didn't drive at the time my horses spent his winter in the garage at home. He was ridden every day and had plenty to eat, I had no turnout at all but he seemed really settled and come April went up on the hills for the summer.
I think real work,routine and plenty of hay seem to be the key. Mine now live out all year and the thought having something in a stable more than 12 hours makes me wince.
 
I went to moreton morrell. Never kept my horse there as kept him at a livery yard but had friends who did. They used to graze their horses in hand often and there was a little like play pen to turn out in for half hour or so. Horses all seemed fine and as there on site you can go down to them often to take them for walks etc.
 
Even Hartpury's summer turnout is only for a few hours a day. If you love your horse, don't take it there, a year at Hartpury ruined my horse. There are loads of excellent livery yards around there, try googling it or contacting Colne Saddlery. They are really knowledgeable and have lots of local contacts and suggest a yard I'm sure.
 
Completely depends on the horse. I went there and it drove my TB batty, but not from lack of t/o I believe but the business of the yard I was on. I took my ISH and she loved it was completely chilled :) rode 6 times a wk, was on a slightly quieter yard, inhand grazed her through the winter (its not actually that long that there is no grazing if you consider the xmas hols!!) and took her home about once a month not that she seemed to need it. There is an option I believe if you get in early to stable at the yard right next door for less money with all year t/o then pay a sum to use the facilities at hartpury for the yr :). In all honesty though providing you take them home through the xmas hols (internationals stay sometimes) they dont go that long w/o. Also the stables are relatively big I didnt have any issues with mine standing in muck, and theres always something going on/someone around to keep their interest :) OR if they are that type, send them batty! I found mine adjusted to 1/2 days t/o per day after 24/7 t/o at home absolutely fine as they go with their friends :) hope that helps.
 
abitodd said:
I read an article that likened a horse's stable to a cat carry box. No one would dream of keeping a cat in a carry box 24/7.........
Many horses cope(apparently) and some it seems even become institutionalized/agoraphobic.

Mine live out.
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Agree totally since having my eyes opened to what a horse actually is, and I now prefer to keep my horse as naturally as possible in a herd with all his protective hairy bits! As a result we are both much happier and still have the desired horse/human interaction. The difficult part is finding the right land/yard/farm to do this in the first place.
 
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