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

My horse gets turned out once a week in winter along with all the liverys that go in field too try and keep grass for summer, but when the big freeze and snow comes (which it will cause its scotland) we can turnout to our hearts content, all the ponies seem happy tbh! If your horse is on the walker, and getting excercised then i dont see the problem tbh, probably get criticism for this but theres not much grass in winter, the horse isnt getting any goodness, and if the horse needs a run, theres always the school! If your horse doesnt like it there are always other options!
 
Hi there, I haven't read all the posts, so sorry if this has already been suggested....

Can you bring the horse to uni later on in your course when turn out is allowed? Can he go to a local diy yard over the winter whilst you are waiting?
 
It’s not ideal for a lot of horses but some cope fine with a lack of turnout as long as they are well exercised. There are plenty of other options for livery close to Hartpury, however you would need some form of transport if you were living on campus.

After first year students can’t usually get into halls however there are quite a few places that have accommodation for students and livery together so perhaps that’s worth considering if you have found a course you want to do – could you either leave your horse at home for first year or take him and see how he copes?

I don’t think this problem is unique to Hartpury, when looking at unis/colleges with my son Bishop Burton and Warwickshire also restricted turnout.
 
I would not do it personally, but if you are the type of owner that would excercise twice a day ie once ridden and once on a walker and is properly excercised - not this woolley 20 mins in walk and hasnt he worked hard ???? - no!! then it could be a means to an end.

I personally like mine in a big field so they can go and have a mooch and a gallop and act the pratt!
 
I am very controversial on this. My KWPN is in now and will not t/o until April at earliest. He hates winter t/o and will happily remove gates, bring himself in and close the stable door behind him, the quickest he has done this is 2 minutes. So what do I do, force him out? Make him miserable?

I think it is perfectly doable, we exercise my lad in the indoor school and he is happy. Fany is out as much as possible because that is what is best for her.

I think as long as you exercise your horse, do a few things to stave off boredom(toys, lick etc.) he will cope with it, unless he really hates stabling then maybe you could try somewhere else? I hope it works out for you.

FDC
 
thats the reason i didnt even consider going to look at hartpury, and chose to go look at aberystwyth instead, ive been there and tried the no turnout option and for taz it doesnt work, yeah he's happy munching on a haynet all day, but is the most ignorant and grumpy horse in the world the only way i managed a month was riding twice a day and hand grazing him up the grass verges at the college for two to three hours a day in all weathers and he was still grumpy so he went home, it totally depends on how your horse will cope with it, if you can find a yard close enough within hacking distance because you are a student there you should still get to use all the facilities thats what aber said
 
I kept my exracer at hartpury when I first started - by the end of the 1st term I vowed I'd never put him through that again - it sent him loopy! Yes some horses cope with it fine, but I was having 2 put him on the horsewalker (the therapy centre were great with this) before I could even get on him, and he was still a nightmare then! I couldn't take him in the big outdoor school as he would take off and attempt 2jump out! Friends horse actually did this!
You're right about the clay though - my friends grey mare literally turned orange! Its fine up the road though in staunton which is where I moved, and there's some nice yards in upleadon, hasfield, ashleworth.
And don't even think for a second that they would actually let liveries on the horsewalker! Something 2do with an accident and a lawsuit a few years back!
 
Rueysmum said:
Aside from the horse turning into a nutter, I liken the idea of 24/7 stabling to being locked up in your bathroom all day and night. I just wouldn't to it to a horse.
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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.
 
I would never take my horse to a yard that didn't have daily turnout (apart from extreme weather). But even in extreme weather, I will endeavour to get her out at least for an hour while I'm doing my bits on the yard.
 
Personally, although it sounds amazing I wouldn't.

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.

Even if your exercising him daily it might not be enough to simulate him, especially if he's already sharp. Turnout just offers them that freedom and chance to be a horse.

There's a yard near to me that has acres of land and offer no winter turnout and I've seen some of their horses going crazy in their stables or picking up vices through boredom.

Sorry to be a downer, he's your horse so it's your choice but I'd maybe look at other options first :) Good luck and I hope you find somewhere to suit you both.
 
It so much depends on what the horse is doing during the day......I have had several seasons of training point to pointers where come Oct / Nov they do not get turned out for any length of time until May / June. But we have them in big stables - with lots going on outside to look at, and vary their work exercise time - i.e. do not ride them them the same time every day. Sometimes (shock, horror) we take them out twice aday. On the rare times we do tuen them out - inevitably they are at the gate within an hour waiting to come in again.....and yes of course a degree of that is due to istitutionalism (sp)
But come the end of their season, they become very normal horses again.......
I have found that good stable management is key to a happy / healthy horse - ad lib hay, regular skipping out / regular meals..........good grooming, etc. A DIY livery would probably not suit this regime - but that is a generailism, and beware of being too general - one size does not fit all.......
 
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
 
I'd be worried about Ulcers and stress related disorders which you might bring about by keeping him trapped in his cage oh I mean stable 24/7, my horse comes in during winter but is turned out as much as possible though in the thick of winter sometimes ot is unsafe to put themout due to heavy snowfall and ice - I live in north of Scotland
 
I'm sorry if it's already been said....have read half of the posts but not all!

I went to Hartpury a few years ago, and i would never dream of keeping my horse there! They say you can use facilities etc but you have to remember they are a working yard with pupils and school horses which have priority of all facilities. The yard is run like clockwork, and woah betide a piece of straw/hay escapes your stable!

They say you have summer turnout, in reality this was also extremely restricted. I knew someone who did start off with her horse on the yard, and she was allocated 4 hours turnout a week during the summer, nothing in the winter.

It might seem trivial, but remember as a student late nights are part of the lifestyle, and if i remember correctly, all mucking out etc had to be completed by about 7am, so NO lie-ins!

There are plenty of yards very locally, i'm sure some would be within hacking distance. Many of the yards also have very good facitlies from what i remember.

I loved my time at hartpury, tho it wasn't an equine degree i studied, so avoided the yard like the plague!! It was far too regimented for my liking! Hope you have a fab time there tho!

Sorry for the long post :s
 
It really saddens me that a college that is meant to teach good equine welfare doesn't insist on some sort of turnout. That would make me think about the ethics of the college for a start.

My horse was at a college for a bit, until they stopped turnout because the staff couldn't be bothered. I have never met such a lot of 'grooms' who were less interested in horse welfare and more interested in what was in it for them in my life, which made me think that the horses and people get institutionalised fairly quickly to both their detriment.
 
anothernewbie said:
I'm sorry if it's already been said....have read half of the posts but not all!

I went to Hartpury a few years ago, and i would never dream of keeping my horse there! They say you can use facilities etc but you have to remember they are a working yard with pupils and school horses which have priority of all facilities. The yard is run like clockwork, and woah betide a piece of straw/hay escapes your stable!

They say you have summer turnout, in reality this was also extremely restricted. I knew someone who did start off with her horse on the yard, and she was allocated 4 hours turnout a week during the summer, nothing in the winter.

It might seem trivial, but remember as a student late nights are part of the lifestyle, and if i remember correctly, all mucking out etc had to be completed by about 7am, so NO lie-ins!

There are plenty of yards very locally, i'm sure some would be within hacking distance. Many of the yards also have very good facitlies from what i remember.

I loved my time at hartpury, tho it wasn't an equine degree i studied, so avoided the yard like the plague!! It was far too regimented for my liking! Hope you have a fab time there tho!

Sorry for the long post :s
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I was organising an event at Hartpury some years back and speaking to students, this is spot on. The students I spoke to all had their horses at livery away from the college. Just walking through the stable block I hated it. Loud music playing, people shouting, immaculate horses on immaculate bed, some of them looking very stressed. This was in the summer with acres and acres of grass - also immaculate - on show.
The other thing to beware of is letting your horse be used in lessons. If you want to keep control of how your horse is ridden, tacked and worked, don't do it.
 
Actually, in slight defence to the Hartpury yard, it's not really their fault about turnout - it's actually the grounds management that stop the turnout - if it rains, they have to wait a minimum of 3 days before turnout resumes, and thats only on the say so of the head groundsman.
Thats what I was told when I worked there over one summer anyway....

However, it still not really an excuse if they claim to be the top equine college blah-di-blah
 
Hi guys thank you all so much know it takes a while to read and reply!! I can safely say u have quite put me off!! This winter my boy is going to stay in quite a lot (about 15-18 hours a day) anyways so will be interesting to see but yes will definitely look at other yards and for those who asked about keeping him on working livery i WOULD NOT DO THAT!! haha he is a bit *special* so to speak so safest not to test the water!.

anyway thank you, lots to think about!!
 
Hello Spyda, don't worry, I never thought you WERE condemning others and I wasn't slating anyone who doesn't agree. It is just a fact of life for some people. The Household Calvery and police horses for a start (I believe they are still kept in stalls, not looseboxes, which to my mind isn't on). I like a horse to be able to turn around at the very least. My old lady now lives out 24/7 from April/May to the end of October (apart from really foul wet nights) and she is thoroughly enjoying a warm dry bed to stretch out on, but the cost to me is 65 miles a day of driving in order to see her twice a day, before and after work so you can imagine what my monthly petrol bill is. I'm prepared to do that for her but many just couldn't and hence they keep them in suburban yards with no winter turnout, but that is why I moved her from the previous yard to where she is now as she didn't need riding facilities any more. We just have to do the very best we can with what we've got, and that's a simple fact of life :)
 
I too went to hartpury but from the start kept my horse at a local yard in upleadon as could never keep any of mine in 24/7, though he probably would have been ok as does like his stable. A few of my friends kept horses there two were on the academy and three were on the main yard. The difference between the two yards was crazy. Non academy liveries had to be on and off yard at very specific times and as others have said definitely no lie ins. Hay and straw quantities were strictly monitored which got frustrating as obviosly with them being in all the time access to unlimited forage and bedding is pretty much an essential. They had very little priority when it came the use of facilties and no turn out at all from autunm to spring. Also some of stables were very dark and dingy and I seem to remember one yard had an occasional flooding problem (may have been solved now). Hastened to say they really, really did not like it and moved after there first year.

Academy people however had a much less regimental routine, much more control over what there horses did and fed etc. The main difference however was that the horses did get turn out pretty much all year. I think if it was particually wet they weren't allowed but on the whole did get good access to individual or paired turnout. There was a much nicer atmosphere on the yard and the stables were all large bright and airy.
I have no idea if this has changed now as its been 4yrs since I was there but at the time I remember a huge difference between academy horses/people and "normal" liveries.

So on the whole I would say if there is any chance you would qualify for the academy take it. Also people on the academy had tutition off amaizing people, Carl Hester for dressage, Janette Brakewell for eventing etc.

If not find a local yard there are many good ones very locally.

I had a great time there and would recommed it in general. Have fun!
 
My horse was stabled down on the Academy yard (although I hasten to add, we were NOT on the academy - I think they made a mistake with the stable allocation) and I think what you mean about the more chance of turnout is simply because there are less horses in those barns - each barn is allocated a few fields, and then the barn supervisor has to sort out a turnout rota from there (we managed to get turnout from september to mid october) - so the less horses in the barn, the fewer the turnout time has to be divided between.

Yes, I agree about it being more laid back, and at least we had somewhere to store hay and straw if we bought it in privately (something the main yard physically doesn't have room to do) but we still had spot checks.

Also worth remembering that if you decide to try it out for a term, in order to not be charged for the other 2 terms, you have to have your stabled filled by someone else off the waiting list - and they're very good at deciding that all of a sudden there isn't anyone to fill your stable - I had a nice arguement about this!
 
Woodykat - actaully one of my friends was lucky enough to be on the academy yard without being in the academy unfortunately she was not allowed to stay there for the second year but she too got the privalidges associated with being on that yard. Luck of the draw I guess.

whizzer - the academy yard is a separate yard away from the main barn where the horses and rideres which are accepted onto the academy are kept. From what I remember the yard was block stables with a small barn behind them. There are no younger students on the yard and no school horses stabled there which I think is one of main reasons for less strict routines.
 
Myerscough don't have turnout either and my friends lovely horse started attacking people in the stable, box walking and became lame through no turnout. The yards were immaculate, the horses were groomed perfectly etc. But 90% of them had stable vices and were stressed and unhappy. Also the greys and coloureds were bathed daily so they looked smart but Obv not good for them. Oh and there were a couple of horses who had stiffness issues who were STILL stabled 24/7. Not good, wouldn't want my horse there or anywhere that offered no turnout.
 
ah is see what you all mean thanks to all the hartpury advice. No wont be able to get away with scraping into the acadamy yard: my stressy old un-re-trained exracer isnt going to wow the world any time soon but hes good enough for me :)
 
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