Totilas even has special shoes?!

though id just like to point out to some people on here that the majority of racehorses live in 24/7 and get the same amount of exercise as totilias. what do you think would happen to a town like newmarket if all horses HAD to be turned out?? there are round about 50 yards in the small town and each of them has between 20 - 100 horses stabled there, how exactly would they manage?

lol - that'll send the thread off an a whole new tangent.

But again - just because it happens doesn't mean it's ok, whatever the discipline!
 
No, he probably wouldn't but would he NOT move the way he does today if he'd been allowed some turnout throughout his training from the beginning??
Are the two incompatible?

I'm gutted that my horse is no longer rideable because of a field injury but if I had the opportunity to go back and keep him in all the time to avoid that happening I'd still turn him out because it's a risk we take in keeping horses. Would be like refusing to let your child out of your sight for fear of bad things happening to them.

Yes but your horse is not a, worth 12-15 million euros and b, Totilas.
 
lol - that'll send the thread off an a whole new tangent.

But again - just because it happens doesn't mean it's ok, whatever the discipline!

oops should have thaught of that :rolleyes:

i dont think its the best way for horses to live there lifes but i also dont see a problem as long as the horses are healthy
 
Yes but your horse is not a, worth 12-15 million euros and b, Totilas.

How do YOU know a) isn't true for my horse???? lol.

Does that matter anyway? Totilas is a horse!!! Really, he is!!! He's not some sort of super-equine. He eats and poos and pees. He probably loves to gallop about (if he's ever allowed) and would enjoy a roll in a meadow in the sunshine if he could.

Is it ok to treat a horse like a machine because he's got a high price tag on him???

And anyway, it's not just about Totilas, no horse should be treated as anything other than a horse no matter how much he/she costs.
 
Over here, at least in my area, it is the norm for horses to be kept stabled. The livery yard nearest me has almost 90 horses kept there, all of whom are stabled 24/7 and only come out to be ridden. Some of them don't come out of their stables from one week to the next...borderline neglect. The only yard in my area that I'm aware of that has regular turnout is the rescue centre....which is English owned and run. The Spanish just don't do turnout.

In an ideal world horses would all live out 24/7 as the species was designed to do, but I can perfectly see the reasoning behind keeping him in. Yes, its a shame that he doesn't get to run and play about, but I'm sure it isn't doing him any harm as long as he is still has plenty of stimulation to keep him occupied.
 
Do you think he would continue to move the way he does now if he got chucked out in a field and his work routine totally changed? No.

Turning him out would have no affect on his trained movement.
 
A few years ago I had a famous racehorse trainer come & try a pony for his granddaughter. Pony would live a life of luxury apparently, with the most famous flat horse at the time on the same yard, with numerous solariums, pools, schools & massive stables - but no turnout to speak of. I was hughely relieved when he said he wasn't suitable and I didn't have to turn him down!

I think stallions are a different case, especially at this time of year when they can pace themselves to a frazzle if allowed. I do think all horse whatever their value should have as much turnout as is feasible though. It is not just a welfare issue. Horses simply never learn to look after themselves if they are stabled all the time, they have no sense of self preservation and they are physically not conditioned in the same way.

We have 20 acres of very hilly ground and all horses that come to us, whether they are used to turnout or not become hardier, more muscled, more settled and better competitors than on a regime with lots of stabling.

Family based on the continent bemoan the lack of turnout generally, and the lack of understanding on German yards in particular about the importance of turnout. You only have to look round the stables at a place like Verden, and the preponderance of facial injuries, where horses have hit their heads on the bars seperating them from other horses, to get a sense of how different life is for horses over there.
 
Turning him out would have no affect on his trained movement.

READ the last bit. I said 'work routine totally changed'. Turning him out wouldn't no. But it would mean his schedule would have to be altered and his progress might be slowed.
 
How do YOU know a) isn't true for my horse???? lol.

Does that matter anyway? Totilas is a horse!!! Really, he is!!! He's not some sort of super-equine. He eats and poos and pees. He probably loves to gallop about (if he's ever allowed) and would enjoy a roll in a meadow in the sunshine if he could.

Is it ok to treat a horse like a machine because he's got a high price tag on him???

And anyway, it's not just about Totilas, no horse should be treated as anything other than a horse no matter how much he/she costs.

I think I would have heard a little bit more about you if your horse was worth anything near that price tag. Especially since you live in the same area as me.

I never said Toto was anything other that a horse......

Sorry, but the entire equestrian industry is not going to bend to this. Across the EU it is common for horses (note, I am *not* saying it is right) to be stabled a majority, if not, all the time. It is the norm. It is accepted (note, I am *not* saying it is right) for this to happen. Get over it.

If you really disagree with it that much, start a petition. Start a campaign. Do something other than furiously typing replies to me.
 
Turning him out would have no affect on his trained movement.

Not sure I agree with this. Turning horses out has a notable (detrimental) effect on muscle development. For an amatuer's horse this probably is not that important, but for a horse like Totilas it would be significant.
 
I think I would have heard a little bit more about you if your horse was worth anything near that price tag. Especially since you live in the same area as me.

I never said Toto was anything other that a horse......

Sorry, but the entire equestrian industry is not going to bend to this. Across the EU it is common for horses (note, I am *not* saying it is right) to be stabled a majority, if not, all the time. It is the norm. It is accepted (note, I am *not* saying it is right) for this to happen. Get over it.

If you really disagree with it that much, start a petition. Start a campaign. Do something other than furiously typing replies to me.

lol - I'm no more furiously typing replies to you than you are furiously typing replies to me!!! Get over yourself.

And I apologise for thinking that a forum was a place to voice opinions on things that one may or may not believe in :rolleyes:
 
This horse is only 10 this year, i wonder how many years he actually has in him, due to his managment and riding regime, before his body finally gives up on him. Hey ho at least he can retire to stud and produce even more massive moving horses for the dressage community to cripple when they should be coming into their prime, plenty more out there to buy though when they go wrong. What really gets me about these threads on the top horses getting turn out is that it is not just about the horse not being turned out, it is the whole approach to how they are kept. Completely detrimental to the horses physical and mental wellbeing.

I wonder what it takes to keep this horse competition sound.

As for agrophobic horses, there are ways and means to get them to turn out, just takes time and patience, sadly lacking in the competition world!
 
Right, I thought this was about shoes?? It would be intersting to see his feet close up.

On the turnout issue, money seems to be no issue right?
Well surely they could boot him up and turn him out in a custom made post and rail paddock (you see paddocks with no 'corners' which often v. expensive racehorse broodmares live in), and pay a groom to watch him. Even if he is just out for an hour a day in a level grassy paddock.
Fair enough, don't turn him out in a field with 20 other horses fenced with barbed wire....
My pointer is stabled most of them time. He gets grazed in hand, but he is also let out in the small paddock for a mooch about. Yes he does normally gallop about and do some handstands etc but I would rather him do it then instead of when I am on board! Also he is turned out all summer with his mates in a big field. Does totilas have holidays?
Is the point of turning them out is to let them have a buck and roll and canter about?
 
Not sure I agree with this. Turning horses out has a notable (detrimental) effect on muscle development. For an amatuer's horse this probably is not that important, but for a horse like Totilas it would be significant.
Please point me to evidence for this 'detrimental' effect on muscle development? Are there any studies on this?

If this were the case then foals would never be allowed turn out from birth? Or is it a detrimental effect on the muscles we humans are trying to develop to produce spectacular gaits?
Hmmm this leads to a thought that conversely muscles are being allowed to atrophy if horses are turned out? :confused: I can't buy this I'm afraid.
Human athletes would definitely be locked in solitary if this were true...

The only way I can see an advantage is allow certain muscles to develop and others to atrophy (by not exercizing them) to produce a particular gait/movement? Surely this can't be the case?:eek:
 
Not sure I agree with this. Turning horses out has a notable (detrimental) effect on muscle development. For an amatuer's horse this probably is not that important, but for a horse like Totilas it would be significant.

Are you seriously trying to tell me that a horse mooching around in a field for an hour or two (or heaven forbid longer), using it's muscles in a natural way is detrimental??

There are a few odd things in this thread - but this caps it. Sorry.
 
lol - I'm no more furiously typing replies to you than you are furiously typing replies to me!!! Get over yourself.

And I apologise for thinking that a forum was a place to voice opinions on things that one may or may not believe in :rolleyes:

Oh now, do shut up Ashtay. You're very unimportant, and probably quite poor, you great plebian:p How dare you have an opinion!

:D:D
 
Not sure I agree with this. Turning horses out has a notable (detrimental) effect on muscle development. For an amatuer's horse this probably is not that important, but for a horse like Totilas it would be significant.

Did i read that right and you are saying that it is detrimental to the horses muscles for it to be turned out?

Are you serious, i would love to know where you got this information from!
 
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