Turn Out Pens & Days Off

[mini-eventer]

In my local area it is predominantly Clay. The yards in my area usually have to restrict access to the field mid winter and it is understandable to be honest. The yard I am at now offers turnout 24-7 in spring summer & Autumn. Then once the fields get wet we can turn out in chalk turnout pens. We have one each so they can stay out all day if required.

I don't love it but I find this an OK compromise. Locally other yards may offer field turnout later into the year but then it gets shut completely for weeks if it gets trashed.

However the pens are not huge - they can mooch about talk to neighbours but unlikely to build up any speed. I keep my horse in plenty of work over winter to mitigate this. It is a mixture of hacking - variety of speeds and duration, schooling and lunging. I try to hack as much as possible but that is getting hard this time of year. its light enough at 7am currently but that will change soon and then it will just be weekends. So the schooling will increase.

It crossed my mind this week that he hasn't had a day off for a week and that feels unfair to him. So today is his day off. It feels wrong just going for stable to pen, so I ended up putting him on the walker for a leg stretch and then a hand graze. Does this sound ok ? I'm not a huge fan of walkers so only use it 2 or 3 times per week max and only whilst they are in pens. Would you give more of a leg stretch? Not do the walker?

He can get a bit bouncy when they are in pens, which is understandable hence it try to keep his work consistent.

Any other ideas what I can do for his days off? or entertainment in his pen in general. To be honest as much as its for him its nice for me to have an easier day once or twice a week.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

That sounds fine to me for his day off maybe do a bit of ground work in the school even just 15 minutes, I do this in the winter with mine as I can't always ride because of my back, I just do a bit lateral work with them with a bit of lunging thrown in, I tend to use the whole school rather than on a small circle most of the time, keeps me a bit fitter as well having a run around with them also keeps you warm

 

[scats]

I think pens were they are free to mooch and have company nearby is a good compromise and probably preferable to standing in mud all day. Even small pens allow freedom of movement to some extent and provided a horse does some work a few times a week, I think it would work well in the worst of the winter.

It’s something that I wish more yards would consider if winter turnout/grazing is not possible.

Can you put hay out in there?

 

[mini-eventer]

I think pens were they are free to mooch and have company nearby is a good compromise and probably preferable to standing in mud all day. Even small pens allow freedom of movement to some extent and provided a horse does some work a few times a week, I think it would work well in the worst of the winter.

It’s something that I wish more yards would consider if winter turnout/grazing is not possible.

Can you put hay out in there?

Yes he has ad-lib a mixture of hay/haylege I try to give a variety of forage. He can smooch his neighbours over the fence.

I do leave him out most of the day from 8 - 4 unless the weather is grim and he might come in a bit earlier

 

[SilverLinings]

Can you use hay balls and/or feed balls to encourage him to move around as much as possible? Even splitting the hay into several piles/nets placed in different places will help to mimic natural grazing behaviour as most horses will naturally move between them rather than finishing one before moving on to the next.

It is great that your yard has provided pens if they won't allow winter turnout; I am horrified by the number of yards (some without a school or walker either) who expect horses to stay in their stables for six months of the year except when being ridden.

 

[expanding_horizon]

I’d probably aim to exercise 7 days a week but accept some days exercise might be some of hand walk / hand graze, walker, loose school / in hand work / lunge.

Ideally would be 10-20 minutes walking (or faster) in some form both ends of the day.

 

[mini-eventer]

Can you use hay balls and/or feed balls to encourage him to move around as much as possible? Even splitting the hay into several piles/nets placed in different places will help to mimic natural grazing behaviour as most horses will naturally move between them rather than finishing one before moving on to the next.

It is great that your yard has provided pens if they won't allow winter turnout; I am horrified by the number of yards (some without a school or walker either) who expect horses to stay in their stables for six months of the year except when being ridden.

I've thought about this but unsure how to stop them rolling into the next pen.

Could end up being a fun game of pass the parcel

 

[mini-eventer]

Duplicated

 

[dottylottie]

could you put a strip of electric tape around the bottom, to keep any treat/hay balls in?

even hiding tasty things in his hay will keep him a bit more entertained, treats or bits of carrot/apple/celery/swede etc!

i put a hole in the middle of a swede and hang it up in their stable, keeps them entertained for ages and a lot healthier than some alternatives - if the pen is standard post and rail fencing or similar, you could tie it on the fence at a height where it swings in the gap? or you could be nice and let him trap it against the fence