Turn out woes😔

[ester]

He’s retired if he wants to tread divots in it keeps him quiet at least. He’s just not sure what to do with the gouges from slidey barefoot feet.

I think Cally would hoon more of she had a fieldmate who could keep up rather than being half a field behind

 

[windand rain]

Mine are always too busy eating to zoom about the competition horses were probably even less likely to zoom as they had controlled hard food intake so hours of grazing were used to their advantage. Not to say if something set them off they wouldn't but mostly they would rather graze

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I guess I'm the only one who has horses that have a good gallop at least once a day, even when out 24/7 then?

no, all of mine have and do. The two lusitanos (never on hard feed) never stopped playing or hoolying several times a day no matter how old they were-very useful in keeping the Exmoors trim lol!

The Fell is less likely to expend energy like that in play but both gallop over to see me twice a day from the top of the hill-about 3/4 mile if they are right up the top and then back up after mostly. I don't know if its a moor-bred pony thing but they always canter/gallop up a slope or across the river. The other paddock has banks 30ft high and both happily canter up and down them all the time and race along the top quite a lot. Of course they are natives, so always have their brains engaged (I do wonder about the Exmoor sometimes though). They are sensible if the ground is slick,

 

[DabDab]

Haha, yes that's my theory too - use the sports horses to keep the fatty native from becoming a couch potato. Though to be fair to miss chunky, she does often start the gallopy racing, but she doesn't do the daft leaping about that the others do (she also doesn't crash into the fencing unlike idiot sporty mare)

 

[MotherOfChickens]

the lusitanos were never in danger of crashing into anything-first one was a great field hopper though and went where he wanted. IME both Exmoors and Lusitano boys play pretty rough with each other (of the same breed) albeit in slightly different ways. Exmoors are very physical ponies if that makes sense and the current one is quite sharp in a way the Fell isn't.

 

[DabDab]

Yes, well the sporty mare is certainly not ever destined for anything other than dressage and hacking! Absolutely no sense of self preservation in her whatsoever.
I have no experience of exmoors at all, but they are one of the breeds I would love to own one day.

 

[JFTDWS]

Ah it’s cos we don’t know people with horses bred for competition I see. JFTD that’s why yours is ok, she looks like she can stop because, well she’s good at that.

If mine were standing at the gate to come in because the grass wasn’t interesting I’d put hay out.

They will occasionally have a short lived play but not that often, if it were normal I’d think they needed more work or turnout as they aren’t out 24/7

Yes, she was bred to stop, that's true! The fact that I bought her from an international rider on the UK team (albeit in a niche sport), does kinda also suggest that the mare was bred for competition too though. She's sensible in the field and is (pretty much, despite her youth) anybody's ride though, as you know. Either I'm a genius of a horse trainer or GTR is an idiot. I think I know which one is true

I completely agree - mine will have a play here or there, canter up the field (to water / food / chat to another horse) but they don't routinely charge about like loonies. The hunt will come past today and I imagine they'll do little more than stand and stare, and maybe have a little canter.

It's normal for horses to react to situations - to play, to have a bit of a canter (or even a gallop) in response to something, or to get from A to B - but I don't think it's really normal for them to go wild because they've been locked up all week and have only just been let loose.

 

[PapaverFollis]

I think The Beast thinks she has a gallop about sometimes. Bless her. She's not very fast. She leaves very big divots though.

 

[GTRJazz]

Either I'm a genius of a horse trainer or GTR is an idiot. I think I know which one is true

I call bluff on both of those theories

 

[JFTDWS]

And yet I remain fairly convinced that [at least] one of them is correct...

 

[Chianti]

Bit harsh! I've got one that is retired and another who is trying hard to get herself retired - they need turnout and I'm always very upfront with YOs. Sadly I've found not all YOs are as upfront with me when they have stables to fill.

Agreed. Years ago I rode an 18 year old that was still quite fit. I wanted her turned out all day, every day to keep her supple and sane. Went to look at a yard. Explained the situation very clearly. Yard owner said she had one my mare could go out with all day. Moved mare and rode her the next day. Got back and said should I turn her out? The reply was 'no' because she couldn't go out til another horse came in. Turned out she was just in with the mares and only so may were allowed in the field at once. She went from bright, happy horse - who was quite lively- to something that struggled to trot 100 yards. I swear she got depressed due to less turn out. Didn't stay long at the yard and moved her where she could be out and she was back to her old self.

 

[nikkimariet]

Oh gods, I spend a lot of time saying that I'm not their bloody housekeeper (in my best Mrs Hudson impression), but it is very much in jest! I am their slave, because I chose them, they didn't choose to come and live with me, so it's my job* to make it work for them.

*Metaphorically. Nobody pays me for it. I have a proper job to pay their bills for them

Oh I'm totally Figs maid!!!!

 

[Dave's Mam]

Slave to a Dave.