Turning horse out over night v's in the day

[SEG]

I watch a few equestrian influencers online and have noticed some tend to favor overnight turnout instead of out during the day. I have done this in the summer with my mare to avoid the heat and the flies, but what is the benefit of turning out overnight this time of year?

 

[poiuytrewq]

I watch a few equestrian influencers online and have noticed some tend to favor overnight turnout instead of out during the day. I have done this in the summer with my mare to avoid the heat and the flies, but what is the benefit of turning out overnight this time of year?

For the first time ever I have stuck with over night turnout from summer.
Several reasons for me.
More turnout time, my horse is in and dry ready to ride, same applies for farrier etc
They are never grazing thawing grass (I have laminitic ponies as companions)
They don’t miss out on turnout time for things like shoot days on the farm or the hunt being local and can just stick to the normal routine.
It’s far less work. I still poo pick daily and muck out in the evening but neither takes long and I don’t feel the need to get up at the crack of dawn if I don’t have too.
This morning for example I had a lie in and left them out til 8am, had they been stabled I’d have had to be up and out early.

What’s not to love!

 

[SEG]

For the first time ever I have stuck with over night turnout from summer.
Several reasons for me.
More turnout time, my horse is in and dry ready to ride, same applies for farrier etc
They are never grazing thawing grass (I have laminitic ponies as companions)
They don’t miss out on turnout time for things like shoot days on the farm or the hunt being local and can just stick to the normal routine.
It’s far less work. I still poo pick daily and muck out in the evening but neither takes long and I don’t feel the need to get up at the crack of dawn if I don’t have too.
This morning for example I had a lie in and left them out til 8am, had they been stabled I’d have had to be up and out early.

What’s not to love!

Ohhhh, I'm liking the idea of this. Thank you.

 

[Sossigpoker]

If my ground conditions allowed it I'd turn out over night , and if there was shelter. My paddocks don't have any shelter so I don't think it would be fair on them and it would get too churned up.

 

[Boulty]

I did it with a horse who needed to come in for extra hay & feed to keep weight on (plus drying his feet out) but HATED being in overnight (he was very expressive in his opinions of this). Also field was huge and included woodland and sometimes we genuinely couldn’t find him in the dark! My YO used to do evenings for me due to my hours and it was way easier for him to chuck his dinner at him (or occasionally lovingly hand feed him it if he was being awkward!) and then pop him back out when he was done than try to find him in the pitch black! It worked really well as he still got the benefits of coming in for extra care but also got about 16hrs plus of turnout a day. Also it meant winter riding / days out competing etc didn’t cut into his turnout time which can be a problem with daytime turnout. It would always be my preference if having to stable some of the time if the yard allowed it as I found the routine just worked better for everyone! Only thing I felt slightly guilty about is that he got less time out in the sunshine in Winter but I used to try and have him in for less time on a weekend to make up for it as that’s generally when fresh hay went in the field.

 

[LEC]

I watch a few equestrian influencers online and have noticed some tend to favor overnight turnout instead of out during the day. I have done this in the summer with my mare to avoid the heat and the flies, but what is the benefit of turning out overnight this time of year?

It depends on the horse. Good for a sharp one less good for a lazy one. Issues can be higher rates of ulcers as they consume less during the day and they don’t get proper restful sleep if overnight vs day. I had a long chat with my FEI vet about it all.

 

[SEG]

It depends on the horse. Good for a sharp one less good for a lazy one. Issues can be higher rates of ulcers as they consume less during the day and they don’t get proper restful sleep if overnight vs day. I had a long chat with my FEI vet about it all.

Thanks! I've just started watching your channel!

 

[lizziebell]

Might be worth looking through this thread too:

Turnout at night in Winter?

Hi, yard is considering changing from having the horses out in the day and stabled at night in winter to them being brought in during the day and turnout at night. My initial reaction is nope...but that's because I like to think of them being all cosy in stables at night time 😄 However I am not...

forums.horseandhound.co.uk

 

[lizziebell]

It depends on the horse. Good for a sharp one less good for a lazy one. Issues can be higher rates of ulcers as they consume less during the day and they don’t get proper restful sleep if overnight vs day. I had a long chat with my FEI vet about it all.

There is no evidence/ research that horses out at night have a higher rate of ulcers. Given that turnout plays an important role in ulcer prevention and horses turned out at night have longer uninterrupted turnout time, more movement and more interaction with other horses.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I watch a few equestrian influencers online and have noticed some tend to favor overnight turnout instead of out during the day. I have done this in the summer with my mare to avoid the heat and the flies, but what is the benefit of turning out overnight this time of year?

I wouldn't turn mine out as lami risk, but equality I would not turn out if I had a choice, known a few colic at night and found dead in morning. As I do late checks I prefer they all in.

 

[ycbm]

I don't think of horses out overnight in as "turned out overnight". I think of them as "living out" but brought in during the day to ride and either to eat (winter)or to restrict their eating (summer).

As soon as you think of it that way you can see the difference clearly.
.

 

[lizziebell]

I don't think of horses out overnight in as "turned out overnight". I think of them as "living out" but brought in during the day to ride and either to eat (winter)or to restrict their eating (summer).

As soon as you think of it that way you can see the difference clearly.
.

Thats probably a better “term” for what I do. Mine come in around 6.30am and go back out once ridden (or if there’s a farrier/ physio/ vet visit/ comp etc), so if I ride in the morning they are back out before lunch.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I am wondering now if once everything thaws out I may have to reconsider. Now I have the two horses I could reverse the turnout and have them in at night and out in the day if it gets really wet again. I don’t want to completely trash things!

 

[Sossigpoker]

It depends on the horse. Good for a sharp one less good for a lazy one. Issues can be higher rates of ulcers as they consume less during the day and they don’t get proper restful sleep if overnight vs day. I had a long chat with my FEI vet about it all.

That's so true about getting enough sleep. Even when mine is out over night in the summer, he needs to come in every so often for the night to sleep. He'd eventually get so tired he'd feel lame. A night in always helps.

 

[splashgirl45]

Mine used to sleep in the stable during the day if out overnight. It’s really just the same as having them out in the summer and bringing in during the day to avoid flies

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Mine are out most of the time but in summer they come in away from heat and flies in winter they come in if torrential rain or frozen, but I hay mine in the field and winter they basically get ad lib hay.

They are still sharp to bloody ride at times though

I find once they live out for long periods they get used to it so the energy levels don't decrease,.

 

[Kaylum]

They need daylight as well as vitamin d. It really depends how much light your horse gets in its stable. This is another reason not to limit turnout in the winter. My friends horse became very depressed as he was on very limited turnout in an American barn which was very dark. Something to consider.

 

[Bobthecob15]

We did it from September all the way through to late November. Was a disaster for our yard! Horses were out from about 5pm-8/9am, they absolutely trashed the fields. It’s been so wet that their hooves got soft and we lost so many shoes, the farrier couldn’t believe it we were the only yard in the area that has had so many lost shoes…7 in just over a week! We had several injuries from horses pawing and crashing into fences, we assume because of the winds/dark and them wanting to come in. Also abscesses and over half the yard had mud fever. Longer time outside meant standing in mud and wet ground for longer. Think there is only around an acre per horse when you work out the ratios which is clearly not enough to do this system well!

The vet also didn’t like it and said she’d not do it for her horses…it was after the advice from her and the farrier repeatedly telling them they were out for too long that the yard owners agreed to switch back to in at night and we were so relieved!!

We did like having them already in and dry when we went up to ride, that was about the only benefit. Also less hay given and less muck in the stables daytime compared to nighttime…so saved the yard money. However lots of them were not laying down to sleep in the day, they were tired and some displayed new aggressive behaviours from lack of sleep we think. They were instead laying down in the mud overnight which isn’t ideal.

For us it didn’t work at all especially with the wet and storms…if you look after your fields better than our YO did then it could work and if they have some proper shelter and somewhere dry to lay down it could work…but definitely not for us!

 

[Bobthecob15]

Might be worth looking through this thread too:

Turnout at night in Winter?

Hi, yard is considering changing from having the horses out in the day and stabled at night in winter to them being brought in during the day and turnout at night. My initial reaction is nope...but that's because I like to think of them being all cosy in stables at night time 😄 However I am not...

forums.horseandhound.co.uk

Yes this was me! And you can see my post above about how it went sadly didn’t work for our horses x

 

[j1ffy]

Mine are out at night all year round and it works for us (15+ acre fields in herds, in from 8am to 2.30/3pm unless I’m riding after work, in which case I turn out afterwards). Mine sleep during the day - Chilli tends to freak out new liveries with his loud snoring

 

[TGM]

It works for our horses - they are out at night and usually come in at about 8am and go back out about 5pm. As said above, it means they get plenty of turnout but are in dry and ready for riding during the day (daughter often rides on a lunch break, husband often rides early afternoon). One horse has a tendency to tie up so maximum turnout is important to him. No problems with lost shoes and they have haylage in the field and in the stable and eat plenty so can't see it increases the risk of ulcers for them.

However, they have all been on this routine for a long time so are used to it, I think horses are more likely to run round and trash the place, get injured and be unsettled when there routine is changed. I suspect if I changed mine to in at night now, they might do the same. I would recommend anyone who was thinking of changing to overnight turnout to do it at the start of the summer when the fields have dried up so by the time the wet weather comes they are settled in the routine. Mud control mats in strategic places, such as hay feeding areas, are a good investment too, preventing highly used areas getting trashed (therefore reducing the risk of abscesses, pulled shoes and mud fever).

The other point mentioned about Vitamin D is not a concern for me as we have external stables that the sun shines into, and they are all rugged anyway so I don't think they get much less sunlight than if the routine was the other way around.

 

[maya2008]

Only disadvantage is that any escape artists are less likely to be noticed until they’ve actually left. That and if your stables are indoors, they never get to actually see the daylight other than when you are riding.

 

[SEG]

Some great points to consider. Thank you everyone.

 

[ihatework]

Unless you have a horizontally lazy one then it’s generally my preferred way of management provided the ground can sustain it.
Both ridden horses I currently own are on this system in their respective homes - one sharp 8yo, and one rather self opinionated 5yo.

My other 5yo will be coming in soon from 24/7 for rebacking and I have the choice of 2 good producers - she is going to the one who uses this system and this was the deciding factor for me.

 

[ponynutz]

I think there’s a certain element of each horse has a preference as well. A few years ago we moved summer turnout to overnight as we have very little natural shelter and 0 man-made shelter. The horses hated it, they cried pretty much all night to be brought in (keeping us all awake I might add) and ended up running laps of their field.

 

[millitiger]

Mine live in this system and it works really well.

I have a lazy horse and he is fine in this system, not as energetic as when he is stabled but that's a poor reason to keep a horse in. Feed appropriately and ride better!

Mine also all sleep and lie down a lot in their stables so are well rested during the day.

The only reason I can see it not working, is miserable horses in bottomless mud and without enough forage- they're the ones climbing fences and regularly losing shoes ime.
That's just poor management though, regardless of what time of day they are out.

 

[Squeak]

My horses live out 24/7 so I’m biased towards as much turnout as possible.

However we have well draining winter paddocks with trees and high hedges and two big field shelters where they can be fed and they always have hay and water in so that they can come in out of the weather and they also get hay out in the fields too.

Now I’ve had horses living out my mind struggles at the prospect of keeping them in a stable for hours.

 

[Time for Tea]

I keep mine, 3 natives, on the in during day, out at night system. I have for many years, and also kept my ID/TB and Trotter like this too. They like it, I think. And I like it. One of mine won’t stay in, he just kicks all night. They have plenty of energy, they do sleep in the field, where they have gravelly soil that drains extremely well so they are not waterlogged. You can see their sleep hollows. Shared with the blinking deer! They have natural shelter and field shelters too. I left them out in the recent cold snap so they weren’t stuck in the freezing stable, and so they could enjoy the sun. I think it’s much easier for you, if it works for your horse, and your land, or your yard. I remember going to a talk by Victoria Pannezon the Italian event rider years ago, and she said she kept all her horses on this system. I do think about it as them living out really, as ycbm said, and they come in for quite variable amounts of time. They are out for 16 to 20 hours.
I think the advantages in the winter are all to do with flexibility.

 

[Clodagh]

I love @ycbm ’s take. Mine lived out (hunter clipped and hunting 3 x fortnight). They did have shelter and ad lib hay. They came in the morning for breakfast and riding, whatever was on, and went back out when done.

 

[Captain Lad]

I have just come online to ask this very Question!

We have moved to a new yard - which is going very well - and we have been asked if we would like night turnout. My initial reaction was no. However I was asked again and we are going to try it. My lad is a young 4 year old heavy cob who hates the flies and does get a sweat on as he is unfit at the min.

We are going to give it a go. Really appreciated reading the responses above