Turning out at night only

Troggy

Troggy

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On vets advice (and suggested on here!) due to the warm wet weather making the grass too much for Toff to cope with and giving her colic, I have started turning out at night. It felt weird at first, and I felt bit sorry for Beano as he had never been out at night before but after their second night they are in to their routine!

It makes my life so much easier now they are out at night though, things I had never thought of like no flies, no sun burn and Toff is clean and dry to ride when I come home, not to mention no door kicking at stupid o’clock!
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Also she is far far less bloated when she comes in, she used to take a good 12 hours to deflate but now is pretty consistent in her weight.

I wondered if anyone else turned out at night? I don’t know anyone else who does! Does anyone else find it better or worse than daytime turnout?

Hoping once this stupid weather has passed I can go back to 24/7 turn out but got to be cruel to be kind sometimes…
 
Yes a few of my liveries in England used to do this - seemed to work well for them.
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When H was at riding school he used to get turned out at night and in for lessons during the day. Liveries done it there too.
 
Not sure why more people don't, makes so much more sense, espacially with porky types like mine....
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Toff was in a riding school many moons ago, again only out at night, didn't occur to me until now to try it here!!
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I'm bringing Chum in during the day to try and keep his weight down as he is rather a greedy boy.. He has settled in to this routine no problem and is ready to come in. It is a lot easier for me, mucking out in the evenings instead of early morning before work, he is dry and not bloated when I want to ride in the evenings and no flys, which usually bother him terribly - he would normally have to wear a flymask as they cause him eye infections. It would be nice to turn him out 24hrs so I can a few months off mucking out but it is impossible ATM - we have so much grass. He sleeps alot - he has to be woken up by the groom if the farrier is coming etc and he seems very happy
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Many of the liveries around here are in during the day and out at night, partly for their waistlines ( ! ) but mostly because the flies are terrible in the summer - it seems to work well.
 
A couple of the ones at my yard had sweet-itch and it certainly did help them, however their owners had to turn out after 9pm and then were up at about 6am to bring them back in again. This did really help them manage the sweet itch though.
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That's another good point, so much easier for vets/farrier etc when there isn't the worry of not being able to catch them ( just my rude pony!) and their feet are clean and dry
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Yep always used to in summer when i was on DIY. So much easier because they have no flies, sunburn etc and they are always in when you want to ride. I also found them to be less bloated and stables easier to muck out as they were in for a shorter time. I don't know if they will do the same at the new yard but as he is on full livery it doesnt matter too much as he is always in for when i want to ride. I hope they do though because i think it is nicer for them to be out at night and in away from the heat. Always made me laugh the first day they stayed out at night and as i used to drive away he used to run over and pull his 'have you forgotten me' face- soon got used to it though!
 
Always do this with mine in the summer, as I dont have enough grazing to turn out 24/7 and fat little welshy really benifits from having some time off the grass and out of the sun. Means they are always dry and ready to work, yard can be done in the evening ready for the mrning, in general everyone is happier
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yes. At our yard when its hot they go out at night.
Plus side- less mucking out, less hay, bedding ect
Down side- Ours go 'nocturnal' and sleep all day, which means they go a bit donkeyfied to ride also I found came in with a big grass belly ( which you said didn't happen to yours? )
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ours are out at night in the summer which is the way the yard owner does it. only disadvantage is like today when we took otto to towerlands all he wanted to do was sleep and was that tired by his last class he got to fence 3 and said nope and he very rarely stops. ash said he didnt feel right by then to. advantages as others have said ,no flies and they in ready to ride after school etc. i can also drop them off at their field when we get back from the shows
 
Dan is out at night and in during the day. When it is proper summer doing this definetly helps with flies and I feel it is kinder to get them out of the baking sun where possible as the fields have limited shade. Mainly he comes in to control belly though!

Fleur is out 24/7 at mo but if was a proper summer would very possibly have her in as well but for now not an issue
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My 2 fatties are out at night and in during the day. Less fructons in the grass, no flies and cooler
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Thanks all for the replies, looks like this colic situation is actually a blessing in disguise
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Mine are
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and it's a royal pain in the backside, not to mention more work, expense and a bind. I have no choice, if I leave them out they spend the entire day (if it's warmer than about 26C, which it generally is) galloping about trying to escape from flies. They come in, have their mere handful of oats, lie down and sleep.

Winter is a doddle compared to this
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Rhyn is out at night and in during the day at the moment (although I swapped it the last couple of weeks while the weather was awful and had him in overnight instead for a few nights), then the other way in winter. I've always had him out 24/7 in summer but this year he really started to put weight on so YO brings him in about 10am, then he goes back out at about 7pm. He's happy in, gets some soaked hay and has a sleep! He's also much easier to ride as he doesn't have the grassy bloated belly, is much less sharp/spooky, and is already in when I get to the yard so I don't have to fetch him to ride!
 
My mare is turned out at night during summer...she is black and bakes in the sun (tho thats not really an issue at the moment!!) and helps her not get pestered by flies. Often in the morning when she is brought in she is found having a lay down in the field..so doesnt seem to get tired...comes in... then more eating...then a bit more snoozing..then more eating...you may see a pattern emerging here!!!!
Also her arthritic legs seem to cope better this way round - dont know why.
 
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