Turning out in the morning

3Beasties

3Beasties

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 September 2008
Messages
15,574
Visit site
A recent post and some of the replies have got me thinking about my horses routine.

There has been a negative comment towards horses that are turned out after 10am but are there times when this is acceptable?

My horses get fed and turned out from anywhere between 8am and 10:30am (depending on work/placements/uni etc) BUT they don't come in till 9pm most nights (stupid working hours!) and are checked again before I go to bed (skipped out/hay topped up etc). Water wise they have a big bucket each which neither of them has ever got to the bottom of and they have plenty of hay to see them through to when I turn them out in the morning!

To some the fact that mine may not go out till 10:30am sounds terrible but they come in much later then most other horses so the time they actually spend in the stable is probably the same, if not less.

So what do you think? Is it down to how long they are stabled for overall or is it important to get them out as early as possible in the morning regardless of what time they come in at night?
 
You sound fine to me. I think it's more about the period of time they are stabled/unchecked. If you bring in at three and don't go back until ten am that is a long time to go without checking. If you bring in at three, do a late night check/skip out at ten pm and don't go back until ten am then surely that's no different to bringing in at five and turning out at seven. Better infact :confused:
 
For me it would be total turnout time, quality of care and number of checks that matter - not the time on the clock. Your routine works for you and your horse. You probably have a shorter gap between the bedtime check and the 10.30am turnout than the many, many yards that turnout at 8am but bring in and do final checks at 6pm :)
 
Sounds fine to me. You go up and check them and they have supplies so there is no problem :) this is what my horses routine is like at the moment because of sixth form commitments.
Your horses sound better off than some on my yard that either dont get to come in at all and are left standing by the fence, or the ones that do get brought in and just left with hardly any hay.
 
I don't see any problem with what you are doing. I think people get concerned where horses are bought in late afternoon, finish their hay early evening and are then left late in the morning. If yours are checked last thing at night and have lots of hay and water, sounds good to me :)

Mine usually get turned out by 8.00 and I try to stick to that but if I know I might be late in the morning I do a late night visit and do top-ups like you.
 
Your routine sounds fine:) I don't turn my mare out until 11.30am but I have to be careful with her as she has had lami in the past. I normally bring her in around 5ish and she has weighed & soaked hay double netted. My friend always puts a haynet in for her every morning at 6.30am, I arrive later muck out and ride then she gets turned out. I have gone up the yard near midnight and she still has hay.
 
Sounds fine to me. Just like I don't see a problem with horses who only get turned out half days going out at lunchtime & coming in at 5, provided they are still done in the morning. My issue is with people who turn up mid morning to first do the horse, & have finished it for the night at 3. Your routine sounds the opposite to one of my friends op, she starts work usually at 6am, so hers goes out 4.30am & back in around 3.30/ 4pm latest.
 
Mine comes in at 3ish but doesn't go out till 9.30/10 .00am, later if ridden. Our YO chucks in breakfast and hangs a net which I like her to have, so that she'll go out with a full belly. My mare calls the shots on turnout tbh and this suits her lovely thanks.

Its your horse, your work pattern which pays for horse. If the horse is happy and it works for you both, how can it be wrong??

I think we all worry far to much;)
 
I think it sounds fine too, especially if they are at home. Might be an issue on a yard if the others were all going out at 8am though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top