turning out in the snow

Tinselface said:
What bugs me is when people say they can't turn out because the track/access is icy.

Well do something about it then! I'll happily muck out straight onto our yard even if it does look a mess so mine can get turnout. A pain to clear up when it thaws too. I woudln't sacrifice my horses freedom just because I can't be bothered to clear some ice/snow. You can always get up earlier ;)
Click to expand...

I am not willing to walk my horse on a road, in the dark (work full time), with a young, exciteable horse when there are cars that could skid and hit us. I would definitely put the time in to clear a track to the road if it would help, but the upshot is that the road itself makes it dangerous. It's one of the downsides, but the yard is great in other ways. :-)
 
My two are going out for 2 hours in the morning. They are keen to go out and keener to come back in. The snow is over my 16.2hh TB's knees and on the pony it comes up to his belly!! I am lucky in that I rent the yard and can decided when and for how long they go out (not so lucky in that I have no-one to help and am having to walk there and back twice a day - took an hour today as I got caught in snow drifts up to my thighs!!)
 
Mines in atm, Yard managers orders...wont be out now till some of the snow has gone...she loves being in, as she can sleep all day! I take her out for walks to eat grass, in the arena, she gets ridden etc, she loves it! Almost more chilled then being out!
 
lizzie_liz said:
Personae I want my horse to be able to go out everyday. At current yard she lives out 24/7 and did so last winter (she is tbxid). Every horse as access to ad lib hay and there is always water due to a tap in a toilet that has a heater. In fact this year she won't even go in a stable so bringing her in is not an option and the time she came in to have her teeth done she turned into a psycho and had to be sedated (1st time in 10 years of owning her). 2 years ago she was allowed morning turnout but we also had a covered walker.

As for people who have icey walkways then do something about it or leave them out providing you can give them hay. The rugs nowadays are such good quality horses shouldn't get cold. However some horses are happy in but if I could there is no way I could be at a yard where they had to spend 4 months in a stable just because of snow. Yard owners need to take more responsibility for rutted fields, providing horse walkers or indoor arena or limited turnout to allow people to get horses out of their stable in this weather
Click to expand...

whilst i sort of agree with you i was being a bit tongue in cheek before when i said i'd keep my horse in for 4 months if the snow stayed that long. i honestly don't think that where i live the snow will last for 4 months- it rains far too much round here for that- so we are talking a week or two tops! :)
i also think that when you move on a yard its really your own responsibility to find out about turnout and what happens in winter etc- i moved off old yard partly because it had zero winter turnout- new yard has full turnout (although not at night in winter) but when slippy/icy etc YO won't turnout for us- we have to do it ourselves. YOs have to be really careful these days about not getting sued- if they make an attempt to clear the path of ice for e.g. and then someone still slips then they can be sued- if they don't touch it then they can't- so its understandable why many don't.
if someone built a yard near me (like anywhere vaguely near) with indoor arena, individual flat T/O paddocks, horsewalker, playpen etc etc then i'd move there but there isn't and so sometimes you just have to make the best of what you do have- like amaretto says, if yard is brill in every other way you wouldn't move because of a bit of incovenience for a few weeks of the year? :)
 
At the yard where I keep my boys, we aren't allowed to turn out unless it is frosty in the winter as it churns up the ground and then when it is frosty it makes it rutted and dangerous. So my boys are loving this weather as it means they get to go out everyday! :)
 
Is there such a thing as the perfect yard in winter?

Where turnout is limitless, not rutted, easily accessible, ample grass (or if not, allowed to put hay/haylage out), horses get on etc etc? Think we would be lucky to find such a yard. For those who are able to turn out 24/7, then I think you are very lucky and in the minority. I would LOVE such flexibility, but it's just not there where I live. We have to make decisions based on our circumstances and not on what we consider ideal unfortunately.
 
Mine are out 24/7 on a sloping field with a huge field shelter 20 x 16 with a straw bed and ad lib hay. I do not have the choice to keep them in, but if I did I wouldn't. The youngster has a bit of a hoon about, but i am just hoping he will follow the old guys sense and plod about when it get slippery. I think horses have to learn a bit of sense themselves and one has to trust that they will be ok. If I had my youngster stabled I would be s***ing myself worrying about him stressing and get colic with the cold. At least he can move about round the paddock and get warm and comfy in the field shelter when he needs it.
 
My 6 at home here go out all day daily but they are youngsters, mares, and one retiree. My fields are directly outside the back of the barn and manageable from the point of view I'm not dealing with huge ruts or long walks up and down icey surfaces. Since there has been no change in routine they are fine.

I have a mare in training (showjump) and she is only getting out for an hour a day for a buck and a kick. His place is very different with not easy access to the turnout. Went over to see her playing yesterday and she is quite happy. As soon as she comes in she has a clean bed and plenty of haylage.

Different situations for different horses and different access to turnout. If my fields were not easy to access or really rutted and frozen I would have to do things different, but me and the horses are lucky.

Terri
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top