Turnout a No No?

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moneypit1

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My three are in 24/7 at the moment as my fields are waterlogged. I hate leaving them in but its a fine line to letting them out a couple of hours a day and having NO grass this summer. It's especially hard as one of mine is only 20months and he really needs to charge around! Just wondered what others do really?
 
Our lot are out 24/7 but we are extremely fortunate to have very free draining soil, though not much grass. Have a seven month colt and couldn't imagine leaving him in he's energetic enough as it is. I would'nt feel guilty keeping them in, but if you have enough land could you fence of a small paddock and 'sacrafice' it just for winter turnout, then you could rest it this summer, at least then your horses could have a leg stretch during the day.
Fingers crossed for some dry weather, doesn't look likely mind
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EC
 
we let ours run round school and have play pens for them so they can be out all day they arnt very big but it gets them out on a sort of semi hard surface hard to explain but we cant use fields it keeps ours sane though
 
Fence one of the fields off and "sacrifice it". This is what we do and it is surprising how quickly it recovers once it has dried out and has been rolled. We chuck a bit of grass seed on it and a bit of fertiliser and it is fine. Keeps the horses sane and muddy.
 
We are in the same boat, we did turn them out for a while but they all wanted to come in again so now they go out for a loeg stretch in the school plus ridden/ lunged everyday
 
We're in the very same boat so we have to sacrifice the bottom field (2 acres) which looks an appalling mess with craters which go over their fetlocks in some places; but they need to go out especially the babies (9 months, 2 & 3 year olds) it keeps them sane. While it was chucking it down every day I alternated turnout one day, in the next simply to give their legs and feet a chance to dry out a bit and that worked well as long as they had plenty of haylage to nibble at. OH being an old farmer, hates to see the field such a mess but even he acknowledges they HAVE to go out else they wouldn't be safe to handle after a while. Once it dries it can be rolled and throw some patching seed on, it'll soon recover and if you can save that field mainly for the winter it'll help. I really would turn out if you have a chance; your field WILL recover but your youngster might give you more trouble than he's worth if you don't.
 
ours our in in very wet weather, we have nice grazing and wish to keep it that way. they all stayed in yesterday cos of the snow. they dont mind as long as they are all in or out together, not one rule for one and another for another! they were well happy being in yesterday with plenty of hay and warm lunch x
 
All ours are kept in when it snows or rains heavily but we have a small field in front of the stables that we use for jumping in the summer and i try to put Senza out there whilst i muck out etc so she can stretch her legs.

She stayed in for 2 days the last time it snowed and she turned into a psycho horse and trampled me so i'm not gonna do that again!!!
 
Mine are in also - Bertie 26 copes well but it does him good to walk around due to arthritis. Snoop 4 year old is quite relaxed but when i get to ride him hes um LIVELY! winston gets frustrated as hes a big horse in a fairly small box! he rolls in frustration and bucks but has now frightened himself due to smashing the back panels out of his box.
I have a walker which helps but is snowed under plus menege but would rather not ruin that
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Can use top top field but its small, and 3 highly strung horses will end up hurting themselves or and each other. plus i cant walk them to the field due to teh amout of snow arghh!
HOwever, if i had a baby horse there is no question you must put them out and sacrifice a field.
 
we had changed fields (we are lucky and have 3 fields for 3 gee gees) 2 weeks ago and the new field has stayed lovely because of the dry cold weather since then so we decided when turning them out today (they stayed in yesterday) to put them back into the ruined paddock they were in 2 weeks previously to save the new one from being ruined whilst it's so wet. They can go back into the nice one if it dries up this weekend.
 
We have a small winter paddock that they go out in Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday between 9 and 4.

On days where there is no turnout they go in the school for about an hour in the morning and then again for exercise and another hour whilst I do evening jobs.

Stinker has been kept like this since 18 months and has been fine, but he is not "hot" type in the first place.

In the summer we have another field that they can go out in 24 x 7.
 
Thanks everyone. Actually I have managed to turn out for about 2 horus a day but its better than nothing. Even in that short time they have wrecked the field. I have a rising five who I turn out only on his day off for a 'free for all' with my real baby (20 mths old). They go at it like a couple of banshees, so much so that I can't bear to watch!!I am so scared that legs will get caught in rug straps etc but its a fine line to having 'happy horses' etc. I have saved a 2 acre paddock that is beautiful at the moment (not grazed since last October) that I will use come April time. Hope my little 1 acre 'turnout' paddock recovers!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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