Turnout and fields this winter

[Cloball]

My first winter full winter but we apparently have both more grass, as it's been so mild, and more mud, as it's been so wet, than ever. Going out 9-4 weirdly my hardy fluffy native is so much more chilled in this routine than out 24/7 in the summer.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Just musing on how much turnout everybody is managing to get this winter and what your fields are like with all the rain we're having? I'm particularly interested in those on livery yards because that's what I'm on and I think livery does pose a different set of challenge to keeping horses at home. Obviously those with horses at home are very welcome to comment too though!

On our yard the horses are still going out all day every day although the fields are not a very pleasant site and the mud is definitely more than just around the gateway! They do continue to go out every day all winter, unless there's really deep snow or something like that, but will go on to shorter days if the weather gets much worse (is that actually possible?).

I'm glad they get to go out even when it's horrible but it would be nice if it would stop raining even for a day or so just to let the fields dry up even a little bit. I do worry at the moment how they're going to come back if the weather doesn't improve.

How is everybody else faring?

We came onto winter fields on first, still has grass but squidgy in places, but horses turned out every day

 

[Slightlyconfused]

We are on a livery yard. Had about 4/5 days with fields shut and then a week or so of 3 hrs turn out and now on 5hrs turnout until the rain buggers off. We are down in the south east, home counties.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

I think the main difference between being on livery and having horses at home, is that now I’m the panicked YO trying to save my fields from becoming mush so it’s my fault if the horses are in.

Mine have had a few stints where they were in at night for a couple of days, and two days where they stayed in because it was just miserable. Otherwise still out 24/7. But I am very worried that the ground is looking pretty iffy.

 

[Sossigpoker]

I think the main difference between being on livery and having horses at home, is that now I’m the panicked YO trying to save my fields from becoming mush so it’s my fault if the horses are in.

Mine have had a few stints where they were in at night for a couple of days, and two days where they stayed in because it was just miserable. Otherwise still out 24/7. But I am very worried that the ground is looking pretty iffy.

Why not have them out just for the day then while it's wet? Would make a huge difference.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Why not have them out just for the day then while it's wet? Would make a huge difference.

(edit)

Ah! Misunderstood your post, sorry.

They are both much happier out as much as possible so I try to accommodate.

If it’s really wet then they can come in at night. They’ve done about six nights in since the start of winter, but we have a lot of months ahead.

 

[meleeka]

Mine are on my own land. They are already on the field I usually save for xmas day, just because their normal field is a bog. There’s no grass as it’s been stripped grazed, so instead of mud just being in the gateway, it’s over the whole lot. It definitely started earlier this year and even when I had 5, it still had more green than it does now.

It’s also been really mild, which I’m not sure is a good thing as we haven’t had the frosts to kill all the nasties.

They are in at night and go out daily. If the weather is awful they have hay in the yard and can choose to go out, which they rarely do.

 

[Dave's Mam]

I'm on livery & we're rarely restricted on winter turn out, really only if it's not safe to get to the field due to ice.
We're on very sandy land which drains exceptionally well, the downside being my now constant monitoring of sand in his gut, but these are the things we have to balance. The fields are a bit muddy at the mo, but they come back well. I think Pia wil have dried us off well today!

 

[Esmae]

I don't restrict turnout. Mine are at home. I have 2 paddocks for the winter that I accept will be trashed. I feed hay in there when the grass goes. We are fortunate to have free draining land.

 

[SO1]

I am on part livery no problems with grass plenty of it. It is muddy by the gate where Bert rolls every morning but rest of their field is fine. There is another big field that is being rested for later loads of foggage in that one.

YO always worried we will run out of grass but we never have mainly because they only go out for 7-8 hours a day all year round to make sure we have plenty of grass for winter and to ensure fields don't get too muddy. I would rather they were out for more hours but better to be out every day all year occasionally they stay in if there is heavy snow and it is too slippery to safely get them out but that is really unusual as normally even if snow they go out.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Mine are at home and out most of the time they have had a few nights in, it's a bit trashed in places but it comes back fine in spring and I have hard standing in the field so at least they can get off the mud.

 

[SEL]

We put drainage in the gateway to the winter field over the summer. Spent a fortune and it's still like soup. The area is fenced off so the horses only come through it to and from the field (they can't loiter there) but we're all sinking in it.

I was hoping that it might be drier over Xmas but I've just seen next Wed's forecast and now I'm sobbing into my cereal.

 

[94lunagem]

I’m lucky to have two at home on enough land to rotate to be out 24/7 all year, unless it’s particularly horrific and I’ll bring in for the odd night or day. But my land is as wet as I can remember it being. There is grass where they are currently with a tiny bit of mud at the gate (they know better than to stand there for long periods!) and a bit more where they shelter under the biggest trees and thickest hedges. I could do with rotating soon but am trying to hold off until there have been a few dry days in a row, and hopefully all this wind will help dry things up too.

 

[Jango]

I'm on livery in the NW where it already rains a lot and we're on 6 hrs turnout per day and this works well, as I ride before work, then she goes out about 8.30/9 to 2.30/3. I've been turning out in the wind, it's only ice/heavy snow when I don't turn out as its not safe as she's shod all round.

If it keeps raining we will get restricted to 2hrs per day, which i am dreading. Our field is very cut up but squelchy grass rather than actual mud (other than the gates). If I ever get her in early to ride about 1pm she's happily grazing.

 

[Wishfilly]

I'm on DIY, the yard rotates fields, so they are on winter fields at the moment. I think this helps as the fields still have grass. The field my pony is in is quite steeply sloping, so although the gateway is awful, most of the field is okay, albeit getting more and more cut up. We're currently on daytime turnout only, but there are a few youngsters on the yard who are still out 24/7 in a different field! We turnout and catch in ourselves, so mine is out about 8-5.30, as it has to fit around work!

I think there may be a few drier days coming up after Christmas, which will hopefully help a bit!

 

[Ratface]

Old Horse and his little herd befit from having a very large amount of land to graze on. Yard Owner and her staff are experts at managing it so that the horses have their own paddocks which are micromanaged in terms of movable fencing, daily poo-picking and fresh water supplies.
There are a total of five horses out, if the weather is reasonable. At the moment, they have between seven and eight hours grazing, less if the weather becomes bad.
Three are in their mid- to late-teens; mine late twenties, and his girlfriend is in her early thirties. All wearing rugs, and come in to deep straw beds and ad-lib hay.
So far, the land seems to be holding up, with a bit of poaching in the gateways.