Turnout - How Many Hours?

milesjess

milesjess

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How many hours do your horses get over winter?

I don't like to compromise on my horses turnout. Unfortunately the other livery I share fields/ turnout/ bringing in with is rather lazy... He normally brings in and he has been fetching them in at 2:30pm!!! So he's only getting around 5 hours a day :( Not impressed! We have unrestricted turnout all year round, and I like him to make full use of it.

What annoys me more is that I'm up every morning early to put them out, yet he cannot be bothered coming down to the yard anymore in the morning and hasn't even bothered to mention it to me.

Rant over!
 
Mine is out 24/7 but if on livery would like to have mine out until at least 4pm.

In your situation, I would either let him get in his at 2.30pm and get mine in later, or pay someone else to do it.
 
Mine have only been in at night for a week as I like them out as long as possible.
During the week they are out at 6am and normally in around 3.30/4pm after school, then ridden/lunged and into "bed"!
At weekends, they go out after riding so generally about lunchtime, and in about 5-6pm.
 
In summer I do plan to have him out 24/7, but the weather and fields aren't too bad at the moment so I want him out 6 hours minimum so definitely going to have to rearrange my plans.
 
Kali comes in, on average, at about half three every day - but this is because if I leave him any longer he will start pacing and I'd rather fetch him in before he starts walking the fence line. Today he stayed out until nearly four . . . it is a balancing act with him . . . I always keep a hawk eye out for him while I'm putting his bed down to catch him before he starts to get restless so I'm not rewarding the pacing.

Now that we've found a field/companion that suits him, I'm hoping to be able to leave him out for much longer in the summer.

We have tried leaving him out 24/7 before - he didn't like it . . . was always tired because he didn't sleep (enough).

P
 
At this time of year around three hours on a working day six or seven weather permitting on a day off work.
It's limited by the the fact we need to be riding out when the light is good , and of course they don't go out on hunting days , except Tatts who lives outside .
 
milesjess said:
How many hours do your horses get over winter?

I don't like to compromise on my horses turnout. Unfortunately the other livery I share fields/ turnout/ bringing in with is rather lazy... He normally brings in and he has been fetching them in at 2:30pm!!! So he's only getting around 5 hours a day :( Not impressed! We have unrestricted turnout all year round, and I like him to make full use of it.

What annoys me more is that I'm up every morning early to put them out, yet he cannot be bothered coming down to the yard anymore in the morning and hasn't even bothered to mention it to me.

Rant over!
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Here they go out at 9.30 saturday - 8.30am saturday and 7.30am weekdays - they come in at 3pm unless owners get them in to ride.
 
Depends on the horse and the weather really.
Good weather:
When we do them, my part liveries are out during daylight hours, so currently 7:30am-3:30pm. DIY are out 24/7 unless owners decide to bring them in.
Bad weather:
All liveries in overnight. We try to allow at least morning turnout (7:30am-12:30pm), but it depends on what the ground is like. If its miserable, they are keen to get back inside after a quick leg stretch.
 
For those turning out or bringing in in the dark; how do you do it? Our horses are divided into day and night turnout and so at present the day horses go out at 8.30am and come in at 3.30pm, and the night horses go out at 4pm and come in at 8am. I wouldn't fancy turning out or bringing in in the dark.
 
Wagtail said:
For those turning out or bringing in in the dark; how do you do it? Our horses are divided into day and night turnout and so at present the day horses go out at 8.30am and com in at 3.30pm, and the night horses go out at 4pm and come in at 8am. I wouldn't fancy turning out or bringing in in the dark.
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I don't mind turning out in the dark if I have too but I won't bring in in the dark .
 
My liveries are out from 8.30 until 3.30 ish. One livery only wants a few hours so bad three to four hours . mine are out for three or fours hours, they are worked in the afternoon everyday.
 
Generally between 9 and 12 hours a day at the moment (depends on what time I turn out and if I ride or not. If I'm on an early shift at work he gets turfed out at about 7.30am, if I'm on a later shift and I ride then it can be about 10 or 11am and he tends to come in some time around 7ish give or take). He is most annoyed if he goes out late or I dare to bring him in early to ride and in an ideal world if I could find somewhere close enough to home to be viable I'd like him out 24/7 really
 
Wagtail said:
For those turning out or bringing in in the dark; how do you do it?
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How do you mean? I just lead them both in together in the dark?

Goldenstar said:
I don't mind turning out in the dark if I have too but I won't bring in in the dark .
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Why not?
I turn my two out at 8.30am and bring in around 6-7pm, I rode today so they came in at 2.30pm.
 
Wagtail said:
For those turning out or bringing in in the dark; how do you do it? Our horses are divided into day and night turnout and so at present the day horses go out at 8.30am and come in at 3.30pm, and the night horses go out at 4pm and come in at 8am. I wouldn't fancy turning out or bringing in in the dark.
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Before mine came off the field onto winter sand paddocks last weekend they would come in after I finished work between 5.30 and 6. They knew what time I was due. I have a narrow field gate so routine was: head collar onto first, swing rope up over neck, tel him to wait, then head collar on second, grab first and second would usually just follow in, easy. Never treated it any different than the daytime :)
 
I generally turn out between 7-730, sometimes earlier, sometimes later, this week I have been finding it hard to get up.
I tend to be on turn out duty and then others bring in, numbers can be from 2-7 horses, sometimes they all need rug changes too. I think the earliest they would be bought in is 4pm, sometimes significantly later than that if everyone is working later. if it's throwing it down with rain for hours and hours they might get bought in earlier than 4. They live out 24/7 between March and October.

I don't do anything different in the dark, I know a few people who have head torches, but I've never needed it myself
 
RubysGold said:
My gelding would like that, but my mare wouldn't. She seems to know when October arrives, as she'll start standing by the gate a lot from about two weeks before I start bringing them in at night. She likes her stable a lot
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My mare is the same!
 
Mine go out roughly 10am to 4pm any earlier or later I get it in the neck, they know what they like. :) and god help me if it's been peeing down all day and I'm a few minutes late, they do like their comfort and deep beds. :)
 
RubysGold said:
How do you mean? I just lead them both in together in the dark?



Why not?
I turn my two out at 8.30am and bring in around 6-7pm, I rode today so they came in at 2.30pm.
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Because they are milling about the gate you can't see and it's muddy and horrible , I keep horses because I enjoy doing stuff with them and for me that means in daytime and daylight .
 
At this time of year, daylight hours. So out about 8.00am and in about 3.30 ish, but will be longer after Christmas as the days get longer. Got to yard at 2.30 today and he was standing by the gate and started calling to me fetch him in, so I did. Depends if I'm riding or not. In the spring we're planning to change to over night turnout with a few hours in during the day for the summer. Mine doesn't do 24/7 turnout due to SI and weight issues.
 
Goldenstar said:
Because they are milling about the gate you can't see and it's muddy and horrible , I keep horses because I enjoy doing stuff with them and for me that means in daytime and daylight .
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Ah right, its not too bad at my yard, we don't get mud really, because if its wet/muddy we aren't allowed to turn them out. And my two will eat near the gate when its nearly time, till I go down to get them in, then walk over to me, I guess it also helps that there are street lights so it isn't properly dark :)
 
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