Turnout in winter

[Mossi]

I have a very similar setup for my 15.3hh TB and 13.2hh companion pony. My TB is a box walker and weaver and in a stable he will not keep weight on, the last year i had him stabled he finished the winter looking like a hatrack no matter what feed i pumped into him and adlib haylage, as he just stressed it off. On the set up i have, he hardly ever shows these vices, This setup has been wonderful, i have two healthy and happy ponios this year, no fights over food as its available all the time, they arent even on hard feed and they have put on weight!

Mine share a shelter which is deeply bedded down with straw and have a large rubber matted yard area outside roughly 30' square with shelter taking up one corner. They are dry, have shelter, have as much haylage as they can eat but cant gorge as i have made them a haylage slowfeeder attached to the outside of the shelter along one side, to prevent them from pulling the whole lot on the floor. They have free access to a trash paddock, which is now just mud, but they can have a hoon around and a roll if they choose to, but iv found they prefer to stay where there isnt any mud, recently build a temp round pen outside for when i cant get them on the roads due to the ice, so i can still exersise them.

Wouldnt go back to stabling now, and as my field will not support summer and winter grazing without trashing the whole lot, this is the way i will continue to keep them every winter. Well next year the trash paddock will be much bigger and woodchipped so it isnt just a mudbath but thats the only thing il add

That's great, these posts just prove that there is an alternative to excessive stabling, that does work and makes happier horses. Just need evolution to play its part now regarding some livery yards!

 

[lula]

That's great, these posts just prove that there is an alternative to excessive stabling, that does work and makes happier horses. Just need evolution to play its part now regarding some livery yards!

Its not a case of 'evolution' its a case of practicalities and the state of the ground in bad weather/winter.
if you read Rowreach's post its not because YOs' enjoy restricting turn out for the sake of it in winter its because land is limited and in too bad a condition to have it poached up with the amount of rain we've had this last year and especially these last weeks The fields are a state no matter where you live in the UK.

Its not ideal no, and id rather have mine turned out every day in winter but i do understand how YO's have to manage the land and the horses on it and that often sadly means restricted grazing in worst weathers.

 

[Mossi]

Its not a case of 'evolution' its a case of practicalities and the state of the ground in bad weather/winter.
if you read Rowreach's post its not because YOs' enjoy restricting turn out for the sake of it in winter its because land is limited and in too bad a condition to have it poached up with the amount of rain we've had this last year and especially these last weeks The fields are a state no matter where you live in the UK.

Its not ideal no, and id rather have mine turned out every day in winter but i do understand how YO's have to manage the land and the horses on it and that often sadly means restricted grazing in worst weathers.

....but always, the alternative being shut up in a little box for hours on end instead of providing hard standings, paddock paradise system or anything else that would take far too much effort....easier just to lock them up in cages for hours instead, hence evolution required, and laminitis causing, fat building ryegrass cow paddocks not ....some grass yes but perhaps not the traditional way, personal preference of course, and I know what mine is.

 

[Sunshine]

We built something similar for our laminitic pony about 6 years ago. Our grass is too rich in spring & summer and we hav etoo much of it but I couldn't bear keeping her stabled so we fenced off an area about 50x40m scraped the topsoil and put some gravel down then topped off with free woodchips for comfort and put a field shelter in. It meant she could move around-keep the blood pumping and eat her soaked hay whilst still being able to see her friends, have a roll and sunbathe. It's been useful for a number of other local laminitic ponies in their recovery phases too. And it has been a boon in the frosty snowy winters over the last few years as we can easily harrow it to loosen the surface so it doesn't get rutted which can be really dangerous when deep mud freezes.

I like your plan, pure stone isn't my first choice of top surface, maybe you can get some woodchip or sand to soften it, but I would prefer to see my horse out with shelter than stood in a 12x12 box for 24 hours a day.