Turnout situations... what is yours?

[GinaGeo]

Mine are at home. We have small acreage 3acres and 4 horses.

I manage it with 24/7 all weather turnout. In winter they live in it. In summer they live out in the fields, but with option to loaf about on the yard. The laminitic Connemara basically lives in the all weather year round. Mum’s pony usually joins him overnight to manage his waistline.

 

[tallyho!]

You can manage 24/7 turnout on smaller acerage if you adopt a track based system.

 

[jumbyjack]

A bit of a different situation at the livery yard I use. We have undercover turnout, all horses are separate but can groom over the fences. It's hard standing but topped with old arena surface, there is also an outdoor turnout which is used by each horse in rotation so one day in 8. They have only just come off the land, first time ever being out in December!

 

[Asha]

I ticked 24/7 turnout on own land . Which is true , but I do bring them all in at times , just to stop them going feral .
the three ridden ones are now out in the day and in at night ( as opposed to our at night and in during the day. )
The other 4 are out 24/7 In a 9 acre field . We are on clay but it’s doing ok at the minute

 

[Ambers Echo]

Mine have always been out unlimited in a stable herd. They come in at night when they start asking to come in. Amber asks first and the others a few weeks later.

But for the first time ever I am managing a horse with limited turnout on a different yard (Deedee). It has turned all my assumptions on their head! Deedee was out in a huge 8 acre field with hills, rocky outcrops, natural shelter and company. Despite that she was very stressed. We had to be careful about what order she went out in and came back in because if she was not with either Amber or Dolly she would call or pace. She box walked all night. A lot of this I think was pig related (yard pig) but she was unhappy in the field too miles away from the pig.

We moved her and she has been very calm and settled since the move. But she is now out on a small, flat, individual paddock, on her own, for about 6 hours a day. In the rest of the time next to a horse who lives in. There has been no pacing, calling or box walking at all. Maybe she is used to this regime from her previous home? It does not sit right with me at all but my old yard literally made her ill (ulcers) and she is thriving with her new set up so I need to listen to her and go against my own instincts/prejudices about the 'best' way to keep horses. Well not this horse!

 

[catembi]

Mine are out 24/7/365 with constant access to stables, but we are on very heavy clay. I have shut the fields off except for the one where the arena will be built which might as well get trashed, so they have that, a fairly large area of hardstanding & a mud control matted area in front of the stables. So, out but not on the fields except for the one that doesn't matter.

The plan is to get more hardstanding before next winter. And get an arena surface that would be okay for turnout/poo picking.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Currently outside 24/7 but in a hard standing plus small trash paddock area overnight. For the next 2 years I have almost 3 acres nice grazing plus 1.5 acres rough grazing for 2 big horses and hopefully a companion pony. In two years time I'll have another 4 acres of grass. I'm setting up an equicentral system... current hardstanding and trash paddock will become all hardstanding maybe with pea gravel and a sand pit. It already has a large shelter. And they will have controlled access to the fields from there.

Its early days but it's working quite well already. They only spend about 3 hours on the field during the day but its open to them for longer.. They choose to come back to the hardstanding and shelter to snooze and nosey at what I'm up to and pick at bits of hay the rest of the time. No churned gateways from them waiting to come in, all the water and hay on hardstanding too. It's been wet so still a good bit of mud. But I'm pretty sure its better than it would have been and they aren't standing in stables!

I feel so lucky that I've been able to get them at home and do this.

I spend nearly 10 years on various livery yards in West Cumbria. I've never had overnight turnout in winter. I've rarely had unlimited day time turnout in winter. I've had one winter with zero turnout which was like a living nightmare. Most yards restricted the days they went out, closing the fields on wet days. Some yards said onlt 4 hours out. Some let us turnout in the school. Some didnt.

Managing land in West Cumbria is particularly chalkenging and if your liveries went elsewhere they would potentially be far, far worse off than it sounds like they are (I was reasing your other thread). You need to put your foot down and potentially send them packing. Goof luck to them finding a better turnout situation. And even more good luck to them giving sone ofvthe other yard owners tge kind of attitude theyve been giving you! ?

 

[skint1]

At our yard horses are in small herds of between 2-5 horses in fields of around 4-6 acres. I think the land must be on a pretty good elevation as it seems to drain well and the flies are not too bad in summer when compared to other places around town. Of course if we get periods of prolonged rain the gateways get muddy but generally the rest of the field will fare well. The fields are rested in rotation for a few months every year or two-it seems to work. We are required to poo pick until the horses come in at night, that also seems to work. Traditionally "bringing in" begins on 1 November when the farm begins to supply us with haylage and straw and continues until end of May- though people will bring in earlier if needed and will often turn out before end May if the conditions are right.

The management of the farm has recently passed down a generation in the land owners family, we are no longer allowed to strip graze so in spring/summer my PPID gelding is in during the day which he quite likes, a few others bring theirs in during the day for various reasons, but it's not a neccessity from a field management perspective.

 

[milliepops]

Mine have always been out unlimited in a stable herd. They come in at night when they start asking to come in. Amber asks first and the others a few weeks later.

But for the first time ever I am managing a horse with limited turnout on a different yard (Deedee). It has turned all my assumptions on their head! Deedee was out in a huge 8 acre field with hills, rocky outcrops, natural shelter and company. Despite that she was very stressed. We had to be careful about what order she went out in and came back in because if she was not with either Amber or Dolly she would call or pace. She box walked all night. A lot of this I think was pig related (yard pig) but she was unhappy in the field too miles away from the pig.

We moved her and she has been very calm and settled since the move. But she is now out on a small, flat, individual paddock, on her own, for about 6 hours a day. In the rest of the time next to a horse who lives in. There has been no pacing, calling or box walking at all. Maybe she is used to this regime from her previous home? It does not sit right with me at all but my old yard literally made her ill (ulcers) and she is thriving with her new set up so I need to listen to her and go against my own instincts/prejudices about the 'best' way to keep horses. Well not this horse!

Kira hates big rough paddocks and she gets in fight after fight if she's in with other horses. She is most relaxed in her own little paddock ideally with no natural features like hedges or trees. She's harking back to the steppes! She needs her own space but with company in sight and nowhere for monsters to hide.
Sometimes they just have their funny ways and it's best to go with it

 

[Ambers Echo]

Kira hates big rough paddocks and she gets in fight after fight if she's in with other horses. She is most relaxed in her own little paddock ideally with no natural features like hedges or trees. She's harking back to the steppes! She needs her own space but with company in sight and nowhere for monsters to hide.
Sometimes they just have their funny ways and it's best to go with it

Thanks MP- that's really reassuring! I keep thinking of the '18 hours in a prison' type comments and feel guilty ... but it does seem to suit her.

 

[milliepops]

Thanks MP- that's really reassuring! I keep thinking of the '18 hours in a prison' type comments and feel guilty ... but it does seem to suit her.

I think that when they clearly have a preference it's more stressful to try and make them accept something else that they dont understand ??‍

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

24/7 turnout from April to October ground permitting sometimes November. Then it’s in at night but turned out from 6am to 6pm. Hardstand with hay unless
Field is hard with frost or snow then they get into the field for those days. It’s been quite cold up here so they have had quite a few good stints in the field however with all this wet the fields are sodden so back to hardstand. So out regardless.

 

[JoannaC]

I bring mine in for a few hours during the day whilst I poo pick the field, check them over, ride etc so it can vary from 1/2 an hour to six hours depending on what exactly i'm doing. They have the odd night in if the forecast is heavy rain all night although only one in a stable the other two have their stable doors open and access to the middle of the barn. They have access to the barn all the time so can bring themselves in at any time and I leave haynets in there for the Winter. They tend to bring themselves in more in the Summer to get away from the flies.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

24/7 365 days of the year on our own land. 2 horses and 2 donkeys on a few different fields totaling about 13/14 acres, of that several acres a local farmer grazes his cattle on in the summer. Works for me and have followed 24/7 turnout for many, many year by personal choice even for larger numbers of herd members and much smaller acreage.

I would not rest easy with my herdlet confined in stabling for anything other than emergency illness etc. Not a criticism of those of you who do so, each to their own, just my preference for my animals based on my experience of many different types/breeds/temperament of horses over many years.

 

[TPO]

Horses are kept at (parent's) home.

They can be out 24/7 is spring/summer/autumn but they often come in for a break from flies and heat (who am I kidding, out of the constant rain!).

WHY WON'T IT STOP RAINING?!?!?!

 

[Leo Walker]

Kira hates big rough paddocks and she gets in fight after fight if she's in with other horses. She is most relaxed in her own little paddock ideally with no natural features like hedges or trees. She's harking back to the steppes! She needs her own space but with company in sight and nowhere for monsters to hide.
Sometimes they just have their funny ways and it's best to go with it

This was Leo as well. He went one step further and jumped out as well. Mainly for fun it would seem, but he also did it if he was on his own, or if something upset him. He did not do 24/7 turnout! He was much happier on a small yard with a regimented regime. He would quite happily have stayed in 24/7 if I let him though!

 

[spugs]

I’m DIY on a livery yard. We have 24/7 may—Oct and in over night the rest of the year. There’s only ever been restrictions if the yards frozen and it’s not safe to get to the fields but that’s only happened once. Mine go out at 8/9 and in at 4 ish unless they’re ridden when it’s a bit later/earlier. I’d love 24/7 year round but there’s no where local.

 

[J&S]

Mine are at home, out 24/7 in the late spring to autumn unless really wet/windy, on a grass track round 2 acres. They have access to shelter and stables if they want to get out of the sun/flies. Come later autumn/winter they come in at night from about 7 /8.30 pm till 7.30 am. When it is cold and dry and the ground is dry then I leave them out with hay in the field but stable doors open. They stay out rather than come in! The "track is getting chopped up this winter so I am going to divide the field length ways instead, it will still give them a good area to move around in. At the very worst they can have the stables/shelter and hard standing area but have not had to do this yet.

 

[Sophstar]

I'm on a DIY yard where the owner is now in a care home so we are very much DIY! Mine is out in a herd of 6 currently on 12 acres and it's a do what suits your horse management. There's only a couple that are now coming in regularly overnight and when my shift suits, mine will stand in for a few hours to pick at some hay now the grass is starting to be a bit naff. He'll only come in if everyone else comes in or the weather is horrific. They get an extra 5 acres from January through to end of March just to top them up. Quite fortunate that even with the wet weather it's only the gateway that is muddy but it's relatively hilly so rest of the field drains quite well

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Mine are on a mix of my land and rented land locally. At mine they are usually in at night/induring the day as I don't have a lot of grazing. Late summer to Xmas they are on 5 acres of rough grazing where they are out 24/7 with natural shelter only-its a cracking field for them, not so great for me. Xmas-spring they are on 7 acres at a farm where I have a byre to bring them in as/when I want or need to. I only poo pick my own land and generally keep them at home until I am fed up of mucking out or it gets too wet. The 5 acres only has my two on it and it gets rested about 7 months out of the year, my land gets about the same and the 7 acres is crossed grazed a bit by sheep and cattle.

 

[nikkimariet]

In overnight all year round, they’re at home. It suits me and it suits them!

 

[Mule]

I ticked 24/7 turnout on own land . Which is true , but I do bring them all in at times , just to stop them going feral .
the three ridden ones are now out in the day and in at night ( as opposed to our at night and in during the day. )
The other 4 are out 24/7 In a 9 acre field . We are on clay but it’s doing ok at the minute

The feral thing can happen alright. I've mine programmed to come in twice daily for a token feed. I know I'd never see them otherwise. As for catching the one in work to ride, it would be near impossible

 

[miss_c]

Able to be 24/7 in summer, although most bring in through the day. In winter it's in at night, horses must be in by 5.30pm which is new this year after some taking the Michael in recent years. We do keep them in if heavy rain forecast all day to save the fields as we need them to last. (I work at the yard for 2 hours or so on a morning, bringing in or turning out depending on the season, doing fencing, etc.)