Turnout - what is acceptable to you and your horse?

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Gorgeous George

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You may be aware that I am having a few turnout issues at the moment and am beginning to question the amount of turnout my horse gets. So I was wondering how much turnout your horse gets in the summer / winter and whether you are happy with the arrangements for turnout.

Thanks
 
24/7 365 days of the year.
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Henry is on 24/7 turnout. I keep him on DIY livery so coordinate his turnout time with others at the yard. I am fussy though - I'm really not happy about him coming in for any great length of time at all tbh, I prefer him to be out in the fresh air rather than stuck in his stable. He does come in at night in the winter when it's miserable, but generally he's happier out!
 
We have the choice of 24/7 from May to beginning of October, but I tend to keep my mare in some of the time anyway because of lami/weight issues.

Winter - we pretty much get every day turnout, although if the weather is particularly wet, they can be kept in for one day - never two consecutive days and last winter it was maximum 7 days for the whole winter.

The minimum turn out I would accept is every day, as I like to have the choice of turning my horse out, even if sometimes she is kept in.
 
Well I suppose I am lucky as I have 9 acres for 2 horses and they can live out 24/7 but have stables if needed and a field shelter. But previously I have been on yards where there is no turnout in the winter at all and I couldnt go back to that.
 
24/7 for me and my girl too, she was stabled in the winter the first year I had her and she used to fret that she (and her neighbour) were in when the others were out 24/7. I had to be there by 7.30 at the latest each morning and even then she was getting stressed. Last winter she wintered out and she was so much happier, I have to confess to it being easier for me too
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We have just been questioning how much turnout our horses are gonna get in the winter.
D needs turnout, he's semi retired with arthritis and has been hobdayed (plus he turns into devil horse on box rest so hate to think what he'd be like all winter) Am worried about him as he does'nt do well in winter so thinking he may have to go to friends for winter hols
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Monty could do with turnout but wouldn't kill him if he didn't have it although would have no bedding left as he'd of eaten his way through it in first day
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YO says they will be out during the day just might not have much to eat
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We can have as much or as little as we want, all year round. Mine are out 24/7 in the summer, when it's nice. And they're out in the day (about 8am - 4pm) in the winter, then stabled over night.

I'm perfectly happy like this.

Although, if i was going to be picky, i'd like them to just have a massive field, with a big cosy field shelter, then they could do what they want. There's not enough shelter in any of our fields, so i like them in in the winter.
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I pretty much fit in with the hunting season. Hopefully this summer it'll be dry into sept, so i might get away with keeping him out longer. Summer is 24/7. Hunting season is in at night and out in the day, unless it's very wet, then it's just common sense to not turn him out as it'd trash all the grass.
 
Ours go out if we want them 24 x 7 end of April/early May depending on the weather and can stay out until mid - end of October, again depending on how wet it is.

If the grass gets low, I prefer them out and put out hay for them. Cairo does like to come in one evening/day a week for a good snooze and if the weather is really grotty I will bring them in overnight as mine despite their breeding are wimps.

In winter they go out between 8.30 and 4 Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays and Sundays and have to stay in the other days but are turned out in the school in the morning for about an hour and I then exercise and turn out for another hour or so in the school in the evening.

For me this is the minimum amount of staying in I can live with, would love daily winter turnout, but the winter fields get so churned up if out every day.
 
Hmmm so I guess I would be right in saying that out 8.30-2 in the summer and 8.30-12 on alternate days in winter, and in if the fields get very wet (they were in for 3 weeks last winter) is not a good deal!
 
24/7 in summer, then in winter he'll be out from about 7:30am to 3:30pm, unless it's really wet, but TBH I'd rather have him in then anyway because of mud fever. We have a woodchip arena where we could turn out for an hour or so in the evenings if they did have to be in all day because of the weather.
 
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Hmmm so I guess I would be right in saying that out 8.30-2 in the summer and 8.30-12 on alternate days in winter, and in if the fields get very wet (they were in for 3 weeks last winter) is not a good deal!

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It's not an arrangement that I would even consider. In for 18 hours a day in summer? I'd be inclined to think that they just wanted more money from you.
 
Same for me but if it's really foul or really hot then I do tend to bring him in for a few hours for a bit of respite!
 
I'm v lucky in the fact that I can have whatever I want! I manage my own field so just fit in with whats best for ponio, grazing and me. At the moment he's out 24/7 and will continue to do so until the weather gets really grotty. He comes in at night during the winter but is out from 7ish until just before it gets dark.
 
what I would like and what I get are two very different things

I would like the option of 24/7/365

What I get is 24/7 june - nov, nov - june daytime only in a mud puddle or pen, or nothing at all!
 
As i've said before mine are on 2 different yards.... Don't ask!!
Yard 1)
Summer - Out at 6am & in at 3.30pm (April to November)
Winter - 3 hours turnout a day in a sandpit with Hay

Yard 2)
Summer - out from 9am to 5pm (can live out if you want)
Winter - Out everyday. All day if nice & ground ok or for a few hours if weather & ground horrible.

I would add that as I compete I do like them to be in at night even in Summer. Both would get v fat otherwise
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My two old guys are out 24/7 and are happy
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are rugged etc, Rosie i haven't had through the winter yet, but am moving to livery in september, old guys will still be out 24/7 Rosie will be in overnight when weather gets bad so will go out at about 7.30/8am and come in about 4/5pm if the weather is mild she will stay out overnight with rugs till weather gets bad so am hoping not to bring her in overnight til around December (if we get the indian Summer
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) at the moment she is out 24/7, I personally wouldn't go to a yard where they weren't turned out in the winter every day for a few hours, Where I am living now we have around 23 stables, indoor school and outdoor school but no land as it was lost in a legal battle lol) , so in theory I could save myself some money this winter by not going to livery and keep the 3 horses in the indoor school overnight and outdoor school by day, but feel that they need the field to be really happy
 
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Hmmm so I guess I would be right in saying that out 8.30-2 in the summer and 8.30-12 on alternate days in winter, and in if the fields get very wet (they were in for 3 weeks last winter) is not a good deal!

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i realise that your YO argument is that the grass is nice and lush and she is trying to preserve not only horses but her land, but surely the all out all in policy is a little extreame and it should be up to the owners/ horses needs
 
24/7 from end of may-October/September.

Then the rest of the time they are in at night and are turned out from 9-5.30. Allthough they do vary a little and sometimes get a little more than that
 
I like having the option of 24/7 all year round although I bring my horse in at night in winter.
I do him myself (with the help of the owner of the other horse in the field) so I need to be able to turn out at 7am before I go to work and bring in after 6pm when we finish. He's also much happier for having longer turn out so I wouldn't want to go back to just a few hours a day.
 
we have the option of 24/7 TO

but i bring mine in from about 6pm then back out at 7 from end of november until about march

so hes out 24/7 during the summer then about 12hrs TO a day over winter. he will carry on living out for as long as i think he is coping ok
 
My lot are stabled at night all year round - two of them could be out in the summer, but they just stand all night at the gate waiting to come in and as my bedroom window overlooks their field, I spend all night looking at them, looking at me! They are out 12-14 hours per day in the summer and a maximum of 6 in the winter, sometimes less if the weather is awful. They go out every day without fail. The two mini pones are out less in the summer as I have to watch their weight.
 
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