Visiting horse once a day.

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ben456

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I'm on a completely diy yard. A man has a ex racer tb which he decided to stable 24/7 throughout winter, which is fine. The past week or so he has been visiting once a day. He doubles up on his hay and water at about 1pm and doesn't come back until the same time next day. The horse is seeming to be a bit more sad now, seems to be weaving more than usual. If the horse was living out and they visited once a day it would be fine as there is always people back and fore in the morning and evening with theirs and we all keep an eye on each others. But this man leaves the horse stabled and doesn't have anyone to check. I do have a quick check on him but I don't think it's acceptable. What would you do ?
* also, all the other horses are out during the day and out of sight.
 
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Do you know what his reasons are for stabling 24/7? I have to admit unless it's for medical reasons, I cannot stand stabling horses 24/7. That being said it's an area I would be tactful about bringing it up for discussion. But, I would do so, and try to avoid being too contesting or coming across as poking my nose in where it's not wanted. Which may or may not create a change. Maybe you could offer help to bring the horse in later if he's struggling to come up twice a day? Something along those lines.
 
I deffinatly don't have a problem with leaving in 24/7, that's completely down to the owners and that's fine but I think that they should have a bit more human contact than a quick muck out and feed if you get what I mean? I understand that they may not be able to make it twice a day but I think they should ask someone to check he has hay and water .
 
ben456 said:
I deffinatly don't have a problem with leaving in 24/7, that's completely down to the owners and that's fine but I think that they should have a bit more human contact than a quick muck out and feed if you get what I mean? I understand that they may not be able to make it twice a day but I think they should ask someone to check he has hay and water .
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It is not an acceptable way to keep any horse, I dont think it fair unless they are getting a lot of exercise and living in a clean stable, it is all very well doubling up on water and hay but if it is standing in 24/7 for no reason other than laziness on the part of the owner, veterinary reasons are still no excuse for only visiting once a day, it is no wonder it is looking miserable, it must wonder what is going on to be forced into living this way, a case for the YO to step in before it becomes ill, gets colic or injuries itself through frustration.
 
I presume when he is up the horse gets out of the box to be ridden or lunged or go for a ramble round an arena at least?

Standing in 24/7 is not ok in my book unless it's box rest, but stabling is a thing that happens, circumstances sometimes dictate it happens.

A family here had one on grass livery that had to come in due to illness for a while and they were operating a similar system. It's not how I would ever manage a horse but they were happy enough to do it. The horses bed was a state every day, and I checked and topped up water in the morning when I did my own as he was inevitably out by 6am and I couldn't leave him with nothing till 1/2. He had pooped in it one morning and I didn't have time to clean it out, I barely have time to do my own before work, so I let the yard owner know. She texted the family, and they didn't show till 2 anyway (someone here had cleaned the poor guys bucket at that stage). They left our yard shortly afterwards, I presume after being asked to! Once a day while stabled is just not enough monitoring for me to be comfortable with.

In your circumstances I'd keep an eye and maybe just raise it delicately with the owner that water and general health need to be checked at least twice a day....
 
Are you sure he's not up twice a day & you're just not there?

I often don't see other owner's for days or weeks at a time, but I'm presuming their horses get done & they are just up at different times to me.

If you're concerned, I'd mention it to the YO or YM and see what their reacation is.
 
Keeping a horse in a stable 24/7 is NEVER a kind thing to do unless it's for medical reasons, let alone visiting it only once a day. I would not allow any livery of mine to do it. It's plain cruel. Would anyone think it fair to cage a dog 24/7? I don't know why anyone is fine with doing it to a horse.
 
Maybe express your concerns to the yard owner, who shouldn't be content to have a horse in an ongoing state of distress (but might be if they are a div!), otherwise, if the horse isn't distressed most of the time, pride yourself on having higher standards but keep your disapproval to yourself. If the horse has food and water, that's the main thing IMO.
 
Wagtail said:
Keeping a horse in a stable 24/7 is NEVER a kind thing to do unless it's for medical reasons, let alone visiting it only once a day. I would not allow any livery of mine to do it. It's plain cruel. Would anyone think it fair to cage a dog 24/7? I don't know why anyone is fine with doing it to a horse.
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I remember the time about 10 years ago, where I got kicked-off another forums, for making the exact same point. My how times have changed for the better!
 
Keeping a horse stabled 24/7 with no exercise is not acceptable no matter how many times a day you see it unless it has a medical reason to be in .
The YOer needs to be dealing with it .
 
Sounds depressed an animal needs day light, exercise and equine contact and I do have a problem with it in 24/7 cruel yes it is cruel. It's showing signs of distress by weaving.
 
Goldenstar said:
Keeping a horse stabled 24/7 with no exercise is not acceptable no matter how many times a day you see it unless it has a medical reason to be in .
The YOer needs to be dealing with it .
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This^^

Even if they were visiting it multiple times a day, keeping a horse in 24/7 with no exercise and no equine company is cruel IMO (unless under vets advice). I think probably also illegal under the "five freedoms". You mention it is a weaver, and is doing it more under this regime.

Only visiting once a day is also very iffy, especially as you mention doubling up the water which implies it is buckets rather than an automatic system so could easily be kicked over and leave the horse with no water for up to 24hrs. Unless it is a very tidy horse on a very good stable management system, it has also probably got hoof problems and possibly breathing problems from the ammonia. If mine are ever in 24/7 they are mucked out twice a day.

If YO isn't interested or involved I would approach the BHS or WHW. I do appreciate this can be easier said than done. TBH the only time I came across a similar situation I left the yard and then reported them once I was safely away, I found it too distressing to be on the yard and see the poor pony kept in full time standing in its crap but I'm not good with confrontation and YO wasn't interested.
 
Wagtail said:
Keeping a horse in a stable 24/7 is NEVER a kind thing to do unless it's for medical reasons, let alone visiting it only once a day. I would not allow any livery of mine to do it. It's plain cruel. Would anyone think it fair to cage a dog 24/7? I don't know why anyone is fine with doing it to a horse.
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Completely agree with this! It's totally unnatural no matter how many times a day owner visits, I've ended up buying two that were totally unsuitable (one of which I really didn't want and wasn't even looking, just to save them from a life of this) But assuming this is for medical reasons, are you absolutely sure the owner isn't coming down more than once? I often go whole weeks without seeing the lady I share my place with because we are on totally different work schedules
 
It's like locking a dog in a crate for 24 hours a day and thinking it's ok because it's got food and water.

If horses are living in 24/7 (which I don't agree with, unless for box rest), they should be at least leaving their box twice a day- once to be suitably exercised at one end of the day and a walk/leg stretch/on walker at the other end of the day.
 
I don't think it's been said that the horse doesn't get out at all has it? While we all know it's not ideal or natural, many horses live in for a lot of their lives, getting out for work or a leg stretch and manage. OP is the horse worked when the owner comes to the yard?

It's the water and general monitoring that would bother me. We all know how quickly a colicking or dehydrated horse can go downhill. If no one is looking in on the poor lad for 24 hours that is what I would be worrying about.
 
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