Warmbloods living outside

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pepperandoran

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To cut a long story short, my warmblood horse has been living inside at nights and out through the day since November.
He has a small trace clip and is not a cold tattie of a horse. He has plenty of weight on him too - he is a good doer.

However, due to a change in circumstances, there is a small chance that my only option will to be to leave him outside at nights for a small while. I have plenty of cosy rugs and hoods for him.

My question is, do any other people have warmblood horses outside full time, and do you think he would be ok?

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He'll be fine, many WB are rather ghood doers and tend to hold their weight too well if anything. I used to share a TB which lived out 24/7. Just rug according to their need and ensure it has enough forage (be that just grass or supplemented with hay or haylage).
 
I got 2 warmbloods and they have been living out for more than 2 years now,you just got to make sure that they are warm at night and the correct amount of feed,you might have to increase the daily feed,mine gets 1 big feed per day,but if i know that there might be a cold spell i will give 2 feeds,they are wimps at the end of the day
 
We've got one and he's been living out 24/7 since Xmas. It wasn't by choice but the horse in the stable next door was ill and I was worried he'd catch it so got him out of there. He isn't clipped but doesn't have much of a coat, and he's in a med weight rug. He's always toasty warm when I check him. We're in Surrey and the weather's been pretty mild for this time of year, so haven't had to use any heavy weights yet.

I'm sure yours will be fine
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My question is, do any other people have warmblood horses outside full time, and do you think he would be ok?

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Gosh yes!

My WB is spending her first winter out. She wears one rug, has minimal feed and live mainly off haylage. My other horse is half WB, in her 20s and living out on the same regime.

I really don't see why people think its only cobs and native ponies that can winter out.
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I've done it with arabs, TBs, WBs etc and they've all done great living out. Far better than screwing up their breathing and legs standing in!!
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I'm sure your horse will be fine.
 
I just wanted a bit of reassurance that I wasnt being cruel
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My 32 year old pony lives out full time already - I just was worried with it being cold and unpredictable Scotland!!!
He isnt really used to living out either. I think I will bite the bullet and go for it, he will just have to learn to adapt i think!
 
Many many WB's live outside 24/7 without rugs over here. We have daily temperatures of generally around -10 through the winter, however some days it goes down to -40. These horses survive perfectly well.
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Of course he'll be fine. Why are warmbloods different from any other breed?!

All my horses live out 24/7 with access to shelters and rugged up (2 are hunter clipped as well). This included a WB at one point and currently includes as Lusitano x TB imported from Portugal (so not exactly native to Northern Scotland!). All stay out, even in the snow.

ANY horse can live out!!
 
My new KWPN i am buying, she has pretty much been out all winter. At night shes been in a covered barn area rugless and quite exposed really, then in the day shes been out in a field with no shelter and again, quite exposed as surrounded by open fields. She has barely had a turnout rug on, apparently only on really rainy mornings. She is rather hairy but seems fine - she also hasnt been having any hard feeds, just hay and carrots.
All of my neds currently winter out, and all seem to thrive, you just have to keep a close eye on them and monitor them as individuals.
i think it will do no harm to at least give it a try
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ok im convinced! My main worry was that it might be a bit extreme to go from living inside at night to being left to live outside.

Its just sometimes in the horsey community around my area people would be pretty quick to judge!

We have plenty of good hay, so he will get that and i will monitor his feed and rugs too!
It was also good to hear from some fellow Scots who leave theirs out too! thanks Magpie
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I just needed some reassurance.

And Tia with your temperatures, now I know im being a typical over protective owner!!
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Am sure my ancient crabbit pony will be glad of some company 24 hours too!

Many thanks to all
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Interestingly, we just got back from Belgium, where it is colder than here, and there were all sorts of horses living out, apparently unrugged and fine with it. The British people I was with commented on the unusualness of it but I have to say I've seen more horses living in and/or heavily rugged in the UK than almost anywhere else I've been!

As Tia said it's quite common for horses in Canada to live out 24/7, unrugged, year 'round - so long as they have proper food and shelter they're fine. The horse is my avatar is a KWPN bred horse, currently living out 24/7 in Southern Ontario, as does my retired TB event horse.

He'll be fine!
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I''ve got one been out since the summer. She's rugged up and fine. Has kept better condition this year living out than she did last year in at night.
 
my kwpn filly (born may 2007) was in from sept till nov, when my old boss needed my stable and turfed her out. livery was free with job....anyway she has survived fine. and she's a total princess so the mud hasn't agreed with her but the cold never bothered her.
 
He'll be fine, my broodies used to live out, rugged and with hay when appropriate, they came out of the winter looking well.
 
My 19yr old TB, 3yo Shire x TB and 2 yo Warmblood live out 24/7 here in Glos.
The only advice is to rug well...especially when it is wet and windy, as they seem to tolerate dry cold better, and make sure you feed lots of forage like hay/haylage/sugar beet for heat generation.
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I don't mind mucking out; actually, perhaps bizarre, but I get pleasure from mucking out. The lack of mucking out is not why I keep my horses outside; I feel it is much healthier and better for them to be outside.
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P&D; your horse will be fine. So long as he can has a shelter (natural or purpose-built) to get out of the wind and rain then all should be well.
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My boy is out 24/7. He's a 20 month hanoverian. As of today he's without a rug as he was getting too hot in his MW weight one and last year he lived out rugless but this year it's been too wet and windy to do that. He should be fine.
 
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