What do people think about horses living out 24/7 including winter?

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Lotsoflemons

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Personally i have always been on livery yards with turnout in the day in winter and 24/7 in summer i was always quite wary of my horses and if it was really bad weather i would want them in. It got to the point at our old yard where the horses were in 24/7 due to the weather and i hated it Since then we moved yards and they have lived out 24/7 since February there well rugged have access to a field shelter in the winter and plenty of grass and hay. What do people think about horses living out 24/7 we have a connemara and a TB ex racer
 
If the ground isn't a bog it is the ideal way to keep horses mine live out 24/7/365 never sick or sorry and not sure they would thank you for a stable they rarely use a shelter mostly in summer storms not winter ones. It also depends if the horse has been conditioned to eating in a stable so expects to come in for food
 
windand rain said:
If the ground isn't a bog it is the ideal way to keep horses mine live out 24/7/365 never sick or sorry and not sure they would thank you for a stable they rarely use a shelter mostly in summer storms not winter ones. It also depends if the horse has been conditioned to eating in a stable so expects to come in for food
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Yeah we already had a field shelter when we moved to our yard in the winter and the ponies tended to go in there quite alot so we decided to keep it. We kept it in the winter Paddock and the summer Paddock doesn't have one but we haven't really needed it the horses are rugged up to keep away from flies. Weather like tonight heavy rain and wind does make me consider moving them but it's only now and again the weather is bad even though it is july!
 
Living out is much healthier lifestyle if the ground copes in fact you could even say it is healthier full stop. Colic is rare, coughs and breathing issues are rare and as long as their grazing is controlled and not overfed ulcers and stress is rare. Laminitis is of course more common if not managed and too much hay is fed in winter but overall it is much healthier way of life. Horses that start summer lean can eat some grass all summer and so trickle feed preventing ulcers without stuffing them with ad lib hay to keep up the flow of food through their system.
 
Turnout 24/7 is ideal for many horses as there is always access good shelter year round (both to a field shelter and natural shelter) and the going remains good all year round. Relief from flies (just a fly rug isn't enough) and no boggy mires

There should also always be stabling available to access at short notice in an emergency.

Some horses do prefer to be stabled part time, especially overnight, so it is wise to listen to your horse.
 
Ours come in overnight for 4-8 weeks in winter to give the fields a bit of a rest - otherwise out 24/7. I think many places do similar, i.e. bring in out of necessity for the land rather than because the horses particularly want or need to come in. To keep horses out 24/7 in British winters you'd need a *lot* of land or the most amazing drainage, and most people don't have that, particularly on livery yards.
 
Entirely depends on the quality of the turnout and the horse involved. I think the ideal would be giving the horse options - cover with open stable or field shelter, some hard standing and a big field with trees/ hedges. With other horses which they get on with. Unfortunately this is very rarely available/ never available on livery. So as noted above, just do the best for the horse you have in the situation you have. I love mine to be out but when it's deep wet clay in winter he definitely prefers to be in his stable and even in summer he asks to come in when he wants to return to his stable.
 
Horses weren’t designed to live in stables. We’ve made them like that for our convenience. I’ll admit to wanting mine tucked up in a cosy stable if the weather is awful, but only one of mine would thank me for it (she’s old). The others are much happier out, with rugs if needed, hut always with the option of a shelter.
 
We invested in some mud mats and turned an existing building into a field shelter, so that our 2 could live out this winter for the 1st time with us, although they had both lived out prior to coming to us. Thank goodness we did as it meant that sister could cope more easily after I broke my leg in October and was essentially out of action for the whole of the winter. It also meant that on the few occasions when sister was held up at work, I could throw them some hay without having to handle a horse.
They coped well without rugs, the shelter is very deep, so they can tuck right in if they want to and there is a high wall that they can shelter under if the wind is in the wrong direction for the shelter to keep them dry. Fortunately we didn't have much snow. We are very exposed and have had very deep snow some years, we would have had to bring them in if that had happened this year.
They came into Summer a good, healthy weight, with ribs just visible, so we are pleased with our decision to keep them living out.
 
I have 3 that live out on 5 acres which is spot on, and 2 that live out on 2 acres which is a bit borderline in the winter and would be better if they were stabled part time. so it definitely depends on the ground type and availability. Both fields have natural and man made shelter and I only rug those horses very occasionally.

We have applied for planning for some stables on the smaller patch and that will make it easier to manage. i think stabled overnight in wet weather would make all the difference there, and I am personally happy with that as a lifestyle for most horses.
 
I have 2 Arabs that have lived out all year thet are clipped in the winter but have decent rugs so they cope fine, I don't have a shelter so in really constant wet or icy weather I will bring them in over night.
 
Really depends on the horse and the quality of turnout, a friends horse was living out last winter on very muddy fields and suffered badly with mud rash on his white legs and then thrush. It was obviously much easier to manage once his legs could be cleaned and dried - she was weary of doing it again and it was hard to find good drained turnout in her area.

My current yard has turnout all day during the winter but again some horses hooves werent great because of the wet ground - it can just depend!
 
My land is too wet for 24/7 turnout in winter usually sometime in December I bring them in they let me know when they have had enough .
 
I kept mine like that for several years. I had access to numerous acres/upto 5 hilly fields with lots of natural shelter and spring fed running water. If one field got cut up/lacking in grass, I could move them to a fresh one. They were very happy there.

Currently I have wetter ground and less of it so they come in at night through the winter. They're still pretty happy. Current ground is still fairly natural, old pasture with lots of trees, hedges & weeds, I've found they've been least happy in flat, featureless post & rail paddocks without the option of browsing on various plants, bushes & weeds.
 
Horses prefer to live out. They create warmth through digesting fibre and as long as their coat is waterproof they don't feel the rain like we do. Plenty of hay and trees or hedges to shelter behind and they're very happy to be out in all weathers.
 
We wintered ours out for 2 winters and they loved it - BUT they had 4 acres of foggage, on a hill side so minimal mud and plenty to eat, and hedges all round for natural shelter.

We gave this field up as was rented, so we could buy our own land, only 3 acres and quite wet in the winter, so now they come in at night nov-march. If we left them out would risk trashing the field for the rest of the year, and mud fever. However they are out 24/7 in the summer, which we manage by splitting up the paddocks and resting and rotating as required.

As others have said, with the right land living out has so many advantages, and our horses loved it. Also saved on bedding and feed and no mucking out before work! Though I did have a few sleepless night when the weather was horrid, only to find them upright and happily munching the following mornings.
 
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I’m going to go against the grain here. Mine don’t want to be out in the winter. They are happy with haynets and decent exercise everyday. Of course if the weather is nice/dry then they go out. But they are not interested in being out in the wet and cold, they gallop the fence line wanting to come in churning the field up ??‍♀️ My Connie in particular will look out the stable door in the winter when it’s wet and happily go back to her haynet. But I’m in the fortunate position that I have time to work them properly every day, and they are happy with that.
 
If I could have mine out 24/7 in winter I would choose that, the ground won’t allow it unfortunately.

summer out 24/7 - or what we refer to as summer here in the UK!
 
I never leave horses out all day once we are into July they hate the flys and I want them off the sugary grass during the day .
 
totally agree. my boy would hate to be out at night, at any point
PoniesRock said:
I’m going to go against the grain here. Mine don’t want to be out in the winter. They are happy with haynets and decent exercise everyday. Of course if the weather is nice/dry then they go out. But they are not interested in being out in the wet and cold, they gallop the fence line wanting to come in churning the field up ??‍♀️ My Connie in particular will look out the stable door in the winter when it’s wet and happily go back to her haynet. But I’m in the fortunate position that I have time to work them properly every day, and they are happy with that.
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Mine live out 24/7. They have access to stables but only bother to go in when it's sunny. I think they prefer to roam around and graze. You do have to be on the lookout for mud rash though.
 
I've had horses out 24/7 over winter. They were on 11 acres of sandy ground with slopes, trees and a stream for water. They were never standing in mud and I never had to worry about frozen water troughs. They had ad lib hay and feed when necessary. They looked fab and shiny in the spring.
They weren't in work though.
 
I will never keep horses in again, if l had one that would really benefit then it would just be in a crew yard. My reasons are plain and simple, l am lazy, I don't do mucking out or clock watching anymore, l haven't for 15 years. I hated having to turn out or bring in because l had to ( yard rules)
I also live somewhere that is frozen solid for 4 or 5 months of the year, and under snow, no mud, so no reason to keep horses in to dry off or try to save the fields.
Living out, in Canada, with ad lib forage and appropriately blanketed rarely hurts healthy horses, the old or infirm might benefit from being in out of snow, but again a crew yard is better than a small stable.
There are so many variables though, if l had horses where their only turnout was a knee high, sucking, swamp then l might well rethink my opinions.
 
Our little herd of three are kept on a Track system and the stables and hard-standing area is part of the Track.

I'd never go for stabled (i.e. shutting them in overnight) ever again; this way, they are free to come in and stand in if they please, or not!

If it is really horribly wet like it was last winter then we can shut the gate to the field and they can come into about half an acre of hard-standing and be fed hay; we feed at multi-levels.

Works well for everyone. And most importantly, horses are noticeably happier and more contented.
 
My TB lives out, usually, June-September at a minimum and is then in overnight at the other times of the year.
He's chill either way, prefers being out but it preserves the fields a bit more, and keeps him cleaner for my own convenience tbh. Plus i think its nice to have a sopping heavy rug removed now and again!
 
Lotsoflemons said:
Personally i have always been on livery yards with turnout in the day in winter and 24/7 in summer i was always quite wary of my horses and if it was really bad weather i would want them in. It got to the point at our old yard where the horses were in 24/7 due to the weather and i hated it Since then we moved yards and they have lived out 24/7 since February there well rugged have access to a field shelter in the winter and plenty of grass and hay. What do people think about horses living out 24/7 we have a connemara and a TB ex racer
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It seems to me that there is nothing wrong with grazing horses in the warm season. The main thing is that in autumn and spring, when the rains are cold enough, you should still take the horses to the stables. And of course, monitor the condition of the soil where the horses are kept. If there is a swamp after the rain, it will not be very good for the horse's hooves.
 
I have a heavy middle-aged cob and would love to be on land that drained well enough to keep mine out in winter, but I'm on clay and it gets boggy. I stable as little as I can with the constraints of his fieldmates and livery yard rules. A crew yard set-up and a track would be amazing, but not on offer where I live.
 
We have 3 out 24/7/365 on 5 acres of sandy soil. They have natural and man made shelter and do just fine. Most summers we have to provide additional hay as the soil doesn't hold much water so the grass doesn't grow, but in all honesty I prefer that than having to restrict grazing. My older cob is much happy in this set up than on any yard we have been on.
 
Mine has to live out due to a severe dust allergy.

I would hate to go back to stabling and individual turnout paddocks now, but it does need the right setup and thats not always achievable if you don't have your own place. I do yard with a shelter in the worst weather to protect the ground, and sometimes in summer for flies etc.

Also I have to do a lot of grazing management, I couldn't just leave mine out in the same single field all year.
 
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