What is the minimum amount of turnout you would accept on a yard?

[windand rain]

To be totally honest? I would accept none if it was the only way I could own a horse.

And do my damndest to make it a life worth living for the horse.
.

I am of the opposite opinion if my horse couldnt spend at least 8 hours in winter and 24 hours in summer I wouldn't own a horse. I also think it depends on how much control you have over the type of grazing so am quite happy at the minute as I rent a field with only an emergency stable and can more or less do as I want in terms of restricting grazing etc

 

[BaronSamedi]

I'm sick of all these people raving about turnout, it is NOT as necessary as people think!! My boy gets 2 hours out in muzzle and 2 hours out on a bare paddock and worked for a minimum of 45 minutes daily year round, the little dude gets 4 hours out on a bare paddock and 1 hour on grass daily and is ridden or lunged 5 days a week.

 

[BaronSamedi]

As the title states... I know 365/24/7 is the ideal

It really really Isn't

 

[teddypops]

I'm sick of all these people raving about turnout, it is NOT as necessary as people think!! My boy gets 2 hours out in muzzle and 2 hours out on a bare paddock and worked for a minimum of 45 minutes daily year round, the little dude gets 4 hours out on a bare paddock and 1 hour on grass daily and is ridden or lunged 5 days a week.

So they get turnout then?

 

[TheMule]

It really really Isn't

Well it is.

Not everyone can provide suitable 24/7 turnout and that’s ok too if managed well for the individual horse, but it's not ideal

 

[SEL]

I'd want to know there is turnout all year, 24:7 in summer and that I have the flexibility to manage the grazing as I need to in order to manage various conditions. Currently got a track around 1.5 acres, which means the badly metabolic one gets pickings and the others can have more for a few hours.

Having been on yards where horses are kept in for months on end over winter I couldn't do that to any horse of mine.

 

[Kaylum]

Barning is the way forward at least they get to move about. My friend has cow sheds that they can go in in the winter. It makes such a difference as they can walk around and move about when turnout is not possible. She has stables for those that want them as well. Minimum turnout in the winter is daylight hours and then 24/7 in Summer. Depends on the animal each is different.

 

[blitznbobs]

It really really Isn't

Yes it is- just cos its available doesnt mean you have to use it. But it gives you the most options.

 

[EllieBeast]

For me it totally depends on the individual horse- my mare has hock arthritis and is at her soundest when out 24/7, 365. I do have a stable for her but only use it when she’s in for the farrier, tacking up, emergencies etc. I’m very lucky with the turnout at my yard (I do have to travel for it, but it’s 100% worth it for my mares health!).

I always would want the option of 24/7 turnout in summer, and at least 10 hours out in winter whatever the horse. Even on 8 hrs turnout- a horse is still spending 16hrs (2/3rds) of the day cooped up- I wouldn’t leave my dog in a crate for that amount of time!

I manage my mares weight using a grazing muzzle and have the option of a bare paddock if needed, but in summer she’s out in a herd and they keep each other moving too which helps.

I do realise that this isn’t possible for a lot of people, due to lack of local enough facilities and horse health requirements, it’s each to their own. I do, however feel that as owners it’s our duty to give our horses as natural and stress free a life as possible.

Allowing them sufficient downtime to be a horse is so important, they give us so much!

 

[Griffin]

I like mine to be out 24/7 in the summer as much as possible (although I do bring in during very hots days or if it is pouring with rain for a prolonged period). In the winter, I like to turnout every day where possible, even if it is only for an hour or so, unless the weather is too horrible.

My current yard has an "out as much as possible" philosophy for most horses and I would say that most winters they are out for at least 12 hours a day. If there is a period of particularly wet weather, field turnout will be restricted but we still have access to an all weather turnout pen and horses are also hand grazed every day.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

I'm sick of all these people raving about turnout, it is NOT as necessary as people think!! My boy gets 2 hours out in muzzle and 2 hours out on a bare paddock and worked for a minimum of 45 minutes daily year round, the little dude gets 4 hours out on a bare paddock and 1 hour on grass daily and is ridden or lunged 5 days a week.

I’m not as bothered about there actually being grass but are you honestly saying you think a horse that isn’t turned out is as enriched as a horse that gets to stretch their legs and socialise with other horses and just get to be a horse?

My mares schooling and musculature completely changed when we moved from a yard with minimal grass where she was only out for 4 hours a day to a yard where she had more grass and was out 10+ hours a day. I put it down to her relaxing as her herd didn’t resource guard and she spent so much longer in a natural head down grazing position vs upright in her stable with a net.

 

[scats]

The option of 24/7 in summer and at least 4 hours in winter (very minimum). I obviously recognise that there may be odd times that they have to stay in for safety/extreme weather or have just one or two hours out.

Mine get 6-8 hours out in winter. This works for us. There is the odd day that they might get just morning or afternoon if the weather is truly awful.

Turnout is important to a horses wellbeing and I disagree with horses living in 24/7. Even a couple of hours a day to leg stretch/interact with others, is crucial in my opinion.
I would not have horses if I could not offer them at least a couple of hours turnout daily in the winter (obviously the odd day needing to stay in is manageable, but not long term)

 

[awelshandawarmblood]

24/7 spring & summer
6-8hrs a day over winter with the odd day in if its horrendous

Both mine are out 24/7 365 where we are now which we are extremely fortunate to have. To be honest I wouldn't mind them in overnight in winter, but as its extremely DIY & I work shifts, they're happy staying out & it works better for me as I'm not racing about. The bonus we have is that we all have our own fields to manage as we please either individually or in pairs, so for my welsh I've tracked it to allow him & his buddy to stay out all through summer on restricted grazing.

I have been on the other side of the coin with alternate days turnout & having to fight to use facilities to get them a daily leg stretch & also individual turnout in small mucky squares for half day turnout. Never again.

 

[AUB]

6 hours daily, all year.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I know it's not a popular view on HHO, but as long as a horse in work can have at least an hour's turnout a day on decent ground (not a tiny mud patch), then they can cope very well.

The horse must be in medium or harder work though, and it would not suit youngsters or older creaky horses.

This is my late old boy prancing about in the snow. He was then on a lovely yard which was run by a dragon lady BHSI, and turnout was individual and restricted to 1 hour a day winter/1.5 hours a day summer. He was there 3 years, and was very happy and settled. There were hardly any days when turnout was banned due to weather. The turnout fields were excellent.

He was worked 6 days a week, with a mix of lessons, schooling to medium dressage, competing and hacking from the yard, which was fantastic. All the horses were happy. They were in a similar level of work as my lad.



Now I've got my own place I can have horses in or out as best suits them, which is clearly more desirable, but don't write off restricted turnout as long as it is available for at least an hour every day.

(This pic was used recently in the HHO mag in a feature on rugs.)

 

[Carrottom]

Do people class hard standing areas as turnout? Also surfaced areas with no grazing?

 

[lilly1]

In the depth of winter my yard only turns out every other day. I'm not keen on it but my horse copes. We do have a horse walker they go on daily. On the non turnout days I make sure she is rode. Summer they can have unrestricted turnout although I bring her in during the day to reduce risk of lami.

 

[palo1]

I don't think turnout and grazing are the same thing tbh and there are loads of possible variations of both. Grazing can be individual in small paddocks every single day, turnout might be a mass brawl in a mud bath. Or vice versa...

I think it is helpful to think of the 5 freedoms that horses need to be healthy whether that involves grass or not. I have seen some brilliant grass free systems where horses get small group turnout every day but of course that doesn't work for every horse or every owner. I have seen also some amazingly well looked after and happy horses that are actually pretty confined but have all they need and company as well as work/exercise that is appropriate.

I am not sure that the 24/7/365 grazing 'ideal' is the right way to think about it. Having been at the wrong end of that system where 8-10 horses (including 1 or 2 of mine) were turned out in large fields every single day with resultant weight/management issues I would not necessarily want that. Those issues included the not insignificant owner problems of dealing with dominant horses who demand to be brought in or will take advantage of another horse in the herd being caught etc, of dealing with dangerously poached gateways in winter, of resource guarding and injuries as well as weight gain or weight loss that can occur within a herd setting and the other difficulties of a group of owners all trying to do their thing within that context. I wouldn't want to return to that tbh. I also wouldn't personally want to have a horse single stabled (on it's own in a loose box) for more than about 6 hours in all honesty but that may be because we have a system here where a small group of horses can access a barn and hard yard with individual stabling only happening at feed time or when needing box rest. We can also manage grazing more easily in the summer. In the winter, on clay, we essentially have no grazing but do have 24/7 turnout with enough room for the horses to canter and gallop/pirouette etc! I can see the huge difference that small herd socialising can make so that is my 'ideal'; a small herd with grazing AND non-grazing turnout/space without individual stabling or individual turnout. That isn't really an option at livery in the Uk though sadly.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Barning is the way forward at least they get to move about. My friend has cow sheds that they can go in in the winter. It makes such a difference as they can walk around and move about when turnout is not possible.

Well according to the research we need to rethink individual loose boxes that allow no physical contact with other equines. Barns are a superior alternative.

https://www.ntu.ac.uk/about-us/news...tabled-alone-show-signs-of-stress-study-shows

I put open windows between my boxes and although they only go in there for waiting for the vet, crazy bad weather etc... the gelding is obviously happier (the other two might be even happier but I can't test faecal corticosterone or take thermal images of their eyes) as he has stopped his weird box walking/weaving dance.

I don't think that turnout has to equal grass. CM had a hint of laminitis a few years back and I popped her with a friend in the sand school. We put two lots of rubber mats down to give two sand free bases over which we hung a haynets. They soon covered that mats with discarded hay and sand from their hooves and it was a bit of a pig to clean every day. It would be far better with a proper hay feeder, I just couldn't sort that on short notice. Apart from needing that upgrade, it worked well and I would definitely accept an all weather corral/turnout area if grazing wasn't possible.

The important parts are: company, forage, water, movement, fresh air, light during daylight hours and some sort of shelter.


I will attach a pic of my windows between the stables and also one of the horses in the sand school (before cleaning the hay stations).

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

Totally depends on the horse and the setup.

mine was a hell of a lot better in for a week over winter, with plenty of hay and time on the Walker, than being stuck in a mud pit field for 8 hours without much to eat.

I agree to a point - but I have been very fortunate in having far more land that I needed per head of horse for the last 45 years or so. So no, mine are never left in a mud pit without much to eat at anytime of the year. I simply would not keep horses and donkeys if that were the only way I could do it. And in the summer they are also restricted to very small acreage to allow me to control their weight and risk of lammi, the rest is either grazed by neighbours cattle or another neighbour makes hay for me.

I have to point out I do now have access to two stables up at the house , just 500 metres from the yard and fields, should an emergency arise, but so far touching wood I have not needed to use one over the past 10 years.

I guess we all do what we prefer and are able to do given our differing circumstances.

 

[SEL]

I do agree turnout doesn't have to mean grass. My PSSM / EMS/ fat mare would die (happily) on grass but she's still on 24:7 turnout . That turnout is a track with minimal grass and soaked hay.

Her thinner friends get time on the grass in the middle and then join her at night (although every one is restricted at the moment). She's got friends, forage, freedom.... but not grass!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Yes a track system is an excellent alternative.

 

[Callieann]

I wouldn't consider any where that didn't allow turnout 24/7 all year.

 

[MrsMozart]

Ours are all out 24/7/365 with decent shelters and ad lib hay as required. Our neds are retired and if stabled they seize up, so the turnout is vital.

I won't go back to no / very limited turnout, it's my yard though so I get to, working with the land, make the rules.

 

[MrsMozart]

It's interesting that people are referring to the amount of work horses that don't get much turnout are in. Horses are designed to be out and in herds, with the very odd exception, mooching about and being with others of their kind for many hours. So not working, just being.

 

[Goldenstar]

Do people class hard standing areas as turnout? Also surfaced areas with no grazing?

Turnout to me means access to grass in paddock of at least two acres .

 

[wiglet]

My current yard is full livery and my horse is turned out every day at 8am - brought in at 5pm, all year round although in winter she’s brought in around 4pm. If it’s raining heavily all day, they will be brought in early but there is always turnout every day come what may.

When I did diy, we used to turn out 24/7 from April to end of October but, tbh it wasn’t all that - the horses all got too fat, the unfortunate got laminitis and they were all at the mercy or horseflies and other such irritations. 24/7 turnout was more to give owners a rest from mucking out!

The minimum turnout I would accept would be 4-5 hours a day... EVERY day though - none of this every other day rubbish.

 

[laura_nash]

Turnout to me means access to grass in paddock of at least two acres .

In that case I wouldn't want a yard with turnout by your definition. No way my good doers would go out on 2 acres or more of unrestricted grass except in winter (and I keep them at home and have 8 acres to play with).

Turnout to me means being able to socialise with other horses, ideally with no fence in the way, and having enough space and suitable footing to move around as wished including a decent canter.

 

[windand rain]

I must admit it would be nice to have a well built barn in my field so they could still have space so not entirely opposed to horses having a roof over their head in bad weather what I am opposed to and my old mare agrees is stables that are 10ft x12 ft with stinking floors usually rubber. the barn for mine would need to be about 30 meters square to work though at the smallest

 

[Sussexbythesea]

Most yards I’ve been on have been day turn out only except the one I’m on now. For ridden horses 4- 5 hrs in winter and around 8 in summer would be acceptable. I prefer to have more flexibility though and being able to keep them out 24/7 in summer or overnight when it’s very hot and there are a lot of flies isa huge money saver on forage and bedding. The fields and lack of shelter in winter means they are generally happier being in overnight and I generally prefer it as I worry less.