What time do you finish your horses off at night?

[Polos Mum]

I'm pretty sure mine are fine safety-wise. It just concerns me that if I give the last hay top-up too early, they will scoff it all quickly and spend many hours without.

You could consider some straw to give them access to forage that they will only eat if desperate.

I put a couple of scoops of top chop zero in a tub in the bottom of the hay bar. It is good quality feed but my horse disagrees - 9 out of 10 nights he doesn't touch it at all - then occasionally it gets picked at.
A whole sack lasts a winter.
It makes me feel happy that he has quality forage available all the time - even if he chooses not to eat it.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

If mine are out I load them up with hay about 6pm they normally have some left by morning.

If in I normally go back out about 9pm sometimes later just depends how long they have been in for, they get skipped and more hay if needed.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

You could consider some straw to give them access to forrage that they will only eat if despirate.

I put a couple of scoops of top chop zero in a tub in the bottom of the hay bar. It is good quality feed but my horse disagrees - 9 out of 10 nights he doesn't touch it at all - then occasionally it gets picked at.
A whole sack lasts a winter.
It makes me feel happy that he has quality forage available all the time - even if he chooses not to eat it.

I buy the huge shires haynets they are massive I can fit in them

I just Fill them and they weigh a ton but it does them through the night.

I meant to quote Marigold4

Don't know what happened sorry

 

[Kirstd33]

Coblet is kept on a small DIY livery yard with very stringent rules as to turnout, bring in time etc. I'm so jealous of all you who keep them at home, as it must be so much easier??
So his schedule is currently:

9am - turnout with all the others (YO does this as I'm at work) - I'd love to go up and turnout before work at about 7am but its a no-no
4.30pm - I go after work, muck out, do nets, feed, water etc
5.30pm - bring in, which feels so early but they all have to come in together and thats the time that suits everyone. He is left with 2 huge nets and never finishes it all!

On my half-days I ride in the afternoon and I was managing a ride 1 evening/week but the lack of light now precludes this.

I have looked for a yard that offers more flexibility but I just cant find one in our area sadly.

 

[southerncomfort]

Mine are at home.

Rarely stabled, but if they are, I top up hay around 9pm.

When out, I usually finish up between 6pm and 7pm when it's light, and between 4pm and 5pm once the clocks change.

 

[Horsegirl25]

Mine are on DIY at a livery yard which doesn't really have time restrictions (within reason)
I can be at the yard from anywhere between 5am and 6:30am depending if I am riding or not.
In summer the horses are out overnight so I tend to finish them a bit earlier anywhere between 3-6 depending on working hours etc.
Winter they are in at night and out through the day, the won't stay out past 5pm! So they come in then and I normally leave about 6/back of 6. I don't come back down to do night checks, there is normally people on the yard until about 9ish anyway.
Jealous of everyone who has their horses at home!

 

[scats]

I must add that I have stable cameras so I check them around 9pm and then again before I go to sleep.
Best thing ever, the stable cam.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Ours are at home, living out. Sister does last check just after 11.00 pm and puts last hay in the bins in the shelter. I am usually in bed by then. I see them last when we give bucket feed at about 7.00pm but I give out the morning hay.

 

[Horsegirl25]

I must add that I have stable cameras so I check them around 9pm and then again before I go to sleep.
Best thing ever, the stable cam.

Can I ask what ones you use and where you got them? I am interested in getting one but I don't have a plug socket near my stables so would have to be wireless.

 

[canteron]

Saracen ulcers forage feeding video

this has just come up on my FB and no doubt of some others. I didn't know this ie feed forage in the daytime not night. Speaker is a vet at B & W. https://www.facebook.com/reel/499083339680597

forums.horseandhound.co.uk

This thread may help you feel more comfortable skipping the 10pm hay top up.

 

[holeymoley]

Anywhere from 7-10pm depending on my work. I try not to be late in the dark as it is a livery yard. All the horses are used to me though and don't make any noise while I'm around. I really struggle mentally to finish them off any quicker, I know some liveries at the weekend finish at 3pm and that's them around to 8am.

 

[MNMyShiningStars]

I'm usually putting to bed at around 6pm. I have the cameras to check them in the evening, and then I'm back there by 6am to start all over again.

 

[Marigold4]

You could consider some straw to give them access to forage that they will only eat if desperate.

I put a couple of scoops of top chop zero in a tub in the bottom of the hay bar. It is good quality feed but my horse disagrees - 9 out of 10 nights he doesn't touch it at all - then occasionally it gets picked at.
A whole sack lasts a winter.
It makes me feel happy that he has quality forage available all the time - even if he chooses not to eat it.

Thanks for the ideas. I have some hifibre haylage that he hates so maybe I could put that in a corner for him to pick at.

 

[scats]

Can I ask what ones you use and where you got them? I am interested in getting one but I don't have a plug socket near my stables so would have to be wireless.

I use the Reolink wireless one. I have the solar panel on the barn roof but occasionally in the winter I have to take it home to charge if there’s not enough sunlight. I have the rotating one that I can move between my stables using a remote on my phone.
Very easy to set up and the data SIM costs around £12 a month. Totally worth it for the peace of mind it brings.

 

[Alibear]

There was a recent study Saracen reported that showed horses can cope without food better overnight than they can during the day. So that's made me feel better, Amber usually has a bit left in the morning but refuses to eat it.

 

[Hallo2012]

11pm usually (they are at home)

 

[Nudibranch]

Mine are at home and can come in or out as they choose. So I'll do a sweep up of the shelter about 6.30 am and again at dusk. To be fair the horses are very clean but the goats usually come in and crap all over the mats despite having their own straw filled house.

Water trough is automatic and evening feed/hay is also at dusk. I'll usually pop out some time before bed though just because I like to. I've got solar bulbs along the front of the stables so it's really lovely to just go and say hello.

If any goats are near kidding they'll be in at night so I'll do another check last thing. Lambing is outdoors so it's dawn and dusk checks round the lambing field in the spring. I'd say 90% lamb around sunrise/sunset so it's fairly manageable compared with indoor lambing. But none of that is horse related obviously!

 

[SantaVera]

About 4pm but they live out

 

[sportsmansB]

One of mine is on a big professional yard where they finish about 6.30 with loads of hay - though grooms live on site and keep an ear out and in the season change they are coming down around 8.30/9 to pop rugs on
My two retired ones at home get a check over when I get home from work and then left to it, the old guy is needy and if he sees me hovering he's over looking apples so I try and leave them be as hes not bothered at all then.

 

[airliner]

I also have mine at home. I usually do night check anywhere between 8-10PM.

 

[wiglet]

I usually leave the yard around 6.30 - 7pm. The yard is a short walk from my house though so I often take the dog for a walk around 9pm and check my girl at the same time.

 

[Fieldlife]

Before 10am for morning feed and check. Any time after 3pm for pm check and feed..

Lives out, with adlib haylage available 24-7 and a shelter.

I can also see 24-7 on two security cameras.

 

[Fieldlife]

Coblet is kept on a small DIY livery yard with very stringent rules as to turnout, bring in time etc. I'm so jealous of all you who keep them at home, as it must be so much easier??
So his schedule is currently:

9am - turnout with all the others (YO does this as I'm at work) - I'd love to go up and turnout before work at about 7am but its a no-no
4.30pm - I go after work, muck out, do nets, feed, water etc
5.30pm - bring in, which feels so early but they all have to come in together and thats the time that suits everyone. He is left with 2 huge nets and never finishes it all!

On my half-days I ride in the afternoon and I was managing a ride 1 evening/week but the lack of light now precludes this.

I have looked for a yard that offers more flexibility but I just cant find one in our area sadly.

TBH if he gets 8.5 hours of turnout in a decent sized field with friends all year round, and enough hay in stable that he never runs out over night, he is doing better than the vast majority of horses at livery yards.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I'm lucky enough to have my horses close to my house. I keep them in at night when the weather is bad - so maybe 20 weeks a year. I used to aim to stay up and finish them off with more hay and a poo pick at 10 pm. As I get older, the time gets earlier on winter nights. What time is the latest you see your horses?

Just finishing them off now then last checks about 10-10.30pm

 

[irishdraft]

When mine are in at night last check & poo pick is 10./10.30pm but they are at home. When they are out which they mainly are it's about 6pm.

 

[nettle]

When himself was stabled (on DIY livery yard), I did feed and hay no earlier than six, but later if I could. Yard did late night check 10pm or later. He was on straw and had a manger full of oat straw chaff so he could eat that if he ran out of hay. Sometimes the chaff was mostly gone, usually only half gone, so I know he had had something to nibble all night.

 

[santas_spotty_pony]

Depends, if they are out I usually check them in the evening again and in the winter if they are staying out I’ll check them before it gets dark so before 4 on the shortest days. If they are in they can be finished for the evening anywhere between 4 onwards. They have ad-lib hay and are at home so I can go back out if I want but I tend not to disturb them again but sometimes nip out again later to change rugs or if I have been out and they need skipping out etc.

 

[ponynutz]

They come in at 5.30pm but someone will go out at 9-10pm (or just before they go to bed) to give an extra hay-night and top up water if needed. They don't get skipped out or anything at that time though so not sure if that counts as 'finishing off'.

When they were on livery they were finished at latest 7pm and given as much hay as their stable and size could hold - when the pony is fat she quite often doesn't get a full second net and neither have ever had ulcers from running out of hay at night (or indeed on all weather turnout) so I don't worry too much.

We also hang their nets from the middle of their stables (on a leadrope tied to a roof beam) to make it last longer/more entertaining.

 

[nikkimariet]

4.30pm/5pm but I’m back there usually by 5am/6am and someone lives on site anyway. There is usually someone there still by 8pm in any case.

 

[Ahrena]

Now I have them at home, in winter I go down before bed to skip out and top up hay so usually sometime between 9-10pm. When they’re out, I step outside just before it gets dark to check everyone has 4 legs though I don’t tend to go down unless something looks unusual (they’re at home but down a very steep hill!)

When I was on livery yard, it was whenever I was done for the day; 5-6ish and I didn’t go back.

I do think it’s worth it if you can (appreciate livery yards have opening hours and it’s much more of an undertaking if they aren’t at home and it’s not always practical!) as in 18 months I’ve caught an eye ulcer and a mild colic at late night checks. I don’t think either would’ve been noticeable on camera (colic was only presenting as horse standing quietly and trembling at that point)