What Turnout Routine Do You Prefer?

How much is your horse turned out?

  • Total voters
    0
J

JHC

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 January 2013
Messages
228
Location
A tiny hamlet in Devon
Visit site
Just out of interest what tunout routine do you like?

Personally I like them out 24/7 all year round, but as I'm a softie I do tend to bring them in if the weather is extreme.

Do you think turnout affects the behaviour of your horse?
 
I like mine in at night in the winter, and in during the day in the summer. She is too much of a good doer to do 24 hour turnout in the summer, even with a muzzle so I bring her in out of the heat and then let her have longer out overnight.

Unfortunately our fields are currently closed, so she is in 24/7 until they dry out a bit.

The thing that affects her behaviour is change of routine, once she is used to something it is fine, but making the change unsettles her for a few days.
 
I agree with about 24/7 turnout, although with today's small paddocks and lack of natural shelter at livery yards it's not always possible.

I can't turn my mare out 24/7 like i used to as she has had lami in the past and her management has to be strict. I exercise her every day and she's turned out for 5 hours then stabled at night. This routine doesn't affect her behavior at all, she doesn't have any stable vices or vices at all.
 
I would ideally prefer my lad to be out 24/7, and he is most of the summer - when not pouring with rain! He was chilled and happy, and kept weight and condition really well, and was a lot less greedy over feed as presumably he had as much as he wanted already!

However, our yard just doesn't have enough grazing for everything to be out 24/7 all year... We have 2 horses in a pair of fields and manage as we want - most of us turn out as normal am, then bring in about 3ish to save the fields from getting trashed :rolleyes:
 
Mine like to come in during the day in summer,but winter varies, depending on weather. They really hate wind, but are perfectly happy out in very low temps.. so I mostly do what they want!
 
All the foals youngsters and mares in foal live out pretty much all year and the ridden horses are in at night from around end Oct to April no box to tick for that option :)
 
I do like 24/7 turnout, but with my mare i wont do that due to having had colic. So shes in at night, out during the day. (Vice versa summertime) But im lucky if there is/was any change of routine she wouldnt change.
But my youngster tb is out 24/7 and will stay that way :)
 
Your post title asks a different question than your poll question.

What do I prefer? - 24/7 turnout

How much is my horse turned out? - 2 hours per day in the winter, 24/7 turnout in summer
 
You've asked two different questions there :p
Dan quite likes being out 24/7 I think, although yard policy is in at night in winter, and he's always stood waiting to come in with the others when I get there. In summer though, he certainly doesn't want in, and he's a bit quieter in summer, but he's hardly crazy in winter (out approx. 8-5)
 
In in the day and out at night unless they are having to live in due to drowned fields. They have good rugs so would be out 24/7 but it saves so much time having them nearer to kit up and ride.
 
In theory I like 24/7 turnout. But in reality mine can't have that much grass (even when muzzled) so is out about 50% of the time.

If I had the option of some grass free turnout I'd do that, buy in the absence of this I bring in by day in summer and in at night in winter. Yard has no restrictions though.
 
my mare was evil when she was stabled at night, would drag us up the lane to go out in the morning then cake me in mud as she bolted off! shes much happier out 24/7, she has a shelter but pops in for a few seconds and goes back out! i would like to be able to bring them in when its raining but she won't even go into a stable anymore! so the boy has to do what she does! think he'd like to come in though! but he does have the shelter
 
I put 24/7 but although that's true in spring/summer, during the winter months 2 of the 5 come in at night. They probably don't need to but it's habit now as they were the two who were out competing and hence were and still are clippedout almost fully
 
My mare needs consistency so there can be no changing the routine due to bad weather. She is happier and calmer the more turnout she gets but I can't keep condition on her over winter if she doesn't come in. So over winter she goes out in the day and in at night and in summer she is out for about 22hrs a day, just coming in for exercise and a bit of feed and hay if the weather/grass isn't good.
 
Prefer 24/7 t/o but in winter manage 13 hours or so out and in at night to a) save grazing and b) have a wussy TB who is miserable in the cold and wet.
 
Generally they have at least 5 hours turnout, if its miserable weather they have at least one as not a believer of keeping them constantly confined... especially if I am not riding. Come summer though they'll be out 24/7, looking forward to it :)
 
In at night in winter - currently out from about 8am to 4/4.30pm unless I ride first thing or last thing (no floodlights so need to ride in daylight). In summer will go out 24/7 unless he puts on too much weight, then he'll be stabled during the day.
 
I would prefer my horse out 24/7 and currently have enough land to do that and he would prefer it too...but unfortunately he has had laminitis in the past and so I put him in at night every day of the year to reduce his intake of grass and balance things out. So far, this has helped to keep him laminitis free so that is how it will have to stay.
My lad will tolerate being stabled at night because he has got used to the routine but I know he would prefer to be out all the time.
 
Mine are out 24/7. I have found they keep weight on better, and are much more chilled out, although when they first started living as a herd 24/7 as oppossed to half the herd being stabled over night they turned into lunatic devil children!! 6 years down the line, and they are a very settled bunch. I did bring them in over night in winter when we were on a livery yard 5 years ago in the winter, cue having to feed serious amounts, never known anythiing like it!
 
I find this confusing as the poll question says what turnout does your horse have, but you are asking what do you LIKE. This is frequently not the same thing. I ticked less than 12 hours because at present that is what they get. But I would LIKE 24/7 turnout.
 
Ideally out 24/7 but had to bring her in at night 3 weeks ago due up the wet! She will be back out 24/7 as soon as it dries up a bit!
She is much livelier when it at night though, think its the good night sleep she must get!!!
 
miss_wilson said:
She is much livelier when it at night though, think its the good night sleep she must get!!!
Click to expand...

Or the lack of movement... mine are wandering around and playing much later than I would have previously stabled and up much earlier than they would've been put out. Only really saw when moving them home and sleeping out in the fields a few times, far more active than I thought they would have been.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top