when do you turn out for summer?

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fizz-tally

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bit of a debate at the yard as to when the horses are going out for summer,some want to save grass but as we have use of 3 large fields this summer i dont see the point in this,there will be 7 out on them & we can move them about as we like.
 
Normally around May if it is dry enough(i.e stopped snowing here!)
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Mine live out 24/7 but most of the others at the yard are in at night. The mares have been out at night since the weekend because the weather is so mild and the near fields were just so horribly muddy. Usually they go out at Easter.
 
Mine will go out when I have used up all my hay...I hate having it hanging around during the summer so just keep some emergency bales but the rest he has to eat at night when he is in...so I reckon he will be out 24/7 come the start of May.
 
Do you mean yours are in 24/7 at the moment? Or when to change from winter to summer grazing? If they are in 24/7 then I'd turn out as soon as possible. If it's changing from winter to summer fields, we are doing it when the summer fields are no longer under an inch of water!
 
it depends on the state of the fields at the yard, but it is normally May time, but if the grass is poor then beginning of june. This year however think they want them out in May so he can do some repair jobs on the stables, as the walls are moving
 
When we had horses to look after that were in, it was always April when they moved onto the summer fields. So they then started to live out all the time.
 
no they are out during the day but there is nothing left in the field to eat,they have ad lib hay out as well but we are reduced to mud now & with the use of 3 fields in summer some of us want them moved into a summer field for easter with the view to leaving out if the weather is ok
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end of April beginning of May, purely depends on when the fields dry out enough. At this rate it will probably be June!
 
OK. I think if you have 3 good sized summer fields then you could probably get away with moving them to a new one now. Not sure if I'd go for 24/7 turnout as it is still so wet, but maybe it isn't as bad round your way. The new field may also get muddy, but normally if you harrow and roll it after moving them on, maybe around April/May it will pick up OK.
The danger if you're a bit tight on grazing is that you could trash your summer fields too - but you know that.
 
the 3 fields are all quite big, more than enough for 7 ,fizz will be going on strip grazing with 2 other mares in a different field
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3 of the horses don't need much grass & to put them out in may on fields that have had nothing on them for months is not a good idea imo considering what they are on now.
thanks everyone
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Ours is on a hunting yard so will have to fit in with them. they stop hunting this week, so will be going out pt next week, and gradually onto 24/7 by then end of the month. mainly beacuse of the time taken up by lambing, they need to be chucked out to free up time, space, hay and straw.
I am counting down the days till I can have a lie in!!
 
As soon as possible!! I'm still waiting for a cold snap, I refuse to believe that we've had winter already! They'll probably go out end of march or april, hopefully march. There's so much grass already its just ridiculous
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Usually ours come in at night when the clocks change in October and go out 24/7 when the clocks change in March so *hopefully* they'll be out 24/7 again in 3 or 4 weeks can't wait!!!!
 
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As soon as possible!! I'm still waiting for a cold snap, I refuse to believe that we've had winter already! They'll probably go out end of march or april, hopefully march. There's so much grass already its just ridiculous
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Exactly the same, fed up of sh$t shovelling now!!!

Usually get ours out 24/7 in March some time but fields still too wet at the moment...
 
Mine went out last week, he was bored living in and refusing to catch at night to go to bed. Had two days off this week and put tan inch on round his girth, so I had to squeeze him in,he is thriving outside!!!! (and hes 7/8ths TB)
 
Muddy fields? Try Ayrshire, I can remember the fields being that muddy that the mud went over your wellies!!! and the horses had to pull you out of the mud. The deepests I have ever sunk into the mud is up past my knees!!

altia
 
had that at the yard too,sadly at the moment the mud we do have is stopping jay's mud fever clearing up & tbh there is no point in them staying in there when they dont need to.
 
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