When is everyone else chucking their horses out 24/7?

P

PercyMum

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I am a sheep and cannot make a descion for myself.

Horse are currently in from 1700 to 0600. I have officially reached my boredom threshold with mucking out but the paddocks aren't quite dry enough. I do have a 25 x 20m wood-chip turnout that they live on at the moment and a separate 10m x 7m one. Thinking of putting all 3 out in the big one all day (as they are now) and separating out the mare into the smaller one at night because she is a total cow to one of the others and I want him to have a rest form her. All are in sight of each other, are well-covered and sensible-ish.

Would chucking them out full time now be ok? I think it would but just wanted others views.

Ta :-)
 
I never chuck my horses anywhere .
Two will be stabled at night for about another month then go out .
The other two will be stabled until June when it's really warm unless the weather is very very mild .
 
I leave mine out sporadically. Left the out the other night all unrugged. Might leave them out tonight, too. Its mild, and my clipped mare is warm to touch under her rug.
 
I use chuck because it rhymes nicely with muck - eg, chuck out and muck out.

Ours will go out as soon as there is a bit more grass. They are out from 6am to 6pm at the moment and my horse's rug comes off tomorrow. We got them out in March last year so fingers crossed we can do the same this year. However, heavy rain forecast here on Monday so it won't be this week (and horse may have rug back on if its not warm rain).
 
Already done :) part time, that is :)

CF now out at night in small paddock with field shelter, TF in overnight (for good of her figure). Both out in top fields for daytime.
Will stay like this for a few more days & then will have the pair out 24/7 & TF in a muzzle.

However, its early march, so stables WILL still be on standby for bad weather (more to do with heavy rain really) & I wont sweep out them completely till towards the end of May :)
 
Usually the beginning May (YO's rules) so unless the weather is really nice until then we have got another 8 weeks to go :( they will be moving to summer fields for daytime turnout in April though so they will get a month of 12 hour days out which is a good start. I'm counting down the days!
 
One of mine will go out full time at Easter, the other one probably a month behind him (the stables are within the field so they will still be 'together' for company)
 
Arzada said:
LOL! The word chuck seems to go with living out in field. And not in a positive sense!
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I didn't mean it in a negative way! I always use the term 'chuck out' rather than 'turnout'.

Just checked top paddock - nice and dry with very little grass so perfect for the fatty mare. The skinny boys can stay in the turnout and stuff their faces without madam stealing it all. Yay!
 
Mine normally goes out late March- early May. Normally she decides no longer to come over to me when i come to get her in so i take that as she is ready to be left out for the night.
 
One at ours is already out 24/7, but he's a baby (only two). I suspect the two senior citizens will start staying out sooner rather than later . . . and once there's enough grass/it's warm enough, the others will follow. I still haven't decided whether or not to turn Pops out 24/7 . . . will play it by ear.

P
 
Ours normally go out mid-april. There's not enough grass to keep them going 24/7 yet and they're still coming in hungry and devouring a large amount og haylage overnight. We're not allowed to put hay in the field to avoid fights.

However, due to a bumper crop of haylage last year, YO is not making any this year so they'll be going onto the hay fields much earlier. They're looking very green at the moment so I'm hoping they'll be able to go out soon. The only slight issue is that they have a spring running under them and get very wet in the winter so we have to wait for them to be dry enough, maybe a few weeks if the weather stays dry?
 
My old 'uns are out 24/7 365 days a year - leave the doors open so they can get in if the weather is really bad, but at their age they are much better out and about rather than getting stiff standing in a stable. In lightweight rugs today - will lose the rugs completely tomorrow - during the day at least.
 
Mine have all wintered out 24-7 for the last five years or so, best thing I ever did I am sure they are healthier and happier for it.
 
I dont get to decide - horsey does! As soon as he decides there is enough grass he wont be caught without a bribe/20 mins of cajolling/pleading etc! To be honest I prefer it when he's happy out - I have had a v stressful winter with his pacing/stressing when he wants to come in early.
 
Mine haven't been stabled since the middle of January (apart from if we have foul weather) and one of them had a hunter clip (now a full clip since last weekend)! I keep her really rugged up though but she was getting so sick of being stuck in and my mum had had a knee operation so doing 5 was hard work on my own before and after work, so I just left them all out one evening and they have never been happier. They go out in the field during the day and come in onto the hard standing at night with ad lib hay. They can go into their stables if they want to, but there is never any poo in them in the mornings so obviously they would rather be outside. All are looking fab and I have them all naked today enjoying the sun. I'm sure I will be regretting that move later when I have to get in my mare to start the mammoth task of getting her ready for Moreton tomorrow though! Hoping to get them out 24/7 in the spring field by beginning of April.
 
Ponies having first night out tonight, They will have some hay and have their lightweights on. Rest will be out next weekend hopefully. They are all feeling rather well, ground is all dry so no reason not to.
 
Mine have been out since weds and seem very happy about it! I am lucky as my fields drain well and pretty much mud free now - they are still on the winter paddocks with haylage twice a day, and hope to move them onto the summer ones by Easter, assuming the grass has started to grow by then.

I am hoping to harrow and roll at the weekend.

The stables won't be fully cleared out for another few weeks though, just in case as we get a very wet/cold spell.
 
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Crugeran Celt said:
Mine have all wintered out 24-7 for the last five years or so, best thing I ever did I am sure they are healthier and happier for it.
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Mine too, had him in for 2 days at the weekend as he was a bit off colour, all wrapped up in hardly used stable ruglooking nice and shiny and clean. He let me know in no uncertain terms by the end of the first day he was feeling better and not up for another night in prison!
 
When the ground dries up a little - the big guy has really been suffering badly from mud fever this year so have had to limit his turnout this year as ground is very wet and muddy :( I hate keeping them in so much too.
 
Mine won't be out at night until May. It would be highly unlikely for it to be dry enough before then, if it was they would be able to go out sooner. Before I moved to this soggy area mine would go out at night once the north facing hedges were in leaf.
 
Well, sounds like I could go ahead and turnout over night. Yippee! Stables will be on standby and the boys will be on haylage full time for another month or so. Suits them fine though - the TB doesn't eat grass anyway (yep, weird). Fatty mare can have the teeny amount of grass in the top paddock and a bit of haylage overnight.

Oh, the glory of a less-achy back...
 
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