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

I think our fields need some time to recover, if we keep this dry fair weather for long enough they'll be out by the end of March (assuming the rest of the yard is doing the same)
 
The youngsters have been out 24/7 intermittently throughout the winter. They are currently out now. I'm going to see what it's like after the rain at the weekend and may decide to put the others out too.
 
Last July.

But seriously... previously it has been by the middle of March. I've never liked stabling any longer than necessary. Horse used to come in in October at the earliest and out by mid march. :)
 
I never bought them in lol. The last week the mud has dried up outside the shelters and its lovely. I think I will move them to their spring / summer paddock at the end of April.
 
Mines been out all winter, she doesn't really 'do' stables - she has a scary tendency to climb over the door!
Tonight is the first night she has been rug-less though.
 
I've just begun bringing mine in at night - winter was actually really mild here, but spring is shaping up to be very cold :( I worry about the muddier parts of the field freezing over, and the sugar levels in the grass early in the mornings etc. My plan is to stable overnight until the end of this month at least, possibly until the start of May.
 
PercyMum said:
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 :-)
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I am very impressed that a sheep can type and look after horses! What breed are you?

Can't help much I'm afraid as mine are out 24/7 all year round.
 
Mine live out but those of you with still wet fields, you must be up north? I am on clay and mine is beautifully dry. They would be out anyway but now they have their hay bales in the racks just over the fence rather than me lugging up to the hardcore, yay! Old boy still has his LW on overnight, is naked during the day.
I am getting two hunters for the summer, they come in a fortnight and will have to be out which will be a shock for them after intermittent hour or so turnout over winter, but they will have ad lib hay, two square meals and big rugs when needed.
 
None of mine will tolerate 24/7. After half hour mine thinks he's been abandoned and protests, resulting in a rather spectacular forward flip the other day!

Should add my section A lived out 24/7 all year round. But I sadly lost him in Dec. he wasn't fussed where he was as long as he had Haylage!
 
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Mine have been out all winter so I am thinking about taking rugs off now rather than putting them out. Ive used 14 small bales of hay between a 16.2 greedy TB and a 17hh elephant, and most of that was bringing the TB in for drying legs due to mud fever. Its been a pretty easy winter apart from muddy gateways.
 
Same here Nudibranch! We don't have stables so our two have been out all winter and we've really had to feed very little hay at all. Only really when it snowed and when we had that cold snap in January, as one of ours is an older cushings horse who can lose weight quickly if we aren't careful. Other than that we've had plenty of grass and very little mud, only round the field shelter and the gateway between our two fields (they have full range of 6 acres divided into two fields). They have been in and out of rugs depending on the weather (again, this is mainly for the benefit of the older one) but haven't been wearing them recently.
 
When the conditions are right :) As in mild enough and enough grass for my 36 year old who eats better when she is in a stable, except if her Prince Consort isn't in next door to her. It's due to go cold and wet next week - TBH it's easier when it is like that to muck out a stable than a field.
 
mine have been in all winter and are desperate to get out sob sob we aren't even allowed out during the day!! trying to find a new yard but it is really difficult.
I notice the bliddy dairy cows at same farm are out though - it really annoys me.
 
As soon as the farmer lets us! He's very protective of his grass so we just have to wait until he's happy. Hopefully it will be soon, getting a bit sick of mucking out now! They will gradually be turned out for longer and longer with the weather and changing of the clocks but I'm hoping for 24/7 turnout in April.
 
Mine has been out all winter and until recently rugged in a HW but even he is out naked for a few hours today (which he showed his appreciation for by having a hoolie around the field!) and then will be rugged with a MW tonight.
 
Mine have also been out all winter, and only used hay (mixed with straw) on a starvation patch as part of a weight loss campaign in Dec, it was that or muzzle them which seemed very mean in mid-winter. Still have about quarter of their winter grazing unused, we had so much grass last summer, so they won't be moving fields yet. As they are out of work they've only worn rugs twice this winter too, but once was last week (blizzards here last week).
 
PercyMum said:
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 :-)
Click to expand...
Never .....................we wont put them out full time out 7am in at 4pm summer out at 4pm in at 7pm
 
Cos we were having some stable alterations done and the concrete wasn't dry, I had to leave 2 our ours out for the last couple of nights - bovvered - NO. I did hang some haynets up for them though.
 
When I moved to my current yard in October most of them were still living out, she had about 5/6 weeks of living in, then I decided she may as well go out. She has been living out every night unless very wet since beginning of October, and she is very happy, plus it's much cheaper and easier! Out of the 11 horses at my yard, only one comes in every night, the others have only been a handful of times this year so far.
 
Our stables will be rented out for belton horse trials (had Clifton Promise in my old mares box the other year)

Means ours have to be out by 11 April and mine will need to go out over night and come in for a couple of hours during day for a few nights before then as B2 has a sensitive tummy so 12 hours grass turning into 24 suddenly will upset him.
 
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