When to keep horses in?

[Antw23uk]

I just went and delivered more water and both mine are in exactly the same place as I left them this morning just stood bums against the wind in what I think is the most exposed area of the field ... go figure! They have a bale of haylage in a double height brick built garage and hedges and fencing but no, they have chosen there spot and they seem to be sticking to it!

 

[Nudibranch]

I never bring in unless its an emergency but despite having the barn open and well hayed, the lure of 24 acres of knee deep snow was too much overnight and they had barely eaten. Idiots! So I made the executive decision this morning to close the barn/yard and keep them in so at least I know they're eating and drinking. Tbf it's a 30x50 covered yard so it's not as if they're confined to a box. Big man has legs wraps on though for his djd as he wont be moving as much as usual.

 

[Honey08]

Yesterday when it was pretty bad mine were out for three hours in the morning (on a hardstanding around the yard) but ran into their stables when we opened the door. We had half an hour of sun and no snow before sunset so they got another half hour out while I skipped out. Last night all doors were shut and everything was barricaded down. Today has been hideous - gales and blizzards. Once we'd dug ourselves and the stables out we let them out for 15 mins while we mucked out, they both happily went back in. We will do the same later on. Hopefully its forecast to calm down tomorrow.

Further to my thread, my mare's arthiritis has been better for her being warm and still than it was when she was moving but cold. (Although she did have half a sachet of bute - the other half blew away!!)

 

[Nudibranch]

Interesting. Mine is much worse and toe dragging more than usual despite wraps. He needs movement.

 

[muddy_grey]

Mine is on box rest with controlled exercise in walk at the moment so hasn't left her stable since Tuesday! No way I am attempting hand walking on snow and ice. Really annoying but I can't risk it

 

[{97702}]

Mine is usually out overnight and in during the day - tonight I have kept him in. Usually he is turned out in a big open field with very little shelter and currently we have a lot of powdery snow and very high winds.

 

[Fiona]

This is their first day in this winter for the two bigger guys, apart from 45min in paddock while we mucked out this afternoon.

Ponies live out 24/7 but again they got a few hours in eating hay today... Back out now.

Tomorrow hopefully the two biggies will go in the all weather for a couple of hours, but can't be all day as my Connie digs 😣 holes...

Fiona

 

[HashRouge]

I don't have stables so my poor lovelies are stuck out whatever the weather brings. I can't actually get down there atm and YO just messaged me to say she can't catch the Welsh to out his rug on. So he's out AND naked! I feel extremely mean, but if he won't be caught, he can't be too unhappy! Although I suspect she may have hayed then tried to catch him, which I should have warned against as he won't be caught if he's got food!

 

[laura_nash]

Mine are both out un-rugged, when I checked on them this morning my cob was fast asleep tucked in under a wall.

Water is an issue, I took them some sloppy fast fibre and broke the incredibly thick ice this morning but the pipe is frozen solid so I suspect I will taking water up tomorrow. Luckily they are still eating mostly grass so impaction is less of a concern.

I've just been up to open the gates and give them access to the whole lot of three fields, which gives them more natural shelter options and access to some decent, bare grass behind a tall hedge which is totally out of the wind.

 

[scats]

It’s not really the weather or cold that’s making mine want to come in, but the ground is so frozen and full of snow that there’s no grass to eat and despite tonnes of hay being put out, they pick at it for ten minutes and then just huddle by the hedge looking fed up.

Today they went out til lunch and I dived out of work to get them in. The pair of them were total idiots coming in, went through my electric fencing (and wrecked it) so I’ve decided they can stay in til tomorrow afternoon as I finish work at 1, so can just turn them out for a couple of hours while I’m pottering about doing jobs.

Sunday is meant to warm up so hoping we can start getting back to normal.
I’ve had enough now.

 

[solitaire peridot]

Ditto with my two, not even evidence that they bothered to go inside or eat any of the hay inside either. I brought hot water to mix with their hard feed, thinking oh my poor babies need a warm meal so cold today hahaha.... turned round and they'r both rolling in the snow !! I have now renamed them 'The Idiots' :-D

 

[amandaco2]

mine are out naked still 24/7... so unless it gets flooded they wont be in. rugged if its very very cold and wet as they do get chilled then. but pretty much dry cold they are fine with. no clipped obv.
I think with icy and frozen ground you are best either turnout daily/ as usual or keeping in until its softer ground...keeping in for a few days and then out on frozen rutty ground is a risk to legs....

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

One that may be interesting!

Mine is kept in today due to the water in the field freezing over (we had to smash it with a hammer as couldn't break with boot, frozen down sides of buckets, will measure how thick later for my own curiosity) so quickly and the wind chill. The field is in an exposed location and there is not enough natural shelter at the moment for where they are. The stable is currently warmer and the buckets are not icing over. The horse in question is also a warmblood that grows nothing of a winter coat.

At what point do you say "this is too much - they're coming in"?

Edited to add: just curious what others do, not asking for advice on this one!

I broke the ice this morning and turned all out about 7.30am - they were all happy to stay out till 4pm so I will carry on as normal, we don't hay the fields as there is grass to eat through the snow, I opened the round pen today and would you believe they stayed in the round pen all day munching so dee poing was really easy

What I have done tonight is put some eletrosalts in their drinkers and topped the up with bucket water so they wont freeze.

 

[Sophire]

Mine is on box rest anyway but would have stayed in today was she not.