who keeps there horses out 24/7?

[pegasus1986]

Wether by choice or have to due to no stables who keeps there horses out 24/7?. I keep my 4 out 24/7 in summer and in at night in winter.

 

[Matt and Jack]

For the past 4 years i have had him, he's been out 24/7/365 but we now have a stable because we moved in with friend so he'll be in this winter and also comes in now if it has rained a lot because it's on a slope and chalk which means it's very slippery. They were nearly running down the hill with the water the other day.

 

[JillA]

I do, so long as it isn't deepest winter weather. In the very bad weather my 34 yr old has to come in at night, and because we have barn stabling, at least one other has to be in for company for her. We do have a 25 year old mare with tight tendons/hamstrings and it is important she stays out to move as much as possible. They do have portable stables in the form of decent rugs!!

 

[Echo24]

My yearling is out 24/7 at the moment and will be in overnight in winter, only because they can't stay out. Given the option I would keep him out 24/7 all year round but I like the fact I have a stable if I need to bring in due to horrendous weather. Yard does offer small amount of grass livery but grazing isn't great or well drained.

 

[russianhorse]

I keep both mine out 24/7/365 (apart from a short spell last winter when my 24yo got chronic mudfever)

They both have free access to either a shelter or stable

 

[TigerTail]

me - out 24.7 come what may, only rug if they shiver which happened once last year with one during one of those weeks it just didnt stop raining. Adlib forage, natural shelter + field shelter though they dont use the darn thing!

 

[ridefast]

Don't have a choice, out 24/7, lots of natural shelter and never rugged unless for health. They don't melt in the rain! I'd like to have a stable just so they have the choice, although when they've had free access stables before they have used them more in the summer to get away from the flies

 

[Crugeran Celt]

Ours were always out in the day and stabled at night until my very elderly Arab developed arthritis and struggled to walk in the mornings so vet recommended that she lived out with the option of going into her stable. We did that and she improved so since then all the horses live out 24/7 with the option of using the stables if they want to. They prefer to be out and rarely use the stables even in the worst of weather. They are only rugged if it is very wet.

 

[chestnut cob]

Mine is out 24/7 in summer at this yard. They all went out in April and will stay out as long as YO allows it. Think it was Oct last year before they came in. We had a few days in the winter when they stayed in 24/7, when the snow was really heavy and we had snow drifts. Otherwise they go out from about 8.30am until 2.30-5.30pm depending on weather, light etc. Stables out 16x12ft so plenty of space even if they do get stuck in for a few days.

 

[windand rain]

Out 24/7 365 days of the year they prefer it that way and so do I in spite of it being much more work.

 

[FfionWinnie]

Yes, all year round. Last winter was admittedly slightly challenging.

 

[vallin]

Mine always has be out 24/7/365 (well, last 4 years) but have moved back to Cambridge and am now really struggling to find somewhere

 

[Hoof_Prints]

Mine are all out 24/7, in the winter they never wear more than 450g and are fully or hunter clipped. The only time I have had to bring them in is when the fields all flooded and there wasn't a field for them to go in (unless they wanted to go swimming.. which as it turned out, my ISH did!)

 

[MrsElle]

Mine are out 24/7 365 days a year and un-rugged. Do have a stable for emergencies, but prefer to let horses be horses if at all possible.

NB., do realise some horses do need to be stabled, but mine never have been where possible.

 

[TheLadyInBay]

My veteran mare has been out 24/7 without a rug in -17 and she actually really liked it as she doesn't like heat. They usually grow a winter coat to meet their needs, my mare had a coat that was nearly 4 inches thick and you could put your hands up to it to warm them My gelding likes being in his stable but enjoys the social side of being in his field and likes stretching his legs.

 

[LynH]

My horses had been on part livery for years and had from half a day turnout to 8 hours. For the last year and a half they have been living out 24/7 with access to a decent field shelter. They are much better as a result, the 22yr old is no longer stiff and creaky and the other looks a hell of a lot better weight wise.
This year they will have access to stables but apart from keeping the bigger one and the companion pony in a bit to lose some weight they won't be kept in.

 

[Irishbabygirl]

I have stables but my turnout is amazing so try to leave my two out full time only bringing in in the worst of the winter weather.
My old WB is arthritic so better off moving about and my young ridden one is saner out!

 

[Nudibranch]

Out 24/7, 365 days a year. Have always done this. We have plenty of grazing though, with lots of natural shelter. They have the choice of the barn in winter but never use it. Don't wear more than 200g rugs and only from around December to March although I do prefer a half neck on them (mainly to stop wither rubs).

 

[Natz88]

Mine all have a stable, but live out majority of the year. We all have a stable at our yard, but we don't have to bring in it's up to us what we do with them. I must admit when we have snow I do bring mine in at night or if the weather is really bad they will come in for a break. The winter we just had they had about 2/3 weeks of coming in at night & that's it.

 

[nix123]

Mine are out 24/7 (weather permitting) in summer, and stabled in winter. I try and keep them out during the day in winter, again depending on the weather. My big lad does like his stable though when its cold.

 

[Zero00000]

2 mares a TB and a ArabxWelsh that will not stable, well, they will, but will go over the door, so safer to keep them out, 24/7 365days a year, rugged to the eyeballs 1 is a bad doer and one is an oldie, and a big fat cob who will stable, but choose not too, he was rugger this year due to natural shelter being destroyed but would have only had a rainsheet on otherwise.

 

[*sprinkles*]

I keep my warmblood youngster out 24/7 now, I tried to have her in a schedule of in at night, out during the day but she wouldn't tolerate it and became very stressed. She's told me she prefers to be outside in her own way so it's her choice! She's much more settled and happier out all the time even in winter and it works okay although when the showing season begins for her next year I may have to rethink.

 

[Enfys]

All out, all the time.
I have 10 stables but they are only used for emergencies etc.

Why?

#1 Because I can.
#2 Because I am lazy and loathe mucking out. No clockwatching either.
#3 Because it is better for the horses I think, they seem happy enough.

I have one mare that asks to come in during the day in summer as she really does not like the sun. Her choice.

It is horses for courses, nothing should ever be set in stone, some horses do better stabled for whatever reason, sometimes you have no choice in the matter.

 

[dominobrown]

Mine are in at night during the winter due to lack of grazing and bad weather. In summer they are out 24/7, even my novice event horse.

 

[blitznbobs]

mine are out at night in intge day purely because the section a is too fat... weve tried everything else but this is the only way yo keep a check on his expanding middle.

 

[AandK]

My 16yo TB and 23yo IDxTB live out 24/7/365. Only time they would be stabled is due to injury/illness. The older one has been out 24/7 pretty much for the last 10 odd yrs, younger one has been out 24/7 for about 4.5yrs now, since recovering from a suspensory injury.

Horses are hayed and rugged as required in the winter (fed twice a day all year round) and are both very happy out all the time :smile3:

 

[pegasus1986]

Its nice to read how many people keep theres out. I recently got told im cruel and dont look after mine for having them out 24/7 i try my best for my horses.

 

[Rhodders]

mine are out 24/7, I have 6 stables and don't use them, in the winter they have a barn with a big bed and their hay which they come and go a s they please to

 

[Dizzle]

My New Forest mare is out 24/7, she gets hay and a token feed over winter (although I may scrap that this winter as I’d prefer her to loose a bit more condition) and if it’s cold a medium weight rug (without neck), otherwise she is just out in a l/w rug, she had a bib clip last winter too. She’s been out naked since February/March, she does get a fly mask though as she had a bit of conjunctivitis from the flies. Since I bought her last year I have stabled her twice (before hunting/shows) and she stables beautifully.

My pony was feral in the New Forest until she was 6 years old so with water and good natural shelter she is perfectly happy living out.

My only concession to winter this year is that I may take her shoes off, last winter the snow balled up horribly in her shoes and when she lost one she was hobbling about as one leg was a about an inch shorter than the others. So I might get them taken off to help avoid this!

I much prefer a leisurely poo pick to manic morning mucking out any day!

 

[Fransurrey]

Mine are out all year round. Did have a very brief stint off stabling on my last yard, as I moved there when winter got really nasty and there was no shelter in the fields whatsoever. They were in for 10 hours overnight, but I didn't like it and they were rather unsettled. So happy to have gone back to shelters in the field (and so are they!).