Who turns out on this ground?

[Madam_max]

After getting my two in today I have asked YO to leave my two in. They may as well have been turned out on a car park. Am I just paranoid? But with a 20 year old with a front suspensory sprain and a competition horse I am a bit worried.

 

[Sarah_Jane]

I wouldn't and don't risk it particularly as been quite cut up. Saying that luckily not frozen down here yet

 

[ecrozier]

I turn out with plenty of hay. I think they do more damage if cooped up for days then turned out and go mad once it starts to melt (and becomes slippery and wet). Mine would be such a pain if kept in all day, they'd be a nightmare to manage. Plus you get incidents like we had the other day with a horse on box rest after injury who has got so sick of being in his stable he burst out past owner and did 3 laps of woods falling over at least twice....

 

[ecrozier]

Ps our field very flat and fortunately not too rutted.

 

[Leg_end]

Yes I do and make sure they have plenty of hay to keep them busy. They aren't out for long but enough to have a leg stretch and mooch around.

 

[juliap]

Turned out 24hrs even though ground is hard - haylage out in field + we still have lots of grass - they seem to be more sensible when out all the time rather than the mad 5 mins when going out after being stabled.

All warm & toasty with good rugs on.

 

[Holidays_are_coming]

I do, mine is turned out with loads of hay. She couldnt stay in even if I wanted her too!!

 

[kit279]

Ours are out 24/7, even in the snow - they seem to do less hooning being out all the time. Otherwise, we have the 'post turn out rodeo' which seems to be the bit which I really worry about.

 

[SpottedCat]

Yes, always. No idiocy if he goes out every day, much idiocy if he does not. Add to that a history of ulcers and I'd be mad to keep him in if not strictly necessary. But the antics after a weekend in (minor foot abscess) were ridiculous! He lived out in all that snow last year, perfectly happy, hay twice a day.

 

[Madam_max]

OK. Mine are out without hay and no grass so are just being stupid.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

all my yard are turned out ( no hay) have been since new years day

 

[3bh]

In winter, turnout is what I call a "sacrificed paddock"! -its about 6 acres (for 4 horses) closest to the yard, and I opt for less turnout on that field in favour of trashing that one space for leg stretching rather than grazing, and leaving the rest of the fields to flourish for the spring. So its usually very muddy -also lying at the bottom of a steep slope - and I won't turn out when it is frozen as there is nothing more lethal than when it is all churned up and then frozen solid, I can't even walk on it myself let alone risk letting the horses out (who are 50% suicidal and don't just walk out and stand and graze nicely till coming-in time - they play, hard! ETA even in summer when they are out for up to 16 hours a day they still spend the entire time being loonatics - young and cut late if that is any excuse!). I didn't turn out when the snow was wet and slippy, however this morning judged that we still had a good few inches of snow covering the ruts, and it was frozen quite hard on top but not slippy - in fact it was quite ideal for turnout (I think you could have schooled on it happily!) and they had several hours out, galloping around being idiots, and didn't worry me atall!

 

[MeganLindsx]

Mine are with hay. The field is flat and quite good and they don't run around much. They would be worse if I kept them in and only turned them out occasionally.

 

[MillionDollar]

I do as it's the only time my horse is happy out in winter And because he is normally in 24/7 his field is completely flat/rut free and has lots of grass so he doesn't mess about anyway.

 

[Baggybreeches]

I kept mine in on Sunday due to everywhere being icy (the rain froze as it landed), and my TB box walks, he was so bad it actually made me feel nauseous I had to walk away from him. It is far better for him to go out. Our ground is frozen solid but I am happier that he goes less mad on the hard ground turned out daily than if I kept him in.

 

[coss]

out 24/7 - have kept in in the past (due to water on ice on yard and couldn't safely get to field) and had a very bouncy horse when it was safe(r) to get out... lots of broncing/rolling etc and generally more prone to pull and strain something on slippy ground. Out all the time means he's constantly adapting to how the ground is changing and is so much more relaxed

 

[Cobiau Cymreig Wyllt]

Mine are out all the time..I'm feeding them in the non-rutted/churned ground whilst its hard frost - so they don't have to pick their way over the ruts and because the ground is so hard, they are not doing any damage to new areas..soon as the ground thaws out I'll go back to using their already trashed bit...am checking legs slightly more anxiously though, I must admit!

 

[kirstyhen]

One of mine is out 24/7 with hay (and 20 acres of grass, so minimal poaching prior to it being frozen!)
The other is in at night, but she doesn't really have mad moments, much more interested in rolling!
I think Geldings are the sods when they get bored, the two mares in our field either eat or stand around looking bored, the geldings are into everything possible, breaking out the field, fighting and just being general hooligans - two of the ripped the drainpipes down and cantered off with them the other day!!

 

[unbalanced]

To be quite honest, if I had a choice between a fenced car park and a stable, then I would turn out in a fenced car park. My horse can feel what the ground is like and if she feels uncomfortable or jarred trotting or cantering on it then she will mooch quite happily. She has kept her legs attached to her body quite satisfactorily for 22 years so I feel she is perfectly well qualified to go out on dodgy ground and look after herself. That's what wild ponies do after all and she is at least as smart.

Furthermore she has arthritis so she would feel stiff and uncomfortable if I left her cooped up for days on end and I wouldn't like to ask her to carry me on her back on icy roads in the dark after work - that would be dangerous now.

The thing that makes me sad is that none of the other horses on the yard have been turned out since the snow fell last weekend. As they all belong to YO, they are stabled on the interior yard (she likes to keep it padlocked for security) and mine is stabled in the exterior stable by herself (as I come and go at unsociable hours so I wouldn't have to trouble YO after/before she has locked up) mine hasn't actually seen another horse since before the snow. Normally they can see/touch over the fence between their fields but now mine can only see the cows from her stable I hope the snow melts soon or she will forget what species she is.

 

[PolarSkye]

Me. And the owners of Kal's two field mates. We're lucky that our field isn't that muddy/rutted . . . and we all three feel that our boys need to get out and stretch their legs, play, be horses. If our field was trashed, I may feel different. As it is, they all three go out for about 6-8 hours a day with some hay and access to grass. They play (but nothing too horrific) but they get to socialize, groom, rolls in the mud, stand and watch the other horses around them, get some fresh air . . . we figure it's good for them mentally as well as physically (their field is on the side of a hill so they get good exercise walking up and down).

P

 

[PolarSkye]

Furthermore she has arthritis so she would feel stiff and uncomfortable if I left her cooped up for days on end and I wouldn't like to ask her to carry me on her back on icy roads in the dark after work - that would be dangerous now.

I noticed Kal was stiff when I turned him out this morning . . . he was in more than usual over the weekend due to the snow (builds up in his feet and he ends up on stilts . . . not good for an active/playful boy like him) and I can really see how it's affected him. He's still quite young (about 11 we think) but obviously needs to keep moving and does much better on more turnout (which I suspect is true of most horses).

P

 

[abitodd]

Mine live out 24/7 anyway,with ad lib hay and a fallen beech tree to munch on.
This year has been wetter than average and the field is hideously poached.

8year old warmblood is trying to be sensible,but 20 month old companion had a big leg the other day so I moved them to the less poached field which was resting. Swelling has gone down and no lameness,but I will continue to use the flatter field (no blooming water) until the ground has some give in it.

 

[jess_asterix]

Mine have been out everyday but go on the walker first as are not being ridden, they tend to do their gymnastic tricks on the walker then they have hay while they are out and happily mooch around.

If I keep them in for a few days they are more likely to go crazy when they do go out!

 

[MandyMoo]

i have turned out with plenty of hay spread about the field for them to munch on, as personally, i believe a fit horse cooped up for days is worse than them being turned out in a frozen field!!! (also my old boy stiffens up if kept stabled)

(proved by one of the horses on my yard is a fit hunter and has been in with no exercise for 5 days, has actually given himself a bad slice into his fetlock by being silly in his stable!!!!)

 

[Orangehorse]

Unless blizzard/gale/torrential rain I like to turn mine out every day, if even only for a shortish time, so they don't go beserk when they are eventually turned out again!

 

[pipsqueek]

My two go out whatever the weather (real extremes exepted!) from 8-5, although the ground here was like concrete they just mooched up the field and had a roll, they have haylage in the field but preferred dig in the snow for a frozen blade of grass.. They are far more relaxed and happy out than cooped up in a stable all day whilst i'm at work, and sort-of exercise themselves too, think they are less prone to going bonkers if they're out on a regular basis whatever than if they had limited turnout, and outside is where they prefer to be!

 

[tinap]

All the yard have been In since Sunday the fields are very rutty & still under 4" of snow so just an accident waiting to happen. It's forecast another 6" here tomorrow too apparently so God knows when they will get out

 

[Mince Pie]

Mine are out, but there is a round bale of hay in the field (just my 2 in it) to stop my TB from trashing the fencing and bringing herself in , they seem perfectly happy and my cob is doing a fantastic "headless horse" impression!

 

[Ferdinase514]

Yes, always. No idiocy if he goes out every day, much idiocy if he does not. .

Ours are the same.

We have one field we use in the winter and it is like plough a the moment, Cob and Squizz go on it in the day and Chunks and Pod-pony at night. They are quite subdued and will just eat haylege and potter.

 

[millitiger]

Mine go out everyday- whether it is wet, frozen, icy, heavy snow.

They have been out every day since foals and seem to understand when it is frozen/rutted not to gallop around too much.