who winters out?

[asbo]

this will be donkey boys 1st winter out, he hates to be stabled and drops weight with stress and due to the fact hes a big lad [ tbxid 17hh] most stables are too small.

we are going to build a shelter for him and little one to use if they wish, the field has lots of hedging and 2 large trees and they will get hard feed twice a day as well as hay, he will also be well rugged up.

anything else ?

 

[Irishcobs]

Will he have access to a hard standing area so he can get off of the mud if he wants to?
My guys live out all year round. They have access to a barn and concrete yard. They are rugged with trees and hedges for shelter and given lots of hasy and food.

 

[asbo]

hoping to have a hard standing area but as the field is on a hill and its just him and my sec a it shouldnt get too muddy

 

[jellyshake]

sounds like you've got it worked out well

Top tip for you tho, if you don't have electric in the shelter get one of those little head lamp jobbies lol, soooo handy for those dark winter nights

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

Ours live out 24/7, they get hay when winter really sets in.

For lighting, you can buy solar powered sets, you get a solar panel and a light socket, switch and energy saver bulb, you need to buy a car battery. The solar panel trickle feeds the battery, and the light bulb is pretty good, certainly enough light for picking out feet, checking legs etc.

 

[niagaraduval]

this will also be my horses' first ever winter out. Exciting stuff

 

[carys220]

[ QUOTE ]
hoping to have a hard standing area but as the field is on a hill and its just him and my sec a it shouldnt get too muddy

[/ QUOTE ]

We had Newfie and Shetland out on a hill field last winter, half of the field turned into a mudbath and has had to be reseeded!!

 

[Enfys]

Happy Birthday

I think you have thought of most things. Depending on the amount of land you have available and the ground I might consider sectioning a smaller field so that only part gets boggy, on the other hand.........the larger the field, the less the horses will trash one part of it. Six of one, half a dozen of another. Move your hay piles around a bit maybe?

All mine winter out very happily, half the time they don't even use the shelters prefering to go into the woods for cover. I don't have hard standing (unless you count sheet ice

) but then winter rainfall is pretty minimal so mud isn't too much of a problem.

Enjoy the freedom from mucking out and clockwatching

 

[asbo]

thank you

considering the amount of rain we have had here this summer so far it has not churned up at all so far, its almost 6 acres so i will be sectioning it off into 3 with small sections for little one

was planning to put slabs down here the hay will get tied up so they are on hard standing to eat, means less waste as well as it will not get trampled into the ground