Who's horses live out through the winter?

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FrankieBoy

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I've not had a horse live out 24/7 but Starla's hardy enough and has never really been a fan of le stable, so I've had a field shelter built and she's got nice and hairy. The Shetland obviously has always lived out, no problems. My only concern is when to rug her, i plan to have her clipped as she is so hairy riding for more than ten minutes is a sweaty business for her. I will only have a bib done, but when I do, will she need a rug? If so, will she need a neck on it? I wasn't going to rug her until it is very very cold, but now I'm planning to clip her a little will she really feel the cold?
Any help greatly received. Thanks in advance
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all my girls live out 24/7. 2 are fully clipped so are rugged but the other 2 arent. They will only get rugged when the weather is really bad, other than that they will stay naked.
i would say that you wont need to rug if you are only doing a bib clip, but something like a light sheet will help keep her clean and dry ready for you to ride.
 
Mine will. She's got a high trace clip so will be rugged when the weather is yukky. She will accept the occasional night in. She spent about 5 nights in last winter when it was really stormy. just feels like turning out a Kangeroo the next morning however lol
 
Mine is out 24/7, clipped and rugged. They only get haylage when grass is low or we have 3ft of snow like last year. [image]
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How do you out-24/7 guys manage the dreaded mud fever issue?

I've a two year old filly and try as I may I haven't been able to keep her out full-time during winter. She's well fed and rugged, but despite applying Pig Oil every couple of days or so, and using Keratex Mud Shield Powder daily (and Aromaheel when a scab forms) it inevitably gets worse and she needs to come in at night to dry off for things to be manageable. The fields are only yukky by the exit gate, and except for a couple of particularly wet weeks, she's not plastered in wet mud or anything when living out. Mostly it's just her hooves that are muddy. It's the damp that seems to affect her and there's nowt much I can do to avoid that.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated, as I'd love her to stay out more. We've the space and she's got company, so there's no reason to bring her in, other than for the irritating mud fever problem rearing it's ugly head.
 
Mine all live out, rugged for most of the winter - they are all TBx and I'm in the north of Scotland. I just play it by ear with the rugs - the fat half Welsh has only had a lightweight on the past few days because the rain has been horizontal; the skinny full TB has had his thicker rug on a few times now. Just see how she goes and what the weather does, they are usually fine in dry, still weather even if it's really cold, it's the rain and wind that chills them.
 
What beautiful photos. My cob will be out this year for first time. Only planning to rug when very very cold.
 
Spyda- I never wash his legs through the winter and I have never (touch wood) have any mud fever problems. We also rotate the grazing in the paddock and I fence off the gateway area so it doesn't get churned up. I sometimes wonder if applying stuff does make the problem worse. The only thing I did do last winter was apply hoof oil to there feet to prevent the snow from building up
 
My NF pony lives out all year 24/7, unclipped as he is only two but also unrugged all winter. He copes just fine and they get haylage when there is nothing left to eat. Had no issue's with mud fever, bad weather etc.
 
My two live out all year round. They are both tb. Zoomy is clipped so is rugged.

Monty has a lightweight rug on but he is 29 so needs it! He won't have a heavier one on untill it starts to really frost.
 
I have 32 acres for 10 horses and we rotate fields and grow our own hay.

If mine were out 24/7 even in this climate - which is mild - our paddocks would become horse-sick and poached. Mine are out at the monent and will come in at night during the next two weeks.

I find that even with rugs and field shelters my horses enjoy sinking into a deep straw bed and getting off their legs. More work for me but I don't mind.
 
Mine live out. Meg doesn't approve of being in and won't settle so therefore she rarely eats, cue skinny meg! I think it has something to do with Hunting?!? lol If stabled in the summer she would be ok, but there is no point. She will get rugged when the weather turns nasty, but i hold off for as long as possible cos she has a habit of shredding her rugs! grrrr. Juno stays out, gets very fluffy. its better for her joints if she keeps moving. She too, is more relaxed out. Mischief is going to be the one we will keep an eye on. She has always been stabled before and rugged - but as she is 11.2hh welshie, she should battle out the elements with the others! our field has brilliant thick hedges and you can easily tuck away out of the wind.
 
Mine all live out 24/7 all year round, including our Scottish blizzards. They have access to 2 large stables. I currently have 2 elderly natives and my competition horse who is a Luso x TB (and a real woose). I've hunter clipped my Luso in previous years and wintered him out still perfectly happily. One of the natives also has a blanket clip just now (as she gets such a thick coat, it turns into dreads over the winter and is truly disgusting and unhygenic!).

As long as they are rugged well and have shelter etc. then I believe any horse can live out, clipped and all (as long as not full clip!).
 
What beautiful photos.

I'd love for my horses to live out most of the time if they could, but it's not really the routine of our yard - if that makes sense? I'm hoping my foal (when it's born) is weaned I could have him living out more than in.
 
My pony lives out during all year as he protests at being stabled. He prefers being out with hardly any grass to being in with lots of hay.

He did get mud fever the first year I had him but then when I realised he was such an outdoor boy I moved yards to a better set up. He does not wait around by the gate and we do not have a lot of mud - also as the fields are rotated we only have to feed hay during the worst of the weather when there is snow and the place where they are feed is a dry area of the field and the hay is spread out in lots of piles.

I think if you are going to keep them out then you need to be at a yard which has enough grazing and is set up for keeping them out and it is easier if you keep the numbers in the herd down - there are 8 in my ponies group and there are two huge winter field.

My pony is chaser clipped and just has a LW on as he is prone to getting porky when he goes onto the winter grazing as the fields are rested for 8 months so have plenty of grass. If he starts to loose weight or it gets very very cold he has a MW on - neither of his rugs have necks. If it is exceptionally cold eg -12C he has his HW on.
 
My lot live out all year unrugged. They have a field shelter and natural shelter. I have 3 fields so can move them around if one is starting to get muddy. Haven't had mud fever probs but I was always lead to believe it can be caused by an organism in the soil that makes horses prone to it.
 
ive got 2 out this year
3year old wimpy WB filly
19yo ISH mare
both fluffy balls already and happy as larry in 10 acres.
key is giving enough grass/hay to keep them warm and having somewhere dry to stand.
horses cope with dry cold amazingly. its long wet cold spells that can cause issues. i would just rug as needed.
 
Ours always live out all winter, only the old one gets a rug (MW) as he has little natural shelter. No mude fever, and one has thick feathers. Wouldn't have it any other way and I don't think they would either.
 
Mine are out at night and in during the day during the winter and prefer it this way (they are only out a few hours a day during summer as they get fat quickly), it means they don't get involved in and disputes around the gateway in the evenings too.
 
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