Why do u bring in?

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White socks

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Just wondering why we bring our horses in for the winter? Is it because the horse is loosing weight, weather, convenience, mud?
I do it because I feel guilty about them being out in the cold/wet/rain( they are probably fine) and so I have a clean horse to ride in the morning.....:) what about u?
 
Because im lazy and hate mud..

Its also yard policy, my mare is the worlds biggest wuss and gets cold in summer, and only has to see rain to loose weight lol

Lou x
 
Firstly to preserve the grazing - I like to have them out 24/7 form mar - oct, and if wintered them out would have less grass available in the spring, and fields that are harder to recover.

Secondly, because mine hunt it is easier to manage their excercise and needs if closer to the yard, and I find it easier to maintain their condition if stabled overnight.
 
We bring our herd into a big barn and corral for the winter, as its easier to feed them and they do not churn up the ground

DEFRA actually have regulation stating that you shouldn't poach your ground if you are part of the stewardship sceheme. This is why you don't often see cattle out all year round.
 
We bring in for around 12 hours daily year round, in summer because of flies and too much grass, in winter because of mud/weather and supplimental feeding. They all bang on the gates to come in winter or summer and don't like being out all the time. Even with a field shelter they will go and lie down inside, or stand in out of the rain or flies.
 
Mien are very good doer's, but come in for the night as in the winter when they are cold & hungry they get up to mischief such as (escaping out the field) We have had new fencing put up now so they can't, but just for piece of mind we still want them in as twice we have had a call during the night. They also stand at the gate 24/7 in all the mud.
 
Yard policy in the winter - but his feet definitely benefit from allowing to dry out overnight as before he was in at night in winter, he suffered from abscesses.

On a vainer note, it is nice to be able to put him to bed and ride in the morning without having to de mud first!
 
Because he won't stay out come wind, rain or shine! He's happy out for the afternoon but come early evening he's more than ready to come in and will go up and down the fence line until I go get him.. :p
 
In at night over winter because:

1. To save the ground a bit when conditions are bad
2. Convenience - easier to muck out than tootle round fields in the dark & mush to pooh-pick & also ensures they are properly checked twice daily.
4. To ensure that Fuzzies get the right amount of scoff as big difference in sizes
5. Cos I can - as its mine :D

Summer paddocks are on higher ground, with shelters so out 24/7 (but further away from yard)
 
Because we have clay soil so our fields would look ploughed I should think if I tried to do 365 turn out.... not to mention that my bunch adore their stables, and it seems silly to have empty stables and ponies yelling to come in!! I do meanly make them live out in the summer though, and restrict stable time to a few hours a day!
 
When we first brought our land they had to stay out - cob, in foal TB, TB yearling, & 3yr old TBX - for the first two winters. They were rugged to the hilt, fed hard food & plenty of hay, & did very well indeed., The ground however really suffered, & now we have the stables & yard they come in, but the main reason is to preserve the ground as best we can, not because they really need to.
 
Mainly to dry legs and hooves. Also, the ensure they get the right amount of food, One of the geldings in Markie's field really doesn't see why any other horse should have hay, apart from himself, and spends hours moving them about instead of sticking to a pile (I know, we've all been there!).
Also, I think they're accustomed to it. Markie stayed out for 6 weeks longer than usual, the last 2 weeks of that he was not impressed at all and had to be dragged back out to the field.
 
Yard rules! Ours have to be in at night after the clocks change. Mine still get 12hrs turnout a day though.If I could have a lovely big field that drains as well as mine and had enough grass for it, plus stables for tacking up, plus a school, mine would never come in!
 
Personal convenience, although the mornings are a pain, benefits the feet, preserving the field although the field is large its amazing what the a difference it makes to the grazing, a chance for them to bunk down and dry off, a chance for me to check them over in the light, routine and also they just stand there moping when all the others come in, they don't move, they don't eat, even though they know its another 2 hrs before they come in, that says to me that they want to be in at night.
 
To save on costs - cannot see the point in feeding a horse to have it shiver off that weight in the wind and rain.

I also have very fit horses that are hunting on a weekly basis so they are clipped and need to come in to stay fit.
To save the ground. I have two sacrifice fields for the winter and the youngsters and brood mares use them
Last but not least, my horses prefer to be in. The fit horses were all turned out today and within a couple of hours they were waiting at the gate to come in. Plenty of grass but they were stood at the gate waiting. It was not feed time so that was not the reason, they had just had enough time to eat a bellyful of grass, get filthy and had enough!

The youngsters are much the same, they are all in a large loose area and if it is really wet and I open the door for them to go out, they will walk outside, turn around and come back in. They are not stupid.
 
1, all have individual feed needs, so easier to get them in to feed and groom

2, Limits grazing time ( ponies esp)

3, Saves the ground when really wet

Above all all mine love to come in, they are thoroughly spoilt.
 
-grazing not good enough to support 24/7 turnout in winter
-saves field from being too churned up
-Helps keep weight on horse as he can come in at night and eat haylege

though I would not be happy if he had no turn out at all, I believe daily turnout is important all the year round
 
Ours all come in at night over the winter mainly because the fields can't take it! They're large but the horses like to charge about and mess them up as much as they possibly can, and this way it gives it a chance to try and grow. It's also nice for them to be able to dry off after being rained on all day, they always wait at the gate from about 3 onwards (they come in at about 9pm) so I'm sure they look forward to their evenings inside!
In the summer two come in and two stay out - the two that come in overnight are laminitic, the others stay out and snooze in the shelters at night. Sometimes if it's really hot in the day or the flies are terrible (one gets very bad sweetitch), they'll come in for a little bit in the middle of the day because other than the field shelters which they refuse to share, there isn't really that much natural shelter in our fields.
 
Mainly because the fields would get trashed if they were out 24/7 in winter.
They do like coming in on cold wet nights and make me feel guilty if I leave them out!
 
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