Winter Options - which one to choose?

Hippophilia

Hippophilia

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Which would you choose? My mare is a 23 yr old TB who is rugged and unclipped. I'm in Canada and we have winter temps of -25 and lots of snow.

Option A) Mare is out 24/7 on 30 acres. No built shelters but a large (30x40) area enclosed on 3 sides by barn walls with straw put down along one wall. The herd (14 horses) has access to round bales in the catch pen during the day and are then turned out into the large pasture (where the sheltered area is) overnight.
Pros: Freedom of movement, social contact with herd, ad lib hay
Cons: No built shelter, no feed overnight, herd is large and she has has some issues being at the bottom of the pecking order due to her age.

Option B) In stall overnight (6pm -6am) and out in small individual paddock during the day. Mare would have other horses on either side and would be fed 3 times a day.
Pros: Overnight shelter, feed overnight
Cons: Paddock is very small so little freedom of movement and limited social contact, no ad lib hay, I won't be riding every day so lack of exercise.

Neither option is ideal, I would prefer her to be in overnight and out with the herd during the day but the YO does not offer this (I have a newborn and no child care so would not be able to be up to the yard to turn her out/bring in every day). At our previous yard she was out all winter, but had a built shelter and was in a smaller herd (max 5).
 
What does she normally get?

Honestly i would go for B or you will have a hell of a time keeping weight on.
 
I would have gone for A if it were not for the fact that she would have problems being bottom of the pecking order. At her age, this could cause untold stress to her and I would be beside myself with worry. So long as she can touch other horses whilst in her individual turnout, then she may well be happier not being hassled by others bossing her around. My only worry is that she would not have ad lib hay.
 
I would choose option A but if she struggles with weight loss due to no hay overnight, I think that is what you are saying happens, then move her onto option B for the rest of the winter so she can keep her weight up.

Why they do not get adlib hay in the temperatures you get I find rather odd, I think enfys who is Canada based feeds big bales adlib all winter.
 
Hippophilia said:
At our previous yard she was out all winter, but had a built shelter and was in a smaller herd (max 5).
Click to expand...

How did she fare with this?

I find the horses with built shelter and the horses in natural shelter don't show any diference in temperature/weight. As long as there is decent natural shelter and the large shelter stated I wouldn't be worried about that. I also find that the pecking order is kinder in larger herds than smaller ones.

If weight is a massive issue then hard feed too (though not tonnes, or they pack themselves up without forage). If out with a large herd though, if they all start dipping I'd expect haylage fed in addition.

Pan
 
Thanks for all your replies. Our previous yard provided ad lib hay 24/7 and combined with the warm winter we had plus her hard feed she came out of last winter almost in show condition :o
The lack of hay overnight is odd, I really don't know why it is done like that. The yard is an emergency stop-gap after the fees were put up suddenly at our old place just before my mat leave began. I have misgivings about both options so I might try to speak to my YO again about turning her out with the herd but giving her a stall at night. I never see any other liveries up there so don't really feel I could ask them for help with turning out, and while I have a sharer she is a bit flaky. Sigh. :(
 
B as in a large herd she may be bullied away from the hay during the day (though this does depend on how big the catch pen is, and how many round bales they share).

Re: over night on option A, surely they will eat the straw, so do have access to some forage.
 
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I'd keep her in at night. Enough food, shelter and some company is better than lack of shelter and very restricted food. The others will get first go on the round bales and make her wait until they've filled themselves up, she won't get much eating time being bottom of the pecking order.
 
I am very pro living out but those temps are pretty low and I imagine at her age and status in the herd she will appreciate option B. The food situ sounds much better - how big is the paddock? If it is just small compared to 30 acres then that is massive! I don't mind individual turnout either if they can touch over the fence.
 
I have mine living out 24/7 but the past 2 winters they were part of a herd where one of mine at 21 was the very bottom of the pecking order. First winter I brought him in so he could have his own space without all the mares being bargy with him and then last winter luckily half of the herd stayed in over night. It was just my 2 and a friends livery living out so my 'omega' pony came in for an hour in the evening to stuff himself with as much hay as he wanted as my other pony whose the boss would steal everything! Then they all got another couple of slices with a shelter full of straw to nibble at.

Unless ad lib forage was offered over night especially when its that cold:eek: I would let her enjoy her own space and food, preferably with a friend who is low down in the pecking order.
 
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