Winter routine, horses stabled, work full time

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Flowerofthefen

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Just musing and thinking ahead!!

Interested in those with horses on DIY that work full time and don't turn out during the winter, what's your routine please?

My boys went out in the mornings most of the winter but suffered with mud fever and it played havoc with their feet. Luckily I have 2 that don't mind being in so I'm considering all options for the forthcoming winter!
 
Ideally a bit of hard standing to get them out of the stable into fresh air and as much exercise as possible. I gave up turning out last year and was lucky to have a friend that hacked out on days I couldn't, ride one lead one.
 
Horsewalker, turnout pen, loose school in the arena…this was our routine last winter as the fields were so bad, turnout was half a day 3 or so times a week if we were lucky! As lib hay and a combination of the above twice a day was our only option. Ridden 4 or 5 times a week if the weather allowed but was more often 3 at most. On the plus side no mud fever..!

Not going to lie I hate winter!
 
Needtoretire said:
Ideally a bit of hard standing to get them out of the stable into fresh air and as much exercise as possible. I gave up turning out last year and was lucky to have a friend that hacked out on days I couldn't, ride one lead one.
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I have access to a housing estate to hack round if needed. My riding during the week is in the dark so I'm hoping there are street lights. I've just moved yards so it's my first winter. Will have to try ride and lead as havnt done it with these 2!! Other option is the woods but the entrance isn't wide enough for 2!!
 
Have done in the past but have turnout pens now that are a god send.
When I used to be on DIY I would get to yard 6.30/6.45, I would turnout in arena (or lunge), if turned out I would do hay, stables and make feeds then bring in. I would leave the yard at 7.45 ish to get to work for 8.30 but this was a horse job so I didn't need to change etc. Then on an evening I would exercise (usually ride) then skip out hay and feed. Think if they are stabled 24/7 getting out twice a day is important even if it just a hand graze or hand- walk (fan of walking, good for me and gets them walking in a straight line which I think is important).

This year I worked full time and had 7 horses to do.
Got on the yard before 6.30, normally 6.15. Feed (feeds made up night before), feed and take hay-nets down. As horse where eating fill Hay-nets. Feed and let out chickens and feed yard cats. Then turnout horses into turnout pens (would often change rugs as they are eating if needed but quite often they would have to sleep in turnout rugs as it was push for time). once all turned out in turnout pens that had bales and water troughs in I would start mucking stables. Most mornings I wouldn't get them all done... there were to 'blocks' as it where so I would take the filled hay-nets from the first barn of 3 round and hang them up, muckout and sweep that barn collecting feed buckets on way. Then start on barn of 4, filling and hanging hay-nets first (I hate doing hay so I do that first!). I could fit all Haynes in barrow then use barrow for mucking out.
Then when all barns mucked and swept, hay done I would rinsed feed buckets and soak feeds (grass/ alfalfa pellets measured out in buckets and left soaking so when I get back from work all I need to do is add other stuff like supplements and feed). I would have to be off the yard by 7.50 absolute latest to be washed, changed and commute to work for 9. On a night I would finish morning jobs, make feeds and bring in and shut chickens in.
 
Many years ago I was on a yard with no turnout at all so horses were stabled 24/7. They had a holiday at grass during the summer for a few weeks and we used to hand graze on forest land, we used to hack out daily all year round, easy in the summer but scarey in the winter , the roads were quieter then and we also rode on the forest tracks that we knew were safe underfoot . None of us ever had an accident but I’m not sure how we stayed safe
 
Flowerofthefen said:
I have access to a housing estate to hack round if needed. My riding during the week is in the dark so I'm hoping there are street lights. I've just moved yards so it's my first winter. Will have to try ride and lead as havnt done it with these 2!! Other option is the woods but the entrance isn't wide enough for 2!!
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Could you get a sharer to do a couple of hours riding during the week?

I have found doing bodywork on horses that they can get very stiff with lack of turnout. Bigger stables help, but no substitute for proper movement.
 
SEL said:
Could you get a sharer to do a couple of hours riding during the week?

I have found doing bodywork on horses that they can get very stiff with lack of turnout. Bigger stables help, but no substitute for proper movement.
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Unfortunately I'm one of those people who doesn't trust anyone else with their horses!! We fortunately have lovely big stables, a horse walker when the part arrives that will get it working, outside pens which are 2 times the size of the stables, so I have a few options. It may be that the winter won't be as bad and they can go out for a few hours. Just looking at options/ routines.
 
Flowerofthefen said:
Unfortunately I'm one of those people who doesn't trust anyone else with their horses!! We fortunately have lovely big stables, a horse walker when the part arrives that will get it working, outside pens which are 2 times the size of the stables, so I have a few options. It may be that the winter won't be as bad and they can go out for a few hours. Just looking at options/ routines.
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If you have a walker and pens that will work assuming they can go out or on the walker twice a day, we alternate so walker am and turnout or arena pm or vice versa x
 
The problems arise during icy weather, when you either can't get off the yard without breaking a leg, or can't ride out due to black ice etc.. You sound to have a few options to cover the worst weather. If you can turn out together so that the horses can have a gossip in the corner whilst you skip out, it helps to keep them occupied.
 
Have you had the horse on a different yard/ area? I had a horse with really bad mud fever at the slightest hint of mud and then I moved yard and he never got it again.

It might have just been that horse but could be worth a go if there are other yard options.
 
Can I ask if you're putting anything on their legs? My mare has previously really struggled with mud rash and fever but this year, I doused her legs in pig oil every other day and she's been absolutely fine. Our fields were mud pits this year too and she was out for 12 hours a day with a round bale in the field and some slight relief area in woodchip.
 
I am DIY on a yard with limited turnout in the winter.
On days that my 2 are staying in, I am at the yard for about 6am, they get turnout in the arena while I do their stables and nets etc. Same again PM but I will also ride and if not riding will try and hand graze (weather depending). I am lucky enough to work very close to the yard so on days I am working a bit later I will pop down and turnout in the arena and skip their beds out as I am conscious that the set up of little winter turnout is far from ideal.
We are lucky enough that we can still turnout every second day but horses have to be in before dark so it does mean shorter days and they also can't be out if the weather is bad. It is a long winter but the summer makes it all worth it!
 
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