winter turn out..what would be your preference

charlie76

charlie76

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Would you prefer all day turn out in wet muddy fields or three or four hours a day in dry paddocks every day? I have gone for the second option and despite the rain my fields have lots of grass and are pretty dry. Not having to hay up as still plenty to eat.
 
Neither. Would, and have moved yard when turnout was insufficient, unless it was a rare occurance, then I'd choose the dry option with less time out if I could increase their workload as compensation.
 
Neither, i'd move.

At a push, I'd rather my horse was out 24/7 even if the field was wet and muddy. Horses dont mind a bit of mud, its humans that dont like it.

And it must be costing you a fortune to feed hay all the time their in.
 
charlie76 said:
Would you prefer all day turn out in wet muddy fields or three or four hours a day in dry paddocks every day? I have gone for the second option and despite the rain my fields have lots of grass and are pretty dry. Not having to hay up as still plenty to eat.
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If moving to a better situation wasn't possible I would go for the second option. Five hours out everyday with grass to eat and good conditions is better imo than horses not moving because they are standing in one spot eating hay... *tinhat*

I know that they will then be stood in for longer so negates my argument above BUT this would be in dry not hock deep in mud and I would put nets around the stable to create some movement.
 
giveitago said:
Neither, i'd move.

At a push, I'd rather my horse was out 24/7 even if the field was wet and muddy. Horses dont mind a bit of mud, its humans that dont like it.

And it must be costing you a fortune to feed hay all the time their in.
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It would cost far more to feed all summer because you've destroyed the ground!
 
I don't agree that horses don't mind mud, I often see horses standing in knee deep mud in the gateways thoroughly fed up.
 
First option, but it depends on size and topography of field and if its possible to get out of the mud on top of a hill etc. Our field is grotty around the gateway, and can be very wet with standing water at the bottom, but top of the hill is a different matter!

If going to be fetlock deep in mud all day, in small boring flat square paddock then 2nd option.
 
charlie76 said:
Also, I think the attitude that its ok to wreck fields is fine for the horse owner but not so fine for the land owner!
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As both, it is so much more difficult and expensive in the long run to repair wrecked grounds - not aesthetically, but practically. Costs more if you then have to feed all year as parts are unusable while being re-seeded etc

I have enough that fields aren't destroyed and live out 24/7 year round, and would always want this. If I didn't have enough, I'd bring in and rotate round so that the horses didn't have to be stabled/fed all summer too.

If own land, I can understand it, but equally would want more land or less horses/better management to turn out.
If livery yard, then they have too many horses.
 
The land owner who owns our grazing is a wise man. The horses have vast fields to roam which are also grazed by sheep and cattle in summer. so turnout is always unrestricted.

Wouldn't choose a yard with poor land management but neither would I choose a yard that wasn't suitable for horses to have year round grazing.

The fields are the first thing checked when viewing a new yard and if they aren't up to the job, I find somewhere that is.
 
charlie76 said:
Would you prefer all day turn out in wet muddy fields or three or four hours a day in dry paddocks every day? I have gone for the second option and despite the rain my fields have lots of grass and are pretty dry. Not having to hay up as still plenty to eat.
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Second option.

Despite my living in La, La land, I have come to realise that not all of us are blessed with well draining fields that manage to support 8 hours of turnout or more during the winter.
 
Depends on how muddy is 'muddy', the horse in question, the other facilities at the yard and the type of livery.

In general I'd prefer the second option provided I had a horse that would cope mentally with 3-4 hours BUT only if on part/full livery and at a yard whereby there were easy exercise options - i.e. a good floodlit non-freezing school / access to good hacking.

Restricted turnout is a nightmare if working full time and on DIY and if I were in that position (which I'm not) then all day turnout is pretty essential or reasonably priced assitance with bringing in.
 
My horse's choice this time of year is a cattle pen with loads of hay. In the field he worries about coming in with everyone else/being left on his own. In his pen he eats happily all day.
 
ihatework said:
Depends on how muddy is 'muddy', the horse in question, the other facilities at the yard and the type of livery.

In general I'd prefer the second option provided I had a horse that would cope mentally with 3-4 hours BUT only if on part/full livery and at a yard whereby there were easy exercise options - i.e. a good floodlit non-freezing school / access to good hacking.

Restricted turnout is a nightmare if working full time and on DIY and if I were in that position (which I'm not) then all day turnout is pretty essential or reasonably priced assitance with bringing in.
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Agreed. Personally I wouldn't mind as long as I could exercise my horse every day, there was plenty of ad lib hay available and that it suited the horse in question. TBH in the winter, ESP at weekends, I'd be surprised if many horses get more than 5 hours turnout if in work...
 
ihatework said:
Depends on how muddy is 'muddy', the horse in question, the other facilities at the yard and the type of livery.

In general I'd prefer the second option provided I had a horse that would cope mentally with 3-4 hours BUT only if on part/full livery and at a yard whereby there were easy exercise options - i.e. a good floodlit non-freezing school / access to good hacking.

Restricted turnout is a nightmare if working full time and on DIY and if I were in that position (which I'm not) then all day turnout is pretty essential or reasonably priced assitance with bringing in.
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Absolutely.

My mare hates being in. Weaves and box walks and generally frets. So out in the mud would always be the better option for her.

BH could do the second option but only if I could get help as I can't come back and get him after only four hours. Plus it would be on the proviso the school was good and there was a walker as I can't hack in the dark or ride on a frozen school and then he'd only be out of his box four hours a day which would be unacceptable.
 
amymay said:
I have come to realise that not all of us are blessed with well draining fields that manage to support 8 hours of turnout or more during the winter.
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Sadly this is very true.

First option for me, but that depends on how much mud. If we're talking dangerous then it would have to be the second option
 
Hmmm, well it would be lovely to have stable at night and decent turnout during the day. I almost have this where I am, but each horse gets a small field, so his has got muddy really quickly and he doesn't really like mud, he escaped into next doors field the other day to have a gallop and eat in the lovely field! :D Needless to say I have now brought him in and he has been in for a few days now to try and dry his field out so he gets some turnout this winter! Luckily he doesn't mind his stable as long as he gets worked. :) Wouldn't know what to do where I am, if my pony didnt like being in, and feel sorry for those on my yard with horses that have to go out or they go crazy. Paddocks are more mud than grass now. :(
 
With current horse who lives out anyway the first option as she is super hardy and doesn't like stabling (neither do I) but with most horses who live on a yard I would think the second option would be fine :-)
 
I would rather mine are out as much as possible I have 4 that live out in a 20 something acre fild withmy dads horses and cattle they have plenty of grass but often stand in mud up to knees playing with it! My other 3 come in at night but are out all day I try to keep them off the mud by regularly moving my electric fence and changing the gateway! But they have other ideas and within a hour or so my tb has dug a nice muddy hole to play with! I think it depends on the horses them selves some love mud and as long as there is a drier bit of ground they can get to there's is no reason to reduce their turnout where as others I no refuse to leave their stables at here sight of mud!
 
Neither. I moved yard when I had to choose between mud or pretty much 24/7 stabling. The yard was over-stocked through greed.

Now my pony has turn out 24/7 on well drained, under-stocked paddocks :)
 
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