Winter Turnout: is that happening to everyone?

Mine go out every day from about 6.30am until 6.30pm. I wouldn't (couldn't due to working hours!) want any less. In an ideal world I'd have them out with access to a good barn where we could put a big bale of hay/haylage. The little broodmares at our yard have this set up and come and go as they please, it's lovely. By this time of the year, when most of their grass (smallish paddock) has gone, they're glued to the hay most of the time but they go out for a good blast every now and again and some time in the sun when they want.

Having said that, our field still has plenty of grass in it and although mine are waiting by the gate to come in, I think it's because they're the last two out and they're good at judging time! If get there an hour early they're nowhere to be seen.

I had to visit a yard nearby the other day to collect something and I was horrified. I knew they have mares /geldings out on alternate days but I wasn't prepared for seeing so many crammed into makeshift stables in every corner of the place and fields that are totally trashed (depite limiting the grazing). It's clearly a case of piling them high for maximum cash and not givng a monkeys about what's best for them. I know my YO won't have more than 12 liveries as the land won't take it (actually it would probably take another 4 or 5 but I'm not complaining!) despite the yard having enough outbuildings to make stables for about 30 and it's why I'll never leave.
 
Current yard & previous yard never restrict turnout,one before that did. My older horse hates being in but he did cope when in as the stables were huge,everything was in & I had time to work him hard everyday. He now lives out 24/7 & I'd to see him cooped up,youngster goes out for 6-7 hrs a day & in at night. We're very lucky at our yard to have access to plenty of land so can easily rest fields that get trashed & there's always loads of grass in Summer,too much generally as most at the yard are very good doers!
 
xgemmax said:
Not sure where you are, but the rain hasn't stopped here, been horrible wet winter and our fields are water logged! (Kent)
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I'm SE, Surrey. Surely this year is heaps drier that last year. Last December / January the rain seemed never ending, and the land was wettest have seen.
 
I've got 2.5 acres turnout for a 15.2hh hunter and midget pony. Until mare did herself a mischief they were out every day and it was fine. Fields are wet but fine.

Since mare has injured herself they have both been in. We have used electric bungee gates to tape off part of the yard so the mare can wander about. As a result, we have seen that it works quite well so the next step is that we are chopping off a bit of the paddock at the yard by moving the fence further into the paddock and concreting from the yard to the fence which will give us a pretty large concrete turnout pad for when its really wet. It means that she can wander in and out of her stable, be under cover if she wants but also out for a wander when she feels like it. My OH is majorly Man of the Month for this idea!!!

I hate the idea of keeping them in all day - I've always been a "turn them out every day" kind of person. Having her on box rest has made me see there is a compromise to be had. I will obviously turn out every day I can though but the concrete yard will be a life saver.
 
Prince33Sp4rkle said:
i think winter turnout is scarce but not impossible to find-i teach at 2 reasonable size yards and on 1 its total DIY and each horse has 1 paddock approx 1/2 acre for the owner to strip graze/split as they wish. They can turnout for however long they want but if they trash their bit, thats it until it grows back. Most horses on that yard seem to go out all day and in at night. The ground is average.

on the other yard its a mix of DIY and part and the ground is much wetter and they are restricted a little ie no turnout if the ground is totally sodden, but as soon as the rain stops a few hours a day. Nothing is out for more than half at day atm.

you need a lot of good land to support horses out all day.

Mine are at home and have 2 paddocks each, both approx 1/2 acre (1 for winter and 1 for summer). We are on VERY well draining sandy soil and have no mud so 100% of each paddock is grazing. They are out 6.30am-3pm and the land copes with that fine, we have grass left at the end of winter and still no mud. But not many yards that i see rotate paddocks or allow anywhere near an acre(total)per horse and thats where it goes wrong.
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Wow your fields are fantastic! Which area are you in?
 
Round us there are a lot of yards that either have no winter TO or have restrictions in place. We are almost at sea level and it doesn't take much for everything to get very wet. Due to travelling with work and no horsey (or willing) family members I have to be on a yard that offers services which does restrict the option of managing grazing and fields yourself. Current yard keeps the fields open for as long as possible but then shuts them until spring - this winter i think we made it to late October. We have a fab school with floodlights, a sand lunge ring which also doubles as a sand turnout ring and a horse walker. I try and make sure my pony does 2 out of 3 everyday (TO, walker and exercise) and ideally he is turned out in the sand everyday for probably about an hour (twice a week he goes out with his mate which is very exciting). It works for us, my pony is an established 10 year old who is relatively calm and in full work. I think if I had a youngster who wasn't ridden I would sacrifice the facilities for turnout.

The main concern I have is reintroducing grass as my pony is a chubby native adn I have laminitis-paranoia, so he will still be restricted after the fields open - starting with only 1-2 hours turnout a day and building up.
 
Pretty lucky I guess in that I'm on a yard where it's 365 turnout all year - Winter is turnout during the day only and Spring/Summer/Autumn is Out over night and in during the day, or vica versa, whichever suits you/your horse.

Winter field is perfect as it's undulating non-fertilised old meadow type grasses with lots of shelter and bunkers for the occupants to hide in, should they want to get out of the winter weather if/when it is upon us.
 
Mine go out every day for however long I want depending on my schedule. Summer is 24/7 for seven months. Winter they do have to come in at night but no restrictions on day turnout ever. However only 3 in a large field and whilst muddy at gateway we are chalk downs with good grass cover so very little mud.
 
I wonder if the yards that have no turnout in the winter have problems in the spring with re-introducing grass again to the horses diets as they end up going on to fields that been rested for 4 months or more with lots of grass after having no grass for the same amount of time.

I would not have a problem with my pony being in a field with less grass in the summer to ensure he had winter turnout but he is a fat native so he does not need a lot of grass to maintain his weight whereas I understand with poor doers the situation may be different.

I expect also big shod horses that are active/playful in the field are more likely to poach the ground than smaller or unshod horses or those who not so active.

I am in the SE and as I said all the yards I know of have all year turnout for at least part of the day.
 
All these livery yards with turnout problems must have overcrowding situations, as in there are too many horses per acre for the farm to sustain proper turnout all year round.
 
Where I am turnout restrictions are very common. Apart from a few pockets it is clay soil which doesn't cope with wet weather and drains poorly.
Add to that land is very expensive and not that plentiful. So in a situation where you would need more acres per horse to sustain the turnout with that soil, many yards have less land than ideal.

First yard I was at in North London, only had alternate day turnout (mares one day, geldings the next), that caused problems as after a whole day in, the horses were more likely to run around. Land soon got very muddy and with nothing to eat, horses even more likely to get into trouble. I knew of others in the area that followed the alternate day method or some didn't turn out when the weather was poor.

I moved further out to Herts and Ghostie's experience sounds very familiar as many yards promise turnout but then as soon as the weather gets bad or the fields muddy, they go back on their word. I have managed to get turnout but by making it a must have , I probably discount about 3/4 of the yards in the area. Many that do give every day turnout out are mud baths and they do not feed hay in the field so bored horses hang around the gate or mess around. I am currently in the east bit of Herts so close to Essex borders and talking to people, the situation is bad there.
 
I've just moved to a small yard of just 7 horses. There are no restrictions but we choose to turn out during the day in the winter for 6 or 7 hours then in. All the horses are content as we've plenty of grass on old well drained pasture and all of them get ad lib hay too.

At this time of year I think quite a lot of horses seem to prefer to be in with their mates stuffing themselves on hay, than standing out in the elements. Come the better weather of course they'll be screaming to be out, but right now, we're guided by them and not by any yard rules.
 
This year we still have turnout but we're on clay and it's very deep in places although still enough grass. Most are turning out a few days a week and keeping in the rest as the horses really aren't that keen on being out and glad to come back in, some are keeping in 24/7 and others out everyday.

Some years we have total field closures, like last year when the ground was absolutely horrific due to the rain and flooding that we had locally. Then we have 2 schools, a walker and good hacking that we can use but no loose turnout. Generally closures aren't for more than a few weeks during the worst of the winter so it's not too much of an issue.
 
Hmmmm it seems like A LOT of people are still turning out. I thought it was just in the South East, but now when I'm driving about I spot every single horse in the field (as you do) and think 'They're out!!)

What do people think of full livery yards? Do they usually have all year turnout?
 
I'm in Bedfordshire and used to be on full livery. Winter turnout was non existent on some yards. sone they got a few hours. I do miss being on a yard sometimes but being in charge of when and how long my horses stay out makes up for it.
 
Mine are in at night and can go out everyday if I want - they tend to go out at least 4 times per week depending on whether I'm riding, etc. They usually go out at 8 and come in anywhere between 12 and 3. :) Benefits of being on a farm with lots of land and being on DIY. IME it is mainly full/part livery or those with yards with limited grazing where turnout is an issue.
 
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