Winter Turnout: is that happening to everyone?

Mine used to be on grass livery (no stable), so lack of turnout would have been a wee problem... :D

Now, they're out "to their eyeballs" in mud (not quite, but certainly very little sight of green remains), and happy as the proverbial porcines therein... I moved them to the protected paddock when the ground was frozen so that it wouldn't get churned up, but tomorrow, they get to go wading again...it looks awful, but seems to be fine, so far. My sympathy to those with restricted turnout.
 
If the barn and school are of a decent size and sufficient forage is provided I'd stay put unless you can find somewhere whose fields drain very well that can guarantee daily turnout. Mine is out between 7 and 12 hours a day (with adlib hay) depending on the shifts I'm working, if I ride and when I ride but the field is currently at least half mud pit (not the biggest field to start with). I'd be happier with a decent sized hardstanding area or track system if I'm honest as long as there was company and enough hay or a stupidly big field that was well draining so that he wasn't stood in mud all day.
 
I would be quite happy with turnout in a barn or sand school. Personally, if winter turnout is the only issue, and the alternative turnout options work then I would be staying put, better the devil you know and all that.

Generally, horses don't gallop about madly for hours, they have a bit of a hooley perhaps, have a roll, then eat or doze, contrary to belief acres and acres of turnout are not necessary, nice, but not necessary. In winter, or when the ground is not to their liking they eat, drink and sleep. Mine have access to a field, very occasionally they will have a run into the field but on the whole they choose to stay in a quarter acre section. If they had a bedded down barn I seriously doubt that they would ever choose to venture out of it at this time of year.
 
I moved yard because the winter turnout was getting more and more restricted. New yard will get them out everyday even if it is only for an hour or 2.
 
I think it depends on the yard, the grazing vs no of horses, individual turnout in teeny fields and type of soil.

Everywhere gets a bit muddy in the winter and I think some people get overly precious about the ground looking messy and muddy. I know there are obviously exceptions to that and TBH in those cases you're better off not turning out as the horses are likely to get an injury anyway.

Personally I would move if turnout was restricted regularly in the winter but that's only because it is the exception rather than the rule where I live.
 
Our turnout is weather dependent, which I think is a sensible approach. When it is nice, they are out from 8-3. If it is yuk they stay in and go on the walker and / or get ridden.
It seems to work well there's not too much hoolying, and no standing bored at the gates hassling to come in. The paddocks are in pretty good nick too, so far.
 
That's not true I get daily turnout in winter and there are no restrictions, we are sensible and would keep them in if the weather is terrible to save the fields but mine rarely stay in.
 
I guess it depends on where you are! the yard my horse is on (North East Scotland) has as much turnout as you want all year round! at the moment my horse goes out around 7am and comes back in around 5:30pm. in summer they are out 24/7
 
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.
 
My horse is on a yard with 365 day turn out and she goes out every single day. Only people with the smaller paddocks are asked to restrict turnout.
 
No! Ours go out prectically everyday for at least 4 hours. They have been having full days 8-4 up until last week and are now out 8-1.30. Think I've only kept them in for 2 days this winter :)
 
Personally Iwould not have a horse if it did not get a minimum of 8 hours turnout a day luckily like others mine are out 24/7 and we do not have any mud
 
Mine are usually out from 7am - 6.30pm in the winter (but come in earlier at weekends). My fields drain well and all mine were brought up on the wild west coast of Ireland so don't give a stuff about the wind and the rain. However this winter I have fenced off half my grazing due to sycamore seeds and the deer seem to have come in and eaten my grass right down as I have never had so little grazing. Consequently I put haylage out, and once they have filled up on that they look for a variety of interesting ways to entertain themselves by hooning about & shredding each other's rugs. I also have a new horse that arrived in very poor condition that doesn't really seem to settle down and eat when turned out so he has been coming in at lunchtime with one other as a companion. They are now all gate hanging at lunchtime waiting to come in as they are perfectly happy tucked up in a stable with ad lib haylage. I am not worried about my grass recovering, but it is easier to nip out of work at lunchtime and fetch them in during daylight hours than it is to try & bring 5 in together by headtorch!
 
Depends where you are I guess. In the South East there are now very few yards that offer guaranteed daily turnout over winter, which is a lot different to what was available 5 years ago. If the rain would just bloody STOP we might get some time out in the fields but the yard is on clay so everything is waterlogged.
 
Please don't blame the YO's/farmers.

Everything is liquid toffee at the moment; and one horse (or two even!) galloping round for ten minutes can and does cause a helluva lot of damage, then if YO/farmer puts up the fees to mitigate against repairing said damage, livery then grouses!

My livery has had 24/7 turnout this year; my own horses have had to be restricted tho'!! - as the field which the livery uses has been drained and is therefore serviceable, but where my horses are is like a bog and they're pulling off shoes for a pastime :( Drainage problem shortly to be addressed, hopefully!
 
I have 24/7 all year turnout if I want it (and I do!!) My YO has the attitude of 'if you mess it up you just mess it up for yourself'. I do have a giant field though with just one pony in it. I usually cut it in half but with all the rain lately, I have opened the whole thing now as it is a bit poached up and gross at the front. It seems to be especially muddy this year!
I agree most yards don't seem to offer this anymore though (my local ones all seem to have an overload of horses and not enough grazing) Guess I wont be moving anytime soon!
 
Mine stay out 24/7. Winter field is 5 acres split in half. 2 in one side and 2 in the other. Each half has a wood chip post and rail paddock and a double field shelter attached to it. They don't use the shelters much but do go and stand on the woodchips for a snooze.

Summer field is approx 3 acres and has been rested since September. The soil is sandy and drains really well and I will be moaning come summer that I have way too much grass. One needs restricted grazing so he will stay in the winter field on a bit they have already eaten down all spring/summer.
 
Couldn't bare it if my ponies were in; I get stressed if they come in for more than a couple of hours :(

I rest my 5 acre field from April until October so there's always lots of grass and I don't have to feed hay.

In summer they get hay on half an acre paddock, much better for native pones :)
 
Round our way it is all thick heavy clay that turns to deep mud in a nano-second, most the yards are the same apart from the very expensive full livery yards.

Last year we had turnout but they were practically knee deep and miserable, they just wanted to come in the entire time so spent a lot of time in, my oldie couldn't cope in the mud; he was so stiff and couldn't get away from the younger herd members in the mud so we moved in spring to a yard which had no winter turnout but a huge barn and massive stables. They've been in since October and after a month of high energy they have settled down and are comfortable and happy. One has the odd moment of being over excited but on the whole they are happier than last year and not stiff :-) The cold really gets to him
 
9tails said:
Depends where you are I guess. In the South East there are now very few yards that offer guaranteed daily turnout over winter, which is a lot different to what was available 5 years ago. If the rain would just bloody STOP we might get some time out in the fields but the yard is on clay so everything is waterlogged.
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Has it not been a fairly dry winter this year? There hasnt been that much rain? Compared to last winter, has been a positive drought? But clay will stay wet all winter.
 
Bexx said:
Both of mine have been out 8.30-4 all winter and will continue to be until they go out overnight it the summer. Plenty of yards manage their turnout correctly and offer it all year, you just have to find them
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I think I agree with this.

I think if you are going to run a livery yard on clay.

You need more than an acre per horse (that is expecting all day turnout).

To have summer and winter fields.

To invest in hardcore in gates, and invest in proper drainage across fields.

To have some alternatives – wood chip paddocks / hard standing areas / turnout pens for the worst months.

I think keeping grass cover is important, I know a local yard that restricts to 4 hours grazing all winter, and maximum 6 in summer, to maintain grass cover for limiting mud.
 
I have 24/7 turnout (but I am not on livery - my land/yard is rented).
I have approx. 10 acres in total for the horses (there is more land but its under conservation rules). Their main field was pretty churned up early on because it was topped late in the year and had vehicles going through doing the fencing, so should be better next year. The spare field which is about 5-6 acres is quite muddy and horrible by the gate now.

Unfortunately we are on clay, and even if they had the whole 15 acres it'd still look awful. This is between two horses.

However, it always always recovers by march when it dries out, so I am not too worried as I'll get it harrowed and they will go on restricted grazing as soon as it is dry enough.

Nowhere in my area that I know of doesn't have winter turnout. There is a yard near to me that used to be a livery yard but no-one would go there because they didn't have winter turnout, so they closed the yard.

That said, if you were allowed to turn out every day just for a couple of hours then use the barn for the rest of they day I would be relatively happy with that, as they can still mooch and move around.
 
I've not been on a single yard yet that restricted winter grazing and wouldn't touch one with a barge pole; but, as PS says, many yards don't allow enough grazing per horse.

In your shoes, though, I may stay put . . . access to the barn for turnout sounds very handy.

P
 
wingedhorse said:
Has it not been a fairly dry winter this year? There hasnt been that much rain? Compared to last winter, has been a positive drought? But clay will stay wet all winter.
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Not sure where you are, but the rain hasn't stopped here, been horrible wet winter and our fields are water logged! (Kent)
 
I've got 3 at a yard in the South East, about 5 miles out from the city centre so not hugely rural. 2 are out 24/7, 1 comes in at night but can go out/come in whenever we want and has spent the odd night out if he's been a ****** to catch. They yard also has good facilities so it's not necessarily a case of either/or.

Their field isn't big enough for them in the 'X acres per horse' sense and there's hardly any grass left, but they have ad-lib haylage in the field so never go hungry, some bits are still green and the farmer's attitude is that it'll come back fine in the Spring.

I've always kept horses in the SE or N London, and always been within a reasonable distance of a yard with at least daytime turnout every day through the winter so I'd suggest it's worth having a drive around the local area or ask at local tack shops etc because you might be able to find something better.
 
PolarSkye said:
I've not been on a single yard yet that restricted winter grazing and wouldn't touch one with a barge pole; but, as PS says, many yards don't allow enough grazing per horse.

In your shoes, though, I may stay put . . . access to the barn for turnout sounds very handy.

P
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Just to add . . . we're in the South East (Hampshire/Berkshire border) . . .
 
in my area hardly any yards have decent all year turnout. He had everyday turnout up until xmas and now is on three days a week until the fields open again in April. We get by on this as most yards limit turnout or stop altogether once October comes. Gone are the days when I had a pony as a teenager and we used to have them living out 24/7, that's all stopped where we are. If I want better turnout I would have to move him further away and at the moment with work and daughters school commitments its not possible, but im determined to do just that in the near future.
 
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