Winter Turnout - Suggestions

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asterid

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So I have a yard of 8 horses. Summer fields and winter fields. The fields get very very muddy in this horrid weather.

My options are:

1 = Leave horses in when wet weather and turnout on sunny dry days only. In summer out 24/7 March/ April - September. This means mucking out twice a day and using twice as much hay and straw, but benefit in the summer.


2 = Keep turning out daily, watch horses soggy and miserable in fields and battle with the quagmire.


What would you do?

I cannot put hardcore down in gateways etc so cant rectify problem.
 
i think they should have the option to gofor a few hours a day out at least. put some hay in a sheltered part of your winter grazing if you can. turn out in the morning, bring in lunchtime or afternoon if weather good.

on days weather really miserable turn out for an hour or so.

take it from there. would not willingly choose the stabled 24/7 route though.
 
I think being out for a few hours is better if possible. Winter turnout at my yard is also very muddy but she seems happy enough being out as long as she has company. If it's that bad how about turning out alternate days?
 
I would prefer mine to be out each day, if only for a couple of hours. However the weather is so vile here today that I rode both of mine this morning and have left them in.
 
lula said:
i think they should have the option to gofor a few hours a day out at least. put some hay in a sheltered part of your winter grazing if you can. turn out in the morning, bring in lunchtime or afternoon if weather good.

on days weather really miserable turn out for an hour or so.

take it from there. would not willingly choose the stabled 24/7 route though.
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Better to get them out every day, even if only for a short time. Can you rotate what fields you use, so that each bit is rested for a while between grazing?
 
I try and keep mine out 24/7, winter routine is in every lunch time for 5/6 hours of hay/haylage then out. This week though it has been so wet they have been in every night - just come back now from tucking them in. Hope it eases soon as I hate the mucking out........
 
Do you have access to a manege or dry turnout area? Can you loose school or lunge? I like my horses to be turned out to pasture every day. I also like my pasture. So, if it's impossibly wet they get exercised more, ridden or lunged, and the fields get saved. I see no point in turning miserable horses out into seas of mud.
 
Why can't you put hard standing down by the gateways ? Just curious as I did this with my winter paddocks and it was a great investment that has transformed my life!
 
Sorry to sound confused, but if you have separate winter and summer grazing, why can't you turn out every day in winter?

We have a winter field and however trashed it gets recovers well with minimal effort. It is rested for 5-6mnths whilst the horses are grazing the summer fields.

If the weather is very bad in winter we bring in at lunchtime, but try to turn out every day for the horses physical and mental well being.

Maybe if you gave as an idea of your acreage/field configuration we could advise better?
 
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