Winter turnout

[Allykat]

How much winter turnout does your horse get daily?

My yard seems to be restricting it more each year and it seems they may only get an hour or 2 if I am unable to ride. So riding = no turnout

They do get turned in the school for a leg stretch but more often they are just standing together biting each other looking thoroughly bored. I'm contemplating a move as no turnout is unacceptable really

 

[TinselRider]

mine goes out during the week from 7 - 3 ish weekends she is out 9-3 if riding.

I CAN'T STAND YARDS WITH NO TURNOUT, if there is a yard around with better winter grazing facilities I would move tbh.

 

[not_with_it]

Gin goes out for around 7 hours a day. She isnt in a field though. She is on hard standing and has the option of going into the barn. She seems happy with this, she has a goat for company and a large haynet to keep her occupied.

 

[Chex]

Mine let you do whatever you want. When Chex finally comes in at night (was supposed to be this weekend but YO decided to go away for the weekend, charming!). He's usually out about 7, and I bring him back in about 8 or 9 at night. At my last yard they had to be in before it got dark, so about 4, I couldn't stand it!

 

[Lucy_Ally]

Spring goes out from about 7.30am to about 5.30/6pm. I couldn't be doing without plenty if daily turnout.

 

[Malibu]

From abot 6.30 am to 5 /7

 

[Allykat]

Thank you all. I think I am going to have to move really. My cob doesn't really give a monkeys if he's in or out but my TB will box walk and spends his entire day looking longingly at the empty field. It just doesn't seem right.

 

[claire1976]

Full time turnout at the moment as damn stables bodged up and not ready yet. The idea is they will have just over 1 acre paddock in winter with large hay bales and be out from 8-4pm. Winter turnout is a must for my mare as she hates being stabled, gets depressed and difficult to ride as too fizzed up.
I would say if you can find a yard with a least some turnout then go for it. Its essential for horses to be out as much as possibly IMO.

 

[eekmon]

4 days a week, but not a problem, he is always excersised on his days in. Years ago he only had half a day out once a week and he was fine.

 

[Allykat]

Thanks Claire1976 I feel the same as you that they should be out as much as possible and It just astounds me that other people (including my yo and yard manager) don't seem to agree. Its becoming more and more like they are only interested in the money coming in and the welfare of the horses is put on one side.

 

[RachelB]

We have turnout 7.30am-1pm usually, but only an hour or two if the weather is bad and not at all if it's awful or the shooting is going on in our fields. We get more land in April though which will be fantastic! The turnout at my yard is the down side, the rest of it is great, so I put up with it. When we get more turnout next year it will be fab!

 

[krnb06]

barney goes out about 7 in the morning and then comes in about 4 wether am down or not lol on a saturday he comes in earlier because am down all day x

 

[jcberry]

at our yard they go out at about 8 and come in at about 4.30

 

[madgirl]

hmm if they go out they go out early and in late if not they may go in the school or the big barns

 

[Llwyncwn]

So many yards these days dont do winter turnout. Why is this? Is it because they dont have enough land per horse or dont have farm machinery to chain harrow etc. I know most farmers dont like horses on their land, but turnout is essential for their physical and mental wellbeing. Try to find a yard with as much turnout as possible. Good luck.

 

[Allykat]

Thank you all for your comments. I personally feel the main reason could be as simple as yard can't be bothered to change rugs.....which makes me so damn cross. I will speak to yo about it but I feel i will be finding a new yard in the new year if not sooner.

 

[pottamus]

My boy is out from 6am to 6pm but then I am not on a yard. He would go nuts if he was on a yard with restricted turnout.

 

[WelshRareBit]

Murphy is out 24/7 lol
If we did have a stable I might bring him in for the night, but we dont so he gets as much fresh air as he can handle at the mo !!

 

[Twiglet]

We can turn out all day every day, as long as no horse is left out overnight during the winter.
But mine normally ends up out for about 6 hours, he gets wimpy with any longer than that and stands calling at the gate.

 

[miamibear]

We have flat clay land and it gets extremely boggy.

YO is allowing us a couple of hours a day and its brilliant. Years gone by we have had none but it seems the current trend is that people want winter turnout so he has had to allow it.

I dont know how i managed previous winters with no turnout!

Therefore it all depends on the land. In an ideal situation they would be out all day in daylight but as soon as it turns dusk ours want to be in anyway!

I am happy with our couple of hours

 

[Heidi1]

Mine go out from about 8.20am until 6.30pm. YO is happy for them to go out all year round, but obviously if it is bad then they stay in.....

 

[nomini]

Mon-wed mine go out 6.30 - 3ish if i'm riding - 4-5pm if i'm not riding. Thurs - sun they go out 8.30ish - 3ish or later if i'm not riding. Jigsaw would be very happy in all day but Alisha winds herself up and just box walks and calls all day so she is much better out. Couldn't be on a yard with restricted turnout!

 

[JoBo]

Ours are out from 7.30am to 5pm. I don’t think they would be to pleased about not having any turn-out!

 

[RobinHood]

We are allowed to do whatever me want. I can bring them in at night or I can leave them out 24/7. The YO is losing more and more grazing every year though, we are right in suburbia and london is engulfing us. Certainly the yard won't be there in a few years time

 

[BBs]

I have access to a field all day everyday, but would rather be sensible and not wreck it completely!
ATM, days i dont ride they go out, days that i work them first thing in the morning they go out or if i ride them at lunchtime I leave them in, i put them on teh walker in the morning whilst i muck out and then ride each one for around 45 minutes, then put them back indoors.

They seem quite happy, plus *touches wood* havent had any mudfever or alike.

 

[Tierra]

Mine is out from about 8am til 1pm if Im riding early... or 8am until about 2pm if the grooms are fetching him in.

Its quite a reduction from summer where he'll be out 11 hours a day usually, but it seems perfectly adequate for my boy as he soon gets bored / cold / miserable and wants to come back in.

There is the odd day when they dont go out because of the weather but the longest Ive ever known the horses to be kept in where Im currently liverying was 3 days (it was just far too icey)

 

[ru-fi-do]

Mine are currently out from 9am- 430pm but fields ar starting to get very wet and more rain has been forcast, so then they will go on alternate days(one in one out). My girl quite likes to stay in though and i make sure i ride on the days she is in.

 

[amandaco2]

mine go out once a fortnight in the field if that at the mo, if its wet they dont go out(and its really wet here)
they go in the school everyday when im down(everyday) but its not enough as i cant work them (mare and foal) so am looking for somewhere they can either live out or go out for at least 8 hours a day everyday.

 

[wizzi901]

never had restricted turnout at any yard in my area, we are fortunate at the current place as it is up high so drains very well, dont really get muddy to be honest, even with all the rain, its not boggy at all, just little mashed where titch fence walks before wanting to come in at night.

Our turnout is no different in the summer to the winter other than we swap it round in the hot weather so they are out at night.

 

[Allykat]

Thank you all for your comments. I totally understand reasons for wanting to restrict and our fields can get boggy, but there is restricted and there is none

this is regardless of the weather. I had to leave my boy running round his stable and trying to climb the walls the other day...it was a lovely sunny afternoon. Makes me so sad