worry about lack of turnout and exercise

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MissMincePie&Brandy

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I'm now starting to worry that since the snow, my yard has banned turnout. So last Thursday was their last day out. Our yard is along a trecherously icy lane, and access to the fields are along here also. We cleared and salted a track up to the school and cleared the snow on Saturday, but since we cleared the snow off the sand school it has been frozen solid and the school is completely unusable as well. Riding is completely out of the question.
Their hard feed has been cut right down, and I'm walking mine in hand up and down, and up and down... the salted track for 20 minutes twice a day, but some of the horses on the yard haven't had that even.

If it was my yard I would have made a big effort to clear a safe track to the first field, but it's not my yard and my horse is on part livery and the decision has been made on safety grounds to keep them in.

I hope it thaws soon, otherwise I don't know what I'm going to do. My horse is very fit and I do worry about his respiritary system, his circulation, his muscles, etc. On the otherhand I suppose if he was unwell and the vet subsribed box rest I wouldn't be worrying about that would I?
 
Mine have no turnout at the moment because of the hard ground and ice.
They go on the walker for a leg stretch but thats all we can do at the moment.
Fed up of it now, can it go away now please
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My yard is still turning out, but there's no riding at the moment. I am crossing my fingers we don't get more snow, and the weather warms up so what we do have can start to melt.
 
I can't even get mine out of her stable - the snow on the stable roof started to melt, and created a puddle outside her stable. Which then froze. Whole yard is an ice rink, as are the tracks to the fields and arena. Can't even stand up in the car park.

Fortunately she's not on much hard feed anyway, so no need to cut it down. She is getting more haylage than she normally would, which is upsetting her stomach, so back to soaking hay from tonight. Joy. She's nearly 29, and I am worried about her stiffening up. But then, if I did risk putting her out, she'd only go for a 10 min hooley and then stand at the gate looking miserable, so I'm not sure she's really much worse being stood in.

Wish it would all melt, but we've got more coming down as I type and I'm not even sure I'm going to get there tonight...
 
Oh you can still turn out on my yard . . if you wish to cross the ice rink that is the yard and long icy car park that is! I can't even get to the indoor school to let him have a quick lunge! Its ok though the YO made sure there was grit down around his car though so at least he didn't fall over!
 
its a nightmare isn't it! mine went out on thursday and then since then i've been lunging very gently in the school- its hard underneath but the snow is a bit of a cushion. today i bit the bullet and turned them out for a couple of hours whilst i mucked out. they hooleyed around like idiots but came in with 4 legs., 4 shoes and no obvious injuries - phew!
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lovely YO has cleared as much snow as he can and gritted but there are still slippy bits- i stacked it twice taking the boys to the field- they were looking at me with a funny look on their faces
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OP- do you have access to an equissage or something similar? can be used to help stimulate muscles at times like this when you can't really exercise...either that or a vigourous groom might help
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I'm concerned as well. Ours haven't been out since Friday (and not sure they went out then) and it's too icy everywhere, including the arena, to exercise. He is getting some time on the walker but it's no substitute for turnout, nevermind exercise. Just glad we have a walker! My horse, who was nicely fit, is now getting fat
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It's not the yard's fault as they've gritted the icy paths but the fields are frozen solid in the shape of muddy ruts so they'll do themselves more damage if they do go out.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Hi,

Yes, lots of vigorous grooming and I'm giving him a massage every day. It's exhausting massaging a horse!

[/ QUOTE ]

thats why i have an equissage
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i'm lazy
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Sorry but can I stop feeling guilty for 5 minutes. I get no turnout at all in the winter but live in a RS which has two indoor arenas and grits the yard because of Mummies and their tiddlers and I can get a quick roll in the mornings in th school and ride or lunge in the evenings indoors with lights.

I have had a hell of a week and really worried about my lad and the fact he has no field to go in and then suddenly the snow comes and I am so relieved.
 
for weeks i've been moaning and complaining about my lack of hardstanding... now it's my saving grace as no hard standing = no ice rinks.... so my two are still out during the day.
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as soon as the snow goes and the mud returns... i'll resume my moaning and complaining...
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Mine hasn't been out since Thursday, school is a no go and our field is down a long lane that is sheet ice.

Some lucky ones can still turnout out as their fields are closer, but no allowances have been made to let the boys get out which I am a little peeved at, I hate him not getting any exercise at all, and of course when they eventually do go out they are going to be very silly and I have had enough vet bills lately
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We do have two tiny sick paddocks but when you have 25 people trying to get their horses in them its not a lot of use, especially when one person gets down early chucks her horse in it and then goes home!!

And as I type is snowing like mad, I will never take turning my horse out for granted again!
 
Mine go out every day regardless (Im sooo cruel) but that means they are used to it, no excitement levels and no hooley-ing around thank god....although the walk up to the field is a bit skiddy its ok once safely through the gate....think *tiptoeing* ponies.....
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Havent ridden for what seems like forever but only about 10 days....

Typical...I have taken time off work over Chrimbo- starting thursday.....was planning on lots of lovely riding whilst family in bed....and then what? Snow! At Christmas! Unheard of.......
 
Oh no! It's snowing here again too
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I'd planned to go away for a few days to visit my family for xmas, but if there's still no turnout I'm going to be stressing about my horse. At the moment the only ones who are getting the in-hand walk about are the ones whose owners come up to do it.
I couldn't bear to think my poor boy would be totally stable bound over the whole of xmas.
 
poppymoo, I'm like you. We walk very slwly to the field tippy toeing along praying they don't slip...once out they are having a ball. Snows balling up badly today though because the temperature has gone up to....FREEZING!!
 
Mine have been out every day as normal.

Chucking some used wood pellet bedding down across the small concrete yard and then taking them for a steady walk to the field. I have taken to leading mine across the rutted frozen mud just in the gateway before I let them off, but the field itself has oodles of grass cover and is surprisingly springy under foot.

Not ridden mind you, but I could if I really wanted to. I'm just too busy playing with our new puppy who we collected on Friday.
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Ours have been out in the snow every day until foal paniced (for a completely unknown reason) last night and took out fencing (and me and the other foal when she wrapped the tape round us and carried on galloping - cue burnt legs on me and dragged up field - foals both ok)

Spent 2 hrs last night mending fencing, tunred out big horses this morning, went to fetch foals to find mare broken through fencing and galloping up field - all now in as no time to mend before work! Will be in now till xmas eve when they can be turned out in daylight!
 
Mine has been in for four days now and I'm not happy about it. She's got stiff fetlocks so I've been walking her where I can but she's had no turnout and can't go in the school as it's sand and frozen in big ruts. YO has a field not far away from the stables which has been out of use but she had a tonne of grit delivered this afternoon and if she's cleared most of the yard I'm going to ask if I can put Belle out in the top field otherwise I'll not be able to get her down the drive as it's sheet ice. Even if I can put her out every other day it's better than nothing over xmas.
 
[ QUOTE ]
for weeks i've been moaning and complaining about my lack of hardstanding... now it's my saving grace as no hard standing = no ice rinks.... so my two are still out during the day.
tongue.gif


as soon as the snow goes and the mud returns... i'll resume my moaning and complaining...
laugh.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

See it all comes good! Our concrete yard I painstakingly chipped the second lot of snow off - first lot brushed off nicely, 2nd lot got compacted by ponies prancing on it waiting for tea and now has another 3 inches of fresh snow on it.
Fortunately our top field is nicely drained and although frozen is fine for cantering about in if they feel so inclined - mostly they've mooched from one hay pile to another or hovvered under the barn overhang or the trees depending which way the wind blows.
 
Mine are out and staying out- the track to the stables is sheet ice so I'm glad they are out as otherwise would be stuck in! They are happy as Larry, but particularly thrilled when they get some haylage dropped off in the field! Am glad they are out not in as would feel so guilty if they were in and couldn't be excercised because of ice! Wouldn't be too thrilled about the mucking out if they were stuck in either!
 
Ours get turned out one day and in the next and so on for now. On the days there in we pop them loose in the indoor for half an hour morning and evening.
Babies still out 24/7
There all coping fine atm
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