WWYD .. mare doesnt like to be out in the field more than an hour

[Austen123]

Hi All,

with all the wet weather we have had , our YM had to restrict turnout hours so we are only allowed to turnout whilst doing yard jobs in the morning, so on the most part she is out for 1-2 hours . She is then ridden in the afternoon and has around 20 mins of hand grazing . She is very happy with this routine.
I have posted in the past, as i am very pro turnout, i love her to be out as much as possible, but in the autumn and early winter she started to jump out of her field to come in by lunch time. I put up a temp fence 5 meters or so in to try and deter her from jumping. it worked plus i arranged for the groom to bring her in just before lunch each day and she was happy with that.
However, now, she doesnt even seem to be want to be out for an hour as when i had finished my jobs and went out to get her, she had managed to walk through and break the temp layer fence to get to the gate. (urgh). She doesnt fence walk, doesnt scream or stress in the field, just decides she's had enough and will ruin the fencing to come in. she has company on either side of her and is well rugged.

i go back to work tomorrow and part of my work flexibility means when i finish early afternoon, i have to start early, so the groom will be doing her in the mornings two days a week. ie. turnout, muck out, bring in and i will be up in aft to ride and finish up. I am tempted to say to her, on the mornings she does her, to just put her on the walker whilst she mucks her out and bring her back in and i will hand graze her in afternoon. do you think this could be a good plan?

 

[Arzada]

Is there sufficient to eat in the field? Grass, hay

 

[Ample Prosecco]

I am also massively pro turn out but my horse Toby hates being ou when it's cold ot wet. He really does. He copes for about an hour at most then paces. That's with a haynet in the field and company. So I've given up making him go out more than that now. He goes out every day but comes in whenever he begins to gate hang or pace. Which can be 30-45 minutes sometimes! Feels wrong but I feel he is clear in telling me what he wants. Your plan sounds fine.

 

[Austen123]

Is there sufficient to eat in the field? Grass, hay

Yeah, she seems to just ignore the hay and mooch and graze the field. the field is coping well, however , she is only out for half a day all during the worst of the weather so the field is holding up well and good quality grass

 

[Hackback]

I have on of those too. He doesn't do anything destructive, he just hangs by the gate and looks as miserable as he can. Even the vet said he might as well stand in a dry stable as stand in the mud.

 

[SEL]

My little pony that was on post surgery box rest for 5 weeks has also decided that the novelty of being out has worn off. I'm trying to ignore the pleading looks because she's a native and needs to toughen up!

If they're trashing the ground or themselves then I'd bring in otherwise they have to get on with it.

 

[oldie48]

I've had a couple like this tbh Rose isn't keen on being out for too long if the weather is wet and windy. She's not having a lot of field turnout ATM but seems perfectly happy and the farrier commented on how good her feet were as she's not out all day in wet fields. I'd just go with what suits your horse.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

When my Draft mare made it very clear that she did not appreciate standing in a field in the rain so I got her a rug with a neck which settled her down.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I managed to turn my 2 out for an hour each end of the day. Now they wont stay out at all. They gallop round until I bring in. They have hay, a bit of grass and company. I'm not risking any injuries so they are in, handgrazed and exercised.

 

[sport horse]

None of my warmblood sport horses like being out at this time of year so I don't turn out at all. They go on the walker at least once/day, they are all ridden every day and they are turned out into a sand paddock several times/week for a roll and kick/buck. If I should turn them out they would just turn around by the gate and wait to come in.

 

[Maryann]

Hi All,

with all the wet weather we have had , our YM had to restrict turnout hours so we are only allowed to turnout whilst doing yard jobs in the morning, so on the most part she is out for 1-2 hours . She is then ridden in the afternoon and has around 20 mins of hand grazing . She is very happy with this routine.
I have posted in the past, as i am very pro turnout, i love her to be out as much as possible, but in the autumn and early winter she started to jump out of her field to come in by lunch time. I put up a temp fence 5 meters or so in to try and deter her from jumping. it worked plus i arranged for the groom to bring her in just before lunch each day and she was happy with that.
However, now, she doesnt even seem to be want to be out for an hour as when i had finished my jobs and went out to get her, she had managed to walk through and break the temp layer fence to get to the gate. (urgh). She doesnt fence walk, doesnt scream or stress in the field, just decides she's had enough and will ruin the fencing to come in. she has company on either side of her and is well rugged.

i go back to work tomorrow and part of my work flexibility means when i finish early afternoon, i have to start early, so the groom will be doing her in the mornings two days a week. ie. turnout, muck out, bring in and i will be up in aft to ride and finish up. I am tempted to say to her, on the mornings she does her, to just put her on the walker whilst she mucks her out and bring her back in and i will hand graze her in afternoon. do you think this could be a good plan?

Looks like an excellent plan to me

 

[Antw23uk]

It's strange isnt it and until this new horse arrived i would be raising my eyebrows at those who say there horses liked to stay in but now i have one! Its an odd concept to me as i am over the top pro turnout but nope, bit of rain or bad weather and he acts like he is melting. Bring him in and he is happy as anything munching on hay out of the weather, lol! I needed to go and buy shavings AND and shavings fork .. never in my life have a owned that kind of equipment, lol!

 

[sportsmansB]

Mine is a nightmare at this time of year. His record is 15 mins and then he decides its too cold / wet / not cosy enough and just charges around shouting until I bring him in. Sometimes he woud do an hour on a good day.
On a lovely sunny new years day he managed 2.5 hours turned out with 2 ponies who live out and would have no patience with his dramatics. I was delighted.
I am very much pro turnout and my last event horse lived out 24/7 but this guy just won't have it. He loves his home comforts in a cosy stable and established meal times where people bring him the food and he doesn't have to pick it himself.
Hes a little better in the summer but still paces the fence if he thinks hes going to miss a meal time.

It is easy for us to project onto them what we think they should like. If shes telling you shes not bothered, and there is an option for other exercise (i.e. walker) then don't stress it

 

[Ownedby4horses]

I have 4 that are quite happy to come in after about an hour. They have hay in the field or are out on a new paddock that we’ve just fenced and they are the same! They would much rather be in their cosy stables munching their hay.

 

[brighteyes]

One of ours came with with a very thoughtful 'user manual'. High on the list of instructions was 'Must have access to stable at all times', which you ignore at your peril. She will fence run, open or knock gates over and otherwise get in a right state. With 'access all areas' enabled, she brings herself in and does a short recce of the area then takes herself back in the field. The only problem is, she's the matriarch and sets the others off when she disappears on her 'maintenance checks' - or lets the sheep out.

She has de-gloved a leg being an arse about it, so we just accept we essentially have a massive free-range chicken...

 

[ponynutz]

I saw you said she ignores hay and tries to graze, is there a possibility the hay is too dusty? It could just be that grass is better than hay, so maybe an alternative that beats grass i.e a treat-ball, a field lick, maybe even haylage, might entertain her for longer?

 

[Cortez]

If a horse really wants to come in, it comes in. I don't see the point of having a stressed, unhappy horse AND a trashed paddock. I have only ever once had a horse that preferred the field to a stable, and he lived out as much as possible. Horses are all different.

 

[PurBee]

Come spring, mine have got so used to over winter, being given forage and bowl feeds of warming fibre, they end up bringing themselves in early, even if its nice out there and plenty of fresh grass! I think once theyve not HAD to graze for food and get given it, they develop a kind of laziness, and decide theyd prefer to just chill out and be provided food, thank you very much!

 

[Austen123]

so today groom turned her out while she mucked her out with a little pile of hay she went straight off and had a roll and even before she reached the end of track she turned around and saw her attempting walking through the fence to come in!!! Safe to say, she came straight in and went on walker instead. she managed to dislodge one of the main fence posts so she will need to stay in until the weekend until the YM can secure it back in place.
I hope even just doing this, it may break the habit she has got into.

She will be on the walker and hand grazed in the morning, ridden and hand grazed in the afternoon. i imagine she will be very content with this.

 

[Goldenstar]

Is she walking through wooden fencing .

 

[Austen123]

Is she walking through wooden fencing .

no , the main fence is wooden posts with with the thicker rope style electric fencing in two strands . i then put a layer 3-5 meters in or so of temp electric fencing and plastic posts with two strands.

 

[Goldenstar]

Have you got a decent kick on the electric fence ?
I have had to buy a bull unit because Blue the cob had no respect I then left his rug well open by extending the front straps and removed the hood
It worked .
he also walks through post and rails .

 

[nikkimariet]

Fig is absolutely happy as Larry with a hand graze and then back in his stable. He likes a bit of grass, to check everyone is in order, then retreat to his cushty stable.

He’s very kind even when hot to ride so I don’t worry about that.

Rooni likes going out but will happily come in after a few hours.

 

[skint1]

My two clamour to go out in the morning and generally go out between 830-930, they are happy for a couple of hours but I've been having my lunch break at some point between 1:30-3:00 to bring them in and at any point they are more than delighted with that. Neither are ridden but I try and do little things with them to keep them amused along the winter journey.

 

[Shay]

If they don't want to be out - why force them?

Absolutely I'm 100% pro turn out and natural life as a horse. But that - for most at least these days - actually includes being able to choose to have room service!

Naturally of course they would have 100% turnout in all weathers - but they also would not have a choice. In our often over crowded often horribly muddy feilds (and mine are entirely that - no judgement!) if they would prefer to come in... why not let them?

I'm currently caring for an old boy fighting canker. He can't be out 24/7 as he used to be. What has really struck me is that he does seem entirely happy with 30 mins or so. A mooch, a good roll and then... no thank you. haynet better. I would love him to have a "natural" life. He on the other hand has other ideas.

 

[Micropony]

I know it's pretty much an article of faith with some people that all horses should spend the majority of their time in a field no matter what, because 'it's natural' and 'they like it' and 'it's better for them'. For some horses that's true. For other horses it isn't, but they have to suck it up because it suits their owner or there aren't suitable facilities to do anything different. But for some it just doesn't work, especially if there isn't anything much appealing to eat, there's no company, they don't like the company, they're too cold, too hot, whatever. Sometimes those things can be resolved, sometimes they can't. Personally, as long as the horse has sufficient opportunity to perform social behaviours, gets appropriate exercise in some other way and is fed appropriately for what it's doing, I see no particular virtue in making them stand for hours on end fetlock deep in mud just for the sake of it.

We don't have a walker and mine has been on arena turnout for a week or two now, getting an hour or so in the school with hay and his friend to mooch around, roll and do horse stuff. He can cope with a bit of mud and weather, but his turnout buddy is prone to tweaking things and losing shoes in any kind of mud, and I would feel awful if he got injured because I had insisted on field turnout for mine when he's perfectly content with an alternative routine that keeps them both safe and is perfectly fine for my guy as long as I exercise him.

One lovely livery has recently moved because her horse hates any kind of weather and, whilst usually delightful, becomes very upset and difficult to handle (to the point of dangerous) if he's made to stay out longer than he wants, not to mention the mess he makes of the ground and the risks that poses to his soundness (history of soft tissue injuries). He really needs to be on a yard with a walker and an indoor barn where he can be in with company for most of the day throughout the winter.

Just have the confidence to do whatever suits your horse, and sod what anyone else might think!

 

[mariew]

My girl once put herself on boxrest one particularly wet winter. She point blank refused to go out in the mud so I just worked around her. All horses are different, I wouldn't stress about it. I so wish she was still around

 

[Flowerofthefen]

It's strange isnt it and until this new horse arrived i would be raising my eyebrows at those who say there horses liked to stay in but now i have one! Its an odd concept to me as i am over the top pro turnout but nope, bit of rain or bad weather and he acts like he is melting. Bring him in and he is happy as anything munching on hay out of the weather, lol! I needed to go and buy shavings AND and shavings fork .. never in my life have a owned that kind of equipment, lol!

I'm in the same boat. My horses went out every day unless very extreme weather. 3 years ago I bought a horse that hates being out in winter! Still cant get my head around it but like yours stands in happily munching hay!

 

[meleeka]

Horses seemingly don’t like being out have no doubt been stabled for long periods at some point and being in has become the new normal. I don’t believe they just got up one day and decided they didn’t want to go out.

OP I’d do what your horse wants. Obviously it would be good to train her to be out like a proper horse, but the middle of winter probably isn’t the best time for that.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

Horses seemingly don’t like being out have no doubt been stabled for long periods at some point and being in has become the new normal. I don’t believe they just got up one day and decided they didn’t want to go out.
.

Not sure I agree with this. I think it it sort of the opposite: horses are prey animals and so fear enclosed spaces. So given a choice between being cold and wet versus being frightened of being trapped and eaten they will go with cold and wet. Does not mean they all LIKE being out but it is better than the perceived alternative. They sacrifice comfort for safety. But once they have relaxed in their stables and no longer feel anxious in them then the choice becomes more about personal preference. Some like space to mooch about, see their friends, play. Others like warm, dry stables with room service hay. Amber and Dolly are outdoor moochers. Toby is very much a stable fan.