Yards with no turnout: How do your ponios cope?

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bluemoon123

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For those of you who have your ponios in yards where there isn't any turnout or it's extremely limited turnout, how do your ponios cope? Yard that I'm considering has no turnout for next 5/6 weeks because of weather conditions but ponios will go on walker each day for 50 mins. Plus they are exercised. Otherwise yard is fine and he'll be well cared for. But for those of you that are in situations where there isn't/wasn't turn out, how do your ponios cope?
 
I moved my horse from a DIY yard where he could be out 24/7 at my choice to one where he is on limited turnout with horse walker twice a day. his is due to me needing full livery support.

He is great, I was worried about how he would cope and he actually seems happy with the routine.

During the snow none of the horses went out for several weeks and just used walker. No problems at all. I agonised for ages before moving him there and turns out it was a really good move!

Good luck
 
I'm afraid I agree with Amymay. Zoom lives out 24/7, I would stable at night but I certainly wouldn't keep her in 24/7! There are a few people on here who's horses are very rarely turned out at all........and they always argue that the horses prefer it. Seems unlikely, but I think some horses can COPE with it. It depends on the individual horse.
 
i would never go to a yard with restrictions like that on turnout.

i appreciate limiting to 4 hours or so when the fields are very wet for a week or so but no turnout at all wouldn't even be considered.
 
I'm afraid I too would never consider a yard with no turnout - This to me seems like trying to move to a yard that doesn't accept horses!

Turnout is the priority in a yard - a horse walker is no substitute for a horse being able to graze/roam and socialise with others.


I am sure there are a few horses out there that cope well, but sometimes I think what must a horse do, to show he isn't coping?. Are we looking for the extreme behaviour to realise they are not happy? Many people and animals plug along and take everything thrown at them. Doesn't mean they cope or are happy.


Goodluck.xx
 
Sorry I wouldnt even consider either. Mine live out 24/7 and so do all the others at my yard!
Just beacuse some horses will cope and put up with it doesn't mean they like it!
 
Personally, I think it's the ultimate in unfairness: the yard is the horse's home so his routine & if I had no other choice than to stable 24/7 then I would seriously consider whether or not I would loan or sell the horse. Some horses do cope well with it, but they shouldn't have to 'cope'!
 
I'm caught between a rock and a hard place on this one. Livery options where I'm now located are quite limited. I've been assured it's only for 5/6 weeks until weather settles. I'm not sure about it either so thanks for your feedback - this is all helping me decide.
 
I wouldn't do it, as others have said, some horses do cope but its not the natural way for them to be kept. For me a yard has to have daytime turnout in winter and 24/7 turnout in summer. The potential for behaviour or health problems to arise when a horse is stabled all the time is just too high. Equally, I might be tight fisted but I would struggle to afford my horse if they were kept in all winter. I hate to think how much hay and bedding I'd get through.
 
I moved my horse off a yard whose turnout in winter wasn't as promised.

It's not the way I wish to keep a horse, cooped up in a stable 24x7. The few weeks my horse was there over winter, she wasn't bothered but I just couldn't cope with her being in such an unnatural environment, hence the move.
 
When I looked for a new yard, one of my priorities was daily turnout. My horse gets unhappy and frustrated otherwise. I think there has been 1 or 2 days in the snow when it was too icy to get to the fields but other than that they have had daily turnout. And even then they put horses out in the starvation for an hour each to stretch their legs.
This year has been a bad year though and if you have been at your yard for a while and this is the first year this has happened, I might put up with it as a one off.
 
I agree with everyone who has said it doesn't sound ideal but I guess it depends on your circumstances.

We've looked at a lot of local yards in the last couple of years, given that most people seem to want their horses out as much as possible I was amazed at how hard it is to find a yard with facilities (school etc) that does all year turn out, or even has an adequate amount of grazing for the number of horses on it when they are allowed out. When we did find one that had year round turn good quality turn out we jumped at it!
 
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I think everyone is being a bit harsh!
At my yard we turn out unless field is either under water or very very wet :p But because the horses' have been out all winter and all the snow, the grass still hasnt grown enough, so we are resting the field for a while so something grows back!

all the horses on yard get out into field once/twice week (if not ridden then more) - they canter around for a bit, graze for 20mins, but because there is nothing on field they then stand and wait to come in.

My horse is loose in his yard all day, and I have an extra bit that he goes into so he can see more -and he is fine with the arrangement! He gets all food he wants and mooches about. He goes into field on sundays and once during the week - he is very happy.

Restricted turnout is fine if you manage properly :)
 
even though I don't believe horses need to be out 24/7 no turnout would be a big No NO for me. I wouldn't even consider a yard that didn't have turnout atleast a few times a week.
 
I think everyone is being a bit harsh!
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I don't think any of the responses have been harsh - simply common sense.

But I do think it's an interesting concept to 'rest' a field - but turn horses out once or twice a week to re-trash it by galloping all over it......

And whilst I accept that in different parts of the country weather can affect the conditions much more than others due to low lying land, soil type etc. The most usual reason for lack of consistant turnout is overstocked yards with no where near enough grazing to accomodate.

My horse has been on his grazing since October - and we too have had every bit of weather chucked at us, including lying snow for several days. The field is not overstocked, is managed well and has a good bite on it - with horses in absolutely no hurry to come in in the evening.

A horse has to be allowed to be a horse - even if that means only an hour or so's turn out a day. To deny them this in preference to a horse walker is terribly unfair.
 
If it's only for a few weeks it shouldn't be too bad. Do they have a school/menage or even a barn they can turn out into if the weather is bad? That way they still get some interaction with other horses. That's what happens at my yard, a combination of the horsewalker and turnout into the school keeps them sane!
Jasper lived out all year round with his last owner, but when I got him the yard the suited us best can sometimes have limited turnout (as above with school turnout). He's coped very well - to the point where now if he is turned out and the weather is anything but bright and sunny he stands by the gate neighing to come back into his nice, warm, comfy stable!
The other thing to consider is the stable he'll be in, we have some HUGE stables (Dutch barn type) where they get to really stretch out and interact over the wall with their neighbours. A bigger stable would be good if he HAS to be in?
You can also practice environmental enrichment - (stable toys, different types of forage fed in tubs off the floor and in different places to mimic natural grazing etc) to help him whilst he is confined to barracks!
It's a difficult choice, but try to think long term what will be best for both of you.

xxx
 
only_me said:
all the horses on yard get out into field once/twice week (if not ridden then more) - they canter around for a bit, graze for 20mins, but because there is nothing on field they then stand and wait to come in.
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I too don't think anyone has been harsh. It is my opinion, nothing more!

There is nothing on our field at this time of year either, it is bare. To be honest......it IS overstocked and undermanaged.........sooooooo they get hay!! They have hay in the field all day. The ground is chopped up but I personally think that is far preferable to standing in all day.
 
Realistically even if you decide that you do want to move because of this by the time you have given notice and found somewhere new, you will have to deal with no turnout for a few weeks so you have some suggestions on how to make it bearable.
 
amymay -
The field is 6 acres and has been trashed all winter - we are waiting to roll it and my horse dosent gallop on field he canters about a bit and thats it. Has absolutely no grass on it and it only had 2 horses on it all winter!!
The field is being rested in terms of allowing grass to grow - one horse isnt going to eat it all!! and since field is trashed already, no harm in letting horse out in it. Different matter once rolled.

good for you for having good grass. I doubt there is anything in the grass but here there is nothing. Our donkeys are on a bale of hay a week in a 5 acre field - nothing for them to eat on grass!

As for overstocking, we have 7 horses on app.25 acres - and still no grass on our fields. One field has grass but that is being kept for first cut hay. So we can feed our horses next winter!!

And the replys have been harsh, sometimes people cant turn out their horses but they cope, but its not the end of the world and I certainly wouldnt consider selling my horse because of it!
A lot of yards in germany dont have turnout, and they seem to cope fine!
 
I am another who thinks it is totally acceptable to have a horse in 24/7 with no turnout and the only exercise it gets is to go round and round in circles on a walker! Either that or asked to gfo round and round in circles in a school for an hour or so and made to 'work'!

Sorry, some people think this is ok but I do not. A horse should be allowed to be a horse and this should mean some freedom out in a field/reasonable space preferably with other horses.

I am not saying all horses should be out 24/7 (this would though be the ideal) but I do think they should be out as much as possible. If a yard does not have enough field space to incorporate the horses on the yard with field rotation etc then they should not be running a livery yard! It's about management and it seems some of these yards just want to get in as many horses as possible to get as much money in but evidently don't have the space to accomodate them.

It's no wonder there's so many people who have 'uncontrollable' and 'naughty' horses if this sort of care is deemed acceptable. When else does the horse get to let off steam?!

Plus, all this about the horses 'standing about all day wanting to come in'. How do people know they do this? Sure a horse will stand near to the yard and people if they are there (ours do this as well) but, when we go they mooch off and do their own thing. Of course they'll stand about when you're there - you may feed them, that's all they are really after! I'd much rather they chose to stand about than have it enforced on them.
 
MontyandZoom said:
I too don't think anyone has been harsh. It is my opinion, nothing more!

There is nothing on our field at this time of year either, it is bare. To be honest......it IS overstocked and undermanaged.........sooooooo they get hay!! They have hay in the field all day. The ground is chopped up but I personally think that is far preferable to standing in all day.
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Good post. Agree with you.

However, at my yard there is very little to eat this time of year and they don't get hay in the field, yet every morning my mare is gagging to go out! She has ad lib haylage in her stable at night and just picks and grazes as much as she can in the day. But it's not ALL about that, it's about being out and acting like a horse with others. I would never deny her of this. Being in a stable with every toy under the sun is no long term solution or substitute for being outside nor is the horsewalker or whatever.

xx
 
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I was on a top showing pony yard for a year with my pony when i was a younger with literally no winter turnout from oct - may, just a small concreate area to put them while you mucked out.

The facilities were ace, but he was never happy. There was no hacking, except on busy roads and hes no good in traffic so he was schooled every day and got way to fit. He had no where to burn off all his energy so generally was a nightmare to ride if he had one day off!

But we coped, we actually didn't leave because of the turnout more the hacking after we were nearly hit by a car. Its only like horses being on box rest really, except even better as they can be ridden!
 
Plus - one thing that is bugging me about this thread is the word 'cope'.

I don't want my horse to 'cope'...I want to provide the most healthy and natural environment that I can. I want my horse to be as happy as possible. Horses put up with an awful lot without complaining.

I do understand that it is not always possible to have the ideal, however I don't think it harsh to say that I wouldn't have a horse if it only had a couple of hours a week turnout....it's the truth! I just don't think it is fair on them.
 
Just because yards in germany don't have turnout doesn't mean that is right. What are the horses like temperament wise, what's their mental state like etc etc? I guess we'll never know as we can't ask the horse but if people kept their dog in a small cage 24/7 and only maybe let it out, on a lead for 5 mins to go to the toilet before shoving it back in the cage, would that be acceptable? Personally I don't think so. It's not a life is it.
 
I don't want my horse to 'cope'...I want to provide the most healthy and natural environment that I can. I want my horse to be as happy as possible.
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Totally and absolutely agree with you. This is the most sensible thing I think I've ever seen posted on this forum!

I think I'm having a eureeka moment.......:D:D:D
 
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