Yearlings and turnout.

[_jetset_]

My yearling (well, he is now 17 months, soon 18 months) has lived out from March until June and lost quite a lot of condition. He started putting it on nicely for the Futurity and then came home to where I keep my two mares, one of which is his dam.

Initially, all three were going out from 9am until 5.30pm. However, the weather in the North West has been constant rain and the drainage in this area is not great as other people who live here will tell you. The ground has a lot of clay in it, which leaves the fields taking an age to dry up and drain unfortunately. Because of this, we have pretty much gone onto winter turnout as the fields were just turning into mini bogs and there is not a huge amount of turnout (the same field is used all year around for my three horses).

There are no yards in the area which are offering much turnout right now, or those that are doing do not have an arena or adequate stabling for my three horses. I also do not have the time to have two in one place and the other in a second place. And finances do not allow me to have one on full livery (I hope I am making some sense here...)

So, I will finally get to the point of this post... Troy is currently going out for 2-3 hours every day with either his dam or my other mare, but the rest of the time he is stabled. He is coping with this mentally as we have been doing this around 2 weeks now, but I am concerned how it will affect him physically.

I ensure he comes out of his stable most nights (he is turned out in the morning) even if it is just for a walk around the yard, and twice a week I do some in hand work with him, for example just trotting him up from the bit in the arena and am hoping to do some loose schooling with him too when he feels a bit more confident in the arena.

I am also taking him to a Richard Maxwell learning day next week to get some ground work tips that we can work on over the winter.

I know none of this is a good substitute for all day turnout, but currently that is just not an option where I live. Believe me, I have trawled yard after yard searching for somewhere that suits all three, and I do really like it where I am because it is a small yard, with friendly people and knowledgable yard owners.

Are my concerns that stabling for this amount of time could affect him physically certifiable, or should I just stop worrying and enjoy having him around?

He is not on much feed, just a handful of Alfa and TopSpec Balancer along with 5kg haylage twice daily.

 

[AmyMay]

Do the people that had Troy to produce for you have room for him??

Sorry I know that's not the question..

 

[_jetset_]

I think they probably would do, but they also do not have much turnout, plus in reality I cannot afford to send him there right now as it is an hour away from where I live, and he would have to be on full livery

I am hoping to send him back there for a few weeks before the Futurity next year, but I am putting some money away every month to be able to do so.

 

[AmyMay]

Fair enough - thought they would have all year turnout for their own youngsters.

Back to scratching my head. It's such a shame you're not nearer South Wales......

 

[amandaco2]

isnt there somewhere that can do grass livery-horse lives out(rugged) and they will keep an eye on him?
if not, you have no choice but the keep him in
i faced the same issue when bey was only 9months old-she was only out for an hour a day in the school over the winter(on full livery but i would go down and put them out in the school as long as poss).shes fine physically(2yo now) and mentally-she was still A+ to handle whilst in most of time but did go totally ballistic in the school everyday, which was abit hairy.

 

[_jetset_]

Thanks amandaco2... I have looked and looked without any success

I did send him to one place like this from March to May, but I will not go into too much detail about why I took him away along with my friend's colt

 

[springfallstud]

Cant he stay loose in your arena? One winter we had limited turnout so the youngsters stayed in the school overnight with some hay which i cleared up each morning.

 

[_jetset_]

No, it is a livery yard and the yard owner schools in the daytime, so it would be a real pain for them. They also do not really like you loose schooling on the surface (which I am completely for as I like riding in a nice level surface with my other horses).

 

[Maesfen]

There have got to be proper studs up your way which will take a long term boarder over the winter; all of the studs around here do it, I can't see Lancashire being any different and you're not far from the Yorkshire boundary too. It might mean you don't see him as often as you like but it would give him the turnout and compainonship he needs at that age.
Have you tried Mark Fitton or Trudy, they might know of somewhere for him, even the Hollings might know somewhere; try everyone, not just livery yards.

 

[_jetset_]

It is the cost MFH_09, and where he was last winter (you may remember he was away all winter at stud) he did not get much turnout because of the weather. The previous place he was at was a recommendation, and I really cannot go into details but I do not want to send him away at that distance because it got to checks every fotnight and something horrendous occurred.

If he was to go somewhere and live out, it would have to be close by to enable me to check on him, and no where in a 30 mins radius has this facility (believe me, I have looked, begged and pleaded at the beginning of the summer). He also needs feeding as he was in dreadful condition when he came back to me having been on grass and haylage alone.

 

[christine48]

I went up to a stud in lancs looking at horses. it was between M1 and M6 near Kendall and Bradford ( I know Lancs is a big place). Very experienced people and their horses all wintered out and looked fantastic they may do liveries.
I can PM you their name if they are anywhere near you.

 

[christine48]

Sorry they are in North Yorks near Settle ( we came back through Lancs got a bit confused).

 

[luckilotti]

can you maybe approach a farmer locally to you to rent another field? mind you i guess that if your area doesnt drain well i dare say yowould struggle to find somewhere, maybe put up some wanted ads in farm shops etc?
i dont really know of places nearer to you to be able to suggest somewhere, i know we are too far away for you plus we already have a massive waiting list for our winter turnout.
fingers crossed you manage to sort something out, otherwisei am sure he will be fine as he is as long as he's out as much as possible.

 

[Kallibear]

Yes, it will affect him sadly. Bones, muscle and joints grow, develop and strengthen with work and movement. That is why some people advice gentle (very gentle!) work for a young stabled horses - simply to get them out and moving. It's not the bursts of exercise that is benficial though (so can't be usd as an excuse for breaking far too early!), it's the constant gentle meandering they do when they are grazing. For a mental deveolopment point of veiw, it ruins their ability to socialise.

 

[almorton]

where in lancs are you? we are in process of trying to sort winter grazing, il vouch for the whole of lancs being underwater. im going to start turning the horses out in armbands instead of brushing boots so they dont drown! and yes, winter grazing round here is like golddust. yes some studs etc have it but generally save for their own as its in such short supply and ruins so easily

 

[Greymares]

All our horses are still out 24/7 and yes its wet but the land will mend (Ihope) over winter. They will stop out untill bonfire night usually, sometimes longer if we have a good autumn. We winter everything in - in big crew yards with ad lib haylage in small groups of similar aged offspring (like cows really). They love it and do really well enjoying their time of being young horses together with room to play and move but being warm and dry. This system does not appeal to everyone I know, but if you like the idea for Troy then pm me because it is not expensive and he would live as part of our own herd and we are a very experienced stud Yorks/Lancs, if this helps.

 

[_jetset_]

[ QUOTE ]
Sorry they are in North Yorks near Settle ( we came back through Lancs got a bit confused).

[/ QUOTE ]

Thank you anyway

 

[_jetset_]

[ QUOTE ]
can you maybe approach a farmer locally to you to rent another field? mind you i guess that if your area doesnt drain well i dare say yowould struggle to find somewhere, maybe put up some wanted ads in farm shops etc?
i dont really know of places nearer to you to be able to suggest somewhere, i know we are too far away for you plus we already have a massive waiting list for our winter turnout.
fingers crossed you manage to sort something out, otherwisei am sure he will be fine as he is as long as he's out as much as possible.

[/ QUOTE ]

I did all of this when I was initially looking to move yard last winter

I think I have been to every yard in the area, spoken to most of the farmers and because of the 'wetness' of the land no one really seems keen on it. Which I can understand if I am honest.

There is something on the horizon, but it is quite far in the distance...

 

[_jetset_]

[ QUOTE ]
Yes, it will affect him sadly. Bones, muscle and joints grow, develop and strengthen with work and movement. That is why some people advice gentle (very gentle!) work for a young stabled horses - simply to get them out and moving. It's not the bursts of exercise that is benficial though (so can't be usd as an excuse for breaking far too early!), it's the constant gentle meandering they do when they are grazing. For a mental deveolopment point of veiw, it ruins their ability to socialise.

[/ QUOTE ]

He will be out for a few hours every day, but at the moment that is all that can be offered. We do have a trash paddock where there is enough room for a roll and a run around (sand based) but it is only big enough for one horse and he is not keen being on his own sadly. At the moment he is going out for 2-3 hours a day with either Han (his dam) or Grace my other mare.

 

[_jetset_]

[ QUOTE ]
where in lancs are you? we are in process of trying to sort winter grazing, il vouch for the whole of lancs being underwater. im going to start turning the horses out in armbands instead of brushing boots so they dont drown! and yes, winter grazing round here is like golddust. yes some studs etc have it but generally save for their own as its in such short supply and ruins so easily

[/ QUOTE ]

I feel your pain

I am near to Chorley... where abouts are you? I hope you do find some winter grazing, but as I said, those that offer it tend to do so in writing but not in reality! I have been in that situation before, almost moved on somewhere to discover that really the previous year there was none at all.

 

[_jetset_]

[ QUOTE ]
All our horses are still out 24/7 and yes its wet but the land will mend (Ihope) over winter. They will stop out untill bonfire night usually, sometimes longer if we have a good autumn. We winter everything in - in big crew yards with ad lib haylage in small groups of similar aged offspring (like cows really). They love it and do really well enjoying their time of being young horses together with room to play and move but being warm and dry. This system does not appeal to everyone I know, but if you like the idea for Troy then pm me because it is not expensive and he would live as part of our own herd and we are a very experienced stud Yorks/Lancs, if this helps.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thank you for the information, but it is simply too far away. I know you are probably excellent, and am not doubting your services (which it is very kind of you to suggest) but it is simply too far away for me to send him after the last time. As I say, I cannot say too much on an open forum, but I would be in a real state sending him somewhere so far away again as daily checks would be a must for me now.

 

[wonkey_donkey]

Sorry, but I think this very short amount of daily turnout is highly likely to affect him both physically and mentally in the long term and is just not fair on him. If he was mine and I couldn't find a suitable yard then I would consider selling him.

 

[_jetset_]

As I cannot again say too much, this is not forever... there is something on the horizon.

 

[almorton]

well fingers crossed if i can find some ill pm you details!

 

[luckilotti]

Greygates - i may be able to let you rent a field of ours for the winter, We are only maybe 10 miles away from you if that and our land drains amazingly. I've got a lady coming down later today about hers living out but in the past we have used 3 fields that open up for one lot that live out, one field for the livery horses and then another as there are two other studs that have in the past rented a field off us for winter, one of arabs and another for welshies.

 

[FRESHMAN]

That is not strictly true. My yard which is I believe close to you is still operating full turnout with youngsters all living out & fed daily. I agree if this weather continues I will have to restrict the turn out of all the ridden horses but the last ones to ever come in will be the youngsters. Of course, we had to spend a fortune on land drains. No doubt we will have to work very hard on the land again before next Spring. It is available, but like everything else it comes at a price.

 

[_jetset_]

FRESHMAN, you are have done everything correctly with your place, and unlike many YOs you take into account the horses as you have them youself

If I could afford to send him up to you on full livery, he would be up there in a shot because I simply love your yard

I just wish I lived a little closer then I could move all three up there

 

[almorton]

luckilotti - thats great thanks! iv found your phone no. so ill ring you if thats ok

 

[FRESHMAN]

Ahh I thought you said you was only 20 mins max from us.

 

[almorton]

luckilotti, im trying to get hold of you but im not sure the number is right, it is engaged at the mo, could you please pm me your number? thanks loads