Horses in or out?

[solomon]

Following on from DB's post about the field shelter, I started thinking about what horses really need. I know my horse is only in at night because that is the YO's wish. If it was up to me he would live out 24\7. What would he choose though? Intersting that Jane's horse had access to a stable and only ate in it. I think some horses are more into creature comforts than others but wonder what percentage. What do yours all prefer if given a choice. I personally think Pete would like to live out. He never seems to bothered about coming in unlike Barney who stands by the gate for hours looking sad.

[spotti]

I think Faith, given the choice, would come in like Rockafeller did just for food and stay out the rest of the time, given that there was enough food and shelter etc outside to keep her happy and dry. I think it does horses good to be in a stable herd with their friends and to know where they stand in relation to other herd members - modern livery set-ups with ever-changing herds or individual turnout sounds quite mean to me. Horses should always have at least one friend if at all possible.

HOWEVER with the way things are, Faith can't stay out 24/7 because she's lami prone and certain times of day/types of grass make her more susceptible to getting poorly feet than others, hence coming inside. Ideally she would go outside over night (or early morning, late evening) when the grass is supposedly less dangerous, but without having her outside my house, I can't control her turnout to that extent. She would ideally be naked the majority of the time and only wear a rug when it's really cold or wet (which I guess is what she does in a way) but I'd love for her to have free access to a field shelter/stable so that if she wanted to go inside then she could.

That would be my ideal.

But with how we work at the minute (in DIY livery where she goes out all day and comes in at night), sometimes I feel bad bringing her in when the sun is still shining and there's loads of grass still to scoff, but when its pouring with rain or blowing a gail or she's out in the 2ft of snow with no food and nothing much else to do, I think she quite likes coming inside to get out of the cold. Don't get me wrong, I think after an hour or so of warming up and stuffing her face with hay, I think she'd go straight back outside again, but it would be nice if she could have that choice.

So yeah, I think horses should be given the option to be out 24/7 but also given access to a stable/field shelter too so that they can get warm, dry and have some food or a lie down if they want to .

[scattymare]

I've always liked having the option of keeping mine out but with acess to the stables if they wanted them. This year however I started bringing them in from October as our gras just won't sustain them an we will kill off what little we have left.
That said, I hate to say but my hardy Welsh Cob is a complete wuss!! She hates the rain and would be first in the stables to shelter - everyone else would be shivering in the middle of the field! When she was on box rest she was quite happy and as long as the food keeps coming she's content!
I have to actually turf her out some mornings and on many an occasion find her still flat out snoozing away!
That said they do go out all day every day with no exception to the weather - other than last Saturday where the field was just a sheet of ice and she was slipping everywhere so she came in.
In summer she's quite happy staying out but even then if we have a shower she's straight in her box until her belly gets the better of her!!

[Blonde Donkey]

Out 24/7/365. They all seem to love it even my mums wussy TB who hates summer but seems to love winter. Savvy, Chip, Dainty and Pest have never really been in apart from PC camp for savvy and the boys when they were with their previous owners. The girls have rugs on and have two shelters and a line of trees to hide behind but often stay in the middle of the field unless its really bad. Bracken was in one winter when she was on loan and came back to us in the January and was straight back out with no ill feelings and tbh we were told she was happier at home and out than she was than when she was there and in.
The boys love the freedom they have to play, they are typical young boys always playing or in troube , and Savannagh simply can't cope with being in for more than one night without grass as she misbehaves or her off hind hock gets stiff and the wussy TB has never actually seen the inside of a stable since she was born and then she went out at a few hours old. All of ours are natives as well i think that helps as Savs was out in Ireland and Chip lived for six years in the Highlands so I can assume being in England with just the rain to contend with is a bit of a relief for them.
I think different horses react differently though and my friends horse hates going out if its raining or snowing or even a bit windy.

[mossh]

all of ours out, only been in twice i think, once when cow herding and once when the ice was too dangerous and it was too cold for the grit to work.

The native is out without a rug.

We are trying to give them some turnout everyday and are out quite a lot actually. All doing fine as well

[haffyfan]

Mine are out all the time...I don't have stables quite simply...added to this Murph hated having to be at night when he lived on a yard that insisted on it in winter (to sell us bedding!) and Harry, well I highly doubt he's been in a stable in his life. They ahve free access to a shelter which they use a lot in summer but not much in winter. They are well rugged and seem perfectly content even in the 2ft plus of snow and minus 18.5 which we had Mon/Tue morning. Harry is very resourceful and quite handy at breaking the ice on the trough with a hoof when he needs a drink and has taught murph to dig for grass.

In the right conditions (and I stress this) I have found former (if there is such a thing) laminitics (like Murph) can live out on grass successfully but I am lucky in the sense I have no yard owner dictacting 'where and how' I arrange my grazing etc

[zara]

If I had the option I would keep my horses out 24/7 if they had access to stable / field shelter that was dry and mud free. AJ however would probably think differently as he is the biggest wuss on the planet and hates the cold and wet and begs to come in! He also however is very good at telling me when he wants to stay out in the summer. My answer is, when possible, listen to your horse Zx

[frankiesmum]

i used to loan a horse whom i thought had it perfect, she had a L shaped stable block with 4 stables with doors all latched open, the yard surrounding it was flat concrete and behind the stables ran a soft path with access to 3 fields which could be rotated. the horse was allowed to do as she pleased and haynets were up in stables if she wanted shelter. she only ever came in for feeds and spent the rest of the time happily moochig around her field with her buddy. annax

[fimacg]

My lot for a bunch of natives are complete wusses! Or is it just common sense!?!

They have free access to a field shelter and at a hint of a cold wind or rain they all fight to get in - and stand all in a line with bums inside and shoulders and heads under the overhang! sometimes if really bad I cant find them in the field they are all hiding right inside.

If I am late brining in they are all stood at the gate waiting and are self stabling so all I do is open all the doors and then the gate and then go around closing everything again once they have put themselves away...

The do however go out in all but the most extreme weather I did keep them in for 5 days in this snow but it just never seemed to stop falling for all that time, as soon as it did they were back out.

I do occasionally limit their turnout to 1/2 day in the depths of winter for either they have literally nothing to eat for hours or if the field starts to get really churned up, and thats more for the sake of the field than the horses...

[racaille]

Mmmmm, but don't forget that once horses learn to associate 'indoors' with food, they will choose the food, which does not necessarily mean they are choosing indoors!

[hannahdudey]

MINE STAY IN ALL THE TIME THEY WILL BE HAND WALKED TO GRASS AND LET LOOSE INDOOR

[solomon]

Do you have any problems with them, are they worked every day so they aren't bored. What feed are they on? I guess if they are show jumpers they are all super fit.

[hannahdudey]

yes they are ridden every day for an hour to an hour and half they go on the walker for 2 hours 1 in the morning and one in the evening they are on sugar beat alfa a competition mix and pony cubes aswel as all of there supplements,

[fimacg]

how do you find time to do all of that? are they on livery or do you manage around school/work?

I always feel sorry for horses with no turnout what so ever, I feel they dont actually have the time to let off steam and just be horses and do what horses do.

Even the racehorses around me get turned out summer and winter so I think the view that expensive horses need to be kept it is beginning to change and long may that trend continue.

[jack]

i was always taught that it was healthier for them to live out and all mine are out 24/7

[hannahdudey]

no they are on full livery so i dont do this i finish work at 5 and they are all exercised then i will leave the yard around 9 ish again thats your opion mine are happy and the fittest horses on the yard shiny coat bright eyes always ears forward and very loving horses showing good results in the ring aswel therefore im not going to change it appreciate other horses being turned out and enjoying it

[fimacg]

that must cost you a fair packet 3 on full livery + one with a trainer, by my reckoning that must cost you over £400 a week!

what on earth do you do to earn that kind of cash... sits here feeling very poor!

[jack]

mmm ive got all 4 of mine out 24/7 all with shiny coats pricked ears lovley bright eyes and all very happy they would hate being in would cost a fortune to have them all on full livery so what do you actually do with them ? are they dressage or sj ? im just a tad confused

[hannahdudey]

they are all showjumpers however my friend at the yard rode one of them for me and she does dressage she really enjoyed him and began training him at dressage and competing him just at prelims to begin with and he started winning lots she had him for about 6-8 months and he started the dressage someone else is now doing a bit with him as i dont enjoy dressage no you dont understand i didnt mean horses that go out dont have shiny coat ect, i meant mine are in and are still as happy and in good condition to those that are out thats what i meant x

[maximum]

How do you know they are happy though? Its not natural for any horse to be cut off from socialising with other horses, not to be given time to play and just be a horse. Its such an old fashioned view! I worked for a top showjumper for many years and all the horses were allowed 2-3 hours a day play and fun - either in the arena or in the field even in the busiest part of the season - it helped them relax and chill.

Its good to hear Fi that the racehorses in your area are getting turnout - they have been traditionally one of the worst culprits but thankfully with all the current research on the dangers of ulcers colic etc in the stabled horse maybe the tide is turning and some people are seeing that they need to look after their horses mental and physical well being and that the link between the two is very important.

[barbie44]

i like my horses going out they only go out for a little bit as dillon is prone to lamminitus, i think that if your horses are exercised every day and i mean EXERCISED then i dont see a prob its up to you what you do with them and they seem to be healthy and doing well as you said i like turn out its up to u though xxx

[maximum]

barbie its not about the exercise every day- its about a horse being allowed to relax and mix with other horses in a way that gives them mental relaxation thus cutting down on stress and this has a positive effect on its physical well being - its not enough to think of it in terms of exercise.- These are not lab rats.

[barbie44]

yes i no that but if they are exercised its not as bad to think of them stuck in a stable alday isit! thats what i think you dont have to be like that to me i have been on here twice and this is how people react nice xxx

[maximum]

I am not being like anything - just saying what I think and pointing out why its not about exercise.

[scattymare]

Anyone seen Billy Goats Gruff?