Do you stable your horse overnight and if so how long for?

[MagicLlamaStrikesBack]

I am lucky in that my paddocks and stables are at home, and as im lazy the ponies have free access to the fields and the stables and come in and out as they please. I do shut them in if the weather is really bad because otherwise they are stupid enough to stand out in the rain which I hate to see, or whilst they are having hard feed, but thats about it.

As weve recently got an elderly pony for DS, (shes settled in brilliantly by the way), Im thinking about actually stabling them at night rather than giving them free access because I worry about her also if I get a horse big enough for me to ride it would just be too many to be loose, but then as the DSs look after themselves they would need to be stabled around 7pm so that the DSs could bed them down before their bedtime routine, then they would be turned out again around 7am. Is 12 hours usual amount of time for them to be stabled? Its going to be even more horrendous in the winter isnt it, when its so black ill be lucky to see anything by the time ive got the kids home from school!

So how long are your ponies in for? Or am I mollycoddling the oldie by bringing her in?

[Alameda]

your set up sounds ideal, I often wonder if mine would use stables/shelters if they could come and go as they please

some horses are kept in all the time, in winter especially, when turnout isn't available so 12 hours is nothing really?

[tazzle22]

I have a similar set up even though not at my house in the winter .... the small paddock / yard have stables with open doors they can use if they want ( rarely do lol).

Re elderly pony ....... she would prob be better being able to be out and about to keep stiffness at bay ( with a rug on if needed) than in a stable. I know my arthritis is muuuuuuuuch worse after standing / sitting still than it is if I just keep moving around. I'd therefore give my animals that option too.

imo you are not mollycoddling her to bring her in ..... perhaps the opposite ...... its human perception that "snug in the stable keeping warm" is what the horse / pony desires /needs *wink. As you have seen by giving them choice most of the time.


Mine use stables / fieldshelter more to keep out of sun / flies than out of rain ...... if they have a good coat then the rain just runs off and it does not penetrate unless really really lashing ( if its freezing cold and windy too then I think about rugs).

[rogersmellyonthetelly]

Ours varies according to the weather and the season. In winter they come in at 3.30-4, basically dusk, they have a small net and feed, then an over night net at 8pm and if needed, another feed.
Summer time they come in at 8-9pm (earlier if it's wet and miserable)
They go out at 8-8.30 regardless of time of year.

[Loshad]

Summer time they are out for about 19/20 hours out of 24, just in to stop them getting too fat and bloated.
In winter they come in around 6.30/7 depending on when i get in from work, and are turned out at 6.30 am, so basically in for 12 hours. Do fine on this schedule, though would prefer it if they were in a bit earlier in winter.