our stables dont do turn out

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We love our stables - but they dont do winter tun out exept for muk out and riding time-we are new and didnt know this - but we really llike the folk and we want to stay but are worried for the pony...

Me personally i would look else where for your horse, you cannot expect a horse to stay in for the whole of winter its not healthy or natural.

Do you know why they dont turn out for winter?

It is hard to decide when their nice people but your horse comes first, you will probaly find somewhere just as nice.

Is there somewhere local you could rent a paddock or turnout?

Failing that I would be out of there. I was at a no turnout yard once. My horse got depressed and twitchy . Was a complete nutter to ride. Not worth it. We moved, she changed back to the happy nice horse I knew. Never regretted it!!

thanks - locally we have two choices - live out all the time -no advice - just yard - we are new to this.or this option..dd says live out better for phsycology of the horse.we did discuss with our stables an they say that the ground is too muddy- this is true as we have lost two shoes in 4 weeks we think due to mud.it s scary to do it without advice on tap and they are lovely but i do understand and i do want to put horses ist but wd be worried i wdnt be doing so if we did the wroong thing to them without advice.the people at our stables are really lovely and i cant understand therefore why seem happy to take in for the winter ... are there mixed views on this - she felt that they wd also get mud fever etc.i think it may be due to limited land..

ps good idea re rent a paddock if it wd be near---will ask ...

Hi, is your pony a hardy type? Will he/she do ok living out in the winter? If so I would plump for 24/7 turnout otherwise it puts a lot of pressure on you having to ride every day during the dark months just to keep your pony ticking over, supple etc.

Might be pretty miserable being stabled all of the time!

we have a cob x and a conemara...

You know what I think! it's non negotiable for me.
Can you imagine being stuck in a chair for 6 months? Only getting up to go to the loo? --p.S. ive done that

Also, do you yard owners supply your hay and straw, by any chance? Sounds like a good excuse to save their grazing and rake in the money for all the hay and bed you'll use too. And believe me, a cob and a large pony on 24 hour hay, are going to be eating A LOT!

Saggy Spot on. The yard I was at with no turnout upper rent in the winter to cover extra hay and bedding

Also gave us bollocks about mudfever/rain scald/weight loss. I and a tb with white legs. She had none of the above being out for at least 12 hours a day in the winter!

I figured that my old horse would get through £15 of hay a week on the above routine.
In all the time would bankrupt me!

As an aside, and a total hijack, someone I know is at Hartpury, doing equine studies. They have no turnout from September to march! Apparently they don't want to spoil their grass!! I'm disgusted!

I suspect that was the reason at my old yard

It is highly likely that your pony will go loopy with no turn out and will be a lot more difficult to handle and ride. If the choice is no turn out or 24/7, go for 24/7. All you need is two good rugs (so that you can change one if it is soaked through), ideally ones that have variable weights so you can adjust them for different times of the year.

thankyou all- no our stable doesnt sell us the hay or bedding
.But i think it may be conected to saving the grass - in fact i think thats what they said - that the grass wd disappear if left em out....thanks so much for all the imput.our main concern was the mental health of our ponies and you have given me a lot of food for though so thanks again...

Well yes, eventually the grass may run out but then if you need to you shove hay out but of they come.in at night then no need all depends on the pony. Yours us quite a hardy breed. Also grass is grass, it does grow back!!!!

ps - can you tell me more about what woul d happen if they stay in ??- and also - as they wd have to be out 24 - Why exactly is it better for them?? - im asking, as my gut says the latter, as to me it s simply natural based on no knowledge base

. I also want to know more in general and also as if they do get that mud fever stuff and i feel bad at least i can rationalise my decision to myself

One concern if that is i chose the 24 out place if they did get one of the mentioned conditions would they need stabling ???-as i wd not have it at all...and what cd consequences be if i couldnt---i know i might be rattllig on - !!! just want to make sure make best decsion for our ponies...

Well of course the grass will run out. Isn't that the point? It does grow back every spring and autumn.

i think they meant it wd ruin the land or grass --- i dont really know re this issue and that s part of the problem !!!

also just remembered - some of the other pony owners who pay more to keep them out and have reevved that choice pay more perweek- so i wonder if its linked to lack land ...they stay out 24 7 but have stable in reserve if want it and have hailage if a feeder in paddock- so i dont think its a financial reaso we have to bring them in it mst be to protect land - but as you say it will grow back- i dont want them out for the grass particularly just for their natural state.

Re. you being worried about not having advice on tap.

I would be think rice about taking advice from people who think its ok to keep a horse in 24.7 in winter.

There are loads.of horse people around everywhere. It won't take much to.find someone to help if you need it.

And if you are a novice owner then it won't be easy looking after and handling a loopy stabled pony!

Will shut up.now! :)

*think twice!

also - again - the owners said today that they can be misrable out just standing by the gate - that did worry me - i dont like the idea of a potentialy wet cold pony but i like the idea of a 24 hr stabled on less!

I went to Hartpury, with my horse, we were there for three years!

again minimal winter turnout, usually 2/3 2 hour slots a week! and in the depths of winter turnout was cancelled due to muddy conditions!

Thankfully, instead of a fancy competition horse like many of my friends, i had a piabald heavyweight cob who just dealt with it. We did however have some very exciting rides as has was just bored silly. and many many respiratory infections due to the horses being immunosupressed due to stress and in close proximity all the time.

the sheer joy on his face when we came home to 24 hour turn out made me promise i would NEVER keep any horse on 24hr stabling ever agian, its just not right. Even Carl hester's top horses get turnout, they need it just to remember how to be horses.

Several yards round here don't have winter turn out. It is shite in my opinion.

Better out than in is my mantra, although we do stable at night in winter as we are quite high up and exposed.

It is usually to save the land as horses do churn up the land. One pukka livery yard told my DDs friend not to let her pony out in a field when she took him to stay with relatives as he might get laminitis . That yard has no proper turn out at all, and each livery gets maybe one hour a day all year round if they are lucky. I don't think the riding school ponies get any turn out at all.