back to winter stabling (groan)

[Garthmarenghi]

After a long wonderful sunny summer the ponies have made it clear it's time to come in at night. As from tomorrow they will be in at dusk and out again as soon as its light. Goodbye to lie ins and welcome back mucking out every morning. Anyone else thinking about bringing in?

I have a hairy native :D

Already done it, round about the equinox when there was nasty weather overnight. It was also the point at which my cats decided they'd spend some time indoors instead of eating and running.

Mine stays out all year with no rug. He is an Arab and loathes being in a stable.

Yep. I'm groom to two 17hh lords of leisure and their sad faces on Friday told me it was time. I had been hoping to squeeze another week but the death knell was bringing them out of 10 acres of summer grazing with their two mates into a 1a section of their 3a winter grazing last Sunday. A few days of fresh grass distracted them but the novelty has quickly worn off.

It's bittersweet as I am sad they aren't living the summer dream but I'm happy because they need me again! I've spent months climbing a very steep hill carrying a bucket of supplies to be met with toddler attitudes 'Urrghh, get off me with the fly spray/suncream/checking I've no fatal wounds! I want play out with my mates!' 'Oh, it's you, go away!' 'We're playing tag, run away!'

Last night it was 'Yippee it's you! Please say we're coming in again! Please, please can I? Oh I love you, let me snuffle your hair'

Big shavings beds, enormous stuffed hay nets, lovely night time chomping sounds = contented sighs from all three of us. Ignoring the fact I am aching already after two mornings of mucking out 15x15ft stables filled with dinosaur droppings

Ah Spookle, it's a familiar story then!

Just brought my two in. Poo picked the field first so it's fresh for the morning, then produced head collars - the look of delight was very touching. Big straw beds and a quick brush over while they eat their tea. Winter has begun for me.

Mine's been on box rest June to Sept with a tendon injury so I had got so used to having to muck out twice a day, when vet told me I could turn him out I decided to start winter routine a bit early so he didn't get up to mischief at night when nobody was around to keep an eye on him...

It gives me time to spend with him and I don't begrudge the mucking out now I'm so used to him needing so much doing. I'm sure when I'm riding again I will get proper arsey

Hehe, yes! I just nipped out after posting to bring in and feed. Very enthusiastic whinnies from both.

I ordered a leaf blower/hoover from Tesco last night because I'm very particular about a tidy barn & yard and gave myself tennis elbow last winter with obsessive sweeping. I can't wait to play with it!

I'm also planning/hoping to make a hay steamer for the old boy rather than soaking his hay when they are in for 16 hours gulp

I hope he is well on the way to recovery Puppy. Did he cope with the box rest well?

Spookle he's been pretty amazing I think although I don't have a point of reference as he's my first horse.

He's healed so well and considering he's stroppy a tit of a thoroughbred when he doesn't get his own way, I'd only owned him two months when it happened and he's been in all summer with no visible company and facing away from the fields I think I should feel very proud of him.

Vet is visiting tomorrow to scan again and having seen some of his field antics recently with no lameness or swelling I am secretly hoping I might be able to get back on

Oh, what a clever boy Puppy. Yes, you should be proud. I suppose the silver lining is that you have had the opportunity to build a close relationship while nursing him. A bit of a baptism by fire for your first horse after just two months though! Good luck for tomorrow and fingers crossed you will get an autumnal morning ride very soon.

Garth, what ponies do you have? I'd only been around ponies for years before taking on these two big boys last year and I really miss cheeky pony characters and scheming antics.

Mine came in two weeks ago, I am dreading the first clip, I hate clipping!

Put her fleece on for the first time last night.... I'm so not ready for rugging season!!!

Spookle - I've not thought of a leaf blower for concrete - could you let me know how you get on with that? It sounds ideal!

I have a mini and a Connie type beast. Both full of opinions and both allergic to rain, wind and bad weather!

I've had my first summer in a long time where all the horses were out - own a livery yard and far to many a few of my own and there is usually something that needs stabled all year. I actually missed mucking out.... Now have two in and another 5 to come in. Just to complicate things I am moving premises in 4 weeks so the routine will be up in the air a bit until I move everything and everybody to new house/yard.
I'm interested to hear how the leaf blower/Hoover works out? I've been using a blower over summer to do indoor yard at times when horses are all out and it's fab but worry it'll be too noisy and blowy/dusty when they are in so started looking at Hoover ones for once I'm moved. Recommendation would be great

We started rugging two of our ponies at night last weekend. I think they appreciated it but take them off at 7am because it's still to warm in the daytime (18 degrees in the East today). Getting a bit fed up of poo picking (twice a day since April!) but still better than mucking out!

We won't start getting them in until mid November and then in until end of March. Still light until 7pm and they love being out.

We will probably have to clip the Connemara this weekend though - getting too hairy to ride and now she's doing arena eventing we are keeping her busy.

Our Show Hunter Pony has been on box rest all summer and turned out in a pen for last two months so he'll be delighted to get into a paddock in 2 weeks time (passed scan last week). We'll leave him out as long as possible and then get him back into work over the Christmas holidays.

Although I had to take two big barrows out of the stables today, I was pleased to note that poo picking the field was next to nothing - and the walk with the barrow to the manure heap is far shorter from the stable than from the field.

SecD(ish) will likely be in at night at the end of the month, as that's when the yard switches over to winter grazing. She'll be furious at first, until the weather turns, then she'll be a bit more grateful :D

Mine stays out all year with the exception of the night before hunting (mostly to keep him clean as he's grey) or terrible weather. He's much happier out than in and I prefer it too, I find it much easier and it gives me more flexibility regarding exercise and feed times - I don't have to leg it to the stables early and because it's a massive field there's plenty of space for him to zip about and it's only muddy in places.

Mine are in , big horse is very happy he can now stretch flat out in his stable and have a decent snooze after 8pm , with his pjs on . I checked him a few times last week and he was on the chilly side of cool , so I dug out one of his very lightweight numbers and now he's happy as Larry . Welsh baggage is outraged she's in , but it's all or nothing as big horse yells non stop if they're separated and I don't think the neighbours would be thrilled . Thugboy also happy to be in - if he had his way , he wouldn't go out at all in the rain , he prefers to stay in with his hay bucket and Classic Fm ....

I rode for the first time today since they came in. Noticed a definite attitude change for the better and a lovely forward ride. Nice to have a rested steed.

my 4 have been in since last week . Waiting at gate from 2.30pm out in the morning at 9 . found the price of shavings and hay up this year , not so good either

Yard has cut off dates for being out overnight and it was last weekend. When I went to get the boy in yesterday, him and his best mate were at the gate. Says it all, really. Now I'm debating whether to clip this week.

Gawd no! They've got a perfectly good shelter with lovely hayracks in, what more do they want? Little'un will have a rug soon as she's 32 but fatso can do without. I've spent the whole summer getting weight off him (he lives on fresh air) and he's taken to smashing the fences to get to the grass and put it all back on again, so it's his own fault (can you tell I'm a tad annoyed? ).

My lot are loving being in. Just as well as the grass hasn't grown for months - we've never got to late October and had such parched fields.

Mine will be out unless or until they have to come in - the very old horse will bring himself in and refuse to budge when he's had enough of the mud, the section D is surely designed to live out and have just taken on a TBxID who is apparently much better off out but he looks so spindly to me 🙀 I actually quite like the winter routine once we are into it TBH