In or Out

[Stupidbonfire]

Hello, please be gentle with me…. I’m the first person to admit I am ridiculously precious about DD’s pony.

For the first time ever I have a lovely little sole use yard to keep DP (dear pony) at. We have lovely fields with lots of nice grass and some stables and a little yard. The field does not adjoin the stables and is just across the lane.

i have since being a small child been on a livery yard where all horses come in at night from 1st SeptEmber until mid may. So we’ve enjoyed being able to leave them out so far apart from the odd very wet and windy night.

what I’m dithering about is the forecast the next few nights. Down to -4 here. DP is Section B and very fine. She’s also getting on (nearly 18). She looks very well atm but struggles to keep weight on in winter. She has a bib clip and wears a medium weight turnout with a neck and with a fleece underneath when it’s colder (like tonight). She’s mostly better out because she has a hay cough. But won’t eat haylage or wet hay. And also gets a bit stiff or stood in for too long.

but it’s going to be so, so cold and I just can’t get the idea that she’s be better snuggled up in a massive heavyweight stable rug, with a haynet and deep bed. or am I being a massive softee and she’ll be fine outside all rugged up warm. I do have a heavy weight turnout but it’s a bit shirt at the sides and neck and so her tummy and top of neck aren’t covered.

she has hay in the field and a feed of vetran vitality mash, made with warm water.

thank you!

Bring her in if you want. Sometimes they get colder in as they can't move around as much. Maybe buy a proper rug liner for turnout when it's very cold.

-4 isn’t that cold tbh. Agree she may keep warmer moving around, if its going to be dry cold i would leave her out, but i would be tempted to bring her in on the nights it is chucking it down and blowing a gale.

if it’s just her on the yard (although I’m hoping she has company) can you leave her stable open and she can wander in or out as she pleases?

Does she have a field shelter that she actually uses? If its dry and cold I think I would leave her out, are her ears warm and if you put your hand under the rug on her shoulder area does it feel warm?

If its very wet I would bring her in at night definitely. if you can I think its a good idea to have two rugs so if one gets wet you can swap them out.

She lives with her friend, who is a young sturdy fat and fluffy Dartmoor pony. Who feels no cold under her 3 inch coat. So she’ll just go along with whatever.

Stables and yard are separate so can’t just leave doors open to give her the choice.

Yes I did wonder if she might be colder in the stable. Stuck still and if she runs out of hay…

hmm thank you. Maybe I’ll chuck her stable rug under the turnout rug and leave her out. Thank you

@janeeyreair yes I have a few rugs so if it’s very wet we can swap them out. Or actually I tend to bring her in to dry off and warm up and the rug stays on (it’s dry underneath) and then dries out.
So if it’s Very wet or she looks a bit soggy and fed up or it’s cold and wet. she comes in. It’s just the dry but very cold nights I’m dithering about.

I do tend to mollycoddle her. But a lovely first ridden pony like this is like absolute gold dust. So I do try and make sure she is very comfortable and happy because she absolutely deserves it.

No she doesn’t have a field shelter. But high hedges and one with a good line of overhanging trees

Im sure with the care and attention you obviously give her she will be fine, I know what you mean though when its so cold I always think will they warm enough, has hay run out etc etc!

In it's freezing. X

Your desire to have her "snuggled up" isn't based on her needs as a horse, but on your expectations as a human. She has natural shelter, and decent rugs. Provided her rugs are water proof and she has access to forage - whether that's grass or hay - she will be better off out, able to move around and not getting stiff.

Everything is out here pretty much come hell or high water. They're much happier out!

@CaptainThe95thRifles i know you speak good sense. And I know you’re probably right.

It’s just new to both of us, she had never wintered out before. And she waits at the gate from about 4pm sort of expectantly, and it gives me the bad pony mum guilty feeling.

Anyway I’ve decided to tough it out tomorrow night, leave her out and do a late night check. Just to reassure myself 🤦🏼‍♀️☺️
thanks everyone

The answer to the guilt is to feed them (or chuck some hay out, or a similar interesting edible distraction) just as you're leaving, so they're happily engaged and can't stand and stare at you with those big doe eyes!

Out. Always out! Don't understand the obsession for putting horses in a space that's the equivalent to a human spending all their time in a small bathroom! 🤷🏻‍♀️ horses are designed to be on the move not stood around in small boxes. We banned caging hens on welfare grounds yet still are willing to put horses in a space of similar size in relation to their size!!! It makes no sense!

Plenty of hay to eat and leave her out as long as it isn't icy or heavy rain. A windbreak or shelter is always good to have.

It depends though. Some horses just don't cope with the cold, wet and mud. Some horses need to be in because of medical conditions or because the weather is terrible.

I'll never turn out in icy conditions again after losing a young horse when he slipped and snapped his leg!

One of my horses absolutely loves his stable and can't wait to come in even if he's fed in the field first. Depends on the horse. If you ride a lot and have muddy fields, then keeping them in in thr day is obviously far more convenient (they dry out and mud can be brushed off quickly).

Is she prone to laminitis? I'm fortunate to have a large barn to keep my shetland in when it is going to be frosty. However my 32 Yr old Welsh D stays out all the time come what may - and she is far less stiff than when we had to stable her overnight.

My section C has never been in a stable in her life or had a field shelter and she does fine unclipped in a medium turnout. She's 23 now. I know what you mean about the guilt though!

There are two horses in ny village who are in their late 20s and have never had a stable or field shelter or even rugs. One is still ridden and looks well, cheerful and bright. He needed to stay in my stable once to see the vet and he nearly kicked the place down, so clearly some dont like it!

Tell me you don’t own thoroughbreds without actually telling me.
I do think adequate turnout is an issue, and a welfare issue we have in this country with many yards not offering it nov- March.
However I would love mine to stay out 24/7. If I’m lucky they’ll do 9-2 in winter before they are just pacing at the gate shouting

Also most people overgraze and really badly manage their land so it’s impossible to have them out all the time as the fields get trashed. How many times have you seen 7/8 horses in a 5 acre field? It’s ridiculous

To be fair, lots of people can and do keep TBs (and WBs and all other types and breeds of horse) outside 24/7 and most adapt to it well in the right settings. It's just a question of facilities - enough land, good shelter, good rugs as an option, plenty of forage and access to a dry area whether natural or surfaced.

Those things aren't common on yards, so for many people 24/7 turnout is a dream in winter rather than a reality. For those that do, breed is largely irrelevant.

My mare would live out happily and has done. My gelding… an hour or two of playing with his mates and treading hayledge into the floor and he’s done.
He was in the system for a long time (went though Book 1 at tattersalls) ans remained at big yards in Newmarket till he was 8 and is completely conditioned to be a wet blanket

You'll notice I said "most adapt to it well", not "all adapt to it well". Many TBs come out of the racing industry and adapt to real life fine. Some don't, some are never given the chance to find out because their owners don't think TBs can possibly live out.

Statements like "tell me you don't own TBs without telling me you don't own TBs" in response to someone saying they keep theirs out is just perpetuating nonsense mythology that TBs and other blood horses can't cope living out. Many can and do. Yours may be an exception - which is fine, nobody should judge you for doing the best for your horse as an individual.

We have a 30 yr old Dartmoor x , she’s on full livery and comes in at night all year . She did summer out for a few years when she was very young ( we’ve had her since she was 6 ) . To look at her you would think she was in her teens and I’m convinced it’s because she has an easy life .

Why should they live out 24/7 unless they have to? Its not necessarily a crime against nature to bring them into a warm stable.