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The tack room

Discuss horse riding and ownership on our Horse forum.

Winter turnout

18 replies

WhiteDay04 · 19/12/2022 21:15

Do your horses have winter turnout? The past week has been awful with snow and ice and my horse has been in for over a week now.

OP posts:
user1471550643 · 19/12/2022 21:36

mine is out 24/7. He is a hardy unclipped cob though. Access to 2 stables and field shelter and as much hay as he needs. He is a bit arthritic and not being stacked helps his mobility. I am also lucky with my diy livery allowing this and also access another 2 fields if one needs resting

user1471550643 · 19/12/2022 21:37

“Stabled”

Treeeeeeee · 19/12/2022 22:00

Out daily, in each night, unless the weather is particularly wet and then she will stay in for the odd day when she doesn't want to go out

Lastqueenofscotland2 · 19/12/2022 22:43

Out in the day in at night. Our grazing gets a bit waterlogged but in the zillion years the farmer has owned it has flooded once, so isn’t too bad. The wimpy gelding annoys his friend for about 90 mins and then wants to come in though

JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon · 19/12/2022 22:48

Mine hasn't missed a day since February. She's hunter clipped, fit and in work, she goes out for all of daylight hours in winter and hates to miss out.

We only keep in if the track to the fields is unsafe. It was fairly dry during the cold weather over the last week so we could keep it clear of ice. The fields were frozen but that's not too much of a problem.

Bluelightbaby · 19/12/2022 22:52

My boy is out during the day, in at night . Today he had to stay in until midday and was very cross lol

liveforsummer · 19/12/2022 22:53

Ours are out 24/7 - those in work are mostly fully clipped but well rugged. If especially wet we'd bring them in to dry off a bit but they've managed fine throughout this cold spell with snow thick on the ground for over a week. Plenty hay. Can't imagine keeping in all that time!

Thesehills · 20/12/2022 07:35

Ours are out in the day, I’m at night.

this last weekend though they’ve been in.
we’ve had terrible black ice.

Yesterday the thaw came and out they went.😳😂

thelobsterquadrille · 20/12/2022 07:36

The horses at the our stable are out 24/7 unless they're working. They're only brought in it the weather is really bad and the owner can't guarantee they'll be able to get to the field.

Similarly the horse I look after at a private home is out 24/7 with access to a stable if he wants it.

Deliaskis · 20/12/2022 12:47

Out in the day, in at night, as long as it is safe to get to and from the field. Last week was OK as although freezing it had been very dry here, so road to field was clear. Weekend got a big dicey and I turned out a bit later after salting the bad bits.

We have just moved yards to ensure we still get daily turnout as it had reduced to every other day at old yard due to the condition of the field.

Biddie191 · 20/12/2022 13:52

Out 24/7 but with very good field shelters, with hard-standing round them. A selection of horses inc TB's and youngsters.

alloalloallo · 20/12/2022 14:07

Mine are out in the day and in at night.

I go up before work so they go out about 7am ish, and come in around 4pm.

If the weather is horrible I do give them a lay in or a duvet day if it’s really bad as they just stand by the gate in the mud otherwise. Their field mates (not mine) don’t get turned out if it’s raining so they just stand there calling and looking for them - if the weather is ok, they’ll happily wander off.

I’ve got an arthritic oldie who should be out a lot more than she is, but she very much likes her stable and didn’t cope with 24/7 turn out the few times we tried it. I’d love to find a field with a good field shelter or free access to a stable, but unfortunately there’s nothing like that around here

SpottyBumPony · 20/12/2022 14:10

Out 24/7, clipped, rug and hacking 2-3 times a week

Mollyplop999 · 20/12/2022 15:00

Ours are out 24/7 but not on grass. They are on hard standing/rubber mats but hsve access to their stables if they wish to go in. Ideally I'd love them in the field but one is insulin resistant and has no grass. Plus we have springs underground and the field would be a bog within hours.

RatherBeRiding · 21/12/2022 11:30

Out 24/7 thankfully as I now have my own grazing with fantastic shelters and enough land not to get poached - it is also very free draining so mud isn't an issue.

Back when I was on livery winters were frequently a nightmare with frozen/waterlogged/muddy fields and livery owners who stipulated they had to be in overnight, which in practice often meant 14/16 hours stuck in a stable, navigating icy yards, tracks that resembled a ploughed field, and very fresh/stressed out horses. I absolutely hated it. Coupled with issues of shared turnout, putting hay in fields when other owners didn't etc etc. However I was always lucky in the sense that none of the livery yards banned turnout because of the state of the fields - it was an absolute last resort that we were asked to keep them in 24 hours in extreme weather. Usually it was up to us if we wanted to brave the icy yards, muddy tracks and have horses huddled round the gateway for 8 hours waiting to come back in.

Now that they are out 24/7 with ad-lib hay and plenty of room, they are happy as Larry!

TheNinthLock · 21/12/2022 11:36

Out 24/7 all year. Hardy, hairy Connie X .

WildFlowerBees · 30/12/2022 05:20

Ours 24/7 unless it's horrible weather as there's no field shelter. Both hairy hardy fellas but a rain sheet is put on them if it's heaving down. Neither are stable babies and it's better for their health to be out rather than in. Mudcontrol mats being laid at the gate entrances soon.

Demento · 01/01/2023 11:04

24/7 for us too, ground is a bit trashed and this week but we don't have stables.

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