Re; 24 hour turnout

[Joy]

Hi Everyone
Just wanted some advice on what people think about leaving their horse out all year round. We brought Bella and Dolly up tonight for the first time since April ,to stable them, as it has been so wet!!!!

Anyway Bella was not happy about being in her stable and almost looked as though she would attempt to jump the door and Dolly was banging her door!!!!

We decided to take them back to their paddock and leave them out!!

My husband has said that he feels that they are better off left out all year as they have a large field shelter and seem so settled- also, Bella is a native breed Polish Konik and used to being out in all weathers and Dolly seems happier out!!!

The dilemma I have is that if they are out-(they both need to lose weight so this would problably be best) and are wet and muddy is it ok to put a saddle on a wet horse!!!!

Any feedback would be most welcome!!!

Thanks
Kind regards
Joy
Bella & Dolly

[lisandsaf]

Hi Joy

I would do what suits the horses, if they are happy to live out, leave them out.. my friend has a riding school and all 20 of her horses live out all year round,, they are all rugged and have plenty to eat , no shelter and most of them come in at some point during the day to do their work..they are the best riding school horses both in temprement and health i have ever seen!!

You have a lot less work to do and money to save if your horses live out,, i.e beding etc,, its only us humans that like to think of our horses tucked up in cozy warm stables and rugged to the hilt,, i am the worlds worst for this but it is not what mother nature intended for our equine friends!!

Regards riding them,, when they are wet just tack them up and go,, if muddy you should leave the mud to dry before attempting to brush it off... with good rugs your gals should be fine out all year round..

Horse are by nature claustrophobic and many do not take to stabling,,, ever!!

Regards

Lisa and Saf

[jan]

Hi Joy
When I got my horse she wasn't used to a stable. I got her in July - so she was out most of the time - but she was in on the few nights when the weather was very bad (summer!!!). She too looked like she would jump the door, she kept rearing at the door and circling around inside - very scary. Our yard rules are - they are in at night from1st Nov until 1st April - so I have no choice and she now has to be in .

All I wanted to say was - they do get used to it. She has been every night for the past 10 days - and has got a bit more relaxed about it every night. When I first got her in on the odd occasions over the summer - I would put her food in her stable just so she actually went in through the door. Now I can put her in and leave her for 10 mins before feeding and she will be ok. She doesn't circle anymore - she is still not totally happy - but it's a huge improvement in a fairly short amount of time.

Can they see each other from their stables? I found that my mare is more stressed if no-one else is in.

Good luck!

Jan

[sarah]

Hi Joy, I keep my horses at home, so I am free to choose what to do and when.

I like to do what suits each individual horse - my daughter's pony hates really wet weather and prefers to come in for the night then.
The "spooky one" is terrified being shut in a stable, and will spin all night, and most of his hay which I feed from the floor would end up in a pile outside his stable door, where he would grab a mouthful, rush to the door to see what might be creeping up on him, and then drop all his precious hay!
Last winter when his best friend was in at night, I would move him to a paddock next to the stable yard, so he could see, hear and smell his friend, but he felt a lot safer being able to move around the paddock to escape the invisible monsters.
This winter, I am planning to do the same, but leave the gate into the yard open, and his stable door open, then if he feels like getting out of the weather he can pop himself in his stable, but he will be free to go back out to the safety of the field in need.
I have a feeling that my new pony will prefer to live out too.

Our boys are all rugged up, so that I can whip the rugs off, quick groom and off we go.

I think if you are free to choose how to winter your horses, then let them tell you what they would prefer.

[lisandsaf]

Hi Joy

both sarah and jan are so right in what they say,,

Have you decided what to do.

Regards Lisa and Saf

[Joy]

Hi Lisa, Jan & Sarah,
Thanks so much for advice. I think that for the tome being we will leave them out as they are both still needing to lose weight- I am going to take Bella into her stable, getting her used to it gradually when I bring her up to ride!

We are lucky in that where we are we can do what we like although we will have to watch their paddock does not get too cut up!!!

If the weather gets really extreme we will work towards stabling them at night and keep an eye on them both for the first few nights until they settle!

Thanks for all of the advice, and Lisa, I did get Bella up today and rode her when she was wet!!!! It has been such crappy weather I just bit the bullitt-thanks for that!!!

How are you going with your move Lisa?

My husband is so impressed with this forum and cant believe all of the good advice that people offer out of kindness!

Thanks to you all again

Kind regards

Joy, Bella & Dolly

[Erika and George]

Joy,
If your horses want to stay out 24/7 then thank your lucky stars. It is so much easier and cost effective way of managing horses. With shelter they will be absolutely fine.
George has been out 24/7 ever since I got him and he is as happy as anything. At this time of the year, because I haven't clipped him yet, he is in a rain sheet purely to keep the mud off him so that I can tack him up and ride out when I want. In the past when he has been muddy and I wanted to ride I have hosed him down, dried him a bit with a towel and then saddled up and he has been fine.
My livery lady has had her horse 16 years, for the first ten she would bring her in every night and "tuck her in". Then she removed the back of her stable to use as a stable/field shelter and every night would put the mare's feed in the stable. Mare would walk in have her tea, spend a penny and then walk out and stand outside in the driving rain.
Don't worry about the cold, my herd were out all last winter and it got down to -18c at night and we had 2 foot of snow for weeks! Every morning I would struggle down the field with the hay and the water, put the hay out and they would just look at me. I would then move the electric fencing and they would ignore the hay and dig in the snow for the grass. At night when I fed them, they would be picking at the hay but asking me to move the fence again, which I did.
Do watch your rugs though. We had an absolute monsoon the other night and when I got George in to go riding I struggled to get his rug off. It wasn't as water proof as I thought and had filled up with water! I had to cut the liner to let the water out and George was soaked through underneath but still steaming like an Aga.
So save your yourself money, time and your horses health. The ones that are out all year round will not suffer from COPD (breathing problems due to dust allergies), weaving, crib-biting and other such vices. They are also less likely to suffer from stiffness in the joints or back due to standing in one place for too long.
Naturally if you have a TB or an elderly horse then my advice would be different. Enjoy your hardy animals and let them be horses.
Erika & George
PS It doesn't mean that I don't lay awake a night when it is a force 10 and driving rain, but then I worry for the chickens as well.

[Erika and George]

Joy,
Re the groudn cutting up badly, don't be too worried about it as it will recover next year after a good harrow. Do watch out for mud fever though. I have now learnt to ensure that I have fenced off a large area around the gate as the horses will gather here at feeding times and chew it up badly. Using electric fencing it then becomes possible to move your temporary gate during the winter to avoid too much poaching. I also invest in two large bags of builders sharp sand and have marked a path into the yard, probably only about 10 metres and covered it with sand. This prevents the ground poaching too much around the yard and mud being constantly dragged into the yard. It also means that I don't slip over in the dark when I am still half a sleep. Also it is an fantastic soil conditioner so will help with drainage in future years.
Best wishes,
Erika & George

[Joy]

Hi Erica
I hope you and george are well!
Thanks for feedback- I must admit I do feel a little bit of guilt leaving them out in rain etc but like you say I think we do it more for us and that feeling of tucking them up- safe and sound! After all they are horses!!!

So I say to myself I will save myself the extra work and hopefully have happy healthier horses!

Thanks for tips on field management-

It will also help to get this extra weight off Bella- she seems to get fat looking at hay/grass!!!

Thank very much
Kind regards
Joy, Bella & Dolly

[lisandsaf]

Hi Joy..

The move was the most stressful thing i have ever done, and i wouldnt wish it on any one...

Saf went out into the field and booted everthing in site,,, and my daughters pony jumped out of his field in a blind panic looking for saf,,, luckily no body was hurt, nor the horses...

Chrumbs i stood there nearly in tears feeling like i had put my precious babies in with a pack of lions!!!

Having said that three days on,, things have settled down remarkably quickly, the mares are all in season squirting one another yuk,,,and my daughters pony althou having dropped gallons of weight and his old and cant afford to lose any,, seems happier to and now stays in the field... thankfully!!!!

Saf looks for me of an evening and happily comes to the gate to come in,, thankfully all our previous training and bonding is coming to the fore and paying dividends!!!
phew thankgoodness for parelli....

Thanks for asking joy


Kind regards

Lisa and Saf

[lisandsaf]

Hi Joy

Havnt heard from you in a long time,, just wondered how you getting on,, how are your girls, what did you decide to do last winter in the end, did you leave them out or bring them in..

Regards

Lisa and Saf

[joy]

Hi Lisa,
Lovely to hear from you- hope you and Saf are both well!!!

I did manage to get Bella settled in her stable for the winter and we then had difficultly getting her off her bed in the morning especially if it was raining- so they were both brought in at night from November to end of march and turned out for the day!!! this really seemed to suit them and prevented our paddock getting too cut up!!!

They are now out for 24/7 but have a lovely big field shelter which Bella hogs to stretch out in!!!

Dolly has had mild laminitis- she managed to get her head under the fence to some reseed haylage crop in May- anyway we have now double taped the whole field to prevent this and touch wood she is now fine- They are both still a little overweight so I am trying to get this off-Bella gets big just looking at grass!!!They came out of winter looking fantastic and now have put some back on!!!

Anyway they are having plenty of exercise as I ride Bella and Dolly comes out in hand!

Everyone falls in love with Bella as she is so funny- Dolly is lovely although a bit grumpy at times but we love her for it as she is full of character!! Bella picks her feet up to be picked out beautifully now!Patience ,perseverance and kindness seemed to be the key!!!

Anyway it is lovely to hear from you, Are you still at the same yard?

Take care

Joy, Bella & Dolly

[nellie]

Hiya Joy, it is lovely to get your update on your girls. It sounds like they are really loved and at home with you .

And I so agree with your question: Lisa how did yours settle in the end? Are you still in same yard?

Helen

[lisandsaf]

Hi Joy, and Helen

Lovely to hear from you, im pleased you sorted your girls in the end,, i constantly worry about whether mine should be in/out rugged or not,, poor hubby it does his brain in at times!!!!

We ended up moving yet again,, i couldnt settle at the other yard and we only stayed 3 weeks, we now are at a small yard with only 10 ponies and we have 3 of them,, we each have our own fields and can do as we please so our guys are back together..and happy...

My daughters little pony is going back to his owner at the weekend, we have loaned him for two years and he is now sadly outgrown, i shall miss him,, but we have bought a baby gypsy cob filly,, she is only a year old and coming to us at the end of august after our hols,, i shall be putting all my Parelli knowledge to the test,, goodness nows im going to need it,,

She should grow to around 15 hands and be saf's build and oohhh the hair!!!!! must leave clippers at home,, as my daughter plans to show her in hand next year,, we'll see .

Kind regards

Lisa and Saf