How long do your stabled horses stay in each day?

Shetlander

Shetlander

Member
Aug 23, 2010
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Surrey
Since I'm now hostage to someone else's "routine" (I use that word loosely) I am wondering how long you all leave your horses and ponios indoors?

My boy can now only be out in the daytime (boo!) and goes out at about 8.30 and back in at 3.30-4pm. I think that's too long and it worries me. It's also a lot more work to muck out, fill 2 haynets and 2 buckets of water every day!

So what do you all do re turnout times? Does my situation sound awful to you?
 
Rosie is out from about 1030 until 3.30/4pm.

She doesn't seem to want to be out longer than that at the moment. None of them do. There's plenty of turnout but not a lot of grass now. I think they just know what side their bread is buttered! They'd prefer to be in as it's not such hard work foraging for food, much easier in munching hay that's all nicely piled up in one spot in the corner. :giggle: I'd prefer her to be out longer really!

I turn out more for a leg stretch, roll and play at this time of year. I do hand graze on nicer grass around the farm most days too at the moment.
 
Caymen is out 9am/10am to whenever him and his pals hang about at the gate.. some days as early as 2.30pm and other days 4pm.
The field is in a bit of a state really because it has been so wet up here. I have had to keep him in a few days as well as he has mud fever.

He is quite happy with his routine so long as he gets to play with his pals for a few hours, he is more than happy to come in. They can be out all day if we want but I dont want to leave him standing in a foot of mud at the gate!
 
The girls are usually out by 7am and in just before 6pm, I keep them at home so their turnout has to fit around my working hours regardless of the time of year. We still have a fair bit of grass at the moment so they don't queue at the gate much, but are all keen to come in when called!
 
I think that's too long and it worries me
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Why? Because of the state of the fields or something else? Or do you mean he's in for too long? I'm fortunate to be on a yard there are enough horses turned out together with different routines for me not to be tied to what anyone else does. At the moment we do still have reasonable grazing so my two come in for 5 or 6 hours during the day to top up on hay. I'll up that or even bring them in overnight as that changes and they get hungrier but they'll be moving back onto their summer fields in a month or so with any luck.
 
The horses that are on full livery are turned out bout 9:30 and back in by 4. The DIY turn out a bit earlier and bring back in by 5. Mine live out 24/7 so only come in when i ride so could be not at all or could be for about 4 hours.
 
Ours go out by 6:30am and come back in about 6pm.. last year they came in at 3:30 - 4pm and the mucking out is certainly easier this winter.. They are keen to come in when we go get them but they have to fit in around my work..

I think your situation sounds pretty similar to most yards where a routine is influenced by staff/ horses on full livery and jobs are done in the daylight?
 
Ponies are having a duvet day today as weather is damm awful!!

ATM horses out at 7:45 and in between 3&6 depending on if they are being worked, my routine etc but both out in a "lami friendly" (mud) paddock and both keen to come in after the hay has gone!

When I am working it's normally horses out at 5:30 and back In at 5:30 ish
 
Ours are out 8ish back in between 1 and 2, minimum grazing really just out to stretch their legs....but they all seem ready to come in. summer she is out 24/7.

YO has informed us today is a duvet day for them, its bad out there.
 
*prepares to be shot*

Mine are in 24/7. Alf, Rocky and Louise get ridden/worked a few times a week and I try to turn Louise out for a couple of hours each day. Truffs and Stevie don't go far, but everyone gets turned out for an hour or so once or twice a week, weather dependant.

Go on then....throw rocks at me :giggle:
 
Yann said:
Why? Because of the state of the fields or something else? Or do you mean he's in for too long? I'm fortunate to be on a yard there are enough horses turned out together with different routines for me not to be tied to what anyone else does. At the moment we do still have reasonable grazing so my two come in for 5 or 6 hours during the day to top up on hay. I'll up that or even bring them in overnight as that changes and they get hungrier but they'll be moving back onto their summer fields in a month or so with any luck.
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No, the fields are fine and the grazing is still pretty good. I think I just feel worried because he's gone from being out 24/7 to being stabled from 8.30-3pm only and now that I've had to go DIY (reducing costs), suddenly he is in a lot more than out. It bothers me that stabling isn't the natural way of things for horses and they can develop problems with their legs as they're not moving around as much as well as the usual behaviour issues that can come up - he is already battering the door as soon as anyone gets to the yard but I can't turn him out until someone else turns theirs out :frown: (otherwise he jumps out the field).

I just feel like I'm at the mercy of someone else now and to be able to go to work I will have to pay her to turn him out - so my costs go up by £200 a month straight away! AAaargh!
 
Oh and I should add that he's like a pony possessed when going in or out. He just wants to be in the field :cry: Handling him is becoming a worry at both ends of the day as well as all the other problems.

Sorry to moan... I just feel really down about it all. Trying to do the best thing here and obviously failing so far!
 
I am very lucky that I can have 24/7 turnout at my yard. Ben comes in at lunchtime for feed at hay, and I put him out in the evening at about 8pm. He is out with 3 other horses overnight and they all wait for each other and then go off when they are all out. I think that he would do OK being in overnight, but I much prefer him to go out.
 
I think turnout is invididual to each horse, they all seem different.

Admittedly my ponies have to fit in around me and other things so what they do and would prefer are not the same but I try to be sensitive to what they like.

For example Harvey would really prefer to be in, lots! I drag him out to the field and after a hour he'd like to come in (in winter, in summer he doesn;t mind being out) In reality he goes out normally around 9am but sometimes as early as 7am and comes in anytime from 2.45 - 4.30pm In the summer he lives out


Ellie is another one who likes her stable but she is currently stabled during the day when Harvey goes out (that way i only have to pay for the one stable!) I did try to let her live out this winter but she lost too much weight and seems happier in some of the day. She will keep to the same routine over summer as she is lami prone.

Piccolo is out on loan and with me she had been living out. She is now stabled at night and seems to appreciate it because she lays out sparko for a lot of the time - and i had always thought she loved living out!
 
Our pair go out about 8am and come in about 4pmish - sometimes later depending on when we get home from work - as they're at home with us. Have had many years of no winter turnout which did not bother Joe so much but Storm was always sharp in winter through being in. Now we have chloe who loves to be out they are both happy with the routine. Summer I am hoping to keep them out 24/7 - this will be super ! No mucking out - hurrah!!!!
They don't seem to protest at coming in mind, they know a pile of hay and bowl of chop awaits.....
 
Shetlander said:
Oh and I should add that he's like a pony possessed when going in or out. He just wants to be in the field :cry: Handling him is becoming a worry at both ends of the day as well as all the other problems.

Sorry to moan... I just feel really down about it all. Trying to do the best thing here and obviously failing so far!
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Feel your pain - when we were on a yard Joe and Storm used to wreak havoc being turned out and I got to dreading it! They improved in summer thankfully but winter was horrid as we only got them out every other day - not good. Make sure you have hat and gloves on!
 
Two of ours go out about 6.30-7am and come in about 5pm-ish at the moment (will be later as the weather/light improves) but my ex-racer is on the yard next door and is on restricted winter turnout now so only goes out for 4 to 5 hours a day. However, due to his past (raced from 2.5 until he was 10) he's really not bothered and is happy in or out. He also doesn't have any natural shelter so I don't mind him coming in when it's wet and windy (the other 2 have hedges and trees).

The other 2 were used to 12 hr turnout daily in winter at our old yard, but come in a bit earlier now because we're there to do it, but neither of them object to being in if they have to either, they're not stressy TB's and don't fencewalk or boxwalk etc, they don't seem to mind being in or out.
 
Arnie goes out about half 7/8 o clock in the morning and comes in about 5pm give or take an hour or so either way.

In Arnies dream world he would go out to play for an hour then come back in to bed but he's had it ;)
 
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