Live in or live out?

Cremola Foam

Cremola Foam

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2005
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Scotland
what are your thoughts on living arrangements for horses?

B lives in at night as that's what works best for him. He has limited dentition and so doesn't get much from the little grass he manages to eat. When he is in at night he has lots of buckets of fast fibre which meet his nutritional needs. I've kept him like this for years and it works well for him.

Peds has lived in and out. The first winter I had him he lived in at night as he lost a lot of weight and needed to be in so I could make sure he was getting enough hay (I think he was being bullied and not aloud enough time at the hay bales in the field)

At the moment he lives out.

My reason for asking is I'm finding having him out this year rather a struggle. I think a lot of it has to do with the weather, the constant rain and wind has turned the field into a bog, and I feel like I've had a cold for about the past two months. Filling water buckets morning and night and putting out hay morning and night (I fill the nets at night to do that night and the following morning) is really starting to wear me down. I've been thinking for the past few weeks that it might be easier if Peds lived in (at night) I know I'd have mucking out to do but I'd be doing that in the dry of the stable block! And putting up Haynets wouldn't involve squelching through mud that in places is nearly up to my knees.

The things holding me back are that Peds is not massively keen on being in (but I'm fairly certain he would get used to it) and that I don't know what would happen to the horse my boys share a field with. (Not really my concern as its not my horse, but I know we all worry about all horses whether they are ours or not)

Anyway, I'm in a bit of a dilemma as to what's the best to do for Peds and for me.
 
You just have to do what's best for your horse. I love my yard as there are out 24/7 from April/May to November. He is then turned out at half eight for me and brought in at half three/half four weather and light dependant.

I have another option with a friend of him living in a massive field with an attached barn with adlib haylege and about a foot of straw on the floor of the bar, the farmer clears the barn completely with the tractor when it's needed and the four would share it, you could fit 6/7 12x12 stables in the barn.

I am seriously considering it money dependant in the new year as it has a floodlit school and is only £30 a month more than I'm paying now as all bedding and haylege is included. I could also have a stable if I wanted.

Either options will work for him but if he had to be in then I would prefer some turnout even if just in a school or hard standing for an hour or so and ridden as much as possible.
 
If mine were knee deep in mud with no escape I would probably be considering bringing in or finding somewhere with better winter turnout or modifying what is there with a hard standing hay area with big bales put out. Im grateful everytime I read about quagmire field that we have sandy soil and very little mud so mine can live out as jess hates being stabled. I hope you can come up with an answer that suits both of you :)
 
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Last week I ended up bringing mine in at night, it was way too wet, and i was worried about the wee one as he has arthritis, I know its good for him to move around but he has a massive stable for his size. I am all for them living out but sometimes you just have to go with your gut instinct. After their first night in they were actually waiting to be brought in on the second night so I think that says they were glad of the break from the soggy fields:rolleyes::) They still go out during the day.
 
Whether in or out you still have hay nets to fill and water to do, but bringing in would give you both a respite from the weather.
I have an option to bring in if I really needed to, I haven't but if it was absolutely torrential rain for a week with winds I would get her in.

You could just do a week in at night and see how the field coped?
 
If you have the option, I'd bring him in for a week and see how you get on, it's as much about what works for YOU as well as your horse.

If the field is a quagmire then I'd be looking to change fields and/or stable.

I've got the option of a stable over the winter and my horse lives out usually, however he was in the other day and usually he's VERY keen to go out, but now he's hanging around the gate hoping to come in !!
 
Mine come in during the day but this weekend I am going to play around with the electric fencing so that they can come in and out as they like. I can then put the hay up in the hemmel and the hard standing for them 24/7
In hindsight I should have done this from the start as they have made a lovely mud bath at the gate out the bottom half of the field which wouldn't have been there had they been able to just come in as they like. Plenty dry areas but as soon as they see me arrive they wait there and have churned it up. I would try him in and see how you both find it. The work horses have spent more time on their hard standing and in the field shelter this year due to mud.none of them have ever really chose that in the time I've been here but we have had so much rain I think everyone is feeling it this year with mud and water logged land.
 
Mine have always gone in and out as they want when they are separate.
When I put them togethe during the day I do close the chains to the stall areas because
Andi would go in and leave presents" Andi was here "in Sonnys stall
and if the weather got crummy she would just chase him out of what ever
stall he might go in.
 
Ours free range 24/7 but I realise this is not always an option for others. Also both mine have special needs - one with mild copd the other arthritis so they both benefit from being out and about as much as possible. However as already said it can be a miserable situation for both horse and owner when it turns into a mud bath and in the past I have stabled over night when constant turnout was inappropriate.
It will soon be spring.........(well, not quite but lets hope so) and maybe some drier weather will help.
 
Just read the last part of your post about the horse they share with - seems a shame if he will be left alone. I know its not your concern though but I think he would be upset at being left alone. Can you ask the owner if they might like to bring theirs in at night too?
But also bear in mind if Peds isn't keen on coming in he might resent it and take a while to settle. Sorry, not help at all!lol I am hopeless and have to weigh everything up!!!
 
If you have the option to vary what you do with your horse regarding living in or out, take full advantage and don't worry about anyone else's horse, as your own is your priority! Roxy has been out most of the year but is in at night now as she's in a small field with two other mares and we're not allowed to hay in the field, so really I just see it as a chance for her to stretch her legs during the day. She is in from 4pm until 9am, and gets two massive hay nets and two feeds. It's a long time to be in but not a problem for her as she will adapt to anything, but prefers to be stabled. She seemed to really enjoy living out in the summer, but at this time of year, I think she'd prefer to come in after just an hour of being out, if that!
 
Ours both live out 24/7. They have access to shelter and a natural pond and tons of grass. We too have sandy soil so we don't have the problem of mud although the pond becomes more of a lake (there's a pair of swans living there at the moment. :rolleyes: ). There are three of them all living out like that - my two are nekkid and the Wussy Warmblood they share with is rugged.

I tried bringing Gelfy in once when he was turned out with one other gelding who was brought in every night (not sure why) and he got very upset. When WW was brought in and my two were left out she threw her teddies out the pram and had a right old tantrum.

I've had people tell me I'm cruel for not stabling or at least rugging. But they're happy and healthy. :rolleyes:

You need to do what works for you and your horse. And horses are generally good at letting you know when you're doing it wrong!
 
Given the choice I feel mine would lean towards the in over winter. But that's because she doesn't do walking through water or mud. It's only just over the hoof by the gate and she isn't pleased ones feathers get wet! :rolleyes:
Where did I put the royal carpet.:D
 
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Mine is out 24/7 and I find it pretty straight forward. Not rugged, hay bale on hand in a penned section of the field for easy access, homemade wooden box instead of faffing about with haynets. My field is on a low hill. The bottom third is practically a loch during the winter. The top gets muddy right at the gate, inevitably from feeding time. He has a nice dry third in the middle but as expected, he'd rather swim down the bottom than keep his feet dry.
Think about what modifications you could make to your existing set up so as to make life easier. If your horse prefers to be out, I'd rather work with that. We have to put aside our desire to wrap them up all cosy in a 12ft cell sometimes and see that they are quite happy out in the peeing rain. I accept that it means I get a bit wet aswell sometimes.
 
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My ideal would be to set the yard up so mine could come and go as she pleases, haylage in stable with the door left open, free access on to yard rea, and from there onto field. She would then be able to please herself, day or night, winter or summer.
I do own my own place, so it is possible, but I let two other girls keep their three horses there too, so until it is just me and mine, we are in at night and out during the day. Keeps everyone happy.
 
Well he had a night in last night and so did his field chum. As she was in he was happy as Larry but keen to get out in the morning. I ended turning his pal out as she was still in at 11am and was stressing being alone.

I think my plan is going to be to keep him in one night a week (a fri or sat night) so I can keep on top of his legs.

I can't go into my main reasons for being grumpy about him living out but may on the subscribers area! Lol!
 
My horse much prefers to be out. But we have a huge field of over 20 acres, automatic water troughs and very little mud. He does come in for a few hours every day for some hay, but with this mild weather he doesn't really need to.
 
we have 2 out 24/7 in winter (health issues can't be stabled for 1 other is companion) and 2 at the yard on in on night out during day - summer out 24/7 all 4 - I would prefer them all out 24/7 365 but for various reasons can't.
 
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