Turning a horse away

newforest

Well-Known Member
Mar 15, 2008
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Stupid question alert.

If you turn away for a month or two, if you still on occasion take them out inhand, catch them to brush over are they still turned away?
I have ridden twice since Christmas, (life changing circumstances)
Done the odd lead out.
I just wonder if it would better for me mentally to say right you are turned away to take the pressure off the fact I haven't ridden.
Life is handing me lemons and my lemonade maker needs more time.

I had do what you can Jan
So moving on to Feel Free February 😂
 
I 'turned away' Monkey for the last 2 years Oct clock-change - Xmas, that didn't mean I didn't touch him at all, just that I gave myself permission not to do anything, and if I did it was a bonus! It made a huge difference to me mentally, it took a huge amount of pressure off that I would usually be putting on myself.
This year my friend begged me to keep him in work and I agreed, then he oiked his leg, then her mare got sick, then the lump on his back, all have basically meant he has done very little, but I have felt much worse about it.
Unless my job changes, he will likely be turned away clock-change - Xmas every year going forward, it's just too blinking hard for me to do much as I don't get any daylight hours in the week and don't have a school, plus I work some weekends and those I don't I barely seem to be able to keep up with chores and basics and it wears me down trying to do more. Sorry to hear you are having a tough time, hopefully it gets better soon.
 
I think it's that pressure we have on ourselves to keep going when we need to recharge.
The Cob is definitely her own person and if she isn't wanting to go out inhand she will look you in the eye and walk off. I am probably not the best company just now.
She's also out moving around the whole paddock as I took the fencing down that laid down with the first big storm. She's had a good blast up the field if she wants to.

I will feel better mentally with the turned away. I'm winter I do less anyway that is normal. But the lack of facilities here noticed when my brain can't think of what to do.
 
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I am so sorry you have problems. I was led to believe that turning away was normal and did horses no harm. Polo ponies were turned away in winter and hunters turned away in summer. You library might reassure you?

My own experience - My old share was turned away one Spring and Summer. At the time I think she was 23. To begin with she was in a field, just grazing on her own, When the weather got warmer, I assume she was putting on too much weight as she was moved across the tarmac drive to a field with three geldings. There was quite often some movement and horsey fun in that field so she kept mobile. But it was a long way from our home amd involved driving on the M25 so I only visited her twice. The following winter they wanted her kept in by day and out with rugs at night, so she was brought back to our yard and I resumed hacking her.

Not so long term but in the days when my hacking yard had no turn out, their horses were sent out for a month's annual holiday, turned out in distant Surrey. I dont know where but that is when I was able to load my RS ride.

I myself have not ridden for weeks due to bad weather and both OH and me catching colds and coughing. Ella is a bit off too and YM suggested I dont ride in February. Unless your horse is an athlete who needs to be ridden, I dont think you need worry.
 
I felt guilty for a long time when I was struggling to find time to ride Raf as AJ needed more work and the days got shorter. I feel so much better now that I have 'retired' him for at least the winter. (I'm going to say 'turned away' from now on, it's a much better description). I've even had his shoes off so can't feel guilty about not taking him out. I can still do stuff with him in the field but the lack of pressure and guilt is nice.

Sorry you're having a tough time. Be kind to yourself x
 
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If it makes you feel better to think of her as turned away, then think of her that way. You have an arrangement with the cob, you ride her when you can and when you feel like it, and it seems to suit her, so don't feel any pressure!
This totally ^^^^
Just go with the flow - do what you can when you can.
 
My mojo ran away and left town for so long I sort of turned Zi away. But then I didn't like that idea for some reason so I just decided that if I felt like playing in hand with him then I would - if not we'd do circus tricks in hand as and when. I don't really class Fuzzy as in "work", I just look at it as like she humours me and lets me potter about on her on nice days, it's an arrangement that seems to be working well for both of us 😁 . Sorry you are having a crap time. xx
 
If it makes you feel better to think of her as turned away, then think of her that way. You have an arrangement with the cob, you ride her when you can and when you feel like it, and it seems to suit her, so don't feel any pressure!

This! And anything that takes the pressure off you a bit at the moment is a good thing 🤗
 
If the horse can cope mentally with being turned away and isnt likely to do itself an injury having sillys in the field, then turn it away. We are still in winter and many people just set the goal that they can only ride at weekends due to the shorter nights.

Does it matter the horse isnt ridden. No. If leading out is what makes you happy then so be it. If it keeps the horse happy just getting out the field then so be it.

You need to take care of you. Thats whats important. Dont beat yourself up for not riding. Do whats right for you now. Maybe set a goal of clock change to reevaluate what you then want to do regarding riding.
 
Thanks guys. I am beating myself for not doing things and she's not bothered.
Okay she does like to go out for a walk, if you don't get on I don't care.
So that's my ideal, if I feel like it February.
She's out 24/7 anyway. She's got a bit more space than usual due the storm laying down the fetching so I took it down. I have a back up groom.

My personal life is flipped upside down, so I need some recharge the batteries time. She's the only thing left of life as I knew it.
I hope my lemonade making machine arrives soon.
 
Actually got her out for a two mile walk inhand. We set off and bumped into the riding stable hack almost straight away.
Had she not done the dragon snort at the fifth and last pony, I would have continued on my route in their general direction. However I just got the feeling that following quietly behind wasn't going to be on the table. I turned her round and put the front end in the hedge. It was a bit of her and me quality time anyway.


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I remember doing that with Luka when I hadn't had him long and was trying to hack him out in company, poor lad thought I wanted to go through the hedge and very nearly got us both stuck!!!! It spoke volumes about his "training" and how he'd been treated, it must have taken a year before he was chilled enough to graze under saddle.
 
I rode with someone who constantly stopped to let the horse eat. I don't do that, I have a reason for the allow.
One is to change her focus. She gets to graze while we wait for the farrier. Purpose for her.
I let her nibble when I am getting on as I am using a bench and it gets overgrown otherwise.
 
I offer it sometimes, and he can be such a stressy horse that it's actually useful as a way of getting him to relax and then think. Too wound up and he literally will not put his head down to graze, he can't come out of his over alert mindset, thankfully that's rare nowadays though.
 
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