Winter livery yard feeding protocol

[Miss MoneyPenny]

Need you help here - as I am moving to a small livery yard (10 or so other horses) I am new to all this, as Penny lived in a rented field before this.

In the winter she will live out still 24/7, what is the 'normal' protocol for feeding? Do you bring them onto the yard to feed, or feed them in the field - what do you lot out there do?

I will find out more when I go at the weekend......help much appreciated!

[Maria]

At the last place I kept my horse on grass livery you were not allowed to feed your horse in the field to avoid fights. The yard put hay out when needed and billed each owner for a share. Provided you didn't upset the other horses you could take your horse just outside the field to give them hard feed or extra hay - or alternatively tie them up on hard standing on the yard and feed.

[Yann]

I wouldn't feed in the field, it's asking for trouble. It's perfectly OK though to bring out of the field and feed outside the gate if you prefer rather than bringing her onto the yard, at our place anyway.

[Miss MoneyPenny]

Thanks guys, that was what I was thinking of doing anyway, otherwise all hell could break loose!

I wanted to take her out across to the yard (less than 50 metres) so that I can check her over, give her a cuddle etc before putting her back out!

Glad to see that I was on the right track!;)

[Bebe]

If there aren't many, or you have a huge field, feeding outside the gate is fine. I get away with it when the herd is in the 45+ acre field as by the time you get to the gate no other horses are around anyway as it's very rare for them to be there in the mornings (they are at night though). In the field we're in at the moment it's more hassle than it's worth, getting your horse out is fine but once the others catch on to what you're doing, they all mill around the gate and make it hard to put your horse back in.

Bad idea to feed in the field though unless you've got a very small, close knit herd that is always fed together. It used to work with my friends 3 mares but when we introduced Bebe it made life awkward so I used to separate her out to be fed.