Rain info please

[Trewsers]

Right, following on from my previous thread about winter turn out - YO now wants me to believe that horses don't like being out in the rain - is this true??????! Honestly - am really struggling with all of this. YO is soooo nice and helpful in so many respects but she has very different ideas on certain things. She reckons a lot of the ponies don't like being turned out in the rain. What do you all do????! I turned ours our this morning even though its tipping down. I mean, if they have a waterproof rug on in winter surely thats enough? Please offer me some advice, I really value your input.

[eventerbabe]

if its driving rain and the field is sparse of grass, then yes mine want in. but if they have something to munch on and are rugged in their rain sheets they aren't bothered.

but if its really driving, heavy rain thats persistant, toby won't go out. BUT he's the worlds biggest wimp. Bonnie wants out in most weathers :rolleyes:

[dcp]

If they have something to eat I would think they are happy. My boy will want to come in if he's wet and hungry. I will turn out if it's raining but put on a rug. I have the same issues with my yo but she is lovely but what she does with her horses isn't really ideal for me and my horse. ;)

[Pudding]

Am sorry but, horses are horses and as much as we like to think of them warm and cozy in a stable.....they are much happier being left out and they adapt their coat's accordingly........

I promise am not being hard or cruel and some horses need lots of time adjusting....I do understand that.

But being out is better......

X

[Pudding]

PS......I know it's going to rain tonight so am bringing the grumpy pudding in as we are going to a show tomorrow for the first time ever, and knowing her, at the first touch of rain she'll find the nearest muddy patch to wallow in.....

X

[Big Ears]

mine are happy out in the rain if they are rugged

but not if it is totally torrential! then they like to come in and have a haynet.

of course mum gets totally soaked in he process but hey that's part of the attraction.

seroiusly last winter they spent only 2 days in the whole time otherwise they went out, or if it was really muddy they stood onthe sand school with haynets.

we are lucky it is pretty dry here in temrs of the ground - if it was choice between standing up to their knees in a muddy field mine would prefer to be in with some food - plus they are white legged so we have to watch for mud fever.

[Skyhuntress]

Depends on the horse. I have one who is absolutely miserable if there is even a slight drizzle and spends the whole day in the shelter, moping. My yearling will randomly stick out his tongue...looks like he's trying to catch raindrops (didn't work too well in the last hail storm :D ) and my ISH munches on the grass like nothings bothering him

They adapt. So long as there is a shelter and enough food, there is no problem with leaving them out

[Portia]

Varies considerably; if it's warm wet and i'm not riding that day then out no rug and she's happy. If it's cold wet then she's happier with a rug on. The hard part is when it's neither cold nor warm, then it's down to how much time i have to clean off the mud when bringing in! Some horses i know will stand asking at the gate to come in at the first sign of rain.

[Gill]

It has throw it down all day here today, quite a change from the heat of yesterday. My lot have been hanging around their field shelter, complaining of being starving. They spend a half hour out grazing then come back to dry off a bit. I did give them a little bit of hay as the grass is very low and they were using up a lot of calories to keep warm.

[Loopslou]

Amber hates the wind so if its wet and windy she's a million times worse.

This time of years they don't look in but are looking forward to their dinner but in the winter they do look in but I would say if I was to put them back out in the field after they had eaten they wouldn't complain either!

[intouch]

We used to be on a yard where the stables opened out onto the sand school, which had a gate out to the field. There was a 10 ft high stone wall at one end of the sand school. We used to leave the stable doors open so they could come & go as they liked. In the warm weather they would be standing in the stables out of the sun, and in the foulest winter weather, unclipped and without rugs, they stood with their bums to the wall outside. They took themselves out to the field mostly at nights and to lie down in the early morning, unless it was clement weather, which is rare round here!

[Moomin]

Moo doesn't like to be out in the rain, especially without a rug on, and as soon as she sees me she will come over to come inside - she likes to stay inside until the rain stops and potter about in the american barn. As soon as it stops she'll pop her nose out and ask to go back out! (with her rug on tho - she also doesn't like being dirty!) Turning her back out in the rain is quite a chore - she'll dig her heels in like anything and refuse to move.

Of course its her being Little Miss Princess, but she'll always stand in the smartest place ie under a tree or behind another horse if its driving rain.

Incidentally she also likes to be towel dried when she comes in wet. ;)

[virtuallyhorses]

YO's don't like horses to be out in the rain - it mucks up their paddocks ;)

[Holly B]

Ours are never bothered by it... our two are fine unrugged and the two Arabs who are owned by two other owners seem happy with a lightweight waterproof rug on. I went today when it had been chucking it down all day and even though they were drenched they felt warm and seemed happy enough as they were stood in the middle of the field rather than sheltering at the edges. Like virtuallyhoreses says, YOs don't like horses going on the fields in the rain coz it churns them up... but you can't keep horses and expect perfect land! Ours always recovers again by the time summer comes. :)

[raggydoll]

Mines out today with no rug in the pouring rain. There are nice dry sheltered areas under the trees round the field but she seems perfectly happy to be munching away getting all soggy :rolleyes: Will be investing in a couple of rugs to keep off the worst of the weather but she doesnt seem at all bothered!

[Trewsers]

Thanks for all the replies! I think YO just doesn't want us to turn out when its raining and speciallynot in winter :mad: She says that if we turn out then the fields will just get churned up and there won't be any summer grazing! Ours don't mind the rain, well, put it this way, they were keen enough to go out this morning and its chucking it down!!! oh dear. One worry seems to replace another with this horse lark. :( I shall carry on turning them out - am going to have to have a drastic re think though about the winter turn out caper.