turning a horse away

[cluelessmolly]

I have decided to turn my horse away for the winter as he is only 3 1/2.
how should i go about it?
when would be the best time to turn him away? and should he just stay out in the field or should he be stabled over night (he usually is stabled ovrenight)
Thanks, Rhiannon

[sheryl]

Hi,
I also have a 3yr old that I have just turned away.

He will be treated as usual, coming in at night all winter, groomed and taken for little walks etc.

I just won't be riding anymore until next spring. I'm missing it already :(

How far has your horse come along?

[emlybob]

Just turned my 3 year old away. He is living out, no rugs, no hard feed, nothing and he is more than happy

[cluelessmolly]

you both have completely different views on it! he's been lightly hacked and schooled. how long is normal for then to be turned away?

[sheryl]

I think 6 months is considered normal, but some people don't turn away at all. As with everything, different people have different ways of doing things.

I have no menage to use anyway, and our fields are getting just too wet and slippy now. Can't wait til next year!:)

[emlybob]

My opinion of turning away is giving the horse time to grow up mentally and physically. My opinion is the horse should be completely relaxed and just allowed to chill out. Therefore my 3 yr old isn't going to be walked in hand or otherwise as i want him to spend the winter growing up and thinking about things he has done. Heis a stunning trak X and still has a lot of growing to do. He took eally well to ridden work and he was schooling like i would hope a 4 year old would go and hacking out on his own and with company. The thing is had i have kept him in i would have kept riding him cos he is so fab. So i sent him to a friends to go out in the field as that way i can't ride him. I think it does their brains so much good to have a break. He will come back into work around feb and then i will get him ready for the young horse classes next summer, fingers crossed

[Afellpony]

I turned Falcon away for the first winter after I'd had him broken in. Went up to see him and make a fuss of him, give him his treats (in his food). Yes I did brush him but he seemed to like the attention. When he came to be ridden, he was used to being touched anywhere. No demands were made on him. He didn't have to come running up to us when he saw us coming across the field. He liked the fuss really.