Is your horse living in, out or both this winter?

Will your horse be in or out this winter?

  • In

    Votes: 2 3.6%

  • Out

    Votes: 21 37.5%

  • In at night

    Votes: 27 48.2%

  • Other

    Votes: 6 10.7%
  • Total voters
    56
laceyfreckle

laceyfreckle

Well-Known Member
May 27, 2007
9,685
42
48
Essex/Suffolk
What do you do with your horses and do you keep them out or in or part stabled over winter?

Just curious really, Mine have been out during the day and in at night for the last three weeks but thinking about letting them live out again (rugged) and just bring them in on particularly nasty weather nights (eg rain and cold)
 
Two of mine live out 24/7 and they love it - they are rugged and have lots of hay to munch on. They even stayed out all over the weekend with the fireworks and didn't bat an eyelid.
 
My two foals are in over night but out during the day its there first winter.But the two mares are out 24/7 now with rugs and love it.They didn't bother about the few fireworks the neighbours had.They do have add lib hay availible to them.They are always waiting at the fence for breakkie( some chaff with oil and supliment) when we get there:D
 
Mine will be out in the day and in at night.

If it is really wet and slippery in the paddocks, they just get turned out in my little lunging sandschool. So at least they do get out.

But... if it is chucking down with rain they stay in.
 
I went for 'other',as although was going for out 24/7,my paddock has become really poached with all this rain,so have moved them to another field,which happens to have a holding pen for cattle in it,so might start shutting them in there for either the day,or overnight,just to save the field a bit.
They have a huge square bale in the pen and is concrete floor,so should be quite happy,and will give their feet and legs a break from the constant wet and mud.

If the weather improves though,will probably leave them out as much as poss,they are rugged up,have plenty of grass,and seem quite happy to be out.My Jack loved his stable,so am quite surprised how well he has taken to being out 24/7,but so far so good!!
 
This is my first winter with Jade and I am happy to say she is in at night, I really love it when I can hear the rain battering down outside (like it is at the moment) and I know she has a nice warm stable to sleep in.
 
Our pair are out during the day and come in around dark time. Just hope it continues (Joe was on box rest last winter and didn't go out at all). His leg isn't looking too promising so hope I'm not jinxing it by saying they're out during the day!!! (Vet coming to check next week - fingers xx).
 
TBs are in at night at the moment RS horses/ponies are still out as my grass is still growing, just coming in for feed and work. Lots of the ponies/cobs are still not rugged

When (if??) weather gets really bad we will have everything in at night . This year is unusual thought they are normally in from October.
 
Out 24/7, only get a lightweight rug on if I catch her dry enough and the weather looks like i might get a ride in the next day (so entirely for my benefit not theirs). Rosie has a trace clip too. Half a scoop of happy hoof if i ride otherwise nothing but the odd carrot for a treat. Mini shettie gets nowt apart from a good scratch and a pat on the head (and the odd carrot only cos she's cute) :D

Im not completely heartless - I did take their grazing muzzles off yesterday (but only because I have split the field in half) :rolleyes: They arent sugarlumps, they're hefty gert beasties that need to burn off some fat (not that that is going to happen in our lush fields) Evolution made them waterproof and hardy -who am I am to disagree with mother nature :D
 
My four are always out, 2 big ponies rugged, shetties rugless.

My daughters pony does not like being stabled, gets very stressy. They have plenty of shelter, ample forage, my field is clay but holds up well, helps that it has been rested over summer.
 
I moved yards with Sioned as you know so that she could live out
24/7 with access to a stable to use as a field shelter. I then bought
Bertie so now have the two living out. Both stayed outside Bonfire Night with no problems, I was a bit concerned about Bertie, how he would react as not sure if he had seen fireworks before but knew Sioned would not be too bothered, lets be honest they had been going off
all week anyway, maybe not as many as on the 5th, but they were used to the noise and both were fine.

They share the stable, thro' choice, lol, when I put down two beds they
still only used the one stable, but when I got down there
tonight to see them both soaking wet and it was 'hissing' down, I felt
a bit guilty, I have to be honest, neither was overly happy and they
were arguing over the haynets initially, then settled down to munch...........

Haynets x 2 were tied up just outside the stable and both could have stood inside eating, but no, they both chose to stand out in the rain, lol, so obviously they are not that bothered by it.

Sioned is rugged as no real winter coat, she didn't produce much of a coat
last year either. Bertie is as yet, unrugged and beginning to look like a wooly mammoth:p

Makes life much easier for ME, tbh, with working shifts to have them
both out 24/7 but doesn't stop me feeling guilty when the weather is
like this, nothing quite like 'tucking them in' at night, even though I actually
know Sioned prefers to be out, she used to wake the people up on the
Farm some times, banging the door to be let out at 4 in the morning:eek:

Quite honestly LF I would think yours could live out very easily, lol, with a rug if need be. I am very lucky that neither of mine
'Poo' in the stable for some reason, although they have a very deep straw bed, Bertie does wee on the straw when I top it up, other
than that they are really very clean. Could you not leave them out with a stable door open to use if they so chose?
 
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She's lived out since January and although 99% of the time I think it's the best way, when the weather is like this I do wonder sometimes ........ Still I bought her a brand new rug last week so I do know she is dry under all that rain and mud :o
 
Out, but come in for a rest and a snooze. They are in tonite though as the fields are poached. Only my older mare has a light rain cover on, rest are naked. Will rug if I need to later in the year.
 
In at night - out from about half 7 till about half 6 at night. Arnie is rugged as he is clipped but Bianco is still naked. They are in because its just so wet and the fields are under water. If it was dry they would still be out.
 
Joey and Misty are out 24/7 though tonight really wishing Joey would come in as the pair of them are getting soaked. (both rugged in HW full necks) Odin is out during the day and in at night, would be out with the other 2 but since he had that viral infection his immune system is terrible and if he gets too cold or wet he gets poorly. Merry is currently in due to lami:rolleyes: foalies are in sand school during day and in at night as otherwise they'd remain wild:p
 
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