How many hours turnout?

Lottie86

Lottie86

Active Member
Aug 6, 2012
452
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North Aberdeenshire
How many hours turnout do you give your horses per day?

Magic had been turned out somewhere around 7.30/8am on Monday but when we got to the yard just before 6pm with the intention of getting OH to attach Magic's new haycube to the wall with the noisy drill well before the horses came in for the night, putting his bed back down, stuffing his second haynet, sorting his dinner etc before bringing him in (if I hadnt needed my OH to help with the haycube I wouldnt have gone to the yard until closer to 8pm to bring him in) but we walked into the stable block and someone had already brought Magic in and all the other horses at the yard were in too! Thank god I had done one haynet in the morning or the poor boy would have had nothing to eat! On Sunday evening I got to the yard about 5.45pm to do a few bits and someone said to me that they were just about to bring him in as he was all on his own outside as everyone else had already been brought in.

I had assumed at this time of year when the grass is rubbish but it's lovely and light in the evenings now that people would want their horses to be out as much as possible during daylight hours to get maximum exercise and fresh air before the spring grass starts to appear?? Is there some sort of advantage to having them in their stable this early that I am missing? :unsure:
 
The only advantage is people getting home early for their tea! Is he happy to be left out alone or does it stress him? If hes not fussed ask he be left out until you get there, otherwise you may just have to go with the flow.

Personally Im an out 24/7 kind of gal so would be mighty upset at someone putting my horse to bed so early
 
He was standing by the gate when I went to get him Sunday night but he didnt seem stressed more just "hmm where did everyone go then?" as they had only just been taken in. I was rather miffed on Monday especially as it was blindingly obvious that his stable was not ready for him as he had no bed made or anything. Hoping I'm not going to find charges on my livery bill for take ins I haven't asked for either!!
 
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Mine are currently out in the field from about 7.30am till 6.30pm when I fetch them in. There are always horses in the field, so I'm fortunate in not having to fit in with other people's routines.
 
Mine live out 24/7 but others on the yard stay in at night. Some have already started staying out 24/7 this week. The others are brought in around 5:30-6 now (in the winter it's more like 3-4). I would be explicit that unless he is stressed then you want him to be left out until you arrive
 
This is a hard one for me as I would prefer mine out more in winter but they are not for 2 reasons: wet fields so yo prefers not trashed and I prefer them not in mud as cause injuries to stressy one if not in early enough when no grass and tea time or pulls knee of arthritic mare.

However at this time of year from weekend mine will be out most days from 10ish after had brekkie and some hay in tummies as not much grass as yet and in as early as I can get there after work so not stressing when wanting their tea.

Once more grass mine will be out as much as possible :smile:
 
annareeves0 said:
The only advantage is people getting home early for their tea! Is he happy to be left out alone or does it stress him? If hes not fussed ask he be left out until you get there, otherwise you may just have to go with the flow.

Personally Im an out 24/7 kind of gal so would be mighty upset at someone putting my horse to bed so early
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This totally. I'd nip this in the bud early so as he doesn't start to expect to come in with the others.
 
Ours are only out from 9am till 5.30pm - any deviation from this atm and I fear Storm's tendon would get pulled again due to severe hoolying!!! Neither of them live out and love their routine. There is not much grass and I don't put hay out. As spring and summer progress they do stay out longer but I have realised what they like and don't like and tailored it to suit. It isn't from lack of trying or giving choices either - I am not short of land as I have 13 acres for two - all paddocked off but they tell me when they want in and I obey!!!
Perhaps the people that brought your horse in were just worried about leaving him on his own?
 
Ours are only out from 9am till 5.30pm - any deviation from this atm and I fear Storm's tendon would get pulled again due to severe hoolying!!! Neither of them live out and love their routine. There is not much grass and I don't put hay out. As spring and summer progress they do stay out longer but I have realised what they like and don't like and tailored it to suit. It isn't from lack of trying or giving choices either - I am not short of land as I have 13 acres for two - all paddocked off but they tell me when they want in and I obey!!!
Perhaps the people that brought your horse in were just worried about leaving him on his own?
 
Ben has the opposite routine from most horses. He goes out at about 9pm in the evening, and comes in about 1pm the following day (that is if he will let the staff catch him). That's about 16 hours out and 8 hours in, but during those 8 hours he will be ridden and fussed by me. I want him to spend more time in the field than in his stable and I'm lucky that we have one horse at the yard who doesn't come in at all, so there is always company for him. I fear that this summer may be the last for his fieldmate so I'm going to have to reconsider this arrangement next winter as I don't want him out alone all night.

All the other horses on my yard go out at about 8am and come in at 3pm all year round. If they are ridden during the day, they will only get a couple of hours turnout. This isn't enough for me.
 
Malaika comes in at about 9am and is out by 6pm at the moment,she would be ridden at 6 once I'm riding again.we are starting walks out in hand now,hack walks so she is out on the move and we have munchs on the way so a chilled out affair.I much prefer in during the day and out at night as she is out longer that way and stays more settled but its what works for us and my yard allows it,a couple of the horses on our yard are always waiting to come in at night,they let you know at the beginning of the winter when they want to start coming in :)
 
I would not be happy at all. Unless you have stated that you want magic brought in if last out.

I would tell YO that Magic is happy out and not to be brought in.

At our yard there are still a lot that are coming in at 1530 :frown: but they have gone from the yard at 1600 anyway as horse is not ridden at all any more but most around 1800, mine are one of the few that our out 24/7 and have been since the 1 March.

What I find funny is that they are all waiting for the horse in the field next to them to leave out so they can (so horses aren't alone, even through they are not alone as there are a couple that stay out 24/7 around them)
 
OwnedbyChanter said:
What I find funny is that they are all waiting for the horse in the field next to them to leave out so they can (so horses aren't alone, even through they are not alone as there are a couple that stay out 24/7 around them)
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that is odd! it is much easier owning more than 1 horse, for quite a while my 2 were the only ones out 24/7 on our yard, i dont have to worry at all about my horse being left out alone as they have each other :)
 
Ours are out 24/7 mostly, they have stables but having slowly adjusted to being out more and more this winter they are fairly disgusted if we suggest they should come in because it's going to chuck it down over night and we have to leave it until its dark or I have a fight on my hands! They probably won't come in much more now until October unless we have some prolonged periods of rain..

Even when they came in last winter it was 6:30pm to 6am even in the darkest of winter and that was quite long enough for them.. But at our old yard they always brought her in about 5pm because everything else was coming in so I guess it depends if your yard has a not leaving anything out by itself policy.. While yours is well behaved if someone elses wasn't and was left out and then churned up the field running about they have to think of everyones grazing?
 
I think personally I'd rather have him bought in than left out on his own if there are no other horses he can see. Up to you though.

At our yard we are all nasty and bring our horses in about 4pm :p Yes I would like to leave my horse out till 8pm now it is light till then but that means I wouldn't have time to ride and would have to cycle home at 9pm. And also he would be out on his own as everyone else brings in about 4.

I sacrifice enough to turn my horse out at 5am every morning, doesnt hurt him to come in at 4pm. Its not like it is even warm yet.
 
I would prefer someone to bring mine in too if all other horses in so know safe in the stable and not stressing :happy:
 
I would have a word Lottie and nip it in the bud. No reason why your horse should not stay out if he is happy doing so.

Mine are out 24/7 this year but when they are stabled they are the type to be quite happy what ever and generally 'go with the flow'. Sometimes I have over slept and chased up to the yard thinking 'OMG they will be climbing the walls' only to find them happily dreaming away and in no rush to go out even when the doors are opened.

I like them out for as long as possible though because it saves a huge expense on bedding etc.
 
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