# winter turn out?



## ClareJane (Jan 26, 2012)

do meny poeple on here have winter turnout. on my yard we only have 1 paddock to ourself and we are not allowed to turnout from november till mid feb if it dry if not march... just wondering is my yard the only one?


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## sarelis (Aug 29, 2011)

I'm very lucky as I rent a yard together with a friend, so we have total say in how it's run, & also have plenty of good, year round turnout, but I have heard of yards where turnout is virtually non-existant. Personally I could never keep my horse somewhere like that, horses need turnout for their physical & mental well being. Is there no additional land close to the yard that you could rent as additional grazing?


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## ClareJane (Jan 26, 2012)

no not really but i have made for my boy a walk way out side his stable onto the yard so during the day when its nice he walks about. 
tbh i am going to do what my yard owner says as we have limited decent yards in my area i am not risking being kicked off lol


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## toffee44 (Oct 21, 2011)

I dont think I as well as my horse would cope with no winter turnout. Takes away too much natural behaviour. Infact I couldnt keep in 24/7 unless for medical reasons.


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## Starlight Express (Feb 25, 2011)

Must be mentally frustrating for your horse being in and seeing the same 4 walls each day. Not to mention stressful. If it was you in your horses situation I'm sure it would send you over the edge.

I can tell you my horse would kick down the walls! Has the yard not got facilities for example a indoor or outdoor school you could turn out in even for an hour or while you muck out? Or another idea is to exercise your hourse as much as possible throughout the day. I would worry about your horse developing vices due to stress or from being bored.


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## ClareJane (Jan 26, 2012)

oh yeah we have a small school to exercise in and freddie is in there an hour or 2 if i am still around, just didnt know if alot of yards do winter turn out, i can see why no winter turn out is good as my paddock looks fantasic so green and allowed to recover XD but like you said it does have its disadvantages


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## blackdiamond (Feb 5, 2011)

I'm lucky enough that i have my own land so both of mine out are 24/7 with access to a shelter should they want to use it.
There's no way my TB would tolerate being stuck in 24/7 her fetlocks balloon up so she needs to be moving around all the time.

I couldn't go on a yard where winter turnout was not offered. I know they do poach up the grass but the wealthfare of my horse has to come first.


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## Bea (May 7, 2010)

My yard allows all year turnout and most go out unless pouring down, but most of the yards close their fields nov-march so I am keen to stay where I am!

We also dont have a horse walker or allowed to use the school for turnout so In my mind they have to go out. Breaking the ice on the troughs today was not much fun!!!


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## ClareJane (Jan 26, 2012)

yeah i am lucky i dont have to do break the ice in the fields but freddies stable bucket did freeze over...
my bf said "why dont you put a dash vodka in horses water buckets to stop it freezing?"

i dono if its a daft idea or good lol but not risking trying it


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## Roofs (Feb 2, 2012)

My tb lives out 24/7 on the side of a Cotswold hill, up until a month or so ago he was stabled but even being turned out for 8 hours a day isn't enough for him. His brain is kept active by his feet being active, if the feet aren't active the brain goes into overdrive and he turns into a bit of a plum!

I've never been on a yard where winter turnout was banned, although on one yard he lived out 24/7 three days a week and was in 24/7 for for four days but was ridden on all those days and put on the horse walker for an hour. It still sent him loopy.


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## shoreset (Apr 19, 2008)

I dont have 24/7 turnout in winter, but when she is in at night she is allowed to to be let out on the yard so isn't really stabled. I couldnt be at a yard where she had to be shut in a stable as she arthritic so wouldnt do her joints any good and it's too unnatural imno


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## mollymo (Oct 31, 2009)

When we had our horse who sadly is no longer with us after 31 yrs ..she had winter daily turn out and we had it no other way.
If there was no winter turn out of at least 5 hours a day then we didnt bother to look at that yard


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## SymJedi (Feb 13, 2012)

At the yard I work at we have 24/7 turnout in the summer and day turnout, in at night during the winter. If no turnout during the winter suits your horse and he is getting enough daily exercise then I don't see why it should be a problem. We have one that is in many respects much happier during the winter with less turnout (although much more ermm....energetic shall we say out hacking!).


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