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Post by arabmania on Jan 6, 2010 21:53:02 GMT 1
I'll begin..... my two girls are living out 24/7 in this freezing weather because they just do not want to stay in! i was bringing them in at night and turning them out in the morning but..... they were trapped inside for two days last week because i couldn't stand upright on the ice to turn them out! They gave their displeasure by kicking holes in the wall of their stables on day 2 ![:-/](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/undecided.png) my decision was to rug them up, feed them well and leave them out so we don't get 'trapped' again. they seem to be managing well. who else.... ?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2010 21:57:30 GMT 1
mine are out because I only rent a field. they both seem happy enough and there's loads of natural shelter in their field
have just posted some snowy pony photos of them and they look happy enough, apart from seren lunging for rosie of course lol
i think we worry about the weather much more than they do
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Post by Lulu on Jan 6, 2010 21:59:39 GMT 1
Mine all live out, rugged and access to field shelters, 2 horses to each 24ft foot by 12ft shelter. That way they can all get easy access without being too much and getting boxed in by a higher ranking horse. I have no stables and they all prefer to be out. They all get a big big fat haynet in their shelters and have straw down so have a cosy spot to get in out of the snow if they wish, or to go outside for a run around and play
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Post by rifruffian on Jan 6, 2010 22:01:52 GMT 1
happy, healthy, clean; adequate feeding and rugging is everything.
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Post by arabmania on Jan 6, 2010 22:05:38 GMT 1
mine don't have shelter ![:-/](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/undecided.png) i do have another field with a mini woods but it i frozen solid so can't use it at the mo. i do worry but they don't seem to care. they have heavy weight rugs on with necks. please tell me they are ok ![:-/](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/undecided.png) Asti takes a while to get over things and after having been stuck in for 2 days she came in the following night, had her tea and then begged to go out again. so i took her lead and put both girls out.
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Post by portiabuzz on Jan 6, 2010 22:06:55 GMT 1
i agree that we worry more then they do!!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2010 22:07:23 GMT 1
my young ponio doesn't even have a rug :S
they'll be fine
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Cathy248
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Post by Cathy248 on Jan 6, 2010 22:07:59 GMT 1
Mine's coming in at night and out during the day. He's eager to come in at the end of the day but quite content out in the field all day. I think as long as they're well fed, watered and rugged there's nothing wrong with them being out. Although, when it thawed and re-froze over Christmas I had to stop using one field which had literally turned into an icerink! So unless it's dangerous or they want to be in, I think it's just fine ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png)
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Ann NF
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Post by Ann NF on Jan 6, 2010 22:10:52 GMT 1
Mine are natives and are happier out than in. The old girl and two NFs with thinner coats are rugged. The others are woolly bears. They all have both natural shelter and field shelters. Plenty of hay to keep them warm and the companionship of their field mates is helping them through this freeze. So are the old holly hedges that give both shelter and additional food.
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Post by Catrin on Jan 6, 2010 22:13:13 GMT 1
Mine have two stables with open doors, they stay in sometimes when it rains and sometimes they stand under the biggest of the many oak trees in their paddock. If it's raining, we put their haylage in the stables or under the overhanging roof, if it's fine, there and on the paddock.
They also have a large field with two field shelters that they share with two other geldings. Since before Christmas, they have been on the field. Why? Because the ground is hard so they are not up to their fetlocks in mud and the haylage can go out on the field. They can wander around the six acres with a friend if they want to, or stay and munch in the sun. If they want to go under cover when it freezes at night they can choose the field shelters, though judging by the amount of muck, they don't often do so.
Ad lib food, company, choice, dry rugs for once and no stables to clean. That was the Christmas bonus.
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Post by arabmania on Jan 6, 2010 22:25:00 GMT 1
Catrin, thanks for your input. it has made me feel better about my girls choices even though they don't have a shelter at the mo.
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Post by KoLaTo on Jan 6, 2010 22:27:29 GMT 1
Mine are in during the day and out at night at the moment, they were out 24/7 before xmas but frozen fields, no water and 2 struggling to walk over the ruts without boots on made the choice for me. My smallest would happily live in his stable despite supposedly being the hardiest. My mare is quite happy to come in for a dry and a haynet but is wanting out as soon as she is bored, doesn't even bother finishing her hay if there is a chance to go outside and eat it instead. The 3rd is a mixture really, he's a youngster, he likes to come in and have a feed but rarely sleeps in his stable or even lies down, he'd rather be out with the mare if there is food out there........
So if they are happy to go out then i'm happy they are out, rugged up accordingly as they have various clips ranging from full to bib.
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Tuppence
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Post by Tuppence on Jan 6, 2010 22:32:16 GMT 1
We have three out naked with a field shelter. The shelter has eight (yes,8!) full haynets hanging in it plus loose hay and a big straw bed. Guess where the poor deprived horses are? Yep, right at the far end of the field, ignoring the hay. They do come in for two feeds a day, though one of them could hardly be bothered to come up for that tonight.
Oh yes, and the snow is over 18inches deep there. Nuts! All of them.
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Post by wabuska on Jan 6, 2010 22:37:54 GMT 1
We have the ice but no snow, so having them out all night on concrete hard ground (possibly hooning.... (OMG), I can't risk it. They are out 7am to 5pm, and seem happy with that. If we had a covering of snow they certainly would be out too. Much happier. Feeding is up, but an increase in chaff more than the hard stuff. Ad lib hay day and night.
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Post by hch4971 on Jan 6, 2010 22:53:12 GMT 1
We have 12 out 24/7, loads of natural shelter and running water in 2 fields. They are standing around the big bales when they are hungry and then resting in between. We did bring big appaloosa in, to be with TB who is in at night, because he looked to have dropped some weight, he was in 2 nights and smashed his way out of the stable both nights to help himself to the bucket of sugarbeet. He obviously doesnt like being in, he came with stable issues and I believe something bad happened to him whilst stabled immediately prior to us buying him, so he is back out tonight and showed no interest in coming in when I brought Rafferty in for the night. We have a mix of rugged and unrugged but all seem to be coping well and quite happy.
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