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Post by sonicboy on Jan 6, 2010 22:59:38 GMT 1
Mine are all out for the same reasons as you Arabmania. I've got 2 stables and 4 horses so felt bad having 2 in and 2 out, was worried the ones in would stress if others out. Also worried that if my road stayed as icy as it was they would get stuck in, know that they'd loathe that and be demented. Worried that they'd actually be colder stood still in the stable than they would be out mooching about. All grown ridiculously hairy coats, well rugged, good feeds (twice a day for my TB), natural shelter and good haylage. All seem happy, so far so good. Still worry like mad tho and prone to checking on them in my pjs.
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Post by Furiey on Jan 6, 2010 23:03:59 GMT 1
Bailey's out 24/7, he has natural shelter and a rainsheet to keep him dry. The cold does not seem to bother him at all. He gets effectively ad-lib hay, I try to judge it so that he is just finishing the last of the previous lot when he gets the next lot to avoid wastage. He's been in a really good mood recently, if he's not happy he shows it.
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jol
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Post by jol on Jan 6, 2010 23:38:20 GMT 1
Mine are out in the daytime, well rugged and warm and very happy, but they would never forgive me for not letting them into the barn at night time!
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Post by sandy on Jan 6, 2010 23:39:00 GMT 1
My youngster has to come in at night - yard rules. I think if they can stay out with adequate forage/shelter and rugged if necessary they are at an advantage. Standing still in a stable for hours in freezing temperatures must be hard!
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Post by marianne on Jan 7, 2010 7:26:58 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 SO relieved to read the first sentence of your post ... from the title I thought you were questioning the idea :-) 4 of my 6 are out 24/7 because they have a shelter and ad-hoc hay. Two come in overnight because the TB needs more food in the winter and he's such a picky eater this is the only way of making sure he eats it (unlucky companion has to come in as a result too). All six hate coming in for long periods and get very bad tempered when I have to bring them all in (primarily only when it's REALLY windy). Not only can they keep themselves warmer outdoors by moving around, there's also a greater risk of injury if they've been kept indoors and then hoon around when they're finally "released"!
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polly
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Post by polly on Jan 7, 2010 9:07:30 GMT 1
I feel so much better after reading this thread! Our two were just in the yard but two days ago we opened the gate to the big field so that they could come and go as they pleased. We left four big haynets hanging inside the stables and out but they obviously haven`t touched them, nor have they laid their pretty little heads on their nice clean beds. I`ve been really worried because they`ve obviously preferred to eat the frozen grass and use the snow for water and have shunned the shelter of the stables. There is no field shelter nor are there any trees for natural shelter, just hedges down the fence line. They prefer to be out in this (mine`s the unrugged hairy): ![](http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q268/polly62/Poniesinthesnow05-01-10018.jpg) Ps should I be worried that they`re only eating frozen grass? They look well enough.
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milo
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Post by milo on Jan 7, 2010 9:24:02 GMT 1
mine are all unrugged,very hairy and live out 24/7,they have 2 stables ad a big field shelter to go in if they want to, adlib haylage,they also had a big barn but theres apoorly cow in there at the moment as shes done the splits on the ice so is in to recover hopefully,even in thick snow the ponies wanted to stay out and were at the bottom of the field running round playing in the snow rather than in the stables eating hay.
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Post by Catrin on Jan 7, 2010 9:42:10 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. Go to the IH website and look in the members section at the HP projects. There's one from 2009 called In or Out at Night. One poor student stayed in a barn for several nights and nearly froze to death with her infra-red camera. She's in no doubt what horses choose for themselves.
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Post by SarahW on Jan 7, 2010 9:43:39 GMT 1
Mine are all out too - the three fatties are all unrugged and Chancer has his big rug on. I peer underneath from time to time to make sure there's still a slight podge. Two New Forest ponies and the Welsh Mountain pony are all turned out on the Forest but they turn up once a day for a feed and some hay (along with about 7 of their mates.). They all look absolutely fine and are pretty cheerful. In any event I only have a Nissen hut and no stables. Nellynoo: ![](http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b333/Sweston/DSC03750.jpg) Thinny (not my pony): ![](http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b333/Sweston/DSC03752.jpg) and two more waifs: ![](http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b333/Sweston/DSC03756.jpg) ![](http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b333/Sweston/DSC03779.jpg) They all look really well - and Thinny is becoming Plumpy.
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Post by specialsparkle3 on Jan 7, 2010 10:06:44 GMT 1
![8-)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/cool.png) Ha Ha Sarah W I don't feel quite so cruel now 'cos my TB broodmare 2 yr old and 4 yr old pony mate are all unrugged and I was beginning to think they were the only ones ;D Although to be fair I have never rugged my mares when they are in foal even when I lived in the Peak District. They are out all day from 8 am with hay and a shaving bedded 30 ft field shelter. They do eat the hay for a while then they go off playing at being Mountain and Moreland ponies foraging grass under the snow. However by 3 .45 pm they are back up eating the hay and the mare is often at the gate checking her watch to come back in ;D They all look really well and I have never seen their coats standing on end with cold --------------even this morning when the buckets were frozen in the stables ![:o](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/shocked.png) What also tells me they are warm enough is when we lead them across one field to another in the morning . they walk politely ------------even my not so little boy. ;D
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Post by Karon on Jan 7, 2010 10:33:43 GMT 1
Mine live out anyway, but in this weather it would be treacherous to try to get them in as I have to cross a lane to get to the yard. That's fine if it's not icy but at the moment it's a skating rink - safer to leave them out all the time. They do have shelter, and left a fair bit of last night's hay so are obviously happy with the amount I'm feeding them.
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Post by basilhorse on Jan 7, 2010 10:48:34 GMT 1
My 2 TBs are out, well rugged with ad lib hay. They have 24 hour access to a field shelter with hay in it but prefer their hay outside. My QH yearling is the same but unrugged and still toasty.
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Post by arabheaven on Jan 7, 2010 10:54:19 GMT 1
mine have been out rugged up because they can move around and keep warm. They have lots of hay, feed and water. Also, I migt not be able to get up in the morning to turn them out or if it ices over they will be stuck in for longer xx
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Post by Hannah on Jan 7, 2010 11:01:28 GMT 1
My old TB is out unrugged. He has ad lib haylage, half rations of Top Spec balancer and a coat to rival a mammoth. We have had snow for 3 weeks now and can't remember what grass looks like. He is fatter than I would usually like, but he's obviously doing ok! My 2 ridden horses are going out for 4-6 hours each day with hay but are ready to come in by then. They haven't been ridden in nearly a month ![:(](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/sad.png)
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Post by cinnypony on Jan 7, 2010 11:33:20 GMT 1
Cinny (arab) is out 24/7. Luckily not as clipped as the others with just a bib and belly clip.
Her attire is a fleece rug with MW combo - with 2 round bales of hay between 4 of them and natural shelter. Birch, oak and lots of holly trees in their woods.
All the horses are out and she'd hate to be in on her own. She's getting a break from her training in this weather.
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