Who has had to stable 24/7 this year and why

[wills]

After a few threads on here i'm wondering how many of us have had to stable 24/7 at some point this winter but more importantly why? Now I know that land will become poached and muddy with wet weather and hooves, but does it really become so bad that no turnout can be given at all I don't know that much about land managment ect but just assumed that it would only become so bad that no turnout could be given if there was to many horses . There was a period at our yard that some got stuck in and others stuck out as the ice was so bad, but my YO has never gone "No turnout at all". There is 11 horses in total and about 50 acres of rough (and in some parts boggy) grazing on wet west coast Scotland, the entrances to fields are muddy and poached but most are ok once you get out in it.

p.s This isn't a dig at anyone as I know we all try make the best out of individual situations ;D

[antares]

I don't stable very often, usually only for injuries and related box rest but mine are off of the fields for a few days at a time in winter. I have a fenced off stable yard with plenty of room for the horses to mingle. I don't like leaving them out in really heavy mud, even the Shetlands are ready and waiting to come in if its very wet.

You are very lucky to have that much space per horse but even with that horse to land ratio my fields would have been too wet this year to have the horses out 24/7

[companymagic]

Yep that would be me !

We have tons of grazing, and have to pay to turn out from Dec to about June towards "Repairing" the grazing however, my farmer shuts the field as soon as we have any rain fall in winter. The fields are not poached, have tons of grass and I have no real idea why other than he doesn't want them to get muddy. But then I am totally confused as to why I thin have to pay £60 a month to repair them come spring ??

Thus looking for a new yard.. I am lucky as I have a small paddock I rent all year around so I can turn mine out every day no matter what but it's a right pain in the bum, as the paddock is over a road so that means bringing them in in the dark down a road. Plus I then have to pay for that on top! It's been driving me bonkers!!

[wills]

Jan 6, 2013 20:11:10 GMT 1 antares said:

I don't stable very often, usually only for injuries and related box rest but mine are off of the fields for a few days at a time in winter. I have a fenced off stable yard with plenty of room for the horses to mingle. I don't like leaving them out in really heavy mud, even the Shetlands are ready and waiting to come in if its very wet.

You are very lucky to have that much space per horse but even with that horse to land ratio my fields would have been too wet this year to have the horses out 24/7

Yes I know we are very lucky, I keep my 2 wee guys at home, its crap drainage in there field so they come in at night.

I don't mind stabling at night if need be just don't think I would be keen if I couldnt turn out for weeks on end. I'm not suggesting to leave them out on mud, just wondering tho if alot of places over horse and thats why they have to say no to turnout.

No wonder thats driving you mad CM doesn't seem to make much sense!!

[misty]

A few years ago we lost our grazing because landowners got a subsidy if the fields weren't muddy!

[floydsmum (aka LesleyfromKent)]

Very, very lucky where we are. The field gateways and the tracks between fields are ankle deep in mud but the rest of the fields are just about coping and we still have some grass. All horses are in at night and out during the day from 9am til 4pm / 5pm every day. Just wish we could have a break in the weather so that the ground dries out enough for us to harrow the gateways & tracks ready for the 'big freeze' (should we ever get one) otherwise we'll be in danger of ricked ankles (both horse & human) where the deep diverts caused by the horses hooves will freeze!!

[KimT]

My horses have been in for 4 weeks straight with no turn out. Not even an hour to muck out. No standing water and there is grass. Hence why we are moving. First day out tomorrow but not for long if we get the rain predicted. I like having mine in at night to dry off but I dont like them in all day. I would even be happy with an hour or a morning just to keep them sane.

[cheekychops]

Any farmer or YO that is in an environmental stewardship scheme will be penalised if the land becomes poached, which might explain why some yards have that policy?

[jen1]

Not us, because I have enough land, we have kept in occasionally for 12 hours cos the horses are just tired fed up and were too I have said it before and I will say it again, I just would not have horses if I didnt have or offer choices for them in abundance

[madmare1]

I haven't had any option..... being on a livery yard, my 3 have been in since late september, the weather has been awful and understandably, our YO doesn't want the land poaching, just hope we get a better summer this year.

[jen1]

To my mind liver yards need to get with it or ship out, and stop making money at the horses expense, why can they not put dry turn out in, or comunial barns its just ludicrous in this day and age that the horse world remains the same,

[sharonh]

Well said Jen.

[bertie666]

Jan 7, 2013 1:12:17 GMT 1 jen1 said:

To my mind liver yards need to get with it or ship out, and stop making money at the horses expense, why can they not put dry turn out in, or comunial barns its just ludicrous in this day and age that the horse world remains the same,

x 2

But the irony is if you mention the cows have gone 'in' for winter horsey folk have a complete epi !

Never mind they go out twice a day, have massive communal barns and concrete cow barns to wander in - not solitary 12x12 boxes grrr

Its like with mineral balancing not feeing cheep mixes - sometimes the horse world really is very backwards....

[bonniesmum]

I'm on a livery yard and we all get daily turn out in winter and optional 24/7 turnout in summer. The fields do get trashed but they are on a hill so only the bottom by the gate gets really bad.

However despite getting thoroughly trashed they do recover come spring and are partitioned in about April to let grass on the top half grow.

I think it helps that my YO is a horse owner and horse lover and thinks of the horses first and doesn't care what her fields look like.

I hear of so many yards that restrict turnout to keep the fields looking nice and feel so sorry for the liveries that don't get a say in the matter. If they want to protect fields the least they can do is have a sacrifice field for winter and rotate turn out to give each horse a couple of hours out with other horses.

People have their horses on livery often because they have no other option and pay a blimmin fortune for it too. There should be some legally enforceable minimum turnout that livery yards need to offer

[Karon]

I'm very lucky, I moved yards just before my last YO said no turn out for several days - I couldn't have put up with that and would have left anyway. New YO lets me do what I like (within reason!) - mine come in at night but they're out all day every day, I have two (smallish) fields I can use in winter and so far, the first one is standing up OK to them being on it. The drier weather for the past few days has really helped, too.

Can't understand YOs who seem to think grass doesn't grow back in the spring - as long as it's maintained properly, and not overgrazed (which is what my last yard was getting like - too many horses on too little grazing) grass soon recovers.