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Post by jill on Jan 7, 2013 9:51:13 GMT 1
Too many farmers (and livery YO's who used to be farmers!) are wanting to see lush dairy cattle grazing and it's common consensus in the farming world that horses don't do grazing any good. But that is down to management, they forget how much they used to work at keeping that lush pasture for their cattle. And never overstocked. And didn't get paid for it other than by the produce - the phrase "killing the goose that lays the golden egg" comes to mind when they keep on overcharging horse owners. I totally agree with Jen1 - either do the job your customers want or find another way to make a living. Yours is a private yard rather than a farm Karon and the difference is noticeable.
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Post by marychick on Jan 7, 2013 11:03:08 GMT 1
We are very lucky on our livery yard in that we are able to have 24/7 turnout in summer and day time turnout in winter. We have never been told to keep them in because of the rain. Some of the fields are looking a little knackered but they move fields every few months so they have a chance to recover. Unfortunately it's quite rare around me to have any sort of winter turnout, even before all this rain! The only time the horses are kept in because of weather is when it snows as the YO are not prepared to take responsibility for injuries but we are still allowed to turn out in seperate paddocks if we wish, as long as we are there to watch them.
All the horses on my yard are currently in 24/7 for a different reason (whole new topic!) and I can't wait to to see my girly back out again!!!- I couldn't stay on a yard where they were rountinely kept in for long periods of time.
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Post by poppyandbea on Jan 7, 2013 12:23:09 GMT 1
i have had to stable mine 24/7 until today they had been in for 6 weeks poss near to 8 how ever my fields muddy and totally waterlogged, and i was sinking and getting stuck in the mud and bea slipped over, also bea got mud fever never had it before but there was no where out the mud and even bringing in and with turn out i couldnt get mud fever under control so i decided to see how they went being in but working am and hand grazing pm they both coped well bea even seemed to enjoy the extra work as i did worry it may not suit her with her bad past today they went out at 7 am first time in weeks ;D but by 10am there were waiting to come in as its just a field of mud now not much grass, they were mud up to knees so i brought them in again they had ate the hay out there but not moved from that spot until they came to gate when i arrived so they dont seem to want to be out in it either , i had thought they might not have been easy to catch tonight as planned on them staying out until then its been so wet in somerset though i have never known it so wet as my 2 in an ideal world would have been out 24/7 normally they are but for their health and my saftey as its so deep and sticky to walk through they had to come in i still cant pooh pick even now and havent done for ages as wheelbarrow and me get stuck and 1 or both fall over normally normally i do it twice a day my yard thought you can turn out 24/7 and leave them out 24/7 but it was saftey and mud fever this year stopping me from doing so and the really wet weather
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Post by basilhorse on Jan 7, 2013 14:25:23 GMT 1
I am trying to manage 3 horses on a very small acreage. It means half my grazing gets trashed and when it recovers in the spring it is full of weeds. To be honest it doesn't look pretty but I'd rather have it like that and supplement with hay as I have two good doers one of which is a welsh mountain pony. If I could afford to make one of my fields all weather turnout then I would but I don't have the funds right now.
If I could afford to put an all weather track around one of my fields then that is what I'd do and I'd strip graze the rest in summer.
I think my field looks worse than it is actually. It's fetlock deep at gateways and around the edge where I throw hay over but the rest doesn't go over the hoof. There's no grass left now but I knew I would be feeding hay for 7 months of the year when I decided to buy this place and give it a go.
Mine do have a large dry field shelter they can use when the ground is really awful and I usually put their nighttime hay in there at the very least.
I admit it's not ideal but I would rather have it like this that try and manage the welsh mountain pony on green fields.
There is 20 acres for sale just down the bridleway from mine but I decided I'd rather spend the money putting in an all weather track than buy this field if I ever get the money to do it.
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Post by horsefeed on Jan 7, 2013 14:45:10 GMT 1
Mine aren't stabled but they are in gravel yards with shelters and they have had no turnout for at least 8 weeks, my field is on very low laying and is clay. The mud is very thick and deep, last time I turned out, I turned them out on saturday morning and brought in sunday evening as went away for night (my friend checked and hayed them in between) in that time we had terrential rain for the whole 48 hours and my mini donkey (10hh) shunk upto his belly literally in the gateway and we had to pull him out so until it freezes solid or dries completely I have no way of getting them out! Once past the gateways its not too bad but I am not risking injury in the particulary bad gateway again!
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Post by VictoriaA on Jan 7, 2013 16:29:01 GMT 1
I'm experiencing livery for the first time this winter with my new boy, having always kept horses at home before (with 24/7 summer turnout and 9.30am to 8pm winter turnout), because I need somewhere with schooling facilities so I can ride evenings in the winter. We've been limited to 4 days a week turnout, and even then they're out for a max 4 hours. I don't like it but having looked around no-where nearby is offering better (many have closed turnout completely) and the advantages of an indoor and a floodlit outdoor school are hard to ignore when everything is so wet! Fortunately my boy is coping ok, though a little sharper when ridden and pretty bored when in. Where I live it rains a LOT and the ground is quite naturally wet where the yard is so having to put it with it for now and pray for a good dry spring and summer!
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Post by jen1 on Jan 7, 2013 17:35:44 GMT 1
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 Ive always said horses should be kept as cattle are, I remember when I arrived on the ih old board and suggested this I was shot down in flames because horses would have been in contact with too much concrete , lol Its like with mineral balancing not feeing cheep mixes - sometimes the horse world really is very backwards....
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Post by cheekychops on Jan 7, 2013 17:43:52 GMT 1
We are really lucky that our farmer YO is super chilled out and not remotely bothered by the state of the fields. But then, he's not remotely bothered about anything else either so nothing ever gets sorted or fixed
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Post by Beth&Rosie on Jan 7, 2013 18:29:24 GMT 1
At our yard some of the horses have been without turnout, but not stuck in their stables. My YO has a good system where the horses who haven't been exercised go out for half a day and go on the walker for a bit in the other half. This way, two different sets of horses can go on the same field in a day, so more fields can be rested. She actually asked the liveries if they minded their horses being kept in in the worst of the weather, and if they said no then the horses went out! We also have some who live out, and 3 who have 40 acres of golf course to themselves. Those three don't really want to be out though! Even if they have all that space and grass they still come and stand under the shelter of the stables on the hard standing, so it must be bad!
My girl has been in mainly these last few weeks, but if I don't ride her she goes on the walker twice (and she was out yesterday!) because she has got some scabby bits on her legs which may or may not be MF, so we thought it best to keep her out of the mud, which is really deep at the bottom of the fields, as they are on a slope. However, she has also had time turned out in the school as my YO said she "couldn't bear to see her just stuck in her stable!" So at least she had the opportunity to stretch her legs!
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Post by shan on Jan 7, 2013 19:14:54 GMT 1
Oh now I'm gonna whinge... our field is hideously trashed and wet & deeply muddy. Sandy & her white legged friend have had MF for weeks on all legs, got on top of the first bout but now it's come back worse. So Sandy's been in every night for weeks... today I decided she'll have to stay in for a few days as well as her legs look bright pink So although I have, and want, a horse & a field where 24/7 outdoor life is the norm, at the moment it's totally the opposite. I would never ever go to a yard who restricted my turnout.
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Post by KimT on Jan 7, 2013 19:27:34 GMT 1
See thats where im different. I like having mine in overnight to dry off because it helps manage mud fever, thrush etc. What I dont like is having them in all day too. None of mine are ridden for one reason or another and no yard area/school/walker etc to put them in. I was taking them for in hand grazing until their behaviour got so bad it became unsafe. Thankfully they went out today after 4 weeks in.
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madmare1
Grand Prix Poster
The Gruesome Twosome
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Post by madmare1 on Jan 7, 2013 22:54:27 GMT 1
We do have the large outdoor arena to turn out in if we want, but it's really wet and muddy in there.....and I am a bit protective of my 3. Old girly hates being wet and muddy, and with her arthritis, being cold is not good for her. Younger mare and 13yr old gelding just look at me like I'm mad if I do put them out. They do like to roll in the mud though....swear they are part bred hippos!
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Post by Karon on Jan 8, 2013 9:25:54 GMT 1
Too many farmers (and livery YO's who used to be farmers!) are wanting to see lush dairy cattle grazing and it's common consensus in the farming world that horses don't do grazing any good. But that is down to management, they forget how much they used to work at keeping that lush pasture for their cattle. And never overstocked. And didn't get paid for it other than by the produce - the phrase "killing the goose that lays the golden egg" comes to mind when they keep on overcharging horse owners. I totally agree with Jen1 - either do the job your customers want or find another way to make a living. Yours is a private yard rather than a farm Karon and the difference is noticeable. Previous-but-one YO also wasn't bothered what state the fields got in, he took the attitude that a) I was paying for it so it was up to me how to manage it and b) anyway grass grows Being on a private yard (which that was as well) is so much less stress!
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Post by 2 bays & a grey:D on Jan 8, 2013 12:12:27 GMT 1
Mine have been in for weeks. Once you get through the gate the field isnt so bad but at the gate is hock deep. Aside from the mud rash, and nancy being kicked to cause an open wound on her leg, and macs locking stifle, i dont want the pulling something walking through such thick deep mud. Luckily we are allowed to turn out in the school and i take them for walks. They are coping surprisngly well, especially bronte whom i thought would be climbing the walls. In fact, if i do put her out she is fence walking 1/2hr later in the thick deep mud so it really isnt worth risking the damage. Its been a tough year for everyone and we just have to cope best we can Sent from my GT-I9100 using proboards
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Post by jen1 on Jan 8, 2013 13:02:07 GMT 1
I just wish people just dint have to cope, if liveries were zoo, s we would all be up in arms with animal kept in small cages, I woulnt even be on a yard with sub standard facilties, I know lots of folk will moan they dont have choices, id say think about the zoo analogy and say horses have less choice because we refuse to seek them out
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