like most questions in horses
the answer to are horses best kept stabled or living out?
depends, in no small part, on age, circumstances, personality and level of work...
but it must be acknowledged that in recent years
there has been a general shift
towards keeping horses as 'naturally' as possible
with even some of the world's top dressage horses
now getting regular turnout in a paddock
- something which would 'never' have happened a few years ago...
using
my horse as an example...
he is very high mileage
having been ridden 300+ days per year for all of his competitive life
whilst competing
he was kept stabled at a 'competition' yard
which had limited turnout
and he would sometimes go for days without a session in the paddock
(strangely enough... the owners' horses always got priority on that!)
he was retired from competition at 17 due to injury
but (once this had healed) he has always been kept in regular work
having moved to another yard...
around the age of 20
he was typically turned out for around 7 hours every day -
but still stable kept
and as you would expect for a Thoroughbred horse of that age and background
he had been put
on the 'bute every other day' diet...
as an experiment
- which i firmly expected not to work -
as an experiment
- which i firmly expected not to work -
I moved him in with my other horses who 'live out'
- fully expecting him not to cope with this more rough and ready lifestyle...
to my surprise, he thrived on it....!
- fully expecting him not to cope with this more rough and ready lifestyle...
to my surprise, he thrived on it....!
within 3 months he was off the bute
and still is at 26...!
he was prone to lymphangitis (filled legs) all his life
and still is at 26...!
he was prone to lymphangitis (filled legs) all his life
(which always went down during his work sessions)
- but he no longer has this problem
and he's come through the last few years of hard winters
and he's come through the last few years of hard winters
in better condition
than he ever did whilst stabled....- though sometimes he resembles a ' Michelin man'
in all his winter rugs ;-}
so, in his dotage,
living out has been 'the making' of him
does this mean that I believe
all horses should be living out, rather than stabled?
No...
because in the 'real world' - in the UK at least -
many yards just do not have sufficient acreage to support 24/7 turnout
and certainly, for reasons of practicality,
many horses need to spend at least some of their lives in stables...
but I do think that the widely held view that all horses should have a stable
and that it's 'cruel' to expect a horse to be out in all weathers
certainly needs challenging
(providing of course, that the horse is monitored and managed accordingly...)
~>> feel free to add any comments or views
via the 'comments' section at the bottom of this post
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Yes it's interesting. I once had a yard where we left the stable doors open and hung haynets in them, and our three horses could come and go as they pleased from the field. They ignored the stables in winter, once they'd finished their hay, even in the worst weather (although they would shelter under the overhangs). But in the summer, they would all cram into the foaling box together out of the flies until it got cooler. What we think is best and what they decide is best can be two different things! - Centaur Homeopathy, UK
ReplyDeleteyes, it's amazing how many people put up field shelters 'so the horses can get out of bad weather' and, as you say, the horses use them solely as a 'fly repellant' but choose to stand out in rain and wind
ReplyDeleteMine all live out including my crazy extremely well bred thoroughbred lives out in winter...she is too much of a stress head...I love my babies to be outdoors all year round far more natural as they graze constantly most of 24 a day xxxxx - LYDIA VIA FB
ReplyDeleteMy oldie had a severe cough and my youngster had suspensory damage and filled legs. With 24/7 turnout both are now history. The legs seem healed, both boys are semifit with muscled defined legs despite little work. Both came through a wet cold winter on sparse grazing with weight to lose.
ReplyDeletea good point about respiratory problems... fresh air, and constant movement must help clear many of these issues... glad both your lads are doing well
ReplyDelete