Turning Out vs Stabling

campervan

Hi everyone,
first time poster here (I think) but long time lover of anything equine. I have a question that has been bugging me for a while and I know with all the experience on this board, I hope to clear my head a little on it. I have been riding altogether for about 15 yrs as I was on and off the last few years, but recently got back into it a year ago. I have limited experience with horse care as I have always just had lessons and pony camps and certainly wouldn’t consider myself to be any sort of expert. However I have always read the magazines, books, etc, basically obsessed about horses since I was 6yrs old. I would consider myself to have a good knowledge of horse care as I have picked up quite a lot over the years. However now I am questioning myself and wonder if I am going mad...

Recently I was having a general horsey conversation with a friend of mine who has been riding for about a year and a half. At one stage we were talking about having enough room to keep a horse and I said casually 'we would need more room than we have now' kind of thing, implying that we do not have a large enough area of field/grass to turn out for a horse (I know about livery but that is besides the point).

She then said abruptly that this guy had told her "Horses don't need a field at all if they get enough exercise during the day, and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise". Basically saying that horses can make do with just being stabled as well as being exercised.
I don’t know the guy who she was talking to but I believe he has been around horses all his life.

I promptly kept my mouth shut as I didn't want to start any sort of argument. However I did want to go off and do my research as I was very genuinely taken aback about what was said. I would always have thought that horses have the right to have a good ol’ run around, kick up their heels, play with any companions with them in the field and generally be allowed to ‘let off steam’. Maybe I am just being naive. I know if the time ever comes to have my own horse that I will ensure they get enough turn-out time as well as sufficient stabling. This is just common sense to me, but then again I haven’t been living, breathing, working around horses for any amount of time.

At the same time, if anyone has some opposing reasons, I would be very glad to hear them. I really don't have a strong argument to put across, but I just want to consider both points of view.

I would be grateful for your thoughts on the matter

otwb

Opinions differ on this one. Generally its far more natural for horses to live out - those that are getting old or infirm or are just not "good doers" need a bit more help - this can take the form of extra feed, rugging or field shelters or both. Turning horses out can also reduce or prevent stereotypical behaviour (boxwalking, weaving, cribbiting, windsucking etc) - indicating reduced levels of stress in the animal.

All of the above is wonderful if you have a horse for a bit of hacking around and rc activity. If however you have a high performance horse you may not be able to get him fit enough or get enough energy into him if he is constantly full of grass. This is where stabling comes into its own, you can regulate feed and exercise to optomise the horses training and fitness programme.

My personal preference is to stable horses when necessary but give as much turnout as possible. The actual quantity of each is very much dependent on the horse and its workload. I had a tb who lived out quite happily for 5 years with a rug and a field shelter in the winter. Now that he's getting on a bit he appreciates his box in the winter.

doctor evil

Turnout within reason. There is no point having them out 24/7 during the summer if the land will be thoroughly trashed before winter.

Land needs time to heal and a lot of people don't realise that horses if not managed properly can poach land quite badly. This also depends on the aspect and drainage of the land. Management of the land can be very time consuming, ragwort is an ever present scourge.

Further to this if you have a lot of turn out you may end up with too much grass and some horses are a nightmare with electric fencing.

Competition horses may be too valuable to risk injury, there are lots of different ways to keep horses. There may be a run attached to the stable or the stable may be more like a cow shed in size. Some places will have horses out in the day while others out at night. Other horses due to laminitis or grass allergies cannot be let out at all for their health.

It's nice to have them out in summer but can be a nightmare in winter with the shortenned day light and increased mud.

Jen Pigs Fly

My mare is stabled all year round, purely because she is a poor doer in the winter and gets lame very easily during the summer (mostly because she is not at grass in the winter).

However, even though she is stabled all year round I still turn her out, be it in the arena with her friends for an hour or 2, some in hand grass feeding for a bit (she's quite enough for me to sit a little bit away and read for a few hours) or even a week holiday in a field.

I personally think that turn out is good for a horses' mental state and such, but there is nothing wrong with stabling all year round if the horse does get turned out often enough.

Now don't get me wrong, Hasna got a weeks holiday about 3 weeks ago, complete 24/7 turn out, no exercise or anything, she enjoyed it, but still the first thing she did when she was back in her stable was lie down and have a nap haha.

So I agree with you OP, that even if a horse is stabled al year around, being turned out is great for them, as they are just alloud to be a horse!

MDFM

I think it'll always depend on individual circumstances, but it is always recomended that a horse should have regular turnout periods once stabled. One of my guys is stabled pretty much all year round - but, he is turned out daily and on occasions if i'm away or unable to ride for a few days, i'll leave him out for those short periods (day and nite), but put him back in once i'm back to ride him. His problem is his weight and he hasnt got great hooves so being out full time doesnt suit him. also, after wet periods and even frost, he is prone to bouts of colic. that aside - he's happy in, obviously loves to go out with the others, but will quite happily come back in once i call him.
But with the bad weather here and poor ground conditions as a result, i am struggling to juggle the fields to save the land, so weather will also play a factor in how practical it is to have a horse out. I'm lucky to have a sand arena which i also use for turnout for hour or so if the land has become too wet.
From my own personal point of view, i love seeing the horses out, relaxing and acting out their normal behaviour, rolling, resting, playing etc..but as i said already, individual circumstances will always dictate what u can or can't do with your horse!

eth0_

No way would I keep a horse stabled all the time. Unless there's a reason for it (like illness or prone to laminitis in summer months), it's downright cruel.

You're just asking for behavioural problems keeping a herd animal locked up on its own all day. Yes you can exercise your horse every day but it's still good for the horse to interact with other horses, run around and graze.

convert

If a horse is given adequate attention and treated properly while being stabled, there's no reason that they should develop behavioural problems. I've come across lots of horses, which, due to the nature of their discipline, can't be let out unless they are out of work, and none of them have developped behavioural issues.

Nicker2009

My horses all live out all year round with access to a barn if they want it (usually prefer to stand out in the middle though) they are a mixture of types (tb to hairy cobs) I might rug if it's particularly bad weather, if the fields are getting messy I turn them out in my arena instead and feed haylage. there is no excuse for stabling 24/7 tbh. horses are outdoor animals, they don't feel the cold like we do and they like to have a good gallop around if they want to. also, I compete some of my horses to a relatively high level and also drag hunt so obviously they are in very fit condition but still living out, just on restricted grazing so just because a horse is turned out doesn't mean it's gorging itself on grass.