Out 24/7 or something less?

[WhiteTailsMinis]

I love this time of year - our workload lessens tremendously. As we start breeding and our foaling season ends, our herd is out in multiple pastures with run-ins 24/7 and they love it. Ours seem to use the run-ins mostly from sun/heat than inclement weather.

We watch our grass pastures carefully and bush hog couple times a summer and know when it's time to start feeding again depending on the grass availability. We also rotate pastures so they're not eating or stomping the grass down to dirt. Our pastures are several acres each with the largest pasture about 8 acres.

The only time we stall is during foaling season or if we have a sick or injured horse - and whenever we bring new horses in - new horses remain in the barn for couple weeks to get acclimated to new people, hands on handling and feeding. Makes it much easier to approach them once they've been turned out to pasture in a group. This also is a bit of isolation while we worm and such too to ensure nothing is brought into the farm or the herd.

This is the time we can sanitize and clean the barn, scrub buckets and pans, make whatever repairs and get organized for the winter months. Not that we don't clean other times mind you but it stays nice until next spring when we start bringing in mares to foal.

This is also a time that affords us the opportunity to sit in each pasture and just observe their behavior, look for any issues that stand out, love and interact with them and the babies etc. we visit each pasture and still do our daily hands on as they all come running to be the first to be petted. Even though pastured, the interaction is still ongoing.

Our horses prefer to be outside. If we do bring someone in to stall overnight - we must bring a "buddy" to share the stall next door for company. we never have just one horse in the barn at a time.

With 44 horses it would be difficult for us to bring them in every night and out again in the morning - that would consume a large part of the day LOL

 

[Equuisize]

We're in the moderate Pacific NW but that can mean rain as we're at the southern

end of the Olympic Rain Forest.

We've only 7 horses, well 8 now after the filly's arrival on Tuesday, so putting them up at night into their nice bedrooms isn't a big deal. Does mean stall cleaning every day but that is just part of the package.

We've 5 1/2 acres of pasture. Pasture time varies according to the amount of daylight

hours and the weather. If its raining and storming, which I hate, they stay in longer.

If it's pleasant they are out longer but not more than 12 hours in the summer. Our pasture

grasses here are very very high in sugar and they'd probably look fitter but not be

happier with less grazing time when the grass is so nice. Winter time I always feel bad

as they are in more and even on decent days come back in by 4:30 or 5 PM. We've never seen

signs but were told when we moved here, almost 2 years ago, there are scary creatures, in the

immense town Watershed that sometimes come out of the hills......better safe than sorry...don't

want to be the test case as to whether they'd come to our address or not.

Our barn is super well ventilated so I tell myself they still get fresh air even in inclement weather.

I appreciate having the opportunity to monitor each horses habits for a 12 hour period which I don't

feel would be an option if they were out 24/7.

 

[~Dan]

I tuck my minis in at night in their stalls for the same reason as Karla, dogs, coyotes etc. and considering I only have two, Its pretty easy. Also, during thunder storms their stalled, same for really bad wind storms, aboslute down puors, snow storms and the like. The back stall doubles as a run in for when it rains or snows or its windy, and the whole stables insulated so its gets nice and toasty in there, and the horses love it

 

[maplegum]

Bailey and Willow have free access to everywhere in the back property. They decide when they want to come into the stable, and that usually is when there is heavy rain. Bailey doesn't like getting his hair wet!

 

[JWC sr.]

I loved the comment about Bailey not liking to get his hair wet. It made me chuckle!!! Thanks, I needed that Maplegum.

As to the question, Our main herd is out 24/7 in individual pastures ranging from Stallion Pastures that are 2 1/2 Acres each with a loafing shed in each one. To the mare pastures which also have a loafing shed in them and are 4 - 6 acres.

The only horses that are in the barn are the show string and the mares getting ready to foal. The pregnant mares are rotated thru the pastures up towards the barn area as they get closer to foaling (2 months at a time) till they are finally brought into the barn at about 30 days prior to foaling.

Hope that helps,

 

[Connie P]

Our horses are out during the day (weather permitting) and stalled at night. This seems to work out great for us.

If it is storming or snowing really hard we put them in - I think they apprecate it as they are usually lined up at the gate wanting in.................... Also if it is really hot and humid I bring them in and put their fans on. Each stall has a fan. They love that. My barn was designed to have great ventilation and I keep the doors open so we VERY rarely have anybody sick. ( I am knocking on wood as I type that).

 

[wingnut]

I really appreciate all the great feedback!

We do not have issues with coyotes, cougars or loose running dogs. With all the rain we've had so far this spring, they've shown us that they don't care how wet they get. Our barn is a large run-in shed that we've converted to two stalls. It is left open when they are turned out. Our pasture right off the barn is grazed pretty low right now so they have hay available too. We're working on getting our larger pasture fenced (posts are in) and seeded.

Still not sure if we'll change things but all this information does give me something to think about!

 

[Leeana]

I really do not like to have horses in the barn unless they need to be in the barn, the only horses in the barn are horses we are showing which are stalled the biggest part of the time but do have a small dry lot where they can go outside if they want, it is small but gives them that option to get "out" of the barn. They go out a few hours each day to dry lot and are worked in the roundpen / walker. Mare close to foaling are in the barn until after they foal and are ready to be turned back out. Then i have two stallions in the barn which i am planning to kick out of the barn as soon as we get their dry lots fenced back up..cannot wait to get them out of the barn. Then i have two horses in the barn that do not really need to be there, one because he trys to steal the mares babies and and the other because i am packing weight on him.

Then everybody else is out 24/7 on pasture just being horses ...

 

[georgiegirl]

Due to the area that I live in, my horses are shut inside the barn at night from 4pm to 7am. We have numerous predators and I just do not want too take a chance. Living in lion and bear country makes you more aware of the fact that a mini horse could be a tasty morsel.

In the day time I rotate four horses on the grass. I leave each one on the grass for a minimum of 1 hour each. I have a large pen for each horse, outside, for the rest of the time. Each horse gets a helping of grass hay in three times a day, 7 am, 4 pm, and 9 pm.