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Elite Veteran
Posts: 897
  
| We will be moving to a new barn in May and will be doing 24/7 turnout. They come in to their stall twice a day for AM and PM grain, then go right back out.
I'm nervous about this, but I hope it will help his arthritis. There is no run in, but they have a roughly 7ft overhang, so they can go under there. Free choice round bales with hay nets. 100% flat pasture. They aren't too big, but only have 4-5 horses in each. Automatic waterers outside. They pick the pastures daily for manure, and rake the pastures in the summer.
Each horse does have a stall, but are only in it to eat 2x a day, and if one needs stall rest, etc. The barn is very nice, indoor, outdoor, cross ties, etc..
So my question, tips for 24/7 turnout? VT winters get very cold, -30, etc. How warm of a blanket? Right now he has a 300gm fill blanket, but do I add more fill for being outside?
I just bought a tailboot, and I like it so far, but I don't have the "tail" on. I put studded shoes on the front, and take shoes off the back for the winter, but is this going to be something where I put studded shoes on all 4 since he's out 24/7?
I hear about a lot of horses having to be put down because they fall on the ice.
As for summer, I'm going to invest in a fly sheet with hood, and might try those drops that are supposed to last two weeks..
Anything else I can do to make him comfy with 24/7 turnout? |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| No advice for winter care as I live down south but I think your horse will be very happy with 24/7 turnout. I have a great barn with big 15 x 15 stalls, huge runs but I only stall for weather. I have more horses than stalls and my “outside” horses all have shelter they can get under when it rains and are quite happy. As long as horses have a wind break and can get out of the rain if they want they are fine. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 599
| I’m also in the south so I have no advice for your winters, but I would LOVE to be able to leave my horses out 24/7!!! They stay in at night to give my tiny pastures a little break and keep grass growing. But if I had more land, I would absolutely have them out 24/7!! |
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  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | emricmacy - 2018-03-16 6:36 PM We will be moving to a new barn in May and will be doing 24/7 turnout. They come in to their stall twice a day for AM and PM grain, then go right back out. I'm nervous about this, but I hope it will help his arthritis. There is no run in, but they have a roughly 7ft overhang, so they can go under there. Free choice round bales with hay nets. 100% flat pasture. They aren't too big, but only have 4-5 horses in each. Automatic waterers outside. They pick the pastures daily for manure, and rake the pastures in the summer. Each horse does have a stall, but are only in it to eat 2x a day, and if one needs stall rest, etc. The barn is very nice, indoor, outdoor, cross ties, etc.. So my question, tips for 24/7 turnout? VT winters get very cold, -30, etc. How warm of a blanket? Right now he has a 300gm fill blanket, but do I add more fill for being outside? I just bought a tailboot, and I like it so far, but I don't have the "tail" on. I put studded shoes on the front, and take shoes off the back for the winter, but is this going to be something where I put studded shoes on all 4 since he's out 24/7? I hear about a lot of horses having to be put down because they fall on the ice. As for summer, I'm going to invest in a fly sheet with hood, and might try those drops that are supposed to last two weeks.. Anything else I can do to make him comfy with 24/7 turnout?
We get 30 below here and they all can get out of the wind but none will choose a barn even when given the option. Food is what keeps them warm. If I am blanketing something, I do mostly mid weight. Show horse gets the heavy weight. As far as shoes, we never have shoes on if snow or icy. And traveling and constant movement will keep an arthritic horse more limber than being stalled. It's what kept my late stud mobile to 14 when he was badly injured at 5. |
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 Witty Enough
Posts: 2954
Location: CTX | Mine are out all the time, except for when they come in to eat. I feel they like that better than being stalled. They have a run in to get out of the weather, but they only come in when it rains... lol, all of them hate rain.... I haven't use a blanket for the last 6 years but being in Tx we really don't need to. I do think if they have enough forage to eat and a place to shelter from the wind and rain they will be just fine.
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 Star Padded Honey
Posts: 8890
Location: NW MT | Ours are out 24/7 in MT but can get under plenty of trees if they want & out of the wind. Other than the one PSSM2 horse, they only got blankets on twice this winter when it got bitter and bad wind & snow. |
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 The Vaccinator
Posts: 3810
Location: Slipping down the slope of old age. Boo hoo. | I am in the mid-south. Mine are out 24/7 most all of the time -- but come in on their own when it rains or if the insects bother them. I only have two and they have their own stalls (with fans in the summer and heated water tubs in the winter), with a run, and access from their run to their own private pasture. We do have ice every now and then -- and I bring them in until it melts. From about late May until mid-September I also bring them in for the day to get them out of the sun -- to keep them from sun burning and it keeps them out of the insects, too. They go out early evening and can stay out all night if the wish. They have free choice hay while in during the day. I do not like to stall full-time -- prefer my horses to be able to graze and move around as much as they want. With that said, I think bringing them in during the summer during the day helps them adjust and be comfortable being stalled when we are at a show -- they know the routine...and I place their hay bag, water, and feed bucket in the same location at a show as at home. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 595
Location: North Dakota | I am in ND and we get nice and chilly here including lot of wind. 90% of our horses are out 24/7. It all depends on if they can get out of the wind makes a huge decision as to what I put on them. It also depends on how good of a winter coat each horse gets. My old gelding grows a ridiculous winter coat and got a blanket once this year when it was raining first then dropped to below zero that night. Other horses on the property though wear blankets anytime it's below zero and those horses with full winter coats get 360g blankets from sstack.com and we add their neck covers when we are in blizzard conditions.
I would think your 300g blanket should do them fine. Maybe buy a fleece cooler for your horse to add an extra layer for nasty storms. Make sure your blanket has a neck cover too if you get some wild weather.
You can't add much more weight because the whole point of a blanket is insulation that should sit up off the horse some to allow them to capture air between them and the blanket and that is how they stay warm. If you try to add to many layers it will just get heavy and uncomfortable for your horse and not keep them any warmer-- I have tested this one.
Rambo brand has a few blankets that have 400-500g of insulation but they use fantastic materials that are lightweight and don't add bulk to the blanket but you pay a pretty penny for them.
Most of our horses are barefoot but I used to keep my mare shod all around in winter and never found her to be slipping on ice more than any other horse. It is more of a danger if horses are chasing each other around but if there isn't a big bully in the pen then the horses learn to walk carefully. We also put sand down to give them some grip if we need to.
Rambo flysheet and shoofly leggins keeps mine comfy on 24/7 turnout in summer. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 124
| Mine are all on 24/7 turnout, and that's how horses should be housed whenever possible. It's better for them to be on the move and be able to walk because that's how they're designed. It's estimated a horse turned out on pasture full time can walk as many as 10 miles per day. All that walking is good for joints and moving things along through their guts. I wouldn't worry about them getting cold. We live in central Kansas where wind chills can get to 20 below. I only blanket mine when it gets that cold. They have access to a barn, but for the most part they prefer to be out eating grass or off the round bale. Given free choice forage, most healthy horses can keep themselves warm without a blanket.
The only drawback I've ever experienced with pasture turnout is some horses get too fat on the lush grass in spring and fall. I have one horse I have to keep in a dry lot, and I know he'd much rather be out on pasture with his pals! |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 534
Location: Ohio girl moved to PA | Im up north in Ohio and we've had some pretty crappy winters. Mine are on 24/7 turnout but have access to run in stalls. They stay out most of the time even in rain/snow. They do have a 3 sided leanto they can get into as well. They love it. My older guy stocks up a bit when hes stalled too much and he hasnt stocked up once since weve been on 24/7 turn out. I keep blankets on them to help keep them dry more than anything. no shoes right now either, but my main mount will get them back on in a couple weeks before were back to running. They know when to take it easy when the grounds crappy.
I have an app on my phone made by smartpak,(think its called blanket app) you put in info about your horse like coat/age/weight and your location and it recommends what type of blanket you should have on them. Its not an app to sell blankets, it actually works greatly and sometimes helps with my "over blanketing" urge lol. anytime im not too sure what to have on i check it and go off that.
Try not to stress to much, your horse is going to love it! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 617
| Mine are out 24/7 and I live in Wisconsin. They do have a run in shed, however they usually stand outside unless the weather is really bad. I don't blanket. I let them get super fuzzy. I ride in the winter but I make sure I cool them down good and I never work them into a sweat; too hard to get them dry.if you have no run in, let your horse get fuzzy then get a good waterproof blanket for days it's going to snow (a little snow won't hurt them), sleet, or get freezing rain. Otherwise as long as they're not wet and can grow a good coat, they generally do well. |
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Expert
Posts: 1314
Location: North Central Iowa Land of white frozen grass | In northern Iowa. My horses are out 24/7 year round. They have trees for shelter. Your horses will be healthier if you leave them outside. Think of it this way. Do you want them to be an athlete. Do athletes get locked in a room 20 hours a day with no room for exercise. Stalls are for people to feel better not for the horses to feel better. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1079
Location: MN | Im in Northern MN and mine are turned out 24/7 and only in to grain. I do use a slow feed hay net in the summers but I dont use it the winters. I found it freezes to the ground and then just becomes more of a hassel than anything.
My gelding gets studded front shoes in the winter only because he wears his feet to little nubs if I dont. Nothing on the back, I could never afford full sets all year round!!
Both my gelding and colt wear heavy weight windproof & waterproof blankets. They do have a lean-to to get out of the weather which they use quite often.
I have yet to find a fly sheet that doesnt rub my guys big ole shoulders so we stick with the Shoo Fly leggins and good ole Pyranha flyspray in the spring and summers.
You might be overthinking the whole thing. Your horse will be very happy being out 24/7!
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | You were saying this horse was out 24/7 with his owner befor you bought him so I would not be worried about this horse, hes use to being turned out and I bet hes going to be alot happier being out instead of being stalled. Just do the easy stuff for him like fly spray if you feel like it needs to be done during the summer.
Edited by Southtxponygirl 2018-03-19 9:53 AM
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 Cute Little Imp
Posts: 2747
Location: N Texas | Like others have mentioned, my main concern is for them to be able to get out of the wind. Mine will stand OUTSIDE the barn, but use it as a wind block. They mostly only come in when it's raining or really hot (it's open so they come and go freely). |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 489
| I'd say your horse will tell you what it needs. All of mine run out and have shed rows. They are never in them unless its raining or sleeting. If they have a wind break and a place to stay dry, they should be fine. I have a golden oldie that gets a blanket and comes inside when it gets real, real nasty. Everybody else seems to be just fine on their own. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| We are in Iowa as well. Ours have runs into a 3 sided barn and a dry lot, are barefoot year around now, when we shod then we pulled shoes in the winter. We don’t blanket.
We feed free choice hay using slow feed bale nets. We use the small square bales and hang 1 in each run. We lock them in overnight so we don’t have to “sort” them in the morning to do chores before work since they get different grain/supplement combos. I open the gates before I leave for work unless the dry lot is slick or icy. They are generally well behaved if they’re turned out daily. They get a little goofy if we have to keep them cooped up for a couple days.
Keeping the hay in front of them makes a big difference in the winter.
My rule of thumb for blanketing is first keeping my hands on them and checking body condition under their coats. Secondly is when it snows, does the snow sit on their backs or melt? If it sits on their back that’s good, body heat is not escaping and they are well insulated. If the snow is melting then they are losing body heat and could benefit from a blanket IMO.
If I had access to an indoor arena and planned to ride regularly, I would probably blanket the one(s) I planned to ride the most. |
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 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | Horses need to be outside its way healthier for them in my opinion. .i hate stalling and avoid it at all costs....i know a bit about cold weather..lol..so a 300 fill will be fine especially since you say he has hay in front of him all the time...and he would even be fine barefoot. ..m |
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 Northern Chocolate Queen
Posts: 16576
Location: ND | It's crazy how we all maintain our horses so differently. For me full time turnout is the only way. I'd be having a complete meltdown if I had to stall all the time or even most of the time.
I'm in ND. My horses are out 24/7 year round. I typically only blanket my 26 year old gelding, but I will blanket others if the wind is blowing from a direction that they don't have protection. I use the heavyweights for mine when it's cold, most important thing is that they are waterproof. I do leave my barn open when the weather is bad so my old guy & broodmare can get inside. Everyone else has a lean or windbreak for protection. I rarely shoe anything but everyone is barefoot in the winter no matter what.
In the summer I do use fly masks (we have cattle so flies are BAD). But I don't like fly sheets, I tried a couple & had terrible luck with horse flies getting underneath them & chewing my old guy up bad. I also never leave mane's or tails braided when they're turned out. If they get snagged on something you can lose a big chunk of hair. |
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Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| mruggles - 2018-03-20 2:37 PM Horses need to be outside its way healthier for them in my opinion. .i hate stalling and avoid it at all costs....i know a bit about cold weather..lol..so a 300 fill will be fine especially since you say he has hay in front of him all the time...and he would even be fine barefoot. ..m
Agree, I have a gelding that was diagnosed with a throat condition that is a reaction to something in the pasture that could eventually lead to the need for a trachea. My head was spinning when the vet on site said he would have to be stalled 24/7 for the rest of his life, he would rather be dead-he hated being stalled. Luckily he responded to treatment and was able to remain out. |
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