Poor Harv and Riley -- only about an hour of turnout per day, and I'm grateful for even that. Lots of ice out there, and it's not something you mess with. As Bob says, better an unhappy horse than a broken horse. Not sure if Riley and Harvey would agree--as you can see here there's some cabin fever going on...
Friday, February 11, 2011
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The ice is so bad at our place, that our guys haven't been out for weeks. It is tough on them, but they are resilient. I can't wait until next week when it looks like we will get a good enough thaw to let them run!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad I live in the south!! Chrome and Zep are outdoors 24/7/365. I never realized what a blessing that is. :) I hope it thaws soon so the boys can go outside.
ReplyDeleteI was able to ride outside twice this week! And I mean a real ride, with circles, stretching, and cantering, not just a walk down the trail. My horse was really strutting his stuff and happy to be moving out. Spring may be on its way...
ReplyDeleteMy barefoot horse is out everyday for the daylight hours. He will be out 24/7 when the nights warm up. I guess this is one area where my boarding setup gets a "win"!
Our horses are outside 24/7 with access to stalls even when there is ice. I think that being out so much gets them acclimated to the conditions because they are pretty careful.
ReplyDeleteWe have lots of snow here (MI) and the pastures are probably a little slippery in spots, but my young horse is still out all day and comes in at night. I can see the logic in keeping a horse in to avoid winter conditions, but at the same time, if a horse is out enough he gets pretty good at picking his way through dicey footing. My horse is barefoot, which probably helps. If you're able to ride more often or even just handwalk during this time, that will help a little, especially for your older horse.mo
ReplyDeleteI hear ya Stacy! My horse lives 24/7 on turnout in Minnesota and the paddock gets icy from all the packed snow. My boy managed to slide into something sharp in the paddock this week resulting in a 3" deep puncture wound over his knee (and a huge vet bill!)
ReplyDeleteHowever despite his injury I can tell you he is happier living outside with a big bandage on his leg than he would be living inside with his leg wholly intact.