# Boarding Turnout/Lifestyle Poll



## Lopin N Paint (May 30, 2012)

I'm curious what arrangements everyone has....


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## Cynical25 (Mar 7, 2013)

Where I board, the horses are turned out as much as possible. Healthier for the horses and less stall cleaning for the help!

Currently, there are a few grassy pastures and several dry lots w/round bales, and the herds are rotated onto the grass throughout the week. Weather is good right now, so they are only stalled long enough to eat grain twice a day. They will be stalled during the hottest part of the Texas summer days, and were stalled winter nights below 40°F.


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## SEAmom (Jan 8, 2011)

My BO turns out when she feels it's practical.
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## Viranh (Apr 7, 2013)

I could only vote once, but horse #1 is on 24/7 turnout on a dry lot with a run in shelter, and horse #2 is out all day, in a stall at night in the winter, and the opposite in summer. He gets 24/7 turnout spring and fall, weather permitting.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

My horses all have a stall and I bring them in to feed. They come in and eat and go right back out. If the weather is nasty, lightning, tornadoes, hail, ice, they are brought in for the duration of the storm and then turned back out. I don't like to stall them for any longer than necessary, I think they're healthier outside.


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

My horse is stalled most of the day, with about 3 hours of turnout. I'd really like to find somewhere where he could get more turnout, but have not had much luck in my area. Turnout is in a "dry" lot (I use the term loosely, given how rainy it is here for most of the year!) most of the year, and pasture for maybe 3 months.

It's kind of frustrating to see how lush and green the pastures are right now, but last I heard the BO isn't planning on turning horses out on them until July when the ground is reliably dry :shock:


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## AQHSam (Nov 23, 2011)

My horse is stalled with daily turnout between the hours of 8am and 4:00pm. The BO will keep him in if the weather is particularly nasty. He is turned out with two other geldings on a 2 acre-ish pasture area that has a mix of scrub grass and dirt. The pasture is meant for exercise and fresh air, not chow time.

I ride after 6pm, so he has had the opportunity to go into his stall, get some hay, and then back out with me for a few hours several times a week.


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## Incitatus32 (Jan 5, 2013)

For my gelding he's on pasture 24/7 365 days a year and NEVER comes in the barn. He loves being out in the elements and even when it was subzero he still stayed out.

My mare (before she passed) was on pasture and stall board but she chose when to come in and go out. Typically if it was a freezing rain she'd come in but mostly she was outside with my gelding on grass or whatever tundra the soil was that season. All the horses outside are fed grain and hay on the ground spread apart from one another. 

My next horse will be on pasture only. I think it makes them healthier and happier and it makes it nice not having to worry too much about them OD'ing on grass that summer.


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## Jumper Princess (Apr 28, 2014)

Mine comes in to eat twice a day on average and then goes out into a LARGE pasture the rest of the day, however the pasture situation is about to change at night he will be turned out into a smaller 1/2 acre paddock with grass and electric fencing to keep him from cribbing on the fences. Sometimes it will be too stormy, cold, or hot to do 24 hour turnout but he gets to go out for at least half the day.


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## Lopin N Paint (May 30, 2012)

My horse gets turnout in grass.... if we got a lot of rain I will turn him out in the sandy roundpen to aviod him digging stuff up when he runs around.

He does have a stall and is inside if the weather is bad all day. All the paddocks have sheds so if they are just calling for occasional sprinkles he goes out.

Last summer I kept him inside with a fan during the hot hours of the day (9am-5pm) and he goes out at night. He REALLY hates the bugs. I'll probably do that again this year.


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## CLaPorte432 (Jan 3, 2012)

My horses are out on grass unless weather is bad. Then they'll spend the night inside. 

In the summer if the heat is horrendous and flies are unbelieveable, they come inside during the day and out at night. But 80% of the time they are outside.

We have a 16' X 56' lean to as well.
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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

out all day, on 30 acres with herd of about 10. free choice access to hay. zero grain, run in open sheds for shelter/feeding, but they stand in the rain /snow happily.


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## Chasin Ponies (Dec 25, 2013)

verona1016 said:


> My horse is stalled most of the day, with about 3 hours of turnout. I'd really like to find somewhere where he could get more turnout, but have not had much luck in my area. Turnout is in a "dry" lot (I use the term loosely, given how rainy it is here for most of the year!) most of the year, and pasture for maybe 3 months.
> 
> It's kind of frustrating to see how lush and green the pastures are right now, but last I heard the BO isn't planning on turning horses out on them until July when the ground is reliably dry :shock:


 We have the same problem. The BOs care more about their pastures looking nice than how the boarders feel. Also, if we turn them out we have to remain on the property!:-(


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

My horse is on 24/7 dry lot turnout. My BO offered it to me as a cheaper option when I lost my job last year. I wish we had pasture, but even the pasture we do have in my area is mostly tough, dry grass that's more suited to cattle grazing.

Before he went on 24/7 turnout, he was in a stall (largest one on the property since he's the biggest horse on the property) with turnout at least four days a week for most of the day.

Before we moved to our new barn, he was in a stall 24/7 unless myself or my friend turned him out (BO couldn't be bothered to do turnout and if he did, he charged extra for it).
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## SEAmom (Jan 8, 2011)

Chasin Ponies said:


> We have the same problem. The BOs care more about their pastures looking nice than how the boarders feel. Also, if we turn them out we have to remain on the property!:-(


The first place I boarded my horse was exactly this way. The field had to be dry before the horses could go out. Then, there was a max of 3 at a time. Plus, a 3-4 hour time limit if anyone was waiting. Not to mention it was only roughly 5 acres and had trees and a drainage ditch cutting it in half. My 1.5-2 year old was cooped up inside for weeks at a time, especially with how much it rains here. We couldn't even put the horses in the arena if anyone else was there.
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## Lopin N Paint (May 30, 2012)

I was very curious about this because I am considering buying this farm...

Its a small place but has a large indoor, large outdoor, and a 60' roundpen. (All have nice sandy footing).

However it is only just under 9 acres. There are currently 5 grassy paddocks all but 1 have sheds. If I decide to make the leap I was wondering what would be more important to boarders... Grass or just getting turned out (with pretty much free choice hay outside)? 
There is a 12 stall barn but some of the stalls are just too small (9x10) so likely I would use the back few stalls to store hay.

Or I might just buy it for myself... but in an ideal world if I could board 5 horses and make the place at least break even for itself that would be awesome... but I dunno if that's even possible! lol

My area really needs a barn with indoor, roundpen, outdoor that have quality footing that will allow any insured instructor. Most places around here; you use THEIR services or NOTHING. OR they have a massive lesson program you have to ride around... And that stinks.


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## Viranh (Apr 7, 2013)

I care more about my horse getting to go out and move around. As long as you feed them when they're out, too, I would think getting decent turnout matters much more than grass. You could always just use 3-4 of the paddocks and rotate to try to keep the grass from being destroyed though.

EDIT: I also appreciate a barn with at least one dry lot. When pony can no longer live at home, this will be a criteria for a new boarding place.


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## catheetiem (Oct 6, 2011)

He's out on grass pasture 24/7. Well, kinda. His pasture is split into two sections (he's alone), one with gorgeous grass all over, and a smaller area that is grass thats not as nice and has dirt patches mixed in. In bad weather, at night, and when the grass has just been fertilized he's restricted to his dirt/grass section. He has a run in in that section (which he rarely uses. Dummy soaks throughhis blankets standing out in the rain and snow!!)
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## BlueEyedPaint (Apr 1, 2014)

My girl is out to pasture with the other mares majority of the time. They each have their own stall, but only come in for feeding and if the weather is bad!


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## Tarpan (May 6, 2012)

Pasture 24/7 with free choice hay, access to a run in shed and hard feed once a day.

If I ever have to board I won't even consider a situation with limited turnout!


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## Roux (Aug 23, 2013)

In the summer they are on green pasture - no hay no grain.

In the winter they live in outdoor stalls, 1/2 alfalfa 1/2 grass twice a day with several hours turn out in the arena or pasture.


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## xxdanioo (Jan 17, 2012)

My guys are out from roughly 630am - 630pm. My older gelding comes in for dinner earlier so he has time to eat before his rides. Otherwise he gets cranky knowing he's missing dinner while the other horses are brought in. He is on a shared dry lot pen with my two year old gelding. Enough room for them to be boys, or stand around and munch all day.


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## Regula (Jan 23, 2012)

My gelding used to be on 24/7 pasture turnout, but has special feeding requirements now and can't be on fresh grass anymore (foundered). So he's on a large dry lot 24/7 with 3x daily feeding of good quality hay.
At first he was in with a 3yo gelding (he's 12), but the young guy got on his nerves a little bit with his playfulness. Now he's in with an older mare and the two love each other, lying in the sun together and all .

In a perfect world he'd be in a "pasture paradise" kind of setting with controlled feed...
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## roo (Aug 18, 2013)

My gelding is on pasture board all year round. He enjoys being outdoors rather than being stalled


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