# horses out 24/7



## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

In every place I have lived from the delta, across Texas and all the way up to Maine every horse I have owned or know has been expected to "brave" the weather. Not to say some have not had access to barns but that even with a barn they have been put out in all sorts of weather. The only one I know that routinely brings theirs in does so when lightning is an issue as that property just seems to be a magnet for strikes. 



In the event of illness or old age to the point that the horse can't maintain their own weight without an extreme loss or needs much more than what is provided to keep that weight then I'd go to blankets. With the exception of one mine would not voluntarily utilize provided shelter. Same for the majority of the rest I have known. Give them a few buddies and a wind break and they are good.


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## AtokaGhosthorse (Oct 17, 2016)

QtrBel said:


> In every place I have lived from the delta, across Texas and all the way up to Maine every horse I have owned or know has been expected to "brave" the weather. Not to say some have not had access to barns but that even with a barn they have been put out in all sorts of weather. The only one I know that routinely brings theirs in does so when lightning is an issue as that property just seems to be a magnet for strikes.
> 
> In the event of illness or old age to the point that the horse can't maintain their own weight without an extreme loss or needs much more than what is provided to keep that weight then I'd go to blankets. With the exception of one mine would not voluntarily utilize provided shelter. Same for the majority of the rest I have known. Give them a few buddies and a wind break and they are good.



Same here.


Ours like the loafing shed in the small pasture, especially Supes, that's his 'house', but they also don't mind a thicket of red cedars. Supes gets a blanket in the winter because he's a senior horse and has trouble keeping weight on.


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## SwissMiss (Aug 1, 2014)

It's hard to relinquish control!
Maybe this will help ease your fears a little bit:


I board my mare at a private barn with about 40 acres of pasture, some of it wooded. The barn is open to the pasture, the horses have access to the barn 24/7 and each horse has its own stall. Well, the horses come to the barn twice a day at feeding time and leave immediately after. Rain? Cold? Inclement weather? The nastier the weather, the faster they want to go back out. Fact is: if it's really nasty, they don't even venture to the barn at all...


The only time they actually prefer the barn is in summertime, when the fans are keeping the bugs at bay :wink:


I bet that your horses will be fine - especially if they have shelter to go to if needed/wanted.


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## txgirl (Jul 9, 2010)

Mine are out 24/7 and have a shelter from the north wind and rain. Usually, they are out in the pasture rain, shine or cold! The only reason I am stabling my show horse is because he likes to stick his head and legs where they don't belong and gets all scratched up.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

My horses are outside 24/7. They have lots of thick stands of fir trees for shelter. When we get the horrible 40 below weather and wind, they stand under the canopy of those trees and nothing can penetrate it, snow can't even get in there unless it drifts in but in the centre part of one big stand, it doesn't even make it there. I believe it's healthier for horses to be outdoors, instead of enclosures as they are breathing in their own urine fumes and hay dust, etc. Also they are moving around constantly, not standing in one spot. There are some horses that insist on being in a barn and like to be micromanaged, those are not my horses, I don't own purse dogs.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

gottaquarter said:


> Im probably going to get flack for this but im concerned about them not having shelter in strong storms or cold wet conditions.......there are some trees and i know horses will stand under trees but i need help understanding that horses have been doing this forever and mine will survive too. I'm really only concerned about when its cold and wet and weather is really bad-


So long as they are *healthy,* with adequate access to food and water, and able to get out of the wind (ex: behind trees), most horses are just fine. Exceptions are for older/younger horses who are not healthy and/or are underweight.

Mine do not have any access to an indoor shelter of any kind, 365 days a year. During the winter, they stay with my parents. They have trees they can get behind for windbreak, but no indoor shelter of any kind and that's even during nasty North Dakota blizzards and terrible cold temps. During the summer, I board. But again, only trees for them to get behind as shelter, and a low place. 

99% of the time, they are fine. Usually when I go out to check on them, worried about them in any way, they come lolly-gagging over like "What's up mom?"


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

I have a barn and mine have shelter from the worst of weather if they want it...
My neighbor has a roof, that's it for her crew...
So where do all the horses seem to congregate...at the fenceline during bad weather.
They stand together with a fence between them, but together to weather the weather as one group.
Both could go to their respective barn/shelter....no, they prefer to be together out in whatever.
My one horse is a pampered brat..first drop of moisture and he heads in...unless he is alone then he pulls up his panties and goes and stands with everyone else...

So, by choice....
If it is offered and they not use, their choice.
If it wasn't offered and available...then to me shame on you.
They will grow a coat, Mother Nature will take care of her if we not interfere.
Days are now just really shortening but remember it is still dreadfully hot & humid in the south...you also do not want that heavy coat of protection yet...a few hairs lost and new grown in...but when the weather means to get nasty cold...amazingly the horses can grow a thick coat near overnight.
Feed extra hay, give protection from the wind and soaking rains as you have with shelter and trees...
You have the basic recipe for survival already at hand.

A arm from fracture usually can be used in about 8 weeks after injury with care...not even December yet.
At that point in time see what the horses needs, but it is still very early in the season to be blanketing, at least for me it is.
You are paying for them to be fed... specify that they are fed inside and if weather is nasty to stay in...
Except stalls need cleaned {again $ paid} which you may have limitations on...there are already things in place to give comfort and pampering of your pets.
:runninghorse2:...


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

I have had stalls and have not had stalls, and in all those years, only one horse was a happier stalled overnight than turned out, and he always was an odd duck  Even so, he did just fine if left out. Aside from him, I used my stalls mainly for confining an injured horse or keeping a horse in for the vet or farrier so he didn't have to go get him from the 'back 40' if he arrived before I got home from work. 

All a healthy horse really needs is food, water, and some shelter from the wind. Ours are out with a run-in area open to them in the barn, and they rarely use it for inclement weather-- the only time they are really in much is when it's hot and buggy and they come in for shade and to stand under the fan to fly protections. In snow, wind, rain, etc. they are usually outside. Last winter we had temps that were -70 windchill, and even though they COULD go in the barn, they instead chose to stand around the side of it out of the wind, but still outdoors. We put their hay inside for a couple of days because we were too frozen to shlep it out to the feeders, but they would grab a mouthful and go eat outside! 

When I lived in Montana, I noticed that a lot of people's horses were out year-round with the only shelter being a windbreak or small stand of pine trees. These horses also did just fine, no matter the weather.


You're in Georgia where it doesn't get particularly cold. Your horses will adjust and be fine. Take care of YOU while you heal.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

My horse is outside 24/7. She has a run-in shelter, but even on days when it's storming, she prefers to just stand outside. :icon_rolleyes: 

That's just how she is. I've led her to the run-in on a stormy night before to see if she would like it better, but she comes right back out. LOL. Some horses prefer standing out, some don't. They will adjust.  She does go in the run-in now, but when it rains she doesn't mind being out in it. I blanket her in the winter (on extra cold days/nights) but other than that...yep, she's always outside. Your horses may like it better now that they aren't always being stalled, you'd be surprised!


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## gottaquarter (Jun 8, 2012)

You are right!! I just needed to hear from others because for so long I think i've bought into the pampered pet mentality having been their sole provider and having the shelter available. Silly me, i had a QH when i was young living in the midwest at a big boarding ranch and she got all wooly and i didn't think twice about it back then. Recently I had an old school trainer tell me once that people blanket their horses for them when they should just let horses be horses, that alot of folks go all out for them to make themselves feel better(of course this isn't including people who show year round or clip for riding reasons)............not his exact words, but i get it. And of course there are instances when condition or age will dictate more care. They will get plenty of hay, even a round bale if i request it, and i know they will be fine. I have seen some horses shiver in freezing rain but i guess as long as their furnace is being stoked they'll come through it ok. Thanks all for the feedback!!!


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## dustywyatt (Aug 19, 2019)

Late to the party as usual lol. Add me to the 24/7 turnout list. We get a fair bit of winter weather. All the boys grow a good winter coat and they have a couple thick stands of trees to shelter in. Even the old man - our 30yo TB - grows hair like a yak, though we do have a blanket on hand in case the temp gets super low or really windy and wet. I’m sure your kids will be fine!


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

My horses moved from California to Massachusetts so I was very fussed over them last winter. I do have them at home and they do get blanketed when it is below freezing (but this is only for my peace of mind, they really do not need it). Below zero, snow blowing sideways, do they scuttle to their stalls to eat from their nets out of the storm? Nope. They just stand out there, calmly pawing down to the snow-buried hay. Irritating really. 

My horse got colder in California, during cold rain storms where she was wet to the skin and it was 38 degrees and windy, than when it is 10 below here and dry, and she has her Northerly fur coat on.


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## rmissildine (Feb 1, 2019)

gottaquarter,
As you have seen, leaving them out 24/7 is not a bad thing. I don't know where in Georgia you are, but we're just across the river from Columbus in Alabama. We have TWH, don't show, just for pleasure. My wife had a retired show TWH, he stayed out year round with a run-in shed, the two we have now stay out 24/7. 

The only smart one we have is Fred the Donkey, when it rains, he will get under the hay shed, the others always stay out. John, our gelding will get under the run-in shed in the afternoons right before feeding time, but other than that, he's out in it. Oh, and we don't blanket either. During the summer, they have the pasture, during the winter they have hay 24/7. 

As others have said, they will put on a winter coat and as long as they have access to hay during the winter, they will be fine.
So, take care of yourself, the horses will be fine...


Roger


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## rambo99 (Nov 29, 2016)

Yep horses do just fine outside 24/7 rain,sleet ,snow an hail. Mine have been outside last two days in pouring rain whipping wind and are no worse for wear,the one horse has no shelter at all.


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

gottaquarter said:


> trainer tell me once that people blanket their horses for them when they should just let horses be horses, that alot of folks go all out for them to make themselves feel better


Yes! So much! Of course, there are good reasons to rug, or even to keep a horse stabled, but I think SO many people do it because THEY think it's cold(or they just don't think...). But they aren't animals with built in coats, built to live out in the open.

Granted I'm in Aus, where it doesn't get anywhere near as cold as some places, but mine have always lived out, rarely even had a roof shelter - & didn't use it when they did - only trees. I've rugged 3/4 of mine this winter, for the first time(well, no doubt one got rugged when she was a racehorse nearly 2 years ago). And the main reason I'm rugging is not because they were suffering without, but that hay has got so expensive with the drought & they eat a bit less when they're warm.


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## ApuetsoT (Aug 22, 2014)

Have your blankets for when you need them. Spring/fall and the sleeting rain is the worst when they really appreciate their blankets. Dry cold is usually tolerated quite well.


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## tinabeanad (Dec 27, 2018)

Honestly, keeping a 1,000 plus lb. animal in a small, 12x12 stall for hours a day is just cruel and I am unsure of why we thought it a good idea to do such nonsense. It is akin to the two flakes of hay x2 a day that a lot of "horse people" do. Just because there are a lot of people who like barns and stalls and feeding limited forage doesn't mean it is healthy or right.

Baring any medical issues, horses that are stalled for hours a day typically develop stall vices such as cribbing and stall walking. Because they are not moving around as nature intended, they are also more prone to colic. 

Common sense applies here - would you want to be kept in your closet for hours upon hours a day, without any sort of entertainment? I think most people would answer that with a big fat NO.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Well, Tnabeanad, as a person who did keep my horses in stables 24/7 during the winter, can you answer me why, when it was wet and windy and I would open the gate to let the young, unbroken horses, out to go to the field, they would walk out, turn around and walk back inside their big loose pen where hey were housed together? 

Can you tell me why the same horses, would shout to me if the weather changed and they wanted inside? 

Can you tell me why the ridden and fit horses when turned out, would have a good buck and charge around the field, roll and after thirty minutes be stood at the gate to come back inside? 

Can you tell me why, in the summer when the flies were bad all thehorses would want to come inside to get away from the flies? 

Once inside they would soon all be lying down flat out and sound asleep, perfectly happy to be inside all day until the evening. 

My stables are not 12 x 13 but 15 x 12, all open. They all had deep beds and were very airy and they can see what is going on around them. I had many horses that been stressed and weaved or cribbed but, after a while this would practically stop. 

NON of the young horses kept this way cribbed or weaved. A more laid back bunch you would be hard to find. 

As for hay they had that ad lib when inside. 

If horses could talk I am sure they would rather be inside in comfort, rather then standing outdoors in driving wind and rain, knee deep in mud and to cold to walk to where their hay was put for them.


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## ApuetsoT (Aug 22, 2014)

^^
Of the 15 or so horses that live inside at my barn, I can think only of one who will pull faces when you walk by, but he's a crunchy horse is general. No one cribs or stall walks. They are turned out for 8h a day, otherwise in their stalls.

I like them out as much as possible but I've had enough horses near drag me to their stalls during turn in.


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## rambo99 (Nov 29, 2016)

tinabeanad said:


> Honestly, keeping a 1,000 plus lb. animal in a small, 12x12 stall for hours a day is just cruel and I am unsure of why we thought it a good idea to do such nonsense. It is akin to the two flakes of hay x2 a day that a lot of "horse people" do. Just because there are a lot of people who like barns and stalls and feeding limited forage doesn't mean it is healthy or right.
> 
> Baring any medical issues, horses that are stalled for hours a day typically develop stall vices such as cribbing and stall walking. Because they are not moving around as nature intended, they are also more prone to colic.
> 
> Common sense applies here - would you want to be kept in your closet for hours upon hours a day, without any sort of entertainment? I think most people would answer that with a big fat NO.


Then I better tell my two gelding that being in the barn in their stalls is cruel. They we desperately wanting in the barn last night at feeding time,pouring rain wind whipping around. No halter no lead ropes opened door to barn an in they came. Very happy to be inside where it was dry and no wind. They had hay outside but didn't want to stand outside in pouring rain an wind.

When flies are thick covering horses from head to toe. Not a fly spray on the market that works longer then 5 minutes. Think they want to stand outside being eaten alive because you think it's cruel to have them in a stall with no flies???

Guess what in the summer my horses spend 12 hours a day in barn in stalls with an industrial fan blowing on them. Give them the option of staying out or coming in barn they choose coming in barn. My stalls are 14 x 12 plenty of room to move around,with free feed hay, clean & fresh water all the times.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

All stock will do well (providing they have adequate feed available) in cold weather. What they will not do well in is constant wet and windy weather which soaks them through to the skin. 

When they get like this they will stand with their tails to the wind heads down shivering and shaking and as I said, refusing to move even to their feeds. 

Way back in the winter of 1962/3 we had a severe blizzard in the UK. Temperatures remained well below freezing after the snowfall. The riding school horses and ponies were all out 24/7 without rugs. They were well enough insulated that snow on their backs froze forming a blanket of sorts. 
As the climate has changed and we are getting few frosts but a lot of wet and wind so things have changed. 

Also, the school animals were all on Downland which enabled them to get shelter from the elements. Animals kept in a small area do not have the choice and horses, being horses, do not usually have the sense to go into field shelters! 

A friend of mine had donkeys out with her horses, when the weather got bad the conks would go to the shelter and the horses would follow, thus proving donks have better brains than most horses!


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

You know, I was thinking last night about all of the horses for centuries kept in stalls when not working. Now, most of those were horses who spent all day under saddle or in harness, so they got plenty of exercise and were probably quite glad for their stall and feed at the end of the day.

But it was common belief that too much hay was bad for horses-- accounts of work horses at the time usually state things like "each horse received 10 lbs of corn/pea ration 3x per day, with 2 pounds legume hay chopped in. In the winter, a pound of barley was added to each feeding". Pictures of those horses show horses in excellent condition. Box stalls were also rare-- most horses were kept in tie stalls.

In cities/urban areas, pasture was non-existent. Horses spent their lives in stalls. Even in rural areas, horses would usually spend all winter in a tie stall in a barn. Maybe taken out once or twice a week to pull the bobsled to the neighbor's to visit, but not used much. My mom remembers the draft horses at her grandpa's farm being brought in for winter around mid-November once the snow got deep, put in tie stalls, and led out to water 3 times per day at the pump. They were fed hay twice a day, forked down into the mangers. They were turned out again mid-April, and everyone would make the rounds of the neighboring farms to see the draft horses and milk cattle turned out-- they would buck and run and play after their winter indoors, but photos show animals in good condition, and those horses lived just as long as modern ones. 

I'm sitting here looking at photos of horses from the 1800's put to carriages, dray wagons, fancy ladies' hunters, kids' ponies, race horses, and delivery teams that, quite honestly, look in better health and condition than most horses one sees today. So one wonders were they all ulcer-ridden and miserable? Or did they really do just fine, proving how adaptable horses really are?


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## Mika (Aug 28, 2019)

Mine are currently stalled for most of the day... which I hate and they're so mad, but my newest gelding came to me from a dry lot and so I'm weaning him gradually onto my pasture. I'll be so happy when this week is up and they can be out 24/7! I find them much happier and even though I do have shelters for them out there, they are only in them occasionally. My crazy mare seems to prefer to be outside in the elements rather than in the shelters. My super old guy might get a blanket this year but I plan on avoiding the stalls. Makes life easier on everyone I think.


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## TaMMa89 (Apr 12, 2008)

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## Aprilswissmiss (May 12, 2019)

I agree with all the above comments - my horse is also out 24/7 without a blanket, even when we were in Maine where we get three day blizzards. She thought snow was the best! She has always had run-ins available to her, which she only uses in the summer for shade when it's hot.

The opposite is much worse: when stupid lazy people leave blankets on their horses after the cold eases up. Nothing makes me more mad than seeing blankets on horses when it's 60+ degrees out, heads hung, sweat dripping down their legs. I knew a very fancy, high-end boarding stable with 30+ boarders and the staff saw unblanketing horses as too much work and would just leave them on when it warmed up during the day, hoping it would cool off in the night time. So then you've got a wet, sweaty, potentially dehydrated and overheating horse, and when the sun sets, you've got a wet, freezing horse with no way to dry off and stay warm. It makes my blood boil to think that the boarders were okay with this, but certainly *not* okay with letting their horses endure a few minutes of snowfall.


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## NightFell (Dec 3, 2014)

My girl is out 24/7 and happy as can be. At the first place I boarded her, she had VERY limited turn-out that was favoritism based despite being advertised as fair rotations- if the barn staff got "tipped" they let your horse out on the grass pastures or at least dirt paddocks. 75% of the time I arrived at the barn after work in the evening to see my mare had been in her stall all day, I was livid. 

I eventually found a boarding location set up with pasture, moved us out, and never looked back since. My mare fortunately stays sane/does not do a lot of dumb things, doesn't instantly destroy blankets and sheets, and loves being out in all weather despite having the option of using the nice run-in sheds. If you got a horse that is extremely accident-prone (more than others lol) or just doesn't seem like he'd fare well with a 24/7 outdoor situation then welll!


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## BeckyFletcher (Apr 18, 2019)

I just wanted to mention that its not silly or laughable to me and I totally understand. I am you described to a tee x10 about worrying about those types of things. I finally couldn't stand leaving the barn when he was rough boarded when it was nasty out and literally crying about it so I negotiated with the person I was leasing from to make up the difference for a stall. And truthfully if I had the resources I would have done it for all his pasture mates as well. Okay lets be realistic I'd do it for them all if it was possible. lol He adjusted well to having one. But I know deep down somewhere that it isn't necessary even in Wisconsin. We did have about four days last year where it was -60 and the rough boarders were all put into the arena and whatever they could to separate who they needed to. In my belief there are only a few states/days per year that its REALLY needed and even those states and days I'm sure there is another solution. And maybe a blanket with some sort of shelter would even suffice then. 


On the other hand I've seen horses that are now stalled overnight just hating it and being pacers or whatever that's called when they just pace back and forth constantly. 


Is there some law that they have to have minimum shelter? It might even be trees. I'm not sure on this one I just thought I remembered reading it somewhere. And that is in the USA.


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