# Opinions on nightly turn-out



## Harley's mom (Jul 3, 2008)

I board my horse at a ranch where he is normally turned out in the morning after feeding, then pulled in late afternoon / early evening and stalled at night.

They have decided to start turning the horses out after their second feeding at night and then bringing them IN during the day, since it's 100 degrees during the afternoons here now. They said for July and August they would make this change. They have fans in the barn, so it is cooler in the barn. One of the pastures has trees coverage for shade, but the other pasture is completely open, so they felt like this was better for the horses.

If you owned a horse and had it boarded there, what would you do? Would you be ok with this change? What are the problems, if any, in doing it this way? 

I do have the option to keep him in at night and turned out during the day, but. . . 

What do you think?


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I do 24 hour turnout for my boys but I have a pony that runs through the fence, so she go's in a paddock with no shelter, She's in during the day and out at night. It's cooler at night and the bugs are much less. It's cool in the stalls and I don't mind... winter time I reverse it.


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## kickshaw (May 7, 2008)

lots of barns do this - I would be grateful that my horse wasnt standing out in the sweltering heat


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## Harley Heaven (Jun 15, 2008)

As long *** the pastures are secure and there is no barbed wire it sounds like the best thing going to beat the heat and the bugs.
A horse can see better at night than you and I ever will.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

I have mine on 24 hour turnout as well. But they have free access to shelter as they desire as well. If you can't provide free access to shelter, I would think that having them in the barn during the hottest part of the day would be the optimum.


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## upnover (Jan 17, 2008)

We do the same thing at our barn as well. In the winters most of the horses are turned out during the day (when it's warmer) and in the summer they're turned out during the night (when it's cooler, and so they won't get so sun bleached). I prefer it this way! Esp in the summers. We usually don't have any problems except it takes a day or two for the horses that get new pasture buddies to establish the new hierarchy.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

I keep mine in at night and out during the day. When it starts getting super hot I'll probably start giving them the option of moving to the shed. I guess I leave it up to them, I just open/close a couple of gates and they can either stay in the pasture or come to the barn. They usually chose to come to the barn when its hot. Concluding a horse given the choice would rather have shelter from the sun when its hot. At least mine do :wink:


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

We have that, I actually think it's great!  The horses @ my barn are mostly turned-out although we use the combined system as well.


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

It depends what they call night turn out. Do they get some day light? Most horses wont be doing much once its gets dark. If they get some daylight running around time, I think it's actually a good idea. They get to stay where its cooler inside and they are away from the day time bugs.


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## Harley's mom (Jul 3, 2008)

Thank you, everyone, for your opinions. I just wanted to be sure there wasn't any danger to nightly turn out that I wasn't thinking about. 

Harley has a pink nose, so he really tends to sunburn there. I 've been putting 50spf on it when he's out during the day. But the night turn out would be good for him to prevent it from getting worse.

Thanks again.


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