Tying/locking horses in at night?

[Karma]

Ours are on pasture 24/7 though they are also getting enough work obesity is not an issue. As far as stalling keeping horses from being pushy I would say no it does not. Daily handling and training is what does and while stalling a horse may help with forcing you to accomplish that it can be done with pastured horses as well, in fact many of ours are easier to handle when they have not been couped up for 12 hours straight. I've worked at TB breeding farms and some of those horses were so rude and had horrible manners despite being stalled 12 hours a day.

We bring them in at 5am for feeding/grooming. I do things besides grooming then too like taking off any wet turnout rugs and sticking them in the washer/dryer, mucking out turnout sheds, taking hay/water to pastures. At 7am ones not being ridden/driven in the am are turned back out and their stalls mucked. Then finish off any other animal chores and I ride, cool them out/groom and turn them back out usually by noon they are all turned out again. At 2pm we usually ride/drive the rest do evening feeding at 5pm and everyone is out for the night by 7pm.

Keep in mind pasture is not always easier. Sure it is usually less costly however in the winter it is a pain when you live in a colder place. I am so tired of mucking run ins in freezing cold and ice picking frozen troughs and lugging water out so we are putting up a dry lot near the barn and small paddocks so I'll have running water and can muck in a nice warm barn instead. While cheap and okay in the summer 24/7 pasture is not convenient in the winter if you live in a cold place and don't have water access in your pastures.

 

[Teeah3612]

I prefer to let my have free run of the pasture with a run-in shelter. However, I agree that they need to be handled daily. I tie mine to feed them grain every evening. I also clean their shelter when necessary and throw them a fresh bale of hay during this time. While they are eating I also brush their manes and pat them down good to make sure they are keeping their weight where it needs to be. This makes sure that they are handled each day.

Kate and Jasper both coming running to me when I go out, because they associate me with food and attention, so there are no problems catching them. The only time they go in the shelter is when the wind is really howling. The shelter is positioned so that the wind tends to blow from the rear of it and they can stand inside looking towards the front out of the wind.

Everyone has their own way, this is just what works for me and my horses.

 

[Chirpy]

Sorry, I made the assumption that the horses would be worked with daily or as often as possible. I would agree that a horse just left to pasture and never worked with could become stubborn and hard to handle; and possibly fat.

A horse left in a stall and not taken out daily to get exercise can also become stubborn and hard to handle; and possibly fat.

Every horse is different on how they do best with maintaining weight, the level of their desire to please a person, if they are a passive stand-a-round type or I-have-to-be-moving-or-I'll-die type.

I think the key is the personal attention from a human to each horses particular needs... whatever the day to day living arrangements are.

 

[yankee'n'moxie]

I agree that it depends completely on the horse!

I, personally, keep mine in a run-in, with a small attached "pasture" (it is dirt) during the winter (it is about the size of two large round pens), and during the summer they will go here at night, and during the day (after feeding) they will go to a large pasture area that is grassy. My horses are handled daily, groomed if needed, hooves picked, haltered, and worked (either ground or mounted work) if the weather is good. I do have to say, however, that they don't come right to me unless they are hungry. But that is because they prefer each others company instead of mine. All I have to do is say "whoa" and walk up to them. They always have water (and I mean ALWAYS), and they get grain morning and night, and have hay most of the time. They get hay at 7AM and it lasts until about 3:30 Pm and they get more at 4:30 to 5 PM.

Come spring they will each have a stall to be fed in (that way I can assure that the older mare is getting all the forage she needs), and to be stalled if the weather is yucky. They will be able to get away from one other the other.

 

[Lothiriel]

Thanks for all the input! You have all given so much info here. I really appreciate it.

We tried closing up the barn for our new horse tonight... You know, first time, her first night here, etc. and we are worrying like new mothers. She definitely didn't like it though, so we opened it back up and are letting her come and go as she pleases...
Here's hoping she's still here in the morning.............

 

[yankee'n'moxie]

How is the lovely Taffy this morning? Still home?

 

[Lothiriel]

Indeed she is! She is actually quite happy and a very good girl. It was the steer who broke the fence and got out... Even with it laying on the ground, Taffy didn't bother it at all. She's starting to prove how honest her seller was!

 

[chubbydog811]

Definitely depends on the horse! I am usually called the "drill sargent" of horse trainers. I expect my horses to listen - if I tell them do something, they do it right when I say it. Easy as that. BUT - not all of mine are stalled. 2 of mine (one is a 9 year old QH, the other a 3 year old Belgian stallion) get 24/7 turnout. I only handle them maybe once a week if that, and they are generally very well behaved regardless. I've had stalled horses that I handle 3+ times a day who were still little jerks. All depends on the horse!
Though I see 24/7 turnout as better for the animal - more time to move around and breath the fresh air instead of being locked up all the time. (note: this is coming from someone who stalls and has run-ins!)

 

[ChristyMarie82]

I believe in a lot turnout...however, I've had both 24/7 pastured horses and stalled horses. I prefer having a stall for my babies...I worry in bad weather. I remember one time my arab mare was out, at an old boarding barn, and we had a huge ice storm. I didn't sleep, paced, all night...hoping she'd still be alive in the morning!

I currently have two quarter horse mares and a pony (as well as three horses that someone boards at our farm). They all (except the stallion) are turned out around 7am and brought back in around 7pm. They have a round bale of hay, and PLENTY of pasture to run in play in...but at the end of the day, all I have to do is call them, and in they run. At that point, they are ready to come in and relax in their stalls. They get grain before they go out and when they come in.

I worked at a high-end show barn where some of the horses NEVER got turn out. Or maybe twenty minutes in the indoor arena. That, I don't agree with. But, I do stall mine overnight. When it gets really hot/buggy...I'll probably stall them during the day with fans and turn them out overnight.

My three horses were pasture ornaments for TEN YEARS before we bought them in January of this year. They were terribly behaved, pushy. Now, almost two months later, with this routine, they have become much easier to handle. I'm not saying that wouldn't have worked if they were out 24/7, too...but...they were so used to being out all the time, not messed with at all, that they needed this daily interaction badly.

Now, we just have to get them to let us do their feet...LOL

 

[bluewater rangerbreds]

my horses are out 24/7 with shelter unless there is an issue that requires one to be confined. That would be if one is injured or Ill or something like that.