i, along with everyone else, believe that horses should be turned out as much as possible.
but sometimes, it just isn't possible
if you have no grass, will have no grass in summer if you do let them out (as they will trash the rest due to it being so wet), are not allowed to put hay in the field, and do not want to see your horses standing chewing fences/weaving/take your pick of consequential behavioural issue, or see them go down with colic...
then you keep them in with hay/haylage
I felt moved to say that due to people saying should turnout without thinking of those for whom it is not possible.
anyway, i rather hoped to be able to do something today. i'd turned them out for a few hours mid morning as it was starting to get out, and it stayed not wet until i set off back down to the stables...at which point, the heavens opened.
so time i did get molly in, she was wet... and the area round her poll was NOT drying, so even if i got the mud off everywhere else i could not have put a bridle/lunge cavesson/whatever on with a view to doing anything
also, she has been overheating - a heat spot on her back ... have had to dig the medicated cream out..
it would be about where the back of the saddle would be... i could probably put the roller on without a problem, but won't be able to ride until that has healed.
having said all that, at least it was light enough for me to be able to SEE!
and of course .. it hasn't rained since...doh.
but sometimes, it just isn't possible
if you have no grass, will have no grass in summer if you do let them out (as they will trash the rest due to it being so wet), are not allowed to put hay in the field, and do not want to see your horses standing chewing fences/weaving/take your pick of consequential behavioural issue, or see them go down with colic...
then you keep them in with hay/haylage
I felt moved to say that due to people saying should turnout without thinking of those for whom it is not possible.
anyway, i rather hoped to be able to do something today. i'd turned them out for a few hours mid morning as it was starting to get out, and it stayed not wet until i set off back down to the stables...at which point, the heavens opened.
so time i did get molly in, she was wet... and the area round her poll was NOT drying, so even if i got the mud off everywhere else i could not have put a bridle/lunge cavesson/whatever on with a view to doing anything
also, she has been overheating - a heat spot on her back ... have had to dig the medicated cream out..
it would be about where the back of the saddle would be... i could probably put the roller on without a problem, but won't be able to ride until that has healed.
having said all that, at least it was light enough for me to be able to SEE!
and of course .. it hasn't rained since...doh.
2 comments:
I was amazed yesterday after the snow stopped and the sun came out, that it was nearly 5 PM and still light out! A good omen.
The ideal way to turnout is in paddocks that it's OK for the horses to trash. Otherwise, you ruin everything.
So inside with plenty of haylage/hay to browse on is sometimes the only solution.
Hope Molly's skin issue clears up soon. When spring finally does actually arrive, you are going to want to be able to ride.
Plus you'll end up with stressed, overgrazed grass. Never good.
I hope tomorrow is a drier day :) It is lovely that the days are starting to stretch!
About the heat spot in her back, what does that look like? A friend's horse might be suffering something similar but we're not sure.
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