I love how you look at both sides and use proper sources. I'm not sure if you've ever seen raleighlink14 but her videos are the complete opposite haha, she could definitely learn off you!
My horse is the opposite, he was on 24/7 turnout his entire life and then when we moved him he goes in a stall at night with a runout. He has gained weight, and has way less anxiety about where his herd is.
Thank you for making such an informative video on this subject! As an equine vet I talk endlessly to clients about these issues. Perhaps I should have them watch your video too. Most of the reasons people have for stalling over turnout are for their own convenience (obviously there are dramatic exceptions ie: injured horses). Our primary concern should always be the physical and mental well-being of our horses. 🐎
I agree with all of this 110%. 24/7 hay and turnout is so important. All of mine live together (even my performance horses) and are in a very large paddock during the day (perfectly easy to catch them in this), and a field at night. Everyone always asks me why my horses are so confident and independent, and I always tell them that I owe it completely to the way that they live! It makes such a difference.
i love how you talk about how to make the best out of a stalled situation. my horse has health issues that require his urination to be monitored daily, he is turned out in a large pasture for 12 hours a day with a couple other horses in a large field, and for the other 12 he is stalled (to be monitored and receive medications), i always make sure he has enough hay to have some leftover in the morning (usually 1/2 bale) each horse has an open window, a fan, and open fronts so they can see and touch each other. At the old farm i was at the horses were only turned out for 6 hours, they would only get 4flakes of hay for the 18 hours they were inside (regardless of if they finished it all by night check), and the stalls were barred with no windows. since I moved my horse he is overall much happier and willing to please. not all horses can live out 24/7, but there are ways to make the best of a stalled situation. very informative video Shelby!
agreed, thank you for making this video, its very informative and helpful! the horses at my riding school have never been stalled in their lives and spend their off time in the nature reserve in which the place is build. they're all geldings and stallions and spend their time 24/7 together as a herd, even in the turnouts we put them in when we're working during the day. they always have food available. and i have never ever heard of them getting colic and ulcers. they have no anxiety and are so much calmer and more willing to work. i don't see any of the problems in them that i see with my aunt's horse, who is stalled most of the time and only has a tiny turnout.
You make the most educated videos out of any equestrian channel on RUclips. You deserve millions of subs but everyone subs to the other equestrian channels because they don't want "educated responses" they just want to see drama and hate. You and Natasha althoff are by far my favorite equestrian youtubers
The horse I ride is in a stall with attached paddock always and we never shut the door on him so he can be outside whenever he wants. The only time he's ever in the stall is if he chooses to. I 100% agree.
This is the kind of video that needs to be put out about stuff like this! Certain youtuber tends to just shout that stalls are abuse but doesn't really give reasons for her thinking. The disclaimer in this video at the end is so true though, people who get defensive and try to justify not providing turnout is wrong, and the video is not trying to make out that they love their horse less. Some people don't have access to year round turnout so that's not really their fault.
totally agree with you! I wish I could have my horse outside more, but the barn i'm at is basically the only barn in my area (there's a barn that have a 24/7 turnout, but they can't fit any more horses. like they already have too many horses there :/) my horse gets tuned out twelve hours of the day pretty much the whole year (except for the summer when they are turned out in a pretty big field). loved this video!!
Thank you for this! I love the way you tackle controversial topics. I also like that you point out mistakes & misconceptions you've made as a horse owner. And that you use cited facts when sharing & justifying your opinions rather than just ranting on without substance.
Loved this! Going to start my pony on 247 turn out from now on and get a vet up! Please do more of these!! They r so so so helpful, ever since I watched your bit debate video I changed my bit instantly to a double jointed instead of a single jointed and she is so much happier. Thank you Shelby for making my pony happy!!!!
My vet back home told me turn outside the best! You nailed it! My horse has had stifle problems since he was young hes only been stalled a few times due to health issues! Hes better off outside and happier!🐎🐎🐴
love this Shelby! I used to have my ottb in a private paddock at my old agistment. It was pretty small (maybe like 25x25 metres) and he started chewing the fence posts and was constantly ruining the fences. I ended up moving to a friend's place with huge open/shared paddocks with plenty of feed on the ground. It made such a big difference to him on the ground and under saddle. He wasn't so stressed and finally had a chance to socialise and just be a horse. Honestly, I'd never keep a horse even in a private/small paddock again. Seeing the difference in his behaviour was enough to teach me that it's never worth locking them up for the sake of convenience! I saw an article about a year ago regarding horse behaviour, it said that horses needed the three Fs: forage, friendship, and freedom. Totally sums up what you've said in your video!
100% agree! My horses live out in the summer but in the winter they have to come in at night (yard rules), they are in a herd and have regular hacking on all sorts of terrain and access to rivers etc. They are so happy ❤️
I love this video. I love how this isn't just your opinion its facts. I have a barn on my property yet we use it for hay storage. The only time I ever stall mine is if we are at a clinic or show
Hey, just wanted to say thank you for this video! Your distilled research in video form is super helpful! I'm using this topic for an ethics paper :) Also makes me appreciate that my horse live outside 24/7.
You are excellent at speaking! The presentation was very clear, well founded and well structured. I learned a lot from this talk, as I did from your "bit debate" one. Of course, in BC, where I lived for some years, and in New Zealand, where I grew up "on horseback", horses can be turned out year round, at least by day, but climate isn't so friendly elsewhere, and perhaps people are not as familiar with horse covers as they should be. Your comments about horses' digestion and stress were very interesting. The social thing is something I observed, since my father owned and ran a riding school and boarding farm with a unique system of intensive rotation grazing, with up to forty horses confined to a relatively small electrically enclosed moving section. I think most of the horses were fully shod. They lived together in harmony, forming small groups of friends, with the smallest pony gelding being the most dominant. I don't recall many injuries. Before the farm, we had a small property on which my father stabled and trained a racehorse. He wasn't able to feed the horse more than about three times a day, and the usually amiable horse very definitely became nasty at feeding time, once slamming both rear hooves against the wall inches from by father's head, with a bang so loud I came running out of the house fifty yards away, in time to see my father emerging white-faced from the stable. Your lecture explains a lot.
I love your informational videos, their so helpful and I can trust the information. I’m soon switching my horse to a facility where he can have 24/7 turnout!😊
100% agree my horses are all out 24/7 and are happy, healthy and look and perform amazingly. Low GI, high fibre, NO grain diets. Horses do not need grain. If they need more energy feed a high quality oil. Oil is the best source of energy without affecting their digestive system or behaviour ie. make them hot. Recent studies have shown racehorses can perform on purely fibre and oil based diets.
My barn has bars between stalls, the horses are out from 5am-3pm (sometimes later) They have free choice hay all day and they get grain when they come in, even the horses on stall rest get arena turnout with other horses so they can socialize or they get hand walked. My horse is on 24/7 turnout. But he comes in 3 times a day to get 1 small scoop of grain (we're trying to put weight on him) and he gets free choice hay all day Before he was stalled but tbh he's so much happier and less hot (he's an Ottb) on full turn out! I think my barn does take the steps to make sure the ones who are stalled are well taken care of!
My horses are out 24/7 and we had massage therapist come and she told us they were the most flexible horses she has ever seen and didn't have any cracks or misplaced muscles etc.. it's all thanks to them being outside and able to move around!
You said everything I've wanted to say. I worked (and boarded many years ago) at a sport horse barn, where horses were stalled more than turned out. They were big warmbloods that were monsters because they were stuck in boxes all the time. There was a TB that was only allowed out for 5 hours a day. They would all try to bite/kick, and I never blamed them. I even refused to handle one because he was flat out dangerous. Stop humanizing these animals, people!!
My horse is out 24/7 in the summer and turned in at night in the winter. Seeing how i am in Canada and he doesn't wear a blanket its a good thing for him so he does not get to cold at night ☺️
I agree with you 100 percent! I love my barn, and they do so much to keep the horses healthy compared to other barns I have seen, but they do not turn out the horses enough at all. Maybe 6 hours a day in the warmer months, less in the winter. I try to inquire about this since our large grass paddocks are always empty (we have over 15 acres and 24 horses), but the trainers and owner keep saying that they "really don't need more than 6 hours" and that in the winter the frozen grass paddocks "bruise the horses hooves" (so they just use the little limestone all weather paddocks). It really bugs me because we all want the horses to be healthy and strong (since turnout keeps them moving all the time, they walk more and get more exercise), yet so many horse people/barns keep the horses in stalls most of the day. Even though my barn is super nice and has amazing air circulation (it doesn't even smell like pee or anything), a couple of the horses have heaves and a couple have stereotypic behaviors. It is hard to comprehend why no one wants to help these horses, even though they seem to care deeply about them. I don't want to seem confrontational or cocky though by asking if they could change their practices at my barn because I am only lease a school horse and do lessons, not even board.
Basically keeping the horses life as natural as possible is the best way to go about keeping them in captivity. I keep my horses out all year round in big fields - don’t have any injury issues because fencing is safe, the have room to gallop and move.
I totally agree with all this. We do have our horses in stalls during the night, because we have two Icelandic horses who can't eat grass all the time during the summer because they put on weight very easily. So we have them inside during the night, and even though we've tried to put a fly sheet on my thoroughbred he goes crazy during the night because of mosquitos . And in the winter they are in during the night too because it's simply cold xD And we can't offer them a real shed outside to shelter in so we have them in stalls during the night. But the stalls are fulled with a thick layer with shavings thats fluffy and clean. Enough hay, and during the winter they get a little grain. And they mostly rest or sleep during the night anyway. But then they are outside from early morning too late in the evening. They are out in a big field together, we do have the Icelandics in a smaller pasture during the day in the summer because they can't graze as much or else they'll get fat. But we always let them go together some hours during the evening and they are right next to each other anyway and can have have contact over the fence. But during the winter months when the grass doesn't have that much energy they all go together. Does that seem ok? We try our best to let them have an as natural life as possible. Even tho we need to manage the Iceys weight a bit more, and the thoroughbred needs to graze so we need to keep it like that, we don't want the iceys to get fat and gain health problems from that or laminitis so.
When I worked with horses in stable situations in the Uk we used to skip out the wet and solid bedding several times a da anthe box was cleaned completely in the mornings and the bedding piled up against the walls of the box the floors in the middle of the box was sprinkled with limeade allowed to dry out while the horse was out working in the day time and just before being put in for the night the bedding is pulled down from the sides of the box and dry bedding added if needed then the are returned to their box fo the night very few horses spent all day in the stable except for the stallions because it was more difficult to pasture a stallion during the day as they need better fencing
I always try to put myself in my horses shoes. Like if I were them would I want to live my WHOLE life in one room that multi-purposes as a bathroom/bedroom/dining table?
Ulcers are found in loads of horses even ones in the wild, it is thought that when we separate the foals from their mothers the stress of that causes the ulcers early on. In the wild horses don’t separate themselves at 6 months more like years later, when they are ready.
My horse is out 24/7/365, unlike a lot of people who I know who have horses who they stall, my horse hasn't been sick or lame even once in all the time I've owned him and their horses have gone lame or sick multiple times. That could be because of something that has nothing to do with stalling and turn out OR could be due to my horse being outside all the time 🤷🏻♀️
I feel awful for my horse and would give my left arm to change our situation :/ Due to my yard having too many horses for the land they have, he only gets around 8 hours a week of turnout in the summer and 1 & 1/2 hours in a sand paddock a week in winter, I know he hates it. I wouldn’t want to be locked in my room all day either, I try my best to ride out on the paths daily where possible but it’s no match for grazing and socialising naturally. There are no other yards nearby that are affordable or even provide more turnout than where we are. It pains me so much and it makes me feel awful for keeping him when I can’t provide the one thing he loves the most, livery yards need to realise that it isn’t fair to take on more horses than they can provide turnout for, leaving people like me who don’t own their own land no choice
My horse gets hard feed and chaff and a big biscuit of hay and also a paddock (with grass all year round) but I'm thinking of buying my own hay to give my horse extra hay so he can choose to have all day long, hopefully I will be able to do this soon!
I agree with this! I just recently bought my horse in March and he's blind in one eye and my vet recommended him being stalled at night because of this. However, he's turned out at 8am and is fine, but then by like 1-2 he starts pacing the fence. It get really hot where I live and I think this is why he paces. I pull him in around this time and hose him off and have him dry off in front of a fan and then turn him back out until dinner. Is there anyway I can improve this?
great video, thank you for sharing much needed info. my favorite horse just died and she was stalled way too much ate twice a day only and she wasn't mine so there was nothing I could do to save her:(
Stalls at my barn are huge. And they're more like paddoks with bars Around and the bars are wide and round. So if they get a hoof stuck it's easy for them to get it out. But in like a barn style
So this may seem like an ignorant question,but hear me out. I lease a 16 year old hunter show horse(gelding) Hr goes out with one other gelding who is semi-retired, and they are both very chill dudes. He recently had an injury, and we think one possible cause could be a slip in the pasture. his pasture dose have a large ditch in it(I don’t know if that affects anything. I have no power to change his situation, but was wondering if anyone with some knowledge wanted to input on this situation?
My horse is in a 15x15 stall with an attached small paddock that he can walk around in for about 8 sometimes 10 hours (rarely) of the day, he always has access to hay/grass, and obviously water. The rest of the day is spent in a gigantic field grazing. Whats your opinion on this? I'm just curious haha
My horses get turned during the day and in a giant stall with large runs at night and I've never had a horse colic except for a really old horse with a gut problem but some times in the winter the get 24/7
I'm in Australia and we don't stall as much as you because of the weather I guess racehorses are usually the only horses that are mostly stabled and I know a few trotting ie harness racing properties that bring their horses in during the day to get out of the sun and they are turned out at night they did some studies over here that showed 60 percent of race horses have stomach ulcers within months of being put into work in a racing enviroment
probably a dumb question but I feed my horse 1 scoop of grain per day in one feeding. He is on 24/7 turnout on a very large pasture with access to hay as well, but he's still not at a weight i want him yet. He's not skinny, but i would like him to still fill out a little more. Would it help his weight to feed two 1/2 scoops during the day?
My mare doesn't like to associate with other horses. And at my barn all the ,but 6, horses are in small pens but can see and touch other horses but she is mostly surrounded by geldings but the pen on the left wich is 2 mares.
my horse got more stomach problems when he was turned out on pasture with other horses. The only time he ever coliced is when he was on 24/7 turnout. He got ulcers from being stressed out from other horses bullying him. Suggestions?? right now he is in a stall at night and a large dry lot during the day.
If you want to do group turnout, then just test putting him out with horses who aren't at the top of the herd in terms of aggression. Stall at night and turnout in the day is pretty good, though. Some horses never really learn how to stand up for themselves so will only realistically work in groups of other horses who also are not super dominate. Ideally, you want an even number of horses to a pen so even if he just had one other friend it may work better than the entire herd. Pasture also needs to be introduced gradually if they're not used to it
That what was odd about his situation. He was with three other horses and he was introduced very gradually. He loved being out there for the first couple of weeks but he would start to fall down when I let him stand while I was riding him. I figured he never felt safe enough to lay down and fall asleep. he also lost a shoe 3 times in a 4 month period because he always had to gallop to the gate when i went to catch him lol.
Aww, poor guy. Maybe he just needs his own area to feel safe enough to lie down, sometimes horses like that do better interacting over the fence or with one other smaller pony or a real mild mannered and relaxed horse haha.
I just bought a 4y/o paint, and he has been in a stall most of his life as a performance horse (they only sold him because 15.3 was too short). Now that he has been playing in the pasture, he has had awful hooves. They are always cracking, splitting, and get stone bruises. We are about to move to a place where he will be in a stall mostly and have a few hours of pasture each day. We wish he could have more pasture time but this is the only place that we can board him locally. What would you recommend for his hooves to keep them in better shape?
This makes me feel so bad for my pony😭 She is at a barn that only gives 4 hours of turnout😫 I used to be able to have them turn her out for 8 hours but the extra turnout got really muddy😫 I try to make sure I turn her out in the outdoor for a little while per day. Also she is worked 6 days per week.
UPDATE: she got moved to night turnout and now gets about 13 hours. she always has hay, she gets turned out with another horse, and she has a pasture which is open june to nov, and they have a large paddock when the pasture isnt open. my barn has always been great about making sure she can see out, as shes too short to see out the window. they added stall gate and use it instead of the door so she can always stick her head over the gate. when i one day bring her home, she will have 24/7 turnout.
Just started the video, but you should look up the studies and start to develop an understanding of what a good or a bad study is. Take into account study size, control quality, potential study bias, etc. :) this will help you make more factually based opinions.
Evitare All of the studies in the Equine Behavior book are really studies that are not factually biased. The info listed in this isn't biased because it's easy to access and find multiple studies on from different companies across the board. The fact of the matter is that the information is overwhelmingly pointing towards the detriments of stalling excessively, no matter where you look. I already know how to find good sources that are factual, so I don't think I need to start to develop an understanding if I already have one. I feel like that's a bit of a feeble attempt at trying to say that these points aren't factual to defend stalling excessively. If you haven't even watched the video or even checked out the book I'm mainly sourcing from, I'm not sure why you'd make this comment but your comments on my videos usually are negative so I suppose it's unsurprising. Even just looking at how the equine body and mind are wired, which can't be biased, points to the claims im making. You'd think it'd be common sense but of course people grasp at straws to defend isolating their horses even though if it were dogs we were talking about, it'd be viewed as so much more unacceptable
Evitare Tip: if you want to make a factually based commented, then maybe watch the video and look into the information before trying to imply my opinions are not factually based. No matter what I post, you usually comment before you can be even remotely into the video to make the judgments you make. I'm guessing you didn't even bother looking at my sources or youd know what kind of book I was citing from and it's not one that uses inconclusive or inherently biased studies 😬
Joshua Comfort turnout is basically the horse being outside in a paddock/ field. Colic is pretty much a severe stomach ache (severe abdominal discomfort) horses can die from it
The point of this video is more so saying, if you know the physical and mental health risks, why choose to stall if you have other options? And if you do stall, you need to make up for it in other ways. Horses have finicky digestive systems already and stalling increases the risk of digestive related ailments along with mental health issues.
I love this video. I love how this isn't just your opinion its facts. I have a barn on my property yet we use it for hay storage. The only time I ever stall mine is if we are at a clinic or show
I love how you look at both sides and use proper sources. I'm not sure if you've ever seen raleighlink14 but her videos are the complete opposite haha, she could definitely learn off you!
Oh yeah, they have sort of a love hate relationship lol
I agree 450% with this. My horse is outside 25/8 except if I'm riding her indoors. Horses are meant to be outside with plenty of room and food!
Same with my horse!! I've noticed he has become so happy with being turned out 24/7
My horse is the opposite, he was on 24/7 turnout his entire life and then when we moved him he goes in a stall at night with a runout. He has gained weight, and has way less anxiety about where his herd is.
That's what I'm going to say from now on, 25/8 so people get my point lol
@@PianoKeysnSixStrings that's what do with my horses
Thank you for making such an informative video on this subject! As an equine vet I talk endlessly to clients about these issues. Perhaps I should have them watch your video too. Most of the reasons people have for stalling over turnout are for their own convenience (obviously there are dramatic exceptions ie: injured horses). Our primary concern should always be the physical and mental well-being of our horses. 🐎
I agree with all of this 110%. 24/7 hay and turnout is so important. All of mine live together (even my performance horses) and are in a very large paddock during the day (perfectly easy to catch them in this), and a field at night. Everyone always asks me why my horses are so confident and independent, and I always tell them that I owe it completely to the way that they live! It makes such a difference.
i love how you talk about how to make the best out of a stalled situation. my horse has health issues that require his urination to be monitored daily, he is turned out in a large pasture for 12 hours a day with a couple other horses in a large field, and for the other 12 he is stalled (to be monitored and receive medications), i always make sure he has enough hay to have some leftover in the morning (usually 1/2 bale) each horse has an open window, a fan, and open fronts so they can see and touch each other. At the old farm i was at the horses were only turned out for 6 hours, they would only get 4flakes of hay for the 18 hours they were inside (regardless of if they finished it all by night check), and the stalls were barred with no windows. since I moved my horse he is overall much happier and willing to please. not all horses can live out 24/7, but there are ways to make the best of a stalled situation. very informative video Shelby!
agreed, thank you for making this video, its very informative and helpful! the horses at my riding school have never been stalled in their lives and spend their off time in the nature reserve in which the place is build. they're all geldings and stallions and spend their time 24/7 together as a herd, even in the turnouts we put them in when we're working during the day. they always have food available. and i have never ever heard of them getting colic and ulcers. they have no anxiety and are so much calmer and more willing to work. i don't see any of the problems in them that i see with my aunt's horse, who is stalled most of the time and only has a tiny turnout.
You make the most educated videos out of any equestrian channel on RUclips. You deserve millions of subs but everyone subs to the other equestrian channels because they don't want "educated responses" they just want to see drama and hate. You and Natasha althoff are by far my favorite equestrian youtubers
The horse I ride is in a stall with attached paddock always and we never shut the door on him so he can be outside whenever he wants. The only time he's ever in the stall is if he chooses to. I 100% agree.
This is the kind of video that needs to be put out about stuff like this! Certain youtuber tends to just shout that stalls are abuse but doesn't really give reasons for her thinking. The disclaimer in this video at the end is so true though, people who get defensive and try to justify not providing turnout is wrong, and the video is not trying to make out that they love their horse less. Some people don't have access to year round turnout so that's not really their fault.
Pretty sure I know who hahah. I agree, it depends on the location and the situation :)
Miss Lilith, hahaha
totally agree with you! I wish I could have my horse outside more, but the barn i'm at is basically the only barn in my area (there's a barn that have a 24/7 turnout, but they can't fit any more horses. like they already have too many horses there :/) my horse gets tuned out twelve hours of the day pretty much the whole year (except for the summer when they are turned out in a pretty big field). loved this video!!
So glad you made this video! It sickens me to see the ignorance people have towards horses, especially when it comes to stalling!
I love you so much Shelby!! It's amazing what you did for Milo. So much respect for you.
Thank you for this! I love the way you tackle controversial topics. I also like that you point out mistakes & misconceptions you've made as a horse owner. And that you use cited facts when sharing & justifying your opinions rather than just ranting on without substance.
Loved this! Going to start my pony on 247 turn out from now on and get a vet up! Please do more of these!! They r so so so helpful, ever since I watched your bit debate video I changed my bit instantly to a double jointed instead of a single jointed and she is so much happier. Thank you Shelby for making my pony happy!!!!
My vet back home told me turn outside the best! You nailed it! My horse has had stifle problems since he was young hes only been stalled a few times due to health issues! Hes better off outside and happier!🐎🐎🐴
love this Shelby! I used to have my ottb in a private paddock at my old agistment. It was pretty small (maybe like 25x25 metres) and he started chewing the fence posts and was constantly ruining the fences. I ended up moving to a friend's place with huge open/shared paddocks with plenty of feed on the ground. It made such a big difference to him on the ground and under saddle. He wasn't so stressed and finally had a chance to socialise and just be a horse. Honestly, I'd never keep a horse even in a private/small paddock again. Seeing the difference in his behaviour was enough to teach me that it's never worth locking them up for the sake of convenience! I saw an article about a year ago regarding horse behaviour, it said that horses needed the three Fs: forage, friendship, and freedom. Totally sums up what you've said in your video!
100% agree! My horses live out in the summer but in the winter they have to come in at night (yard rules), they are in a herd and have regular hacking on all sorts of terrain and access to rivers etc. They are so happy ❤️
I love this video. I love how this isn't just your opinion its facts. I have a barn on my property yet we use it for hay storage. The only time I ever stall mine is if we are at a clinic or show
Hey, just wanted to say thank you for this video! Your distilled research in video form is super helpful! I'm using this topic for an ethics paper :) Also makes me appreciate that my horse live outside 24/7.
You are excellent at speaking! The presentation was very clear, well founded and well structured. I learned a lot from this talk, as I did from your "bit debate" one. Of course, in BC, where I lived for some years, and in New Zealand, where I grew up "on horseback", horses can be turned out year round, at least by day, but climate isn't so friendly elsewhere, and perhaps people are not as familiar with horse covers as they should be. Your comments about horses' digestion and stress were very interesting. The social thing is something I observed, since my father owned and ran a riding school and boarding farm with a unique system of intensive rotation grazing, with up to forty horses confined to a relatively small electrically enclosed moving section. I think most of the horses were fully shod. They lived together in harmony, forming small groups of friends, with the smallest pony gelding being the most dominant. I don't recall many injuries. Before the farm, we had a small property on which my father stabled and trained a racehorse. He wasn't able to feed the horse more than about three times a day, and the usually amiable horse very definitely became nasty at feeding time, once slamming both rear hooves against the wall inches from by father's head, with a bang so loud I came running out of the house fifty yards away, in time to see my father emerging white-faced from the stable. Your lecture explains a lot.
I love your informational videos, their so helpful and I can trust the information. I’m soon switching my horse to a facility where he can have 24/7 turnout!😊
100% agree my horses are all out 24/7 and are happy, healthy and look and perform amazingly. Low GI, high fibre, NO grain diets. Horses do not need grain. If they need more energy feed a high quality oil. Oil is the best source of energy without affecting their digestive system or behaviour ie. make them hot. Recent studies have shown racehorses can perform on purely fibre and oil based diets.
My barn has bars between stalls, the horses are out from 5am-3pm (sometimes later)
They have free choice hay all day and they get grain when they come in, even the horses on stall rest get arena turnout with other horses so they can socialize or they get hand walked.
My horse is on 24/7 turnout. But he comes in 3 times a day to get 1 small scoop of grain (we're trying to put weight on him) and he gets free choice hay all day
Before he was stalled but tbh he's so much happier and less hot (he's an Ottb) on full turn out!
I think my barn does take the steps to make sure the ones who are stalled are well taken care of!
My horses are out 24/7 and we had massage therapist come and she told us they were the most flexible horses she has ever seen and didn't have any cracks or misplaced muscles etc.. it's all thanks to them being outside and able to move around!
You said everything I've wanted to say. I worked (and boarded many years ago) at a sport horse barn, where horses were stalled more than turned out. They were big warmbloods that were monsters because they were stuck in boxes all the time. There was a TB that was only allowed out for 5 hours a day. They would all try to bite/kick, and I never blamed them. I even refused to handle one because he was flat out dangerous. Stop humanizing these animals, people!!
Thanks for making such an informative video! I really appreciate that you presented all the facts without being rude.
My horse is out 24/7 in the summer and turned in at night in the winter. Seeing how i am in Canada and he doesn't wear a blanket its a good thing for him so he does not get to cold at night ☺️
I agree with you 100 percent! I love my barn, and they do so much to keep the horses healthy compared to other barns I have seen, but they do not turn out the horses enough at all. Maybe 6 hours a day in the warmer months, less in the winter. I try to inquire about this since our large grass paddocks are always empty (we have over 15 acres and 24 horses), but the trainers and owner keep saying that they "really don't need more than 6 hours" and that in the winter the frozen grass paddocks "bruise the horses hooves" (so they just use the little limestone all weather paddocks). It really bugs me because we all want the horses to be healthy and strong (since turnout keeps them moving all the time, they walk more and get more exercise), yet so many horse people/barns keep the horses in stalls most of the day. Even though my barn is super nice and has amazing air circulation (it doesn't even smell like pee or anything), a couple of the horses have heaves and a couple have stereotypic behaviors. It is hard to comprehend why no one wants to help these horses, even though they seem to care deeply about them. I don't want to seem confrontational or cocky though by asking if they could change their practices at my barn because I am only lease a school horse and do lessons, not even board.
my horses are turned out 24/7 even in the winter. They are never sick. and they are allways happy horses,
You are a great communicator!
Basically keeping the horses life as natural as possible is the best way to go about keeping them in captivity. I keep my horses out all year round in big fields - don’t have any injury issues because fencing is safe, the have room to gallop and move.
You are so classy and calm. I love ya
I totally agree with all this. We do have our horses in stalls during the night, because we have two Icelandic horses who can't eat grass all the time during the summer because they put on weight very easily. So we have them inside during the night, and even though we've tried to put a fly sheet on my thoroughbred he goes crazy during the night because of mosquitos . And in the winter they are in during the night too because it's simply cold xD And we can't offer them a real shed outside to shelter in so we have them in stalls during the night. But the stalls are fulled with a thick layer with shavings thats fluffy and clean. Enough hay, and during the winter they get a little grain. And they mostly rest or sleep during the night anyway. But then they are outside from early morning too late in the evening. They are out in a big field together, we do have the Icelandics in a smaller pasture during the day in the summer because they can't graze as much or else they'll get fat. But we always let them go together some hours during the evening and they are right next to each other anyway and can have have contact over the fence. But during the winter months when the grass doesn't have that much energy they all go together. Does that seem ok? We try our best to let them have an as natural life as possible. Even tho we need to manage the Iceys weight a bit more, and the thoroughbred needs to graze so we need to keep it like that, we don't want the iceys to get fat and gain health problems from that or laminitis so.
When I worked with horses in stable situations in the Uk we used to skip out the wet and solid bedding several times a da anthe box was cleaned completely in the mornings and the bedding piled up against the walls of the box the floors in the middle of the box was sprinkled with limeade allowed to dry out while the horse was out working in the day time and just before being put in for the night the bedding is pulled down from the sides of the box and dry bedding added if needed then the are returned to their box fo the night very few horses spent all day in the stable except for the stallions because it was more difficult to pasture a stallion during the day as they need better fencing
I always try to put myself in my horses shoes. Like if I were them would I want to live my WHOLE life in one room that multi-purposes as a bathroom/bedroom/dining table?
Ulcers are found in loads of horses even ones in the wild, it is thought that when we separate the foals from their mothers the stress of that causes the ulcers early on. In the wild horses don’t separate themselves at 6 months more like years later, when they are ready.
My horse is out 24/7/365, unlike a lot of people who I know who have horses who they stall, my horse hasn't been sick or lame even once in all the time I've owned him and their horses have gone lame or sick multiple times. That could be because of something that has nothing to do with stalling and turn out OR could be due to my horse being outside all the time 🤷🏻♀️
Thank. You. God for this!!! 40958340740584950238423048% agree!
Loved this video Shelby!
I agree with all of this!
I feel awful for my horse and would give my left arm to change our situation :/ Due to my yard having too many horses for the land they have, he only gets around 8 hours a week of turnout in the summer and 1 & 1/2 hours in a sand paddock a week in winter, I know he hates it. I wouldn’t want to be locked in my room all day either, I try my best to ride out on the paths daily where possible but it’s no match for grazing and socialising naturally. There are no other yards nearby that are affordable or even provide more turnout than where we are. It pains me so much and it makes me feel awful for keeping him when I can’t provide the one thing he loves the most, livery yards need to realise that it isn’t fair to take on more horses than they can provide turnout for, leaving people like me who don’t own their own land no choice
I also give them two choices in the summer and spring but not the winter.
My horse gets hard feed and chaff and a big biscuit of hay and also a paddock (with grass all year round) but I'm thinking of buying my own hay to give my horse extra hay so he can choose to have all day long, hopefully I will be able to do this soon!
I agree with this! I just recently bought my horse in March and he's blind in one eye and my vet recommended him being stalled at night because of this. However, he's turned out at 8am and is fine, but then by like 1-2 he starts pacing the fence. It get really hot where I live and I think this is why he paces. I pull him in around this time and hose him off and have him dry off in front of a fan and then turn him back out until dinner. Is there anyway I can improve this?
Gets*
Does he have access to adequate shelter and water in his field?
Pen Tynan yes, he has a shed and trees.
great video, thank you for sharing much needed info. my favorite horse just died and she was stalled way too much ate twice a day only and she wasn't mine so there was nothing I could do to save her:(
Stalls at my barn are huge. And they're more like paddoks with bars Around and the bars are wide and round. So if they get a hoof stuck it's easy for them to get it out. But in like a barn style
So this may seem like an ignorant question,but hear me out. I lease a 16 year old hunter show horse(gelding) Hr goes out with one other gelding who is semi-retired, and they are both very chill dudes. He recently had an injury, and we think one possible cause could be a slip in the pasture. his pasture dose have a large ditch in it(I don’t know if that affects anything. I have no power to change his situation, but was wondering if anyone with some knowledge wanted to input on this situation?
My horse is in a 15x15 stall with an attached small paddock that he can walk around in for about 8 sometimes 10 hours (rarely) of the day, he always has access to hay/grass, and obviously water. The rest of the day is spent in a gigantic field grazing. Whats your opinion on this? I'm just curious haha
My horses get turned during the day and in a giant stall with large runs at night and I've never had a horse colic except for a really old horse with a gut problem but some times in the winter the get 24/7
good job 😀🖒🐎
I'm in Australia and we don't stall as much as you because of the weather I guess racehorses are usually the only horses that are mostly stabled and I know a few trotting ie harness racing properties that bring their horses in during the day to get out of the sun and they are turned out at night they did some studies over here that showed 60 percent of race horses have stomach ulcers within months of being put into work in a racing enviroment
probably a dumb question but I feed my horse 1 scoop of grain per day in one feeding. He is on 24/7 turnout on a very large pasture with access to hay as well, but he's still not at a weight i want him yet. He's not skinny, but i would like him to still fill out a little more. Would it help his weight to feed two 1/2 scoops during the day?
Also, isn't it cheaper to be on 24/7 turnout??
Elly Kaufmann defiantly is cheaper as you dont have to buy bedding or feed as much hard feed
My mare doesn't like to associate with other horses. And at my barn all the ,but 6, horses are in small pens but can see and touch other horses but she is mostly surrounded by geldings but the pen on the left wich is 2 mares.
That's still miles better than no turnout :)
Shelby Dennis ok thanks :)
What if you have a limited access to the paddock and it's sandy?
my horse got more stomach problems when he was turned out on pasture with other horses. The only time he ever coliced is when he was on 24/7 turnout. He got ulcers from being stressed out from other horses bullying him. Suggestions?? right now he is in a stall at night and a large dry lot during the day.
If you want to do group turnout, then just test putting him out with horses who aren't at the top of the herd in terms of aggression. Stall at night and turnout in the day is pretty good, though. Some horses never really learn how to stand up for themselves so will only realistically work in groups of other horses who also are not super dominate. Ideally, you want an even number of horses to a pen so even if he just had one other friend it may work better than the entire herd. Pasture also needs to be introduced gradually if they're not used to it
That what was odd about his situation. He was with three other horses and he was introduced very gradually. He loved being out there for the first couple of weeks but he would start to fall down when I let him stand while I was riding him. I figured he never felt safe enough to lay down and fall asleep. he also lost a shoe 3 times in a 4 month period because he always had to gallop to the gate when i went to catch him lol.
Aww, poor guy. Maybe he just needs his own area to feel safe enough to lie down, sometimes horses like that do better interacting over the fence or with one other smaller pony or a real mild mannered and relaxed horse haha.
I just bought a 4y/o paint, and he has been in a stall most of his life as a performance horse (they only sold him because 15.3 was too short). Now that he has been playing in the pasture, he has had awful hooves. They are always cracking, splitting, and get stone bruises. We are about to move to a place where he will be in a stall mostly and have a few hours of pasture each day. We wish he could have more pasture time but this is the only place that we can board him locally. What would you recommend for his hooves to keep them in better shape?
15:20 - 15:29 made me laugh
My horse is in a stall for 8-10h and her stall is really big. She doesn't like being outside when its dark.
How big does a pasture has to be for one horse?
Is half an arch ok?
Depends on how many horses you are putting in it
This makes me feel so bad for my pony😭 She is at a barn that only gives 4 hours of turnout😫 I used to be able to have them turn her out for 8 hours but the extra turnout got really muddy😫 I try to make sure I turn her out in the outdoor for a little while per day. Also she is worked 6 days per week.
UPDATE: she got moved to night turnout and now gets about 13 hours. she always has hay, she gets turned out with another horse, and she has a pasture which is open june to nov, and they have a large paddock when the pasture isnt open. my barn has always been great about making sure she can see out, as shes too short to see out the window. they added stall gate and use it instead of the door so she can always stick her head over the gate. when i one day bring her home, she will have 24/7 turnout.
2nd comments!
There are times they need to be stalled-- injuries, illness, travel, vet visits. Otherwise they should be turned out.
Just started the video, but you should look up the studies and start to develop an understanding of what a good or a bad study is. Take into account study size, control quality, potential study bias, etc. :) this will help you make more factually based opinions.
Evitare All of the studies in the Equine Behavior book are really studies that are not factually biased. The info listed in this isn't biased because it's easy to access and find multiple studies on from different companies across the board. The fact of the matter is that the information is overwhelmingly pointing towards the detriments of stalling excessively, no matter where you look. I already know how to find good sources that are factual, so I don't think I need to start to develop an understanding if I already have one. I feel like that's a bit of a feeble attempt at trying to say that these points aren't factual to defend stalling excessively. If you haven't even watched the video or even checked out the book I'm mainly sourcing from, I'm not sure why you'd make this comment but your comments on my videos usually are negative so I suppose it's unsurprising. Even just looking at how the equine body and mind are wired, which can't be biased, points to the claims im making. You'd think it'd be common sense but of course people grasp at straws to defend isolating their horses even though if it were dogs we were talking about, it'd be viewed as so much more unacceptable
Evitare Tip: if you want to make a factually based commented, then maybe watch the video and look into the information before trying to imply my opinions are not factually based. No matter what I post, you usually comment before you can be even remotely into the video to make the judgments you make. I'm guessing you didn't even bother looking at my sources or youd know what kind of book I was citing from and it's not one that uses inconclusive or inherently biased studies 😬
+Shelby Dennis yessss girl!!🖐😄🖑
What is turnout??
And what's colic
Joshua Comfort turnout is basically the horse being outside in a paddock/ field. Colic is pretty much a severe stomach ache (severe abdominal discomfort) horses can die from it
Emma Stevenson ah I see. Thanks a lot I'm trying to learn more about horses because I love them:))
i had my previous horse in the pasture 24/7 and he coliced and passed away
Any horse can colic, this video isn't to say horses in pasture can't still colic. They are just far less likely to.
The point of this video is more so saying, if you know the physical and mental health risks, why choose to stall if you have other options? And if you do stall, you need to make up for it in other ways. Horses have finicky digestive systems already and stalling increases the risk of digestive related ailments along with mental health issues.
ok thank you that makes more sense:)
I love this video. I love how this isn't just your opinion its facts. I have a barn on my property yet we use it for hay storage. The only time I ever stall mine is if we are at a clinic or show