When should you bring your horse in at night, or would they be happier staying out?
Does your horse live out happily all summer but you worry when the nights close in and the wind picks up that he might not fare so well? Or are you itching to clip but dont want to while hes living out 247? These are just a few considerations to take into account when trying to decide when or if to bring your horse in at night during winter so we asked the experts for their opinions.
World Horse Welfares UK Support Officer Tanya Element says Knowing your horse is the key factor here and as with any time of the year it is about assessing your horses behaviour and condition. Each horse is different so monitor your horse daily and if they start to look tucked up or if their winter coat isnt coming through as much as it should then this would signal it being a good time to bring your horse inside overnight.
Tanya concurs Of course not everyone has stabling or you may prefer your horse to live out as much as possible in which case you can rug your horse if they start to show signs that they are not coping with the weather.
Better off out than in?
Most owners anthropomorphize when it comes to our horses wed be happier in so wouldnt they be too? Karen
thinks not pointing out Even an older horse will benefit from being outside and moving around fresh air is better than a dusty stable.
If your horse has a nice winter coat enough grazing or forage and they seem to be happy living out you can continue with your daily routine Tanya adds. It is very dependent on the conditions that he or she is living out in. If the weather is consistently wet and your paddock starts to become poached then you could bring your horse in to give the field some rest.
Karen agrees If your grazing becomes poor your
