AA show barns and turnout

[WhereDidMySeatGo]

@TPF Hunter

Makes me think they gave up too easily and resorted to more bubble wrap instead.

I agree that most people give up far too easily! Before working with that particular horse I thought that anyone who said that a horse “hates turnout” was just a neurotic owner. Now I can understand that some horses really do hate leaving the safety of the stall. If I had heard your story before working with that horse I would have had a difficult time believing it was true.

In the OP’s friend’s situation I personally wouldn’t say anything except if it was the last couple of days of the job and I thought the trainer would be willing to listen or if I kept up a correspondence with the trainer after I left.

But really, :sigh: even with AA show barns and top dollar horses - in most parts of the US - a manager should be able to have the horses out for more than 1-2 hours if they are willing to put the horses well being over the look of the grass.

[bluepece2]

When my mare arrived she ran like an idiot in the field. She was clueless about turnout. She figured it out and now is perfectly happy to be out for hours at a time as long as she has a friend. Luckily she loves my daughter’s pony so it’s easy to provide a friend any time she goes out.

[LessSugarMoreSpice]

R

@RugBug

A lot of you live wonderful existences surrounded by lots of land, I guess. I do wonder if the choice came down to no horses in your life or providing the best options you can in your area what you would do.

In CA, all day turn out is uncommon. Half day is a stretch at most facilities…even the ones that aren’t A show barns. The land is just too darn expensive. Anything over 30 minutes a day would be considered excellent.

I bought a horse from VA that was used to 12 hour turnout and she adjusted just fine. Sure, I can feel when she misses her daily turnout for a few days, but she’s just fine with the schedule she’s on now. She gets between 15 minutes and 3 hours…the shorter times are definitely her choice…the longer ones are subject to whatever is happening that day at the barn. I do handwalk her and take her out to graze where there is grass, for a change, but she’s not suffering by any means.

My choices are no riding at all (because would it really be intellectually honest to still ride other horses if I thought how they were being kept was cruel enough to not own one) or doing the best I can by my horses. They are fat, shiny and happy, so i’m pretty sure I’m doing alright.

Horses are prone to running in “ugly dry lots” and other vices because they get bored. So, those dry lots increase the risk for injury.

RugBug, I’m in the exact same boat and agree with everything you have stated.

Currently (and for the past 10 years) board at a AA show barn in an area where space is very limited. The horses average between 1-2 hours of individual turnout. My horse is happy, healthy and has no behavioral issues. Some items that help with the turnout situation: She is ridden 5-6 days a week, has a haynet 24/7, hand walked on some days as well.

Do I think this is ideal? No. But it’s what’s available and we make the best of it!

I don’t think this situation would work for every horse, but for my horse and other horses in the program, it works very well.

To answer the OP’s original question, many AA programs vary. Some of the programs I’ve experienced had more turnout time available, but it was always catered to each specific horse. I have never boarded in a AA program with group turnout or all day or night turnout (unless the horse was taking a break).

[findeight]

They exsist. My barn did at home, all night in summer and most or all day in winter, with a selected buddy. During the show season. Paid extra for paddocks on the road or hauled to nearby barn if it was more then a couple of weeks. Rented a barn off WEF grounds when they closed off the paddocks at Littlewood, All the horses did better with at least some turnout, don’t think anybody argues that point.

But I’m from So Cal and spent time keeping horses in dry, arid South Texas and Boston’s North Shore so have experienced all sides of this issue. You work with what you got or you just don’t have horses.

[TMares]

A friend’s gorgeous UL dressage horse was turned out in a beautiful grassy paddock, with oak board 5 rail fencing. His paddock that day was the one furthest from the barn. The six horses closer to the barn were taken in one afternoon from their own private paddocks, one at a time, safety first… and he was then the last horse still out- before the staff could get to him, he panicked, bolted through the fence, shattering it and shoving half an oak board into his chest. He spent months at the hospital and is really struggling to come back into work.

Horses panic in perfect paddocks, too. They’re horses, logic escapes them.

[NCRider]

I’m not sure what the point of that last post was. Of course horses can get injured in turnout, they’re horses. It doesn’t change the fact that more turnout is generally better than less turnout for the long term health of your horse. No one is arguing that you can’t have horses in areas where proper turnout is impossible. Just that maybe more people should take more advantage of the turnout that is available.

[Mac123]

@TMares

A friend’s gorgeous UL dressage horse was turned out in a beautiful grassy paddock, with oak board 5 rail fencing. His paddock that day was the one furthest from the barn. The six horses closer to the barn were taken in one afternoon from their own private paddocks, one at a time, safety first… and he was then the last horse still out- before the staff could get to him, he panicked, bolted through the fence, shattering it and shoving half an oak board into his chest. He spent months at the hospital and is really struggling to come back into work.

Horses panic in perfect paddocks, too. They’re horses, logic escapes them.

Of course horses can get injured outside.

The biggest mistake here was the order in which they brought the horses in. They set him up to feel like everyone was leaving him outside alone…because that’s exactly what was happening!

Horses will panic seemingly illogically, but that’s why humans are supposed to be smarter. You should always bring in the farthest horse first, and then so on, and ideally, the last two horses closest to the barn should have been brought in together (separate handlers but led in at the same time) so that no one was left alone at all. Better planning could have avoided this accident altogether. Horses are herd animals, and even calm horses get anxious when they’re being left alone.

[RugBug]

@Mac123

Of course horses can get injured outside.

The biggest mistake here was the order in which they brought the horses in. They set him up to feel like everyone was leaving him outside alone…because that’s exactly what was happening!

Horses will panic seemingly illogically, but that’s why humans are supposed to be smarter. You should always bring in the farthest horse first, and then so on, and ideally, the last two horses closest to the barn should have been brought in together (separate handlers but led in at the same time) so that no one was left alone at all. Better planning could have avoided this accident altogether. Horses are herd animals, and even calm horses get anxious when they’re being left alone.

Yep. It’s sad that this horse was injured and while horses will try to kill themselves on a regular basis, it’s our jobs to prevent that with the best practices available. While this horse may have still gotten injured, he should have been the first horse in.