We do a lot of ring turnout too. Even when they do go out in the winter, they stand and munch hay most of the time - much more likely to roll and play in the ring where it’s a little warmer and they are more sure-footed. I know I’m more of a wimp than Dani but I also like turnout for decreasing my chance of riding through any yahoos!
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Yep, I can always tell when the weather has left the turnout footing terrible–and we have big pastures!–because my horse is a little friskier undersaddle since they can actually move out without worry. The smart ones know not to carry on too much when the footing’s bad outside, but IMO it’s still psychologically valuable for them to go outside with friends and eat some hay rather than standing alone in a stall.
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I have owned horses for 30+ years, as much as 11 at one time. All got all day, and sometimes 24/7, turnout in big enough paddocks to run and gallop. Due to behavior and mixed genders; many were in paddocks solitary but had neighbors right next to them to see and visit with. Never once have had a serious paddock injury (tendon, etc) other than the occasional scrape on a leg, etc. Even in winter they are outside as weather permits.
If they are boxed due to storms, rain, snow, etc I find that they are much more nervous and antsy even with big windows to look out.
I cannot imagine keeping horses boxed 24/7, 365 and believing that it is ok. it’s no wonder we have developed a culture to have every show horse on fifty medications to keep their bodies and minds in check.
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I haven’t read much of this I just thought it might be interesting.OK, I remember Chris Bartles, now chef of the British eventing team, giving an interview about turnout. He always did give turnout and rode his pure dressage horse that he had at that time over jumps and in the woods. At around the same time, the reigning DQ said she never turned out her horse because he was ‘too precious.’ It takes all kinds
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Was that Nicole Uphoff-Becker talking about Rembrandt? I remember seeing a short documentary about them and recall the narrator made a point of saying that Rembrandt never got turned out and was never ridden by anyone other than Nicole.
The latter I can understand, and I respect her tremendously. But if ever there were a horse who looked like he might have benefitted from time outside to just be a horse, it was that one. Talk about tightly wound.
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No, it was the Danish(?) rider that won in '78 I think. can’t remember her name it was a long time ago. Hope that isn’t true about Rembrandt.
Christine Stuckleburg or something like that? Marzog, I think? They competed roughly at the same time as Bartle and Wily Trout, iirc.
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Anne Grethe Jenson (sp?) from Denmark with Marzog. She reportedly hand walked him a lot down trails, but no turnout.
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very good! Anne Greta Jensen and Martzog for the win, and Wiley Trout, I couldn’t remember his name. Chris said he behaved as if he were ‘entire’. I didn’t realize what he meant at the time, but he meant he thought he was a stallion. I saw him present a Kur at the World Championships in Switzerland in '82. I had never seen a ride to music and I think most there hadn’t either. He did flying changes on a twenty-meter circle to the song, Cast your fate to the wind.
What I remember at that meet, was that EVERYBODY left their cameras at their seats when there was a break in the action. In the city of Lausanne, the jewelers left their merchandise in the windows after hours! Such a beautiful place and fares for dogs on the city busses!
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That’s one of the things I noticed after moving to the US from Europe (Poland) where I spent all my life. Horses here are often injected as early as 4 (I personally know the said horse and owner) and in Europe I’ve never heard of such thing.
Most of the barns I was at or have seen(Poland, Germany, Hungary, Austria, France) had plenty of turnout and horses were actually outside at least during the day throughout the whole year. In every coutry though there are people who “don’t believe” in turning out horses so I’m not surprised to hear it at all unfortunately 
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I don’t disagree with your comment and in my anecdotal experience turned-out horses are sounder horses, but I also feel like the injecting part is somewhat of a related-but-separate can of worms.
I’m not really familiar with the practices in Europe, but in the US people have come to treat injections as “necessary maintenance” like putting new brake pads on your car. Any dip in the horse’s performance, and something gets injected to “fix” it. “Oh, we had a couple rails last weekend, he must need his ‘hocks done’.”
IMO it’s important to consider physical causes for changes in a horse’s performance, but people really do go over the top with injections, particularly in younger horses that would probably benefit a lot more from doing some hill work and getting more time in the pasture. Injections can be helpful, but they aren’t benign. An 8-year-old horse shouldn’t need “maintenance” to a jump 2’9” course.
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It makes a lot of money for vets, that is why it’s done so much imho. It’s of limited value, there are plenty of studies showing that corticosteroids work just as well systematically as injected locally in humans and animals. There is also no real evidence that there are less systemic effects of steroids injected in to a joint instead of a muscle or taken orally. It takes 4 weeks approx for the blood to return to normal after a joint injection so why take the risk? All the joint and back injections doctors and vets do typically could be replaced by taking pills except they can’t charge for that.
There are also no studies showing Adequan does anything more when injected into a joint than muscles or under the skin. That is normal standard for dogs.
I rejected hock injections based on my research of published studies (I am a researcher and have access to most journals) and the vet in CA acted like I was an animal abuser, then dropped me as a client. The cost was at least $4000 dollars, which is ludicrous. I am not against using steroids or drugs, I am against taking unnecessary risk and wasting money. And the horse came sound soon after, we never will know why she was sore I think.
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I remember reading that Totilas was unable to be turned out due to his wild behavior when let out and into the paddock.
This is true and an interesting topic unto itself - I imported a 13-year-old amateur jumper earlier this year who has jumped through 1.30m and basically lived in his lady’s backyard. Doubt he’s ever had any maintenance of the American kind, but it was one of the first things my trainer “suggested” as soon as he landed. I pushed back a bit in favor of getting to know the ride and the horse first instead and am glad I did—i think what we perceived as maybe needing maintenance was simply fitness.
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Nature or nurture ?
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But was he wild because he never got turned out? Chicken or the egg.
This is often an excuse in the western pleasure world for keeping 3 year old locked in their stalls 23 hours a day unless to tie them to a pole to “teach them patience” or ride them.
I think if you (g) can’t handle letting a horse be a horse and not treating it like a machine or can’t accept the fact that it may possibly get an injury in turn out (and are okay if it’s injured in the ring or during training), you (g) need to buy a motorcycle or try sky diving. Pick a new hobby.
End rant.
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Yeah I had a new vet recently suggest that my just coming six-year-old horse might benefit from hock injections .Horses is just coming six and lives out 24 seven with the group. Does he need further slow development and training? Yes. Did he come to me with dodgy hocks ? Yes Do a I think oick injections are reasonable in a 6year old? No. On a later teens horse who does a reliable schoolmaster job, sure.
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Yes! Fitness, suppleness and “physical therapy” do a whole lot of good for plenty of horses who would otherwise need “maintenance”. Building proper musculature on a young horse in particular takes YEARS.
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Even then there is no evidence you can’t just give the horse steroids/ Adequan in a less risky route with the same benefit. That’s all those injections are for the most part.
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This bears to be repeated.
Of course, doing that takes patience and commitment from the rider…and I know a lot of people want to take shortcuts and reach for injections etc.
I remember when “life got in the way” and I had to let my older (20ish) mare “sit” for a couple months in the summer. She was living outside, but not ridden because I couldn’t find anyone suitable for her quirky nature (to put it mildly). When I sat on her again, she felt creaky, stiff, uneven. It took me 2 months to bring her back to her former supple, moving beautifully, happy, full of energy, self. Lots of hill work, hacking, and dressage work.
Years ago, in France, I remember my instructors patiently bringing up their young SF horses, not jumping them until they were at least 6 years old.
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