I’m considering moving barns to a new barn with stalls plus turnout. The options are half-day (either morning or afternoon) or full night. Hay is provided regardless of turnout option, and there is water and shade available.
I’m not sure if I could choose which option we get, but if we get to pick, what are the pros and cons of half-day or full night turnout?
Southern California, where bugs and oppressive heat aren’t a major consideration.
TIA
Assuming there are horses out for company in all these scenarios, I’d definitely choose full night turnout.
More turnout plus horse is in the stall when you want to ride, and unless it’s first thing in the morning - should be well rested.
The only time I might not choose that option was if I normally rode first thing in the morning; that is likely to be when the horse is least rested and wants to sleep. But if mid-day or after work, you should have a clean, rested horse to ride.
Yes, I would also go with full night if possible, the more turnout the better, IMO. That will also prevent sun-bleaching if your horse has a dark coat.
Night turnout is great if your barn offers it, assuming you have safe fencing (including perimeter fencing), and either sheds or relatively reliable weather reports.
My barn doesn’t allow it, so mine are on half-day day turnout at the trainers. I’d also hate for something to happen and my stallion to be loose when no one was around.
Full night turnout would be fabulous.
It depends on your horse.
They don’t do much at night. If you’re concerned about bleaching, this is the option for you. But pretty much bleaching doesn’t affect the horse’s physiology, just the coat color. I live in NC and it can get quite hot during the day, so night time turnout was a way to avoid the flies and keep them in during the heat of the day. That barn had no shelters.
Half day, depending on what part of the day, turnout can encourage movement (grazing if there is grass) and interaction with peeps over the fenceline (if they share a common fenceline). Shelters are ideal to escape the sun.
I’ve done both. My mare totally treasured her stall at night to lay down and rest (raised out 24/7). There were no shelters in her turnout in Houston and was miserable with her fellow mares (she was lower on the totem pole and was miserable with 24/7 turnout with these mares). She moved to a smaller turnout with tree shade when I moved to stall boarding. She loved her stall and was soooooo much happier not being in a herd. My gelding wants to be out out out (raised half time in a stall) in his own 1 acre pasture with adjacent pasture buddies and a shared run-in with a gelding he likes to play with. He is a bona-fide weather wimp. HATES rain. If he didn’t have a nice shelter, he’d be miserable. I’ve ridden him when rain starts and he loses all focus and gets agitated. He can stand in a shelter all day but is less happy in a stall surrounded by buddies all day. I think in his case, he needs to see over distances to be happy. He can’t see distances in a barn, even though he was raised in one.
Carefully think about what will make your horse happiest. It might not be what you expect!
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