What do you consider "turnout"?

[Bluey]

@Postandrails

In some parts of Australia, the back paddock could be 10,000 acres. What you guys refer to as a paddock, we call a yard, and what you call pasture, we call a paddock. Pasture to us refers more to good quality grazing so we would never call a 1 acre paddock a pasture if it was covered in dirt, mud or just short overgrazed grass, but we might if it had good grazing. The term pasture is probably not used that much except by dairy farmers, or when talking about the quality of the grazing.

Here, “pasture” is determined by average stocking rate for each area.

In our area, stocking rate is 25 acres per cow/calf unit, or 30 acres per horse.
East of here it drops to less acres per animal, West increases, to where some places not too far West is over 100 acres per animal unit according to each species.

Our horse pastures for just a handful of using ranch horses type is 110 acres one, 120+ the other one, both a mile long each, considering rotation between them and anywhere up to four horses, have carried five in a pinch a couple times for a little bit.

I think that deciding for others how they should manage their horses, what turnout is ideal or acceptable or not for each horse someone else cares for needs to be considered horse by horse, situation by situation.
Our own situation may change some day,.
When it comes to horses or any other in life, it may just depend what fits the current situation, is not all one hill to die on, same requirements for all, as some seem to insist on.

When seven years ago we had this one horse that could not be turned out to pasture, a PPID, cushingoid one, we just made a pen out of a corner of one pasture along the old arena.
He has horses coming and going by him and is fine in there, doesn’t fret, has been doing fine all these years.
Now with just two horses, he gets the run of other pens also.
For this one horse, here, the ongoing management seems to be working just fine, but may not for another horse, with different needs.
In this picture, he is looking intently at a covey of quail bugging it in the distance:

[Postandrails]

He’s a lovely looking guy!

[Bluey]

@Postandrails

He’s a lovely looking guy!

Thank you.

His disposition is what really shines, best horse ever.

[Pico_Banana]

This is how I think of it, too.

[candyappy]

@LilDunFilly

but if someone needed to use the arena or round pen then you needed to leave.

That was our situation exactly. My job was such as I started work really early and was usually at the barn by noon so it was pretty much deserted except for the trainer who would put out some of her horses occasionally.

I rode both of mine daily so I didn’t need to turn out but rarely. To be honest the horses were happy in their stalls/ paddocks because they didn’t know anything different. Now mine scream to get out of the dry lot if I am taking too long!!

The biggest benefit to a non turnout life was I never had issues with herd bound horses. No one cared when their neighbors were taken out at all.

[LilDunFilly]

@candyappy

I rode both of mine daily so I didn’t need to turn out but rarely. To be honest the horses were happy in their stalls/ paddocks because they didn’t know anything different. Now mine scream to get out of the dry lot if I am taking too long!!

The biggest benefit to a non turnout life was I never had issues with herd bound horses. No one cared when their neighbors were taken out at all.

I definitely agree that there are tons of stall content horses! I know my gal will not be one of them :’)

Oh, that has not been my experience at all. Stalling did not curb herd bound behavior; there are tons of horses here who holler when their favoritate neighbor leaves and get really pace-y. Conversely, an out of state barn I rode at briefly had many horses who lived in pastures and very few were herd bound. Herd bound vs non-herd bound really had to do with consistant schedules. Pastured horses who left the field every day don’t stress about leaving because they know they’ll be back. The stalled horses who rarely leave their stalls except for a ride, they get super attached to the horses they can see and lose it when said buddies leave.

[AllSport]

This is a timely topic. The horse I lease has been in an overcrowded, mixed sex, pasture for the past few years. I get constant reports of him being the ex racehorse that he is, running like a freak. I’m not sure how big the pasture is, maybe 1 acre, 1.5? Anyway, this year he’s decided he’s a stud. He was banned but I was told he was going back and no one told me he was re-banned from pasture. So Thursday’s ride seemed fine at first until he decided he was in turn out with no rider on his back. Luckily this rider stuck like glue even though my heart was 20 meters behind us. Later, while I was cleaning up jumps I let him loose and he was a wild man. This is a horse that normally you can chase with a lunge whip and not get a trot out of. He’s getting turnout in the small paddocks which obviously isn’t enough. --Would have been nice to know! I’ve been riding pastured horses for several years now and it’s been so nice. The horses are consistently more sound and sane by far. I’m a total convert. Most places in our area have little to no turnout with turnout being 1 or 2 hrs in paddocks that are maybe 3 times the size of a stall. I have ridden two horses that were completely panicked in pasture, even after a week. They were happy to have their world be a stall to the arena and back, but that isn’t the norm. Sigh, I wish our whole area had more pasture space!

[Dutchmare433]

@Simkie

I love this thread. Just recently, a local barn posted about a stall available, with every other day “turnout” in an attached run that looked 20’x20’.

Turnout in my mind is enough space that the horse can walk, trot and canter freely, and even gallop if they want. Thinking about the spaces I have here, an acre is probably MY minimum.

Getting them out into a paddock is better than keeping them in, but I don’t really feel like my sacrifice area really counts as"turnout."

I’ve seen that ad a few times and thought I couldn’t possibly be reading it right…who the heck does turnout every other day???

[LilDunFilly]

@Dutchmare433

who the heck does turnout every other day???

Barns who are trying to save on labor costs or have very limited space. Ex. 40 horses and only 4 suitable paddocks/turnouts and barn staff has to turn in/out. Assuming those horses are going out alone for only an hour, that’s more than 10 different rotations across 10 hours. Also assume it takes ~10 minutes to turn horse out (5 min in/out, putting on halter, catching, walking to/from pen, boot up, fly spray, etc.). That is more than 6 1/2 hours for one person or 3 hours for two. Depending on what the horses are like, how far the pasture/turnout it, it could be even longer. Splitting it into every other day cuts those numbers in half.

[pony_baloney]

At my current barn my pony lives out 24/7 in a grassless field maybe just under 2 acres with 2-3 other horses. Every horse boarded here goes out all day but most in smaller paddocks with no grass (barn is very generous with hay). The mare’s field is larger with 4 living out and 3 others with them during the day. They all have room to run about if they choose.

My BO would rather sacrifice grass for daily turnout. It’s not the most picturesque place but they’re all out as much as possible if not 24/7. With my pony and a few metabolic horses, having no grass is great. I’d hesitate moving him if my only options were pasture board on grass or full board with limited turnout.

[Simkie]

@Dutchmare433

I’ve seen that ad a few times and thought I couldn’t possibly be reading it right…who the heck does turnout every other day???

Oh, I’ve been at places with turnout every other day–often mares going out something like T Th S and geldings going out M W F–but they go OUT to acres of land!

But who the heck calls a 20 x 20 big stall sized piece of space “turnout”?! That’s just crazy! It’s a porch, not turnout

[Fharoah]

My horse gets approx 1/2 acre paddock during the day and the entire 6.3 acres at night including stall access. I go check him before bed sometimes he is right near my doorstep for late night carrot. I cannot l sleep without like good night hug for my boy. I am fortunate to live on our family farm and have my horse at home.

[Libby2563]

Do anybody else’s horses really seem to like the change of scenery resulting from being moved from the barn to the paddock/pasture/whatever and back again? These days my guys are out 24/7 except during the summer heat/bugs when they prefer to be in the barn during the day (with 15’x30’ - 30’x30’ runs off their 12x12 stalls). When I take them in and out for riding, farrier, vet, summer days, etc, they always seem super excited to come in and then super excited to go out again. Based on the timing, it can’t just be about when/where they get their grain.

I like 24/7 turnout for my own selfish reasons as well as for their physical/mental health, but when I notice this behavior I wonder if they actually prefer some variety in their day. Or is this anthropomorphizing? Maybe they’re just contrarian like cats, LOL?

Often the first thing they do when turned out or brought in is chug water. It’s funny because I have a Nelson in the paddocks and a Bar Bar A behind the barn, so if you only saw them in one of the two places you’d think they much prefer that waterer, but they exhibit the same enthusiasm about both when they first go out or come in. I guess they just like novelty?

[Simkie]

@Libby2563

Often the first thing they do when turned out or brought in is chug water. It’s funny because I have a Nelson in the paddocks and a Bar Bar A behind the barn, so if you only saw them in one of the two places you’d think they much prefer that waterer, but they exhibit the same enthusiasm about both when they first go out or come in. I guess they just like novelty?

Mine too! Horses are weird

[Alterration]

Most barns near a big city do. It’s just a factor of having land (or not). The horses have to be managed much more carefully, but they do manage.

[lenapesadie]

@Libby2563

I wonder if they actually prefer some variety in their day. Or is this anthropomorphizing? Maybe they’re just contrarian like cats, LOL?

I think that variety adds enrichment to their lives. I boarded at a place that regularly changed what paddock and what group the horses’ were turned out in. My horse seemed to really like it. I’m not saying that is what anyone should do or anything just noting my horse seemed to like it.

I think they are very cat like. Let me in! Now let me out! Open this gate!

[Spudsmyguy]

@Dutchmare433

I’ve seen that ad a few times and thought I couldn’t possibly be reading it right…who the heck does turnout every other day???

I just left a place that had 4 days of turnout included with the board. If you wanted more, it was extra. On those days when he didn’t go outside, I made sure I went and got him out either to hand graze or ride. Now he’s on 7 day a week all day turnout.

And about the 20 x 20. The first turnout the barn gave me was basically a soupy mud filled lot a little bigger than 20 x 20 but not by much and when it rained, my horse stood in standing water all day. After a week, I asked about moving him and they did to a less muddy, bigger paddock.

[Simkie]

@Alterration

Most barns near a big city do. It’s just a factor of having land (or not). The horses have to be managed much more carefully, but they do manage.

PLENTY of barns in the area of the every other day 20 x 20 porch “turnout” barn offer real, actual turnout. It’s not in the heart of NYC. It’s not a “woe, there is no land to be had for any price any where” issue. It’s just THAT barn apparently has no space to spare.

Which is even fine, as long as that works for your horse. But calling access to a small run off the horse’s stall TURNOUT is ludicrous–as this thread so aptly demonstrates, damned near no one considers that enough space to be called “turnout.”

[candyappy]

@pony_baloney

My BO would rather sacrifice grass for daily turnout. It’s not the most picturesque place but they’re all out as much as possible if not 24/7. With my pony and a few metabolic horses, having no grass is great. I’d hesitate moving him if my only options were pasture board on grass or full board with limited turnout.

I would prefer no grass myself, or better yet just enough of something green that they spend their time not eating hay nibbling on what they can get.

[J-Lu]

I think it depends on the horse.

Ami loved loved loved her stall. HATED 24/7 turnout which I tried at Canaan. She was so much happier with her stall and paddock turnout. This made her very happy to go in and very happy to go out. Interestingly, she was raised in outdoor paddocks, not stalls.

My current gelding was raised in half-day stall, half-day turnout in his own large paddock. He LOVES his 24/7 turnout in his own 1 acre pasture with fenceline and a run-in shed buddy. I even got into the habit of grooming and saddling him at the arena because initially as a youngster, he was freaked out the change of scenery at the arena. He’ll come into the barn but is not a great stall resident. I mean, he can’t be stalled alone and isn’t a great stall horse when the barn if full in inclement weather. He can be very active in his stall. That said, I can easily open his stall door and tie his leadline across the entrance. He’ll never barge through it and is much happier when he can stick his head in the aisle and see (and pull blankets and halters off the hangers outside of his stall). But he’s on alert when inside.

I don’t get it becaused he was raised in a stall and with turnout, I kept him originally in a stall with half-day turnout when he arrived, but he so much prefers being out all the time. Of note!!! With a roomy run-in shed with a neighbor! He runs inside at the first drop of rain! “Nature” isn’t his thing.

I’d say THIS horse, Sir SpooksAlot, dislikes novelty of any kind. In his ideal world, nothing would ever move or change or be relocated. That said, I think he really enjoys the novelty of me coming out to groom and ride in the arena because it is within his routine. He’s not always a huge fan or riding around the neighborhood and he’s not a fan of trail rides unless he’s with a bunch of confident horses. THAT said, I’ve discovered, when waiting for the grass to come in in his pasture, I can put the lead rope over his back and let him graze alone around the property. Some places he requires me to be there (anywhere there) or he gets nervous (I’m talking about the playground area beyond the Gate of Doom-it shares a fenceline with other pastured horses but nope, they aren’t company near the GoD). Other places he’s great alone and I put up my tack and everything and go get him last. He doesn’t interact with horses he easily could interact with along their fenceline, he just grazes. He might say “hi, good to meet you, now I’m going to eat again”. He’s quite consistent in the places he’s comfortable with me there and not there. I don’t get it but I roll with it.

Horses can be so odd sometimes!