To Turnout or Not...

Is there really a question? For some horse owners, and many barn managers, the answer is a resounding YES.

Everyone imagines their horse frolicking on acre after acre of vibrant green pastureland. We want our loved ones to feel the wind in their manes and lush grass beneath their hooves. When we think of the perfect turnout field we envision something akin to what you would find at a multimillion dollar thoroughbred facility in the heart of Kentucky. Unfortunately, unless the farm you own or board at IS a multimillion dollar facility, the dream of your horse galloping across acres of bluegrass is just that – a dream.

For the past week and a half I have cut every horse’s turnout time in half. No, the horses aren’t lame and no, I’m not punishing them. Although it doubles the amount of work for the staff and earns me sideways grumpy looks from the boarders, I’m actually helping the horses. Right now the fields are a mess. Melting snow, ice, and recent flooding have reduced what once resembled pastures into places pigs would like to live. I could turn the horses out like normal (our eighteen horses are divided out into five fields; we have seven total) but then that would mean I have five disgusting fields to deal with. Grass does not grow in mud. Trust me. So, being the wise barn manager that I am (kidding, kidding) I chose to make one of the fields into a sacrifice field. I picked the L, a field that is large enough to support four horses at a time and is also the summer field for the Mares (four fatty’s who do NOT need to eat grass; yes I am talking to you Poppy, Vera, Myrna, and Cami). I took the two groups of geldings, put them in the L, and split their turnout time in half. Darwin and his group of bad boys go out from 7:30 – 12:00PM. Rambo and his brethren get the field from 12:30 – 5:00PM. I split the mares into two groups of two (Poppy with Vera, Myrna with Cami) and they are alternating between a smaller quarantine field. The Old Guys, six horses over the age of twenty who enjoy the luxury of having a seven acre field all to themselves, are out all day. I don’t mind if they chew the grass down to mud because a) they are all fat and will not need grass this summer and b) the field has much better drainage than any other field on the farm.

So what does all this accomplish? Basically, it ensures that come the end of April when the grass finally starts to grow and everyone (I’m talking to you, boarders) wants their horse to be romping around in mud free pastures with grass up to their cannon bones, I have fields to offer. On good days, when the mud dries up, I will put the horses back in their regular fields and they will get a solid nine hours of turnout. But at the first hint of mud, they will be whisked back to the L. Would it be easier to just use all the fields now and allow the horses to have all day turnout? Yes. Would it be better for the horses? Yes (unless you count the thrush and scratches they will all come down with after three days of standing in pastern deep mud).

I know of some barns that stop turnout completely for March and April. The horses are turned out in the rings, or in small dirt fields. I know of other barns that don’t change anything. I’ve only heard of barns that have so many acres of beautifully manicured pasture that mud and field rotation isn’t something they even have to worry about. For my farm (the farm with awful drainage and no tractor – which means no field harrow and no seeding and no mowing) limiting the turnout this is the best solution. Is it perfect? No. But sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the overall good of the farm. For now the horses get mud and limited turnout, but in just short eight weeks they will be frolicking in lush green pastures. And maybe then the boarders will stop giving me dirty looks.