Thinking about turning your horse away for winter? Here is what you need to consider first

As a serial cob owner, I have been turning horses away for winter for years. I've turned young, old and horses in work away away during winter for various reasons and it’s been great for them and me – but what does it actually mean?

What is turning horses away for winter?

Turning away is a traditional equine management practice that, simply put, is a period of rest for horses in work. On the surface, it entails turning horses out into pasture for several weeks, frequently (but not always) over winter, for mental and physical rest – the horses are not worked or stabled (except in an emergency) during this period.

What type of horse is turned away?

Most horses who are healthy and in good condition can be turned away for a spell, but they typically sit in one of the following categories:

• Young horses might be turned away to grow and socialise, or at intervals over the early stages of their ridden education for a mental and physical rest
• Horses in work are sometimes turned away usually in the autumn or winter for rest or due to the season’s poor conditions for riding. Polo ponies often go out for winter grazing, while hunters have their rest over the summer
• Horses recovering from injury are sometimes turned away to rest, but this should only be done in line with veterinary advice
• Older or retired horses may be turned away for winter or some are turned away permanently on retirement livery

Essential care considerations when turning horses away

First and foremost, turning horses away for winter isn’t necessarily an easy option. While there will be fewer stables to muck out, horses at grass still require routine and thorough daily care from an knowledgable handler, whether that is you or someone trusted that you employ.

Paddocks also need to be property checked and maintained.

Here are the essentials for turning horses away for winter.

1. An appropriate paddock

Karen Coumbe, Horse & Hound’s vet consultant, advocates turnout with your horse’s usual companions on good grazing.

“Turnout on mud is no good; mud fever can be a huge issue for horses who are out all the time,” she says.

This means horses are best turned away in sizeable fields to reduce congestion and poaching. The fields should consist of good draining land – heavy clay is not ideal.

Intact, good quality horse-appropriate fencing is a must, and any bordering poisonous trees, such as sycamore or oak, should be fenced off to avoid ingestion of acorns or sycamore seeds, the latter of which can lead to atypical myopathy when eaten.

Karen adds that shelter – natural or man-made – is an important consideration, because horses need the option to stand somewhere dry out of the elements.

2. Make the change gradually

“Do not go from full work to turning away overnight,” says Karen. “Make any changes gradually.”

This means slowly decreasing work and increasing turnout, making changes to hard feed over weeks rather than days.

3. A programme of daily checks

Twice daily checks are the minimum standard for horses at grass.

“Every horse should be checked for wounds, lameness and more subtle signs, such as loss of appetite," says Karen, adding that an experienced caregiver is essential for spotting something amiss before illnesses such as colic become critical.

“The paddock must also be checked for hazards and broken fencing.”

She adds that supplementary forage is likely to be essential. It should be placed out of mud to maintain hygiene and reduce waste.

How much hay to feed your horse – and how much concentrate – is down to the individual horse and the nutritional value of their hay. Take into account your horse’s age, any underlying conditions and their body condition score, and seek a nutritionist’s advice.

Karen recommends rugging horses according to the degree of shelter available and their body condition. As a rough horse rugging guide, horses with less than ideal condition benefit from a warmer rug to conserve energy, while minimally rugging overweight horses or good doers in winter can aid weight loss.

“It is also essential to remove any rugs regularly to check underneath,” she adds.

4. Manage the feet

According to Master Farrier Ben Benson AWCF, transitioning to barefoot over the winter can be beneficial for some horses.

“Removing the shoes gives the hoof wall a period without further nail placement, allowing old nail holes and minor splits or defects to grow down. It also removes the possibility of a horse pulling a shoe off and damaging the hoof wall in the process,” he says.

Ben says the transition from shod to barefoot should ideally be planned with the farrier rather than simply allowing the horse to become overdue for shoeing.

“The trim we use when preparing a foot for a shoe can be quite different from the trim we want when a horse is going to remain unshod,” he explains. “If we know in advance that the shoes are coming off, we can manage the previous shoeing cycle with that in mind and preserve useful hoof wall, sole depth and overall foot strength.

“When the shoes come off, I want to retain as much functional foot as possible. We can round the hoof wall to reduce chipping, manage the toe appropriately and, importantly, avoid taking away unnecessary sole. The aim is to leave the horse with enough natural protection to remain comfortable.”

Ben adds that not every horse will cope equally well without shoes.

Horses that may require additional consideration include those with thin or sensitive soles, flatter feet, poor-quality hoof wall, a history of bruising or recurrent foot soreness, or horses that are uncomfortable on firm or stony surfaces.

Regular hoof care remains important throughout winter. Feet should be picked out and checked daily, and horses should remain on an appropriate trimming cycle with a qualified farrier.

“Barefoot doesn’t mean leaving the feet alone,” Ben adds. “They still need monitoring and managing.

“If a horse becomes uncomfortable, we also have plenty of options. Depending on the individual horse, we can use temporary hoof protection, hoof boots, composite materials, glue-on systems, pads or conventional shoeing where necessary.

“The important thing is that the horse remains comfortable and the foot remains functional.”

Ben says turnout conditions also matter. Ideally, horses should have access to:

• a reasonably dry standing area, particularly where gateways and feeding areas become heavily poached
• surfaces that the individual horse can comfortably negotiate
• well-maintained, horse-safe fencing without areas where feet or shoes could become trapped

5. Manage parasites

Karen says best practice for worms and deworming – regular poo picking and performing fecal worm egg counts – still applies while horses are turned away.

“It’s not simple to do with lots of horses out together, but it’s important,” she says.

“Regular dung removal is consistently associated with lower test results when checking for parasites.”

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With contributions from

With contributions from

Karen Coumbe

Our equine veterinary expert has more than 30 years experience in practice. She is an FEI vet and has attended the past three Olympic and many other major championships in her role. She has a particular interest in anaesthesia, pre-purchase examinations, ophthalmology and dermatology amongst other clinical concerns. She has been Horse & Hound’s official veterinary advisor since 1991. Karen is part of the Bell Equine team.