I have always felt strongly about the importance of turnout for horses. I think horses are happier and healthier when they have the freedom to move around, socialize with other horses, roll in the dirt, and generally just be a horse!
Just as chronic stress can create many problems for humans, the stress of confinement can also create problems for horses, physically and mentally.
When we consider the care of our horse, it’s important to remember that they don’t want the same things we do. For example, if we’re cold, it doesn’t mean our horse is cold also. Or if we hate being in the rain and getting wet, that doesn’t mean that our horse wouldn’t still prefer to be outside grazing and wandering around.
In the video below, I highlight what I have experienced and observed as effects of excess time in the stall. As a personal story, my mare Molly, who is featured in many of the videos here, was given to me years ago, partly because of her behavior in the barn.
Molly was a great jumper and learned she could jump out of any pasture and make her way around the farm to visit the other horses. Her owner at the time was left with no choice but to confine Molly to a stall. Having been a competitive jumper, Molly had been stalled quite a bit in her life, but with this extra confinement she became very anxious and coliced several times in just a few days.
When I brought Molly to my farm she jumped out almost every day, but after a while she settled in with a group of horses in a large food and now only very occasionally goes on an escapade around the farm! However, anytime I put Molly in her stall, if she stays in for more than about 30 min, even with her best friend beside her, she will get anxious: pacing, sweating, and pushing at the door. My guess is that the stall still holds memories of stress and confinement.
I have other horses who love their stalls, but they are typically only coming inside for a few hours at a time.
Take a few minutes to watch the video below and learn about the effects of prolonged confinement. Then leave a comment, I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences!
See you in the comments,
Callie
51 Responses
My daughter is the horse woman in the family, but I spend a lot of time helping her out at the barn. Most of my experience is with horses that spend at least evenings in a stall. So I was a bit hesitant when we moved our horse to a new facility that keeps them out 24×7. He has been at this facility for about 6 months and couldn’t be happier. I was glad to hear that you also keep your horses out all day.
In April I bought a mare that had been stalled for the last five years. Her owner went to college and would not sell her. She was only rode when her owner was home from college. The mare became bitter and had an attitude problem. She had no muscle and looked terrible.
My horses are in a dry paddock with turnout on grass for 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon, they go in their stalls around 10:00 at night and get out at 7:00am. At first she did not want come near the barn. She refused to come in out of the rain. When in she would bang on the stall door and pace. But with patience, turnout and lots of exercise over the last couple months she has blossomed, she has a beautiful coat, she is muscular and healthy and is willing to go in her stall over night. She is happy and loving life.
Thanks for doing a video on this. It was a big shock moving to the southwest after living in Michigan where our horses were turned out in a herd on several acres. Many, many horses in Arizona are kept in very small enclosures with no turnout whatsoever available . Having worked in many different barns I have noticed two extremes of stress related behavior in horses that are confined: as you mentioned in the video:stall walking, pacing, weaving, head bobbing, cribbing, and on the other end of the spectrum extreme depression where there is no movement at all and the horse’s head is held very close to the ground . Please keep sharing the word on this very important subject of horses being allowed movement,and socialization opportunities with other horses. We need to make better decisions when we make the choice to have a horse, if we can’t provide appropriate accommodations to fit their physical and mental needs, perhaps we should re-think having them.
It is the equivalent of asking a human to live in their bathroom.
Love this. I agree. I rarely stall my horses unless injured, foaling or special feed times. My horses are happy and healthy with no issues ever so far 🙂 why take nature out of a horse, it isn’t possible. We already have gained thier ability to let us ride them. Let them live thier natural lives as much as they can and they are more willing ♡♡♡♡
I just moved my horses to a place where they are out 24/7. I wasn’t keen on it because their prior barn brought them in at night and I liked that. They always seemed fine with it and I assumed that’s what they liked. Since they moved to the outdoor facility, I can’t believe how much more relaxed they are. Wow! We just built a barn and will be moving them home shortly. They will each have a stall, but I have to admit I can’t see us using them but for those horrible winter nights.
The brilliant solution to stall or not– is to build paddock access directly to the stall. My horse is at a boarding stable where each stall has an individual 1/2 acre paddock. Free choice to go in or out is nirvana for a horse. Let them choose. The paddock design is the best I have seen and each paddock fans out toward the rear to gain space. Now if I try to shut the door even for a short while, my horse will race past me to the paddock. He does NOT want to be forced in. I would not have really understood this until we had a chance to board at a facility with attached pastures. You have to see it to really understand the importance of free choice. Previously we had been at a barn with all day turn out-sounds good but it was not free choice on the horses part. Every afternoon he became nervous wondering when is turn in. Horses adapt to stalls to varying degrees but when they are free you see them become the best horse they can be.
Thank you for the video…..I am at a barn that believes in turning out horses for longer periods of time and the horses in the summer actually stay outside all the time day and night….only time they come in is nights in the coldest part of winter.
I’m in Michigan and am the only one that doesn’t blanket my horse during the winter and he grows a heavy winter coat…..what are your feelings on not blanketing in the winter in Michigan where we get snow and can get cold.
Thanks
Karen
Hi Callie,
Totally agree. My little mare has a pretty good size pen with a stall she can go in or out at her preference. She also has a grazing time too. I just wish she would not use her stall for a bathroom. She doesn’t all the time and it is cleaned, but still… There’s plenty of room to do that out in the pen. I feel so bad for the horses who are always kept in a stall. Not fair for them for sure. Thanks for an informative video. 🙂
Judy
Callie, I am so glad you did a video about this! I’m new to the equine world and have recently gotten my first 2 horses. So I was one of those who thought my horses needed all the comforts of human life! However, where we keep them, that’s not available! At first Ineas unhappy about that but now that I’ve learned it’s better for them to be out and moving, I now realize my horses are so blessed where they are . They are in a herd of 6 and have about 160 acres of free roaming turnout all day long! We feel they are the happiest horses around. We had been concerned because there
really aren’t any stalls for them, only a barn and a run-in shed for them to use, but we created a stall inside the barn should we have to stall one of them for an injury or something else. I wish all horses had it this good! It just seems so much more natural and healthy!! I know there’s a time and place for stalling but until then, I agree, turnout as much as possible!!
Greetings from Wisconsin!! This was a great video and perfect timing for me. I just bought a miniature horse for my grandkids and for now, at least, she will be alone. She will live at my son’s house and they have a perfect stable for her but it has a concrete floor. She will have a fenced in area, too small to consider a real pasture, but big enough for her to run around, roll in the dirt and play. Three of my grandkids, ages 11, 9 and 7, are all riding full-sized horses at the stables where they have their lessons. This will be their first horse and is sort-of a test to see how well they care for her in preparation for getting a horse they can use for hunter/jumper and eventing. I’m certain they will provide her wonderful care and they are excited for Aug. 1 to arrive, the day their little mini will be delivered to us. My concerns are two-fold. First, should we have lots of straw in her stall so she’s not standing on solid concrete all the time she’s in there? The plan is to turn her out for most of the day but bring her into her stall at night to protect her from any predators such as coyotes, wolves or bear. I worry about how her hooves will hold up on the concrete. My second issue is the actual size of the pasture my son is in the process of fencing in. Is there a rule of thumb about how much pasture space she will need? Right now, she can’t enter the stable by herself, she will have to be led in from her pasture. Eventually, my son plans to install a door through which she can leave and enter at will. We plan to train her to become a therapy horse to help veterans, the elderly and those who re mentally or physically disabled. Thanks so much for your videos. I have learned so much from watching them. God bless~ Carol
Get rubber stall mats to put on the floor. It will protect him from pressure sores when he lays down and also give him cushioning when standing. You can put shavings or straw on top, if you want, to absorb moisture.
Hi, Lee Ann! Thanks for your response. The mats are a great idea! I just ordered two 4’x6′ 3/4″ mats and should have them next week. I appreciate your suggestion!
Hi Callie. I also agree that most horses probably prefer to be outside. I purchased my horse from a friend who had 3 horses at her house. They could come and go as they please. She has moved and I live in the city, so Patrick is at a “show” barn. He is in the lesson program there, and so gets plenty of exercise. I know his actual turn-out is not ideal, but his stall is in the indoor arena so I’m hoping he at least get plenty of stimulation.
Love watching your videos. They are so helpful. Thank you!
My horse is boarded at a facility which he does have a nice paddock with a small roof area to get out of heavy rains. Being in Florida we do get some heavy rains at times. He goes out to graze for about 1 hour or sometimes 2 hours a day depending on the pastures & the grass supply. The facility works very hard to keep grass in the pastures; however the intense hot summer sun burns the grass out quickly. She also limits the pasture time so they do not turn to dirt. I would like my horse to be out grazing more often-atleast half the day but its hard when the property is not yours. They do feed hay morning afternoon and evening so they do have hay to munch on throughout. He also has toys which I put treats in & he rolls them around to get the treats out. He is definitely not standing still but he is also not just grazing on pasture. He does seem happy but can sometimes be a handful as he is not out getting exercise & kicking up his hooves 24/7. Unfortunately, that is the predicament i’m in – but atleast I can have a horse. 🙂 Love your videos.
My horses lived outside, and gave birth outside. Here in our Snowy Mountains, there are wild horses that live summer and winter outside. I’ve found mobs knee deep in snow… and not shivering … with no signs of stress or disease.
The stalls are probably a hangover from the requirements of calvary units, which for thousands of years, needed security and swift access to their mounts.
Hi Callie,
My horse lives in Southern California. He injured himself about 6 months ago and was confined to his stall in the barn for 3 months, with only hand walking everyday. During this time his temperment seemed to change. He became alot spookier! Even if someone came up to the door of his stall just to say hello. He is currently being ridden, walked or lunged 6 days a week, but he still seems on edge. I could move him to a pipe stall which is more open air and he could have 2 neighbors (right now he has one) and he could also see the stuff going on in the arena. He does get turned out in a small dirt pasture for about 1 hour a day. What do you think? Thanks!
Hi Callie. Just want to say I really enjoy your videos. Your presence and ability to speak clearly and easily makes your videos comfortable and educational to watch.
I am now at a farm which believes in turning out the horses most of the day and night and the horses are so much more calm and gentle and happy. You can just see it in their expression. The last farm I was at had some really mean and angry horses cause they were out only one hour a day and overworked. Glad I don’t support that farm any more!
Thanks for all your efforts!
One of the saddest things I’ve ever witnessed was a trail riding operation out west in Wyoming where the horses were crammed into small dirt paddocks where they were fighting and biting each other waiting to be saddled. After a few were saddled, they were tied off on a fence without access to water or hay and all the others were still waiting and crammed together in the full sun, ALL day. The only good thing is that they are paraded back to the ranch at the end of the working day and hopefully are turned out there but then they’re just brought back each day and that’s how they live! Just awful!! We wanted to trail ride while there but I just couldn’t support that operation! I was so glad to get back to my horses at home in Alabama and enjoy watching them peacefully graze on plenty of land!
I wont support most trail ride/beach ride operations anymore unless there is good effort for humane treatment. We can influence horse care with our wallet. The saddest I saw was outside the wealthy area of Santa Barbara near Ronald Reagan’s old ranch.
Sort of dude ranch set up. All the sad horses were tied to fence posts all day no water. Then taken on a steep hill ride over and over all day. When no longer able to stumble along they are sent to slaughter. There are so many small things a dude ranch trail operation could do to make the horses lives a bit more bearable. Sell healthy treats for the riders to feed the horses. Offer riders a chance to interact with the horses by carrying a water pail to the horse. have hay bags at the tie up post. That would require though that these operators actually care about the horses which did not seem to be the case.
Good video. Important subject. When it comes to the relation between horses and horse owners, we seem to focus almost entirely on the mechanics of how to make a horse do the things we need him to do, and very little on the mental/emotional state of the horse. BTW, my horses are out on acres 24/7.
Hi Callie love the video. I must agree turnout is definitely needed. We have one that gets stalled for feeding as he is a very slow eater. But then is set free to roam with the others as he is the leader of the pack. We have had to keep a couple locked up for a week or so a couple of times. One didn’t seem to mind it too much as he had been stalled before. But the other one wore a very big groove in the stall. He was very stressed. Those were the hardest times we had was when they were stalled. For us as well as them. Normally they are all out grazing 24/7 .
I’m at a facility where the 30+ horses are turned out 24/7 year round. There are barns that allow the horses shelter if they choose to go in to them, but the only time they tend to be in them is when it’s close to feeding time. We have 3 stalls that are used during feeding time- 2 for slow eaters, the other for a large draft horse who eats quickly and would then eat everybody else’s feed if not confined to give the others a chance. The max time spent in the stalls is probably 30 minutes.
I truly believe that if your only option for keeping a horse is in a stall, that you need to reconsider having a horse at all. I feel the same about dogs that are primarily caged. I agree with Carol Grubb- it’s like asking a person to live in a bathroom- at least the person has a flush toilet!
I have always stalled my horses at night during cold winter months and during the day during the hot summer months
I do leave them out 24/7 when weather is inbetween exreme temperatures.
Lately, this has not been so much.
I agree about the turnout but also sometimes it is not possible for 24/7 turnout – it seems other factors get in the way – for example I can walk into the barn and take care of them, ie., feed, groom etc..
8 hours is max pretty much in stalls
I think domesticated horses are adapted to this arrangement and most dont seem to mind.
I have one mare who loves her stall – nice and big.
I do agree with you though and I think afer your video I will try more turnout time!
except for pesky bugs in the summertime….LOL
Great info to be getting out to the public!!! So many people have the misconception that horses need to be inside. I am always learning more about horse behavior through my friends who are horse owners, snd through your insightful videos. Thank you!
Thank you so much for bringing up a subject that is so close to my heart. I moved from own farm where my horses were out 24/7 to a province that was closer to my kids. Brought my last two horses with me. Working meant I had to find boarding facilities. After ten years and lots of moving I finally found one that meets those turnout needs. I’m sorry to say that for most boarding facilities it’s “all about the money” ……”how many horses can I put on my acreage?”…the focus should be all about the horse, not how well the grass is mowed or what the appearance of the barn looks like. I was sick of paying ridiculous prices for my horse to have an auto water, hay tossed in pen, and a shelter. My mare is twenty one and now lives in a pasture with two other mares and they make a very happy herd. Her arthritis has improved with better footing and more walking around. I have always preached our horses need to be treated like horses and not dogs caged up in pens. I hope more people listen to your common sense wisdom and put the well being of their horse ahead of their own conveniences and more stable owners offer pasture turnout. I too will refuse to support those facilities that put profit ahead of the well being of the horse. PS I have had horses for more than forty years and have never seen so many health issues as we have with the horses of today…..very sad.
Thank you Callie!
We sometimes forget that horses need to be horses. My experience recently has been volunteering at a horse rescue where sometimes, volunteers want to imprint human needs and wants on the horses. Alas, gentle education and modeling is needed to help humans see that horses are not people.
On another note, I have so loved your training videos, education, outreach and good solid advice. Thank you!
Thanks Callie for addressing this issue! Too many horse owners think they are protecting their horses by putting them in stalls for long periods of time.While I am not against using a stall when necessary I have a simple two rules at my farm regarding stalling. I only stall my horses On winter nights where the temperatures are in the single digits or lower. In Michigan where I live, the winter nights can get pretty cold and windy with negative wind chills. The only other time I ever stall my horses is in severe lightning storms. My horses are healthy and happy and spend 24 hours a day seven days a week out in the great outdoors . In my opinion that’s the way the good Lord meant for it to be for them to thrive.
Hi Callie, my name is Tina Groom and I live at the coast in South Africa. I have been rescuing ponies and horses for nearly 30 years. At the moment we have 12 beautiful ponies and horses of which 5 are thoroughbred ex racehorses. The land I am leasing is less than a km from the beach, and is on the crest of an enormous sand dune. There is absolutely no grazing for the horses as they pulled out what little there was by the roots soon after we settled there. I bought a petrol operated brush cutter and one of my grooms goes out and cuts fresh green grass to put in the paddocks and stables for the horses daily. We are exeptionally lucky with our warm and sunny climate so although the don’t actually graze they are out together most of the day. They are brought in at night when they are handled and groomed etc and so we can try to prevent them being attacked by virus carrying mosquitos. They are all well adjusted and very loving horses even though some of them were very badly damaged before they arrived. I am really enjoying your videos as I teach children the kind way to ride (without whips etc) to help fund the upkeep of my very special animals. Thank you so much for your videos from which I have learnt a few more tips.
Hi Callie, thank you for this video living in Canada we get to enjoy our seasons especially winter can be challenging however I’m very fortunate where I stable my mare they have acres of pasture and paddock s where they alternate including indoor stalls when weather is bad. I totally agree with your opinion on this subject. Great job !!
Hi I agree with the concept of outdoor time as much as possible. My horse Tobiah can move in and out of his stall when ever he likes 24/7. Nathan,
my Shetland pony wears a muzzle any time he is out in the pasture, for this reason I bring him in each night to his stall. I just don’t feel comfortable having him out after dark with a muzzle on.
Hi Callie
I have just changed my stabling set up for my horses. I have gone from individual stables to an open barn so it is up to the horses if they want to be outside or inside. The barn door is always open and they can sleep, rest, eat and socialise in the fields as well as the barn. It works really well and the horses seem far more relaxed. I have also created a large sanded area accessible from the barn so they can have a nice roll. I have also observed now they are not separated when they want to come into the barn there is far less herd ranking behaviour being displayed.
hi Callie.great video.questions do you think it matters what type of Horse it is?for example how about thuroubreds.i was told they rae more delicate and therefore should be rugged.is this true?
Magdalena (beautiful name, btw). I wouldn’t think that’s correct.
Dear Callie:
I agree with you completely that more turnout is best for horses. My mare has a stall and a private paddock. This is because of an injury. She is fully recovered now, but she became so used to human contact that she chooses to remain closer to people versus her herd mates. With a private paddock, my mare can spend most of her day outside, and I can still keep her from re-injury.
We humans have to think more about what our horses need! That’s why I love how you are a voice for them. Too many coaches are in it for the money and the ribbons and the horses are living lives of boredom, stress, and pain. It breaks my heart. There are kinds of subtle abuse that too many people aren’t aware of, especially when people get into horses knowing nothing and take everything their trainer says without question. It took a slaughter bound rescue with a very “playful” personality and a perchance for rearing (later diagnosed with kissing spine) to get me on a different track where the horses’ needs are more carefully considered.
I board my horse and she has a pasture which has row stalls along one side. The doors on the stalls are always open and the horses can go in or out as much as they desire..this is my idea of a perfect home. Rubber mats and pine pelleted bedding with p-d-z mixed in mae their rooms always fresh and pleasant.
They have a hayhut to keep the hay dry and always have unlimited supply of hay. Always have clean water and although they do have limited grain. They get a sprinkle of salt on feed every meal to keep them drinking even during weather changes. A scoop of minerals once a day because of their limited amount of grain to insure they get all the required nutrients.
My mare used to be a stall waler with high anxiety before we moved her. What a difference in personality when they have choices instead of being forced to be confined. Healthy and happy at age 29..
I am a new horse owner. Our barn stalls open to large paddocks. So our horses can come and go as they please. However, the stalls are across from each other so we have to move one of our horses if we want them to have social time together. We don’t do this everyday, but most days. However, being at a new barn, my Thoroughbred does not want to leave his stall or paddock for exercise in the arena or even to graze in the grass in front of the barn. He rears up on his hind legs and nays. He acts very aggressive to the point, I can’t even groom him. I haven’t been able to ride him in the month he’s been at our barn. I know this horse. He has never acted like this before. I have our trainer coming this weekend to work with me and my horse.
Do you think this behavior is a result of being “barn sour” and if so, what can I do to correct it without getting hurt myself? I love my horse, but he needs to respect me and I don’t know what to do now to get my horse moving.
Thank you for your help.
Hi Yvonne, this does sound like “barn sour” behavior. The first thing I would recommend is to work in the area you are able and establish more rapport with your horse in the sense that you can ask and get responses even for very simple things such as walk forward and step back. As you start getting better responses then work more towards the trouble area. The key is in knowing what your limitations are in skill level and not pushing so hard or far that you are in a situation that is either unsafe or where your horse will get reinforced for the rearing or other behavior by being able to immediately return to where he was more comfortable.
I just acquired a 12 yr old twh, he is amazing but he hates being in his stall I have no background on him bought at an auction. He has jumped out of his stall twice so we built up the stall to make it safe ..he now is very pushy and ansy in the morning to go out very frustrating …..almost becoming dangerous. Once out and walking to paddock he’s a complete gentlemen …hes only been with us 2 weeks its becoming worse then better . Thank u Kim Ritzmann any help would be greatly appreciated
Recently where I board my horse the girl went to turn him out and he got a bit anxious and pulled away with lead rope and ran through the pasture she said she couldn’t catch him right a way and when she did she punished him by putting him in his stall for 4 hours while she went to dinner. I confronted owner of the barn and her they said that was right to do to teach him I totally disagree I went up at 8 pm found him in his stall he should have been out at 4 so I put him out. Please give me your professional opinion I am very upset at this . Denise
Denise, I think that the situation could have probably been handled better. Punishments, as Callie has discussed previously, have to have great timing to be effective and I don’t think he would be able to connect that the being put back into a stall was punishment for pulling away from her so there was no ‘lesson learned’. Occasionally horses do get a bit anxious and even if we have taught them basic handling on the ground if they are in a higher state of arousal it is more difficult to have them responsive to your cues. I don’t think you are unfounded in your feelings about this situation. If you don’t feel like this barn is a good fit for you and your horse is there the option for you to look into other farms in your area?
-Julia Burdy, CRK Training Community Manager
Callie,
How do you transition a horse from a life of isolation from other horses that spent the majority of his life in a stall, to a pasture life with a herd?
I purchased a 5 year old Appendix a few months ago that was kept isolated for the purpose of keeping him “perfect for show.” He was shown very little and now doesn’t really know how to just be a horse.
I am a strong believer in letting a horse live the way a horse was meant to live, outside as much as possible. I’m hoping you can share your recommendations on how to make the transition.
Thank you,
Lynette
Lynette, first of all I think you are definitely moving in the right direction looking to turn him out more! I would say most horses adjust really well to being outside 24/7 but I would take a little more time introducing him to being turned out with other horses – perhaps pick one of the most easy going horses in the herd and turn them out together and see how they react, then slowly adding in the rest of the herd back into the dynamic. Good luck!
-Julia Burdy, CRK Training Community Manager
Hi…nervous owner….ok here we go….my horse is 22 years old…..she has navicular.. I have moved her .. I feel to a better place..my concern is.. from hardly any turn out…to this new place very much turn out…she has to have a grazing muzzle due to weight …she is a very easy keeper…but my vet wants her to be transitioned which I agree first week 3 hrs 2nd week 5 hours rhen she said third can go on theirs….but then the rest of time she is in stall…by herself… I do go out to be with her…any suggestions…do you agree…
Diane, I think that is a great plan for getting her used to turnout on the grass the only change I would make is perhaps introducing a horse buddy for her to be turned out with. Horses are very social animals so having a social interactions is a very important piece to keeping them happy and healthy 🙂
-Julia Burdy, CRK Training Community Manager
What about laminitic horses? They can’t be turned out 24/7.
Hi Dayna, it depends on the situation and what is available. We have horses with metabolic issues here at Callie’s. Most of the time we either have them turned out on a dry lot 24/7 with access to hay or they are muzzled (if they keep them on!).
Hope this helps!
-Julia Burdy, CRK Training Community Manager
I have 1horse A 10 year old gelding , he has 3-3/4 acre of pasture grass and a larger corral I leave the gate open to the barn witch have 2 stalls with stall doors I leave open with hay. My question is I’m getting another 10 year old gelding how will that work so they don’t go in the same stall.
Callie, I loved your video. It was an amazing experience when you care for a horse. Also, it being pretty easy to identify when your horse may be unhappy, understanding how to make them happy again is even easier!
I’m not a horse owner, but I’ve been hired to feed five horses who basically stay in their stalls 24/7. Some horses are turned out for only a couple of hours on the weekend but they mainly stand in their stall the remainder of the week. One horse never gets out. The land is on a hill side and only about one acre. Stalls sometimes go weeks without being cleaned. I know nothing about horses but I don’t think they are being fed what they should. I feed what I’m told to feed them. The owners seem to “know” everything about horses and don’t take kindly to the advise of others, so basically nobody knows more than they do! While I’m not an expert… I’m going to say the horses are moderately thin. In years past, I’ve seen other horses they’ve owned be “poor”. I can tell the horses are depressed and some act out and the owners blame other issues for the behavior. I have noticed colicky horses from time to time and lots of cribbing. It’s not that they neglect them, they take them to horse shows from time to time…. I’m just chalking it up to ignorance. Your video was very informative to me because I see and feed these horses 5 days a week and I now understand their behavior.
My grandma owns a horse farm, Grassy Acres Horse Retreat, where all the horses are turned out except when they come in for about 30 minutes to eat breakfast. I’m really glad to hear there are other barns that believe in 24/7 turnout as all the horses at her stable are very happy. Recently, a 4H girl that I babysit visited my grandma’s farm and was surprised to learn that the horses are turned right back out after being fed breakfast as her horse is stabled at a facility that keeps the horses in for extended periods of the day. I hope that more horse owners will be able to see happy horses on turnout and encourage their barns to do the same.