09/03/2025
๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ช๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ง๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐?
As the equestrian world moves toward better welfare standards, there has been growing talk about introducing a licensing system for livery yards. If (and hopefully when) this happens, proper winter turnout must be a requirement. Keeping horses stabled for months just because itโs winter is not acceptable.
Turnout isnโt a luxury, itโs a basic need. It allows horses to move, socialize, and express natural behaviors. Locking them up for months on end simply for human convenience is not good enough. If a livery yard cannot provide turnout all year round, then it should not be running.
Iโm all for supporting livery yards, they are the reason so many people can have horses. The work they do is invaluable, and running a yard is no easy task. But things have to change. Welfare must come first, and that includes ensuring that horses have access to turnout every single day, even in winter.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐บ: ๐ก๐ผ ๐ช๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ง๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ผ๐๐
Too many livery yards fail to provide turnout in winter.
The common excuses?
โข โ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐จ ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค๐ค ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ.โ
โข โ๐๐ฉโ๐จ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ก.โ
โข โ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข ๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ ๐๐๐ฉ.โ
โข โ๐๐ค๐ง๐จ๐๐จ ๐๐ค๐ฃโ๐ฉ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐ฃ๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎโ๐ง๐ ๐๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐๐จ๐๐.โ
Because of this, horses end up stuck in stables for weeks or even months, with little or no freedom to move. This is not okay.
Letโs be clear, ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด, ๐น๐๐ป๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ด, ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ ๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ผ๐๐. Horses need time outside, where they can move freely and interact with other horses.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ง๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ผ๐๐?
๐๐๐ฎ๐จ๐๐๐๐ก ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐ก๐๐ข๐จ โ Stiffness, joint issues, and an increased risk of colic from standing still for too long.
๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ก ๐จ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐จ๐จ โ Boredom, anxiety, and frustration, leading to vices like weaving, cribbing, box walking, and aggression.
๐บ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ โ Horses are herd animals. They need to interact with other horses for their mental well-being.
๐ท๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ โ Movement helps circulation and gut health. Horses stuck in stables are at a greater risk of colic and laminitis.
Many owners have simply accepted that their horses wonโt get turnout in winter, normalizing a situation that is actually damaging their horseโs health and well-being.
A lack of turnout should never be considered part of winter horse care,itโs a welfare issue.
๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ก๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ: ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐๐ช๐ง๐ฃ๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ
If livery yards become licensed, they must be required to provide safe, usable turnout all year round. This doesnโt mean sacrificing good grazing or ruining fields, it means planning ahead and putting proper facilities in place.
๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐พ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐ง๐๐จ ๐ฟ๐ค?
๐๐๐๐ง๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ค๐๐ ๐จ โ A designated turnout area that protects the main fields.
๐ผ๐ก๐ก-๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐ฃ๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ค๐๐ ๐จ โ Sand, rubber, or hardcore areas that donโt turn into deep mud.
๐๐ง๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐จ โ A designed turnout route that encourages movement and natural behavior.
๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐ฃ๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐ฃ๐จ โ Rotating turnout areas so all horses get their time outside.
๐๐ช๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ง๐ค๐ก ๐ข๐๐ฉ๐จ we -there is so many type available in the Uk and abroad!
If a yard cannot provide any of these options, it should not be allowed to operate.
๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐พ๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐จ ๐ผ๐ก๐ง๐๐๐๐ฎ ๐ฟ๐ค ๐๐๐๐จ
In Sweden, turnout is a legal requirement. By law, horses must be turned out every day unless the weather is extreme. Keeping a horse stabled 24/7 is not an option.
If Sweden can manage this despite its long, harsh winters, why is the UK and other countries still allowing horses to be locked up for half the year? Itโs not about climate, itโs about mindset and proper management.
Other European countries also recognize the importance of turnout. In Denmark, for example, turnout is strongly recommended in welfare guidelines, and more yards are adopting year-round turnout solutions.
So why is the UK, Ireland and other Countries around the the World still allowing outdated, restrictive management practices?
๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ข๐๐ง๐๐
Yes, setting up winter turnout does take money, effort, and planning. But the reality is, if a yard cannot meet this basic welfare need, should it even be in business?
Many yards could provide winter turnout but choose not to because itโs easier for them to keep horses stabled. This needs to change. Welfare should always come before convenience.
Owners Have a Role to Play Too
๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐ช๐ง๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ค๐๐จ๐ฃโ๐ฉ ๐ค๐๐๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐ฃ๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ง, ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฉ ๐ก๐ค๐ค๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐๐จ.
๐๐ ๐๐ฉ ๐ข๐๐๐ฃ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ช๐ง๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ช๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ง๐, ๐๐ค ๐๐ฉ.
๐ฟ๐ค๐ฃโ๐ฉ ๐จ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ก๐ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉโ๐จ ๐๐๐จ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ, ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐ค๐ง๐จ๐โ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ค๐ข๐๐จ ๐๐๐ง๐จ๐ฉ.
Too many people put their own convenience before their horseโs needs. A yard may be close to home, cheap, or have nice facilities, but if your horse is stuck in a stable all winter, is it really the best place for them?
๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต๐: ๐ญ
I fully support livery yards, and I know how much hard work goes into running them. They are the reason so many people can have horses, and they play a vital role in equestrian life. But things have to change.
When livery yards are licensed, winter turnout must be a legal requirement. Sweden has already made it law, thereโs no reason we canโt do the same.
Keeping horses locked up for months isnโt just outdated, itโs wrong. It goes against everything we know about equine welfare.
No more excuses. No more normalizing stabling for months. Itโs time for change.
๐๐ ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐งโ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ, ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐งโ๐ญ ๐๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง, ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ.
Freelance Instructor and Rider from Yorkshire documenting my journey of starting an equestrian career; coaching, riding and life on the yard.
