Sport Horse Is Turnout Too Tiring? Believing that lost energy will hamper performance, some dressage riders limit turnout. We posed the question to a trio of myth-busters.
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ost horse owners agree that turnout is beneficial, but the amount of time horses actually spend out of their stalls can vary greatly—from as little as an hour a day to living outside 24/7. In some parts of the country, horses are turned out during the day in the winter months and overnight when it’s hotter, especially if the turnout area lacks shade.
Stamina-Builder or Energy-Sapper? “I think most people want to do what’s best for their horses, but ‘what’s best’ may vary,” says La Cygne, Kansas,-based dressage trainer, breeder, and international competitor Emily Miles. “If a horse is a little lazy,” Miles says, “it’s probably good for that
OUTDOOR LIVING: Horses at Wally Woo Farm in Kansas enjoy plenty of time in spacious pastures
There are many reasons that turnout time may be limited, but one is some trainers’ and riders’ belief that too much play time makes horses too tired to perform at their peak—especially in reference to night turnout or living outside, and when the horse in question is an upper-level performer. We wondered whether there’s any truth to the perception, so we asked two well-known dressage professionals and a sport-horse veterinarian to weigh in. Here’s what they had to say.
horse to build stamina outside when he’s not in work, because then he doesn’t resent the work. If I’m lazy and not in great shape and someone is trying to get me in shape, I might resent the work. By contrast, if I’m walking around doing something I enjoy, it’s OK.” Astute dressage trainers and riders “do so much with conditioning, diet, et cetera, that [turnout] shouldn’t make a difference” in a horse’s energy level, Miles believes. “The rider is responsible for figur-
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ing that out,” she says. “I don’t think it’s really a matter of energy diminishing; I think the bigger issue is whether the horse is safe with that much turnout, or if it is feasible to have that much turnout. The rider has to judge it. Maybe the horse feels better with an hour of turnout to walk around and self-exercise before being ridden. Or maybe the horse feels better if he has an hour of turnout afterward, to have a chance to stretch his muscles after he works, as a perfect cool-down. Or maybe he wants to go back to his stall and have an hour to just relax.” Turnout is always beneficial for horses, says FEI-level trainer and competitor Alyssa Pitts, of Snohomish, Washington, whose mounts regularly top the annual Adequan®/ USDF Horse of the Year standings. “A relaxed and happy horse can only do better for the rider,” Pitts says. “Some of the best horses I’ve had, like [past Horse of the Year champions] Quintessential Hit and Selestial R, didn’t go out with other horses, but in summer they were always outside 24/7 and it didn’t hurt their performance. “My young horses are also out as much as possible,” Pitts continues. “Last year Regiment was [Adequan®/USDF] First Level Horse of the Year, and he goes out with other horses. One of my other young horses, Valentine, is now five years old, and he and ‘Reggie’ are best friends. They live together 24/7 outside in summer. Horses are not meant to live in a box.” As for the energy issue, top horses don’t wear themselves out in turnout because they are so fit to begin with, Pitts says.
COURTESY OF EMILY MILES
By Heather Smith Thomas
