First of all, congrats for rescuing a horse in need!
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Horses are meant to be outside, their airways certainly do a lot better when they are, but modern breeding has derived many breeds of their natural endurance against the elements of nature so you are wise to think about these things.
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What breed is your horse? Sturdy cob-type or thin-skinned thoroughbred?
What is the field like? Is it big enough for four horses or will it be a muddy plot come fall?
Is there a (denser) grove or forest where they can seek shelter?
Here in Sweden it is mandatory to provide some kind of shelter for horses that are outside for more than 18 hrs/day. Shelter = min. three walls and a roof + dry ground.
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Mind you, most horses only go inside to escape the heat or flies, but strong wind and rain is no hit with them either as they loose the insulating air in the coat when it gets plastered wet.
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Many horses require a rug to stay warm when the temp goes below the freezing point, but it can be impractical if it gets snagged or ripped or very dirty/wet. They do need to be lifted more or less every day, if not just to change to a dry and clean one, so to check the horse and let him "breathe".
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All that said, I think it sounds absolutely wonderful for your horse to be able to roam in a field with other horses. I wish you the very best of luck with it and will keep my fingers crossed that it will turn out great for you both. :)

The only thing I would have to ask is what was wrong with his back legs? Is this something that is going to be aggrivated with excersise? The other three horses in the field will for sure chase him about as they establish pecking order. Other than that, I have 15 horses out on 158 acres with some tree cover for shelter, they do perfectly fine. I think your horse is lucky to have 24/7 turnout, it is what is most natural for the animal.

When I first started caring for my horse on our new farm, I bought a run-in (can have them made, too) shed facing the direction where the least wind comes from (south here). It protects her from wind, rain etc. and sunny hot days. I now have 5 horses, and obtained some used sheds from farmers. We have no trees except on the south side, and needed shelter. We now have at least one shed in each paddock, 2 in one, and in each pasture (3 in the big one facing different ways). They use them regularly. We are making a lean-to against the barn so they can be closer to the doors in bad weather, sheltered on 3 sides, and easier to care for them. Do whatever works best for you - these are ideas we had, but may not work for everyone. Sometimes a big roof up on posts for shade works in summer, with sides put on in the winter. Good luck!

My TWH and KY Mountain horse cross are both kept outside 24/7 on nearly 100 acres here in central KY. They run "free" in a herd of about 30 other horses. They have a large, empty, Tobacco Barn that they run into in the most inclement weather, and are brought up to the Main Barn several times a week for care, grooming, and riding etc.. Generally speaking, the herd is VERY healthy, and we have very few injuries, despite part of their acreage being wooded. It is truly awesome to just sit out there on the ridge and watch how the herd interacts, the herd dynamics are something to behold. My horses love it, and it is the most natural environment that I could possibly give them. I'm pretty sure my horses wouldn't have it any other way... :-)

Hi!, I have written about me and Willow extensively in other topics but I would like to share this.
Willow is my first and only horse (for now)... We live in a beautiful area of Cantabria, in the north of Spain and Willow is a sturdy filly of the mountains, fine as she is. Yet, she lives with humans and has a stable, not quite what I would want for her but it qualifies. It is an old stone barn divided in two: on one side is Willow and on the other we have rabbits that keep her company and her own hay etc... cats come in too. I work in Santander three days a week and on those days a young neighbour turns Willow out into one of three fields available. All other horses in the area are up in the mountain pass so she doesn´t see horses, sometimes cows graze in the field next to us. When I am home, Argos, our dog is usually loose and they have a "sort of relationship". Willow seems perfefctly happy but come sundown she calls me to take her in. Even in warm weather, She loves to go out but she wants to go in for the night. I understand that night-time would be "danger time" for an only hors in a field but given that she knows everything in the vicinity I think she just likes to go inside for some time.
Maybe if one day I can have another horse they will prefer to stya outside. I guess the ideal would be to have a direct access to her stable but for now that is not possible.
Christy

hi. having kept my horses both out 24/7 all year and keeping them stabled in winter due to yard owners request...i think they have been much happier out 24/7 all year.however i found it very useful to have a young horse stabled at night as he got used to being handled and learnt good manners.i now keep my horses at 24/7 turnout.my new youngster has progressed very well but i think it depends on the horse.an untrusting horse will respond well stabled with some turnout. it allows you to teach stable manners and allow the horse some free time ...that you give him. we haven't got stables where we are now but can use field shelters.that works just as well.i like my horses living out with others they can learn from.a pony that wouldn't be caught was put in with my 2 very friendly ones and he learnt from them that we were good friends and he should trust us too.as long as we act responsibly to him he will follow his fieldmates lead.

I have two gypsy cobs, a irish draft x tb, a crillo and a welsh section d mare, they all live out all year round. As long as they have a recent rug and you don't get mud fever not sure if you get that in the USA im in the UK, Our weather is awful, snow, rain, blistering sun all sorts but they survive fine, infact they hate being in they look so fed up and miserable and start kicking the door, when I lead them to the field they drag me and gallop off full of happiness - they are meant to live out though right? Depends on what breed your horse is.

gabrielle, wild mustangs are outside at all times. I don't think that your horse will have any problems.

Hi,I recently found a very interesting article on a website of a young New Zealand trainer in regards to letting your horses live naturally the way they were meant to without ever using rugs. I live on the East Coast of Australia and our weather is quite mild, we are in the last month of winter at the moment and the nights get down to around 7 degree's. After reading this article I removed the rugs (only used at night) from my 3 horses who are turned out in a 70 acre paddock which has gullys and tree's for natural shelter. I was surprised to see their coats start to change after only just a few days. Their demeanor also changed and they spent more time rolling and playing with each other and seem so much happier!
I would like to know what Monty thinks of this subject? I can't find anything relating to rugs in the Q&A section
I will add the link if anyone would like to check it out for themselves.
http://www.horseandhuman.co.nz/articles/html/why_no_covers.html

Hello, I live up in Minnesota where it can get down to -45 with the wind chill during the winter and up in the hundreds from the humidity in the summer. I have 3 horses 2 are Nokota fillies and I also have an arab cross gelding. They have a 4 acre pasture and a little paddock with a shed. I honestly have seen them in their shed more during the summer than in the winter to escape the heat and flys since I have a fan in there for them. The winter was a different story though, they hardly went in the shed even during the blizzards and I don't blanket them at all. (Though I have some for emergencies). Where we are there are a lot of thunderstorms and they do go in the shelter when the thunder starts up but if it is just pouring they just get wet. My horses have always been outside most of the time from what I know, so they are accustomed to living outside. I would suggest start having him out 24/7 during less extreme times of the year and your horse should adjust to the seasons as they do change slowly enough for him to adjust. As long as there is a shelter he should be fine.

Hi Jenny
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Thanks for the link. Its a great article. I haven't rugged any of my horses this year because I am not competing or taking them any where and I have noticed the same change in their behaviour in the paddock. On some mornings here where I live in Australia, the temperatures can drop to around zero degrees. And to our surprise, our horses are swimming in the dams on these cold mornings!
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We used to have water lillies on our dams, but now that the rugs are removed, we have none in the dams where the horses are because they are swimming all the time and eating them along with the water grasses.
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I am having second thoughts about rugging them for the show season next year as I now realise the simple pleasures I am taking away from them :-/ But you can't show hairy shaggy horses I guess...
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Hi Almira
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Its funny you mention about your horses taking shelter in the summer to escape heat and storms in the barn and not in winter. My horses do the same. It just goes to show how much we really interfere with what's natural for the horse in the name of taking good care of them and keeping them looking good.
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See you later.
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Kind regards,
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Gen

Greetings
When I first got my present horse he was in a stall and would be outside for short periods of time Most of his time was spent in a stall which was quite large but still a stall. When I brought him to the ranch were we are now there were paddocks with three sided shelter for the horse to run into. His area has a huge walnut tree giving him shade and he can see all around him and interact verbally with the other horses. His brother is next to him in another paddock. The change in my horses personality is very different than when he was in a stall.
He is calm, friendly and willing. The only words I have for it is he is a happy horse in all respects. I still put a sheet on him in the winter since he spent much of his life inside and I also like that fact that I don't have to spend very much time in the spring shedding his old coat. Makes maintenance much easier!

Outside living is in my opinion healthier for the horse both physically as well as mentally. As long as they have a way of getting out of the weather, be it a shelter or a tree outside is better for them. Horses in Canada and the Northern United States that are outside are big and healthy with supper long coats in the winter to protect them from the elements.

Cheers

Hello my fellow Cannuk,
Fresh clean air is the best you can give your horse 24/7 but
I understand your concerns. Here in the maritimes we had 5-6 feet of snow last winter and my filly, STAR, had to be kept in her large stall for almost 5 months.
She only came out where the snow was cleared and there was no ice, while my husband and I cleaned her stall.
Because she is a hottie she doesn't get a thick heavy coat and chills easily.
What type of horse is yours? Some need blankets, other do not. If yours does, buy the best you can afford. One that is safe and can endure our winters.
My biggest concern for warmbloods or hotties in our winters is there feet, that is why at most farms they keep them inside on our very bitter days.
We built STAR"S stall so one wall would be facing the outside, we built a split door and have the top half open so she gets her clean fresh air during the day and it faces the south so the snow will not blow in on her.
If it is too cold, as you know we can get, we leave all doors closed. Her stable is insulated and has storm windows.
My mother lived on the South Shore for 22 years before moving to Hamiliton.
My husband and I lived in Ottawa for 32 years and moved here 8 years ago.
I miss the valley. Hope some of this helps.
Adieu mon ami,
Ronda Bergeron

Hi Gen, I'm glad you read the article, it certainly opened my eyes to a few facts I never considered in the past!I was at first worried because one of my horses is a thoroughbred but she has adjusted wonderfully (as did the 2 thoroughbreds in New Zealand shown in the atricle). I do realise that for people who show their horses it's not an option for as you say... A shaggy horse would not win over a smooth sleek one...pity really.

Hi all,

This is such an interesting topic.

I have always had horses that lived outside 24/7. I live in Australia and grew up out west where it gets up to 45degress celcius in summer and down to -2 in winter - our horses were never rugged and did fine.

I now live at the Gold Coast, so the temperature year round is quite nice. I rug in winter because it means that if my horse gets hot and sweaty from a big workout late in the day, I can hose him off and because he has a nice short coat he drys quickly, I can put his rugs straight back on and he doesnt get a chill. It's more a convenience thing for me, because I can ride late if need be. But for pleasure horses that are not worked very hard (ie don't get sweaty) I don't feel it is necessary to rug in winter. The horse in the paddock next to me hasn't been rugged all winter is 100% healthy and happy.

However, in summer at the Gold Coast I find I HAVE to rug and use an eye mask to protect him from insects. Some horses react less than others to the bites though - I have found thoroughbreds (which my boy is) have quite sensitive skin and get big welts from the insect bites, whereas other breeds, such as stockhorses and ponies don't seem to have as bad reactions so they are ok without a rug.

In summer out west where the insects are not a problem, my family have never rugged, however after rain or floods insects can be a problem so for those short periods the horses have "smoke buckets" (buckets filled with hot coals and covered with manure which produces smoke for hours). The horses stand in the smoke (the boss horse always takes prime smoke position!) as the insects hate the smoke. The horses only leave their buckets for feed and water!

So just some extra points to consider - it's not just the winter to consider with rugging horses.

But if you can go rug free, I'm all for it!

Ruthy,
I love this suggestion on smoking and I wish I could do it but my neighbours on my right would flip out.
They don't even like it if we burn dried bush, unbelievably weird.
We all own farms but they are from a large city and have bought into a farm but know nothing about farming, they have goats and were burning their waste as they were bringing it out of the barn, stupid or what!
Capital pollution.
Rugging is almost an absolute here, if you have a hot blood.
She does not get a thick coat and chills very easily. Her skin is so sensitive that even when a mosquito lands on her her muscels react, thin skined.
I don't think there is any place on earth with the exception of Russia that has winter like we Canadians.
Some in the U.S.A. have actually come here in the summer and asked, "where is the snow"? You get the idea.
It's only the beginning of September and you can see your breath, coats already, lovely!!!

Hi.

I live in Denmark, were the temps in the winter can go down to -15/20.. My Icelandic mare is outside 24/7 365 days a year. Off course her breed makes it kind of logic, but in my experience, most horses will grow a very thick winter fur, if they are "allowed". In the spring they look a little funny, but usually trim her.

To see the horses when the first snow comes.. must be one of the greatest and funniest moments ;-)

All horses are individuals, but living out 24/7 is the best. It does depend on the circumstances though & you do need a stable/barn to bring them onto in case of emergencies such as lameness, injuries etc.Laminitis is another serious concern again depending on the horse as uncontrolled access to grass in this case is definately not suitable, but as long as he's healthy & you check him over twice a day, with luck he can live a wonderful life out with his friends.
best of luck

super articles jenny - thanks for posting that.