08/06/2026
For still being a full care stall horse boarding , the most common things I hear when people are acquiring about a stall is “ how many hours are they outside?” and even just “do you turn out horses?”
Unfortunately, I think this has just become the “normal” with many barns around this area.
The truth is that turnout isn’t just a luxury—it’s one of the most important parts of keeping a horse healthy, happy, and mentally balanced. Whether a horse is a high-level show horse, a trail horse, retired, or simply a beloved companion, they all benefit from having the opportunity to move freely and be horses.
Horses were designed to spend the majority of their day walking, grazing, and constantly moving. They were never meant to stand in a stall a 12x12 stall for 20 hours a day. Now of course, I understand people have changed this over the years but…
More turnout can provide many benefits, including:
• Healthier joints, tendons, and muscles through regular movement.
• Improved circulation and reduced stocking up in the legs.
• Better digestive health by encouraging natural grazing and movement.
• A lower risk of boredom, stress, and stable vices like weaving, cribbing, or stall walking.
• Improved mental well-being by allowing horses to express their natural behaviors.
• Better respiratory health with fresh air and less exposure to dust.
• Stronger bones and healthier hooves through regular weight-bearing exercise on different surfaces.
• Better overall fitness, making horses less likely to injure themselves when they do work.
Even retired horses deserve the opportunity to move, socialize, graze, and enjoy life. Their need for turnout doesn’t end when their performance career does.
And this is just important for our performance, Show horses. You don’t see professional athletes sitting in their bedroom 20 hours a day…
Of course, every horse is an individual, and weather, footing, medical conditions, and special circumstances sometimes require adjustments. But whenever possible, giving horses more time outside is one of the best investments we can make in their long-term health and happiness.
Even during extreme weather or temperatures, I do my best to get everybody out, sometimes it doesn’t always work that way. But my people have the option to keep their horse in or turn them out! Mine will always be out unless it’s an extreme ice blizzard or down pouring cold rain.
At AP Ranch, we believe horses thrive when they have the opportunity to be horses. ❤️
But don’t get me wrong, most of them love coming into their oversized squishy stall in the evening 😉 these horses don’t know how good they have it!
Here is some of my favorite pictures over the years of horses just getting to be horses.
So thankful to have a full barn of great horses and owners.
