Chavhorse
Well-Known Member
It has been minus 8 here again last night and we have now crept up to minus 4
Just to cheer everyone up I though I would note my feelings on the absolute joy of looking after a Horse in Winter
Poo Picking
You accept that you need a chisel to get it up off the ground
When picking in the dark with a torch or under the lights of the school it becomes impossible to differentiate between frozen poo and frozen clods of sand or earth at this point you become paranoid that there is something horribly wrong with your horse as it is pooing so much. Remembering that Google is your friend you make the mistake of Googling too much poo this gives you something else to worry about see watering and turnout below.
Some of the more strange liveries actually make oh it looks quite pretty at the frost covered diamond sparking mounds of poo
After 20 minutes you pray for a fresh one as at least it will warm your hands up!
Watering
At the first sign of frost the highly expensive automatic watering system will freeze up this necessitates a long walk up to the house as this is the only part of the pipe system that is not frozen .
Your horse (now used to the highly expensive automatic watering system) will now either be terrified of the bucket in its stall or tip it over causing a curling rink effect in the barn and chuck the bucket over the door at your head as you skid past.
Out of desperation and in a Eureka moment you pour water into the feeding trough only to forget what you have done 4 hours later and serve your horse muesli and Lucerne Grass soup.
You also become aware of just how much your horse is drinking in gallons, out of interest Google the normal amount for a 17hh warmblood this of course gives you something else to worry about. See Poo Picking above and turnout below..
Rugging
What was once so easy (medium weight turnout 24/7) now becomes very complicated, do you go into a heavyweight turnout and a heavy weight stable blanket, stick with the medium weight TO and put a medium weight stable underneath, where does fleece come into the equation, is wool better, neck cover only when out or in as well. You make the mistake of not only googling what rug weight for minus 36 degrees but you also post a question on a Horse Forum this starts the Inevitable knock fight of over rugging under rugging and some poor soul will become forced into saying My horse my choice so naff off! you start to wish for the days of Jute Rugs and Witney Blankets and no ther choice!
Having made the decision to layer you realise that your horse with his 3 layers is now looking like a bondage victim with all the surcingles, leg straps, neck straps and heavens knows what else. You wonder if they make Gimp Masks in W/B size but decide not to google it in case your OH finds your browsing history.
On the bright side the level of bite marks from the playful field companions goes down, best not to look too closely at the rugs though and start to tot up the repair costs.
Turnout
Your cat loving neighbour approachs you and says you are cruel putting those poor horses outside in the cold weather. This in spite of the fact the horse is wearing the equivalent of a 20 tog duvet and a mackintosh or has a coat that is more like thatch and enough blubber to see it through a nuclear winter. You remain cool calm and collected remembering that neighbourly relations need to be kept good and gently remind the mad old bint about the time she thought the poor horses were dead rather than sunbathing and how annoyed the police were at the emergency call.
You watch as your pride and joy gallops around bronching with his field pal over earth as hard as iron just waiting for the limping to begin, shouting stop it you silly arse has no effect....you start to Google "injuries caused from hard ground" but at least it gives you something else to worry about - See Poo picking and watering above.
Riding
Ahh who can resist the total and absolute joy of hacking through frost covered fields, looking at the beautiful frost covered trees and the frozen rivers and lakes On horse that has done nothing for weeks but stand rugged up, eating its head off and now it is outside wants to GOOOOO eyes on stalks, jogging and spooking at everything it sees, some things it believes it sees, and its own excitement farts, add some locals dressed in a selection of woolly hats, boots and maybe even killer walking poles and you have the recipe for a lovely relaxed ride NOT!
When your school finally thaws out you book a lesson. You wear, a thermal vest, t-shirt, thin jumper, thick jumper, and thick coat, gloves, thick socks and a woolly hat over your riding helmet, You wonder why suddenly you do not feel as flexible as you normally do.
It is now snowing so am off to buy a sleigh!
Just to cheer everyone up I though I would note my feelings on the absolute joy of looking after a Horse in Winter
Poo Picking
You accept that you need a chisel to get it up off the ground
When picking in the dark with a torch or under the lights of the school it becomes impossible to differentiate between frozen poo and frozen clods of sand or earth at this point you become paranoid that there is something horribly wrong with your horse as it is pooing so much. Remembering that Google is your friend you make the mistake of Googling too much poo this gives you something else to worry about see watering and turnout below.
Some of the more strange liveries actually make oh it looks quite pretty at the frost covered diamond sparking mounds of poo
After 20 minutes you pray for a fresh one as at least it will warm your hands up!
Watering
At the first sign of frost the highly expensive automatic watering system will freeze up this necessitates a long walk up to the house as this is the only part of the pipe system that is not frozen .
Your horse (now used to the highly expensive automatic watering system) will now either be terrified of the bucket in its stall or tip it over causing a curling rink effect in the barn and chuck the bucket over the door at your head as you skid past.
Out of desperation and in a Eureka moment you pour water into the feeding trough only to forget what you have done 4 hours later and serve your horse muesli and Lucerne Grass soup.
You also become aware of just how much your horse is drinking in gallons, out of interest Google the normal amount for a 17hh warmblood this of course gives you something else to worry about. See Poo Picking above and turnout below..
Rugging
What was once so easy (medium weight turnout 24/7) now becomes very complicated, do you go into a heavyweight turnout and a heavy weight stable blanket, stick with the medium weight TO and put a medium weight stable underneath, where does fleece come into the equation, is wool better, neck cover only when out or in as well. You make the mistake of not only googling what rug weight for minus 36 degrees but you also post a question on a Horse Forum this starts the Inevitable knock fight of over rugging under rugging and some poor soul will become forced into saying My horse my choice so naff off! you start to wish for the days of Jute Rugs and Witney Blankets and no ther choice!
Having made the decision to layer you realise that your horse with his 3 layers is now looking like a bondage victim with all the surcingles, leg straps, neck straps and heavens knows what else. You wonder if they make Gimp Masks in W/B size but decide not to google it in case your OH finds your browsing history.
On the bright side the level of bite marks from the playful field companions goes down, best not to look too closely at the rugs though and start to tot up the repair costs.
Turnout
Your cat loving neighbour approachs you and says you are cruel putting those poor horses outside in the cold weather. This in spite of the fact the horse is wearing the equivalent of a 20 tog duvet and a mackintosh or has a coat that is more like thatch and enough blubber to see it through a nuclear winter. You remain cool calm and collected remembering that neighbourly relations need to be kept good and gently remind the mad old bint about the time she thought the poor horses were dead rather than sunbathing and how annoyed the police were at the emergency call.
You watch as your pride and joy gallops around bronching with his field pal over earth as hard as iron just waiting for the limping to begin, shouting stop it you silly arse has no effect....you start to Google "injuries caused from hard ground" but at least it gives you something else to worry about - See Poo picking and watering above.
Riding
Ahh who can resist the total and absolute joy of hacking through frost covered fields, looking at the beautiful frost covered trees and the frozen rivers and lakes On horse that has done nothing for weeks but stand rugged up, eating its head off and now it is outside wants to GOOOOO eyes on stalks, jogging and spooking at everything it sees, some things it believes it sees, and its own excitement farts, add some locals dressed in a selection of woolly hats, boots and maybe even killer walking poles and you have the recipe for a lovely relaxed ride NOT!
When your school finally thaws out you book a lesson. You wear, a thermal vest, t-shirt, thin jumper, thick jumper, and thick coat, gloves, thick socks and a woolly hat over your riding helmet, You wonder why suddenly you do not feel as flexible as you normally do.
It is now snowing so am off to buy a sleigh!
