Ceifer
Well-Known Member
I’m glad it’s not just mine ?. One of mine lived out last year with my old horse. They came in during the day for a couple of hours. He was the first one to want to go back out is this year the one who wants in first ?
Anybody else’s horses fed up of the weather?
- Thread starter Ceifer
- Start date
Caol Ila
Well-Known Member
My horses are out from 8/9-ish to anywhere between 2pm (if I want to ride in daylight) to 4-5-ish.
They've been very keen to come in during the deluges. Even the ex-feral was waiting at the gate yesterday and speed walked with me back to the barn.
I am getting fed up because it's hard to do anything. At least over the holiday period, the riding school was shut so we had free and easy access to the indoor, and I felt I was making progress with Hermosa. Now, we've stalled. Being out of town for three days didn't help, but it's been chucking it down outside and the riding school uses the indoor all day. And when they've not been in it, it has been booked for clinics or pony club. Urgh.
I tried riding her in the outdoor yesterday, but she is still trying to figure out the forward buttons. I didn't have a ground person to help and she wasn't keen on going forward into the rain. Who is? I gave up, jumped off, and long lined a bit instead.
They've been very keen to come in during the deluges. Even the ex-feral was waiting at the gate yesterday and speed walked with me back to the barn.
I am getting fed up because it's hard to do anything. At least over the holiday period, the riding school was shut so we had free and easy access to the indoor, and I felt I was making progress with Hermosa. Now, we've stalled. Being out of town for three days didn't help, but it's been chucking it down outside and the riding school uses the indoor all day. And when they've not been in it, it has been booked for clinics or pony club. Urgh.
I tried riding her in the outdoor yesterday, but she is still trying to figure out the forward buttons. I didn't have a ground person to help and she wasn't keen on going forward into the rain. Who is? I gave up, jumped off, and long lined a bit instead.
meleeka
Well-Known Member
One of my oldies is thoroughly fed up. She’s never liked rain, but I think it’s getting her down now. This morning I was going to leave her in and let her out tonight when it’s stopped raining instead, but she was adamant she wanted out. I let her out and she hasn’t moved from the yard as of lunchtime. She’s scowling at the others so perhaps she only wanted to go out so she had someone to take her bad mood out on ?. It doesn’t help that the youngster doesn’t care one bit it’s raining and is marching from one haynet to another happily .
SEL
Well-Known Member
There's so much standing water on my fields and the tiny stream down the boundary is at its brim. It's a long time for my youngster to be in overnight but they are paddling on all but the ridges now - the furrows are full of water.
Apparently snow next week. Joy
Apparently snow next week. Joy
HelenBack
Well-Known Member
I'm really struggling with knowing what to do for the best with my older one at the moment. On the one hand he needs to be moving around for his arthritis, but on the other it is absolutely foul by us and he's not a big fan of the bad weather. At least if he's in he can be warm and dry and eat hay but then I worry about him seizing up and I really don't want to walk him in strong winds and rain.
How are other people navigating this? Or am I worrying too much?
How are other people navigating this? Or am I worrying too much?
humblepie
Well-Known Member
My horse's field isn't boggy or muddy though it is of course wet - he is normally happy to be the last out but this week he is desparate to come in after only a few hours. I like him out as much as possible to keep moving and for fresh air but for a few days am going to work on the basis that if he is out in the field he will just be standing looking miserable so can come in earlier - he was out 6 hours today and pretty much wanted in well before that. He does get ridden most days as well though not today.
AntiPuck
Well-Known Member
She doesn't seem to find it fun sliding about on the mud, but she still trots merrily off to go munch hay when turned out (well, more like skates off, at the moment) so clearly isn't too miserable about being out!
Equi
Well-Known Member
Yup. I haven’t much grass left but do put out hay but the little ones have decided they don’t even want to go out. Even the “will go out no matter what” one is looking out the door and going naaaah. At first I thought she was dying but she just doesn’t want to go out ? so they have been made to go out and the back doors been shut for a bit while I get the stables done, nets refilled and for and do the same for big lad then they come back in. They are always standing at the back door waiting! No point fighting with them over it.
maya2008
Well-Known Member
Mine live out 24/7 so don’t normally pull to shelter, but today, after a veritable deluge of rain, my NF requested politely to go hide in the horsebox for a bit… she nuzzled the ramp and looked at me hopefully, obviously dreaming of a few minutes of dryness and a nice dry haynet ?!
Tacobell
Well-Known Member
mine went out at 7 this morning..one was quite pleased to come in at 11 and the other wasnt fussed. we have our own water jump at the moment!
spotty_pony
...
It’s absolutely blowing a gale here so mine have been out today but are back in tonight - we are forecast 50 mph gusts and although not much rain I just daren't risk it with things blowing around and spooking them etc. They were quite happy to come in tonight even though they still have a lot of grass. They all seem quite tired even though they haven’t been ridden much this week so I think the wind had worn them out! I know the feeling!
FinnishLapphund
There's no cow on the ice
Well, did she get some minutes of dryness? (In the horsebox or somewhere else.)
HorseMaid
Well-Known Member
When I first got my mare 5 years ago she was a bit crackers and I wondered if she'd ever settle into being stabled.... She waits at the gate every night now calling to me to get her in!!
HashRouge
Well-Known Member
My horses definitely are; my poor elderly mare has got cellulitis to top off the terrible month she's had. I will be honest, I sat and cried in her hay this evening because I hate seeing her so uncomfortable. She's on antibiotics but I've asked the vet to send out some steroid sachets now because I don't want to leave her in so much discomfort over the weekend. And she wasn't great about eating her antibiotics this evening, so I'm going to have to get creative. I'm thinking mashed banana might tempt her!
Tiddlypom
Carries on creakily
I was thinking that mine are fed up with all the wet - here they are parked in the larger field shelter last night and same again tonight. Spot the differences...
Then I concluded they are actually just relaxed and chilling out.
The worst time of year here for fed up horses is the horsefly season.
Then I concluded they are actually just relaxed and chilling out.
The worst time of year here for fed up horses is the horsefly season.
humblepie
Well-Known Member
Hashrouge - hope you get sorted x
MidChristmasCrisis
Well-Known Member
Mine want to be out until I walk away from field gate..then they want to follow me back in. I’m only turning out whilst I do yard jobs and they really don’t like wind and rain.
Widgeon
Well-Known Member
Mine is out 24/7 too so I think he's used to it. He never looks particularly miserable and I can tell from the poo piles that when the weather's really grim he hides out near the woods. He's churned up the bottom of his field near the gate and it makes me sad to see him slopping though that to come and get his hay....but others have said they've seen him throwing shapes with his neighbours fairly regularly so he must be feeling quite good about life. He has hock arthritis so he's better off out.
It's been interesting to see the behaviour of horses on the same yard in different routines - there are four (of totally different types but same owner) on our yard who come in at night and have regular days in when it's grim weather, and they (IMO) look much more miserable about bad weather than the ones who live out 24/7. They are also more spooky when turned out - shooting, groups of walker, low flying aircraft bother them more than it does the ones who are out all the time.
Widgeon
Well-Known Member
Oh me too! I'm in the same situation. Steroid jab needed but can't do that until insulin levels come down...but it's raining all the time and I'm at work so I'm struggling a bit. I've been feeding soaked hay with a lot of straw for filler and that seems to be doing a good job. Good luck with yours, it's like a perfect storm of minor niggles and dreadful weather at the moment.
maya2008
Well-Known Member
She did - 20min out of the rain with some haylage!
Widgeon
Well-Known Member
That sounds hard. FWIW we have several arthritics on our yard, two of whom are ancient and rickety, and they're all out 24/7 with mountains of hay and big rugs and they're looking great. So as long as he's warm enough, with shelter and lots of forage, I would make your life easy and leave him out all the time.
NinjaPony
Well-Known Member
My Welsh is very fed up. He hates wind and rain… he was actually happier in the -7 temperatures than in the constant howling gales. When I show up around 5ish, he’s there at the gate shrieking to come in as soon as he spots my torch. He’s out 8-5pm and that is more than enough for him. I’m so sick of the weather and he is too.
PinkvSantaboots
Well-Known Member
Mine were coming in at night from just after Christmas as there feet and heels were just so soft, but I left them out last night as it was dry so I might just give them the odd night out.
Arabi hates the rain he will just stand where he can shelter the other 2 are not bothered.
Arabi hates the rain he will just stand where he can shelter the other 2 are not bothered.
Annagain
Well-Known Member
Even the troglodyte was really happy to come in last night. He'll normally mooch about about 20m from the gate letting the others argue about who's coming first. Last night he was front of the queue. He'll have been itching to get out for his roll this morning though.
PinkvSantaboots
Well-Known Member
You can buy the small bags of saracen recovery mash mine will eat most thing mixed in with a bit of that in there feed, you don't actually need that much either so the small bag lasts a while.
Tarragon
Well-Known Member
Well, my two field-kept ponies seem OK. They have free access to stables and hay nets, tied up in the stables, but in this windy and wet weather, they are always up at the far end of the field, with their backs to the wall, when I turn up in the mornings. I even have to walk up there to give them their feed! I actually think it is because they don't trust the big trees that are behind the stables, but who knows. In the very cold snap, they were down at the stables to meet me.
The hay has gone though, so they want the extra food.
I will be very glad when this wind drops.
The hay has gone though, so they want the extra food.
I will be very glad when this wind drops.
Goldenstar
Well-Known Member
Fencer has been and now we have very happy horses.Fatty was waiting at fence where it opens he knew what was happening
SEL
Well-Known Member
Show this to my three and they'll be hailing a cab! They're desperate for more than the pickings left in their winter field but everything is saturated so they're staying put
Goldenstar
Well-Known Member
I have just been across to check them before it got dark .
It was definitely Hi Thanks we hope you have not come to catch us , just in case we will slowly move away.
It was definitely Hi Thanks we hope you have not come to catch us , just in case we will slowly move away.
deicinmerlyn
Well-Known Member
My TB hates this weather, as do I! He doesn’t mind the cold, but the continual rain, wind and field like a bog, he’s ready to come in at around 2pm. I try to leave him until 3pm, but any longer than that he starts getting agitated and rolling in it and comes in in a disgusting state.