Anyone's horses stuck in at the moment!!

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JANANI

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My four year old has been stuck in a stable now for seven days. I can't get him out because of the snow and he has to go accross a real icy road to get to my school and fields. I can't even let him out in the yard as it is not thawing one bit.

He has company as we weaned the foal on new years eve so she and my pony are stuck in as well

Anyone in the same situation at the moment.
Just think they are both going to kill me in when they get out!!
 
Tafs new mum text me last night to say he has been in now a week and although being a good boy she is worried it is doing him no good. I told her to turn him out in the snow but she is worried he may hurt himself which is fair enough. She did take him to see the yard snowman yesterday and he stole the carrot nose!! Bless him although i wouldn't expect anything different. She is also worried about his weight as Taf is a very good doer - to be honest i'm not really sure what she can do about that as she is only feeding him Hay and a small amount of dried chaff for his supplements? I'm lucky as my new boy goes in the indoor and has a a very boistrous friend to match him so in an hour they have had a huge workout minus bits of flesh. I wish i could go and watch them play it sounds hilarious but i cant get there due to the weather.
 
my TB is in, only cause i think he will kill himself in the rutty fields!!!
i take him out for a wander round in hand in the evenings, but he is so grumpy at not going out, as usually he is out everyday.
im trying to grin and bear it, but the weather is not looking good for a while yet! (sorry didnt mean to depress people)
 
I turned the Bog pony out this morning and he was delighted to be out although I forgot his breakfast so he was waiting by the gate for it whinnying in a very small boy way and then cantered round the field squealing when I finally arrived with it and some hay. It was a bit dodge getting him there but I'd rather he had the day mooching about outside than shut in for days and then go loopy when he finally gets let out or I get to ride him!!!

Have told my bosses that I have to leave in daylight today because roads are so unbelievably crap. At least it means I can get Bog in safely (and finish work early!!). Have finally accepted that I can't keep horse fit now that I'm back at work and fields are frozen and roads are lethal. Hunting will have to take a back seat for a month or so - haven't had a canter since Tues after Xmas when we hunted.

Boring winter!!!
 
My boys in until 1 and then we'll tiptoe across the yard to turn him out for 2 hours
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Better than nothing but my stable looks awful
 
Same position as you. Can't turn them out even though we've got paths around the concrete yard with mucking out on as too far and icy to get them even out to the menege.

Ours now been in 8 days. The only ones who are getting a bit wound up is the yearling (2009 foal) and one of the 2 year olds. I'm just anxious to get the broodmares out as they are due to foal in about 6 weeks time and not good for them standing in all day, but there again, safer than going over and breaking necks or legs. Can't go on much longer - can it!!!
 
Same here, ours are in! Been in since Saturday and looks like they'll be in for the next few days. Not ideal and mine is thoroughly fed up but there isn't much we can do. At least when they do get back out, the fields will be lovely because of the rest
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mines been in since before xmas! she's been out for an hour in all that time, even then she wanted in, i will be letting her out this weekend, but no doubt she will be wanting to come in soon after. wuss (lol) shes a heavyweight cob!!
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Yeah ours are all in at the moment because it is a steep hill to the fields so cant get them out. Doesnt effect me however because my boy is on box rest. All the horses are happy enough so we arnt too worried yet
 
QR: Unbelievable. There must be ways of getting these horses out - how would you like to spend day after day locked in a public lavatory cubicle? It would be a similar experience. I would rather mine were left out than left in.
 
Yes, glad it's not just me!
I feel so guilty about it!
We do have turnout, but the ground is just too hard for my rather accident prone horse.
Luckily, we have an indoor to ride in, but just hate not giving him some turnout.
Praying for some heat/sun!!!!
 
im really lucky, both boys have been out 24/7 since the snow came. the small paddock gate is tied open for them to get into the woodchipped yard area & i have left small stable door open for them to go in if its too cold/windy for them.
they have not really had a hoon about but guess thats cos they can mooch all the time.

dont want to imagine the loon id have if SWA was kept in for days on end, the old boy dont care as long as you feed him.
 
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QR: Unbelievable. There must be ways of getting these horses out - how would you like to spend day after day locked in a public lavatory cubicle? It would be a similar experience. I would rather mine were left out than left in.

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Oh yes, I could get my horse out easily every day but YM is being a swine and is totally up for wrapping her horse in bubble wrap, and feeling we should too
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Mine have been in since it first snowed!! 19 December.
The yard is an ice rink, my husband wont put down grit as it clogs up the drains and no salt as it wreaks the concrete.
I can't see it thawing enough in the next week or so for me to get them out.
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On the plus side, my horse is very laid back is is being a star.
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My Sh1tland as acting as to be expected.
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[ QUOTE ]
Ashgrove : what about putting a track of begging out to the fields?

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Well this is what we thought we'd do (being as have the paths all over the concrete) but unfortunately on taking the dogs just now for a play in the first paddock, after 5 minutes of them running around, their legs are being splayed because of the ice and ruts underneath. Just imagine what damage a horse could do to itself. The fact of knowing there is ice underneath in our paddocks makes us play safe. It wouldn't take too long for the horses to go out, one roll in the snow and then they would be trying to get back up and slipping on the ice they've just uncovered.

As regards the post about "being stuck in a lavatory" type of situation - thankfully our stables are at least 15' so they can move about, they aren't on their own - we are out there on and off all day even through to their last feed at 11.30pm, and are being fed, watered, hay'd and having more treats like carrots, apples, packs of polos etc. They're even being given a treat of more dried grass than they usually get as well.

The two guard dogs are also keeping the horses amused with their antics and often we look out and see the dogs standing up at the stable doors kissing the horses noses.

Rugs are taken off each day to give them a bit of air and feet are being picked out daily too. If they were so upset at being stuck in, I'm sure by now at least one of mine would have tried to barge out of their stable when the door has been open whilst mucking them out. They seem to love "helping" us muck them out - know there is a treat somewhere in our pockets!
 
Mine is in today because I can't get there and when i brought him in yesterday he was slipping a lot - i don't want anyone else to have the responsibility of taking him across the ice when he could slip and injure himself and/or them. However, he will go out for an hour this evening while I muck out. He has been out every other day this week because I've been off work. He is apparently happily munching on his hay whilst the others are pestering to go out!
 
Like Penniless's horses, mine are happy being in. They are kept at home so have the dogs to watch and we are in and out of the house all day. I am sure they would prefer to be out but have accepted being in. I am not risking their legs on solid ice hidden under snow.

Jane
 
We kept them in yesterday only. All out in the snow today having great fun. The yard is pretty icey, but they seem to negotiate it pretty well and sensibly.
 
Completely agree with Penniless and Whyworry, my 6 are kept at home and have been in for a few weeks now due to the extreme weather conditions. They were all last exercised on New Years Day and are very happy to be stabled. My mum and i are about all day and my dogs are constantly roaming around on the yard. They get regular small fibre based feeds and adlib hay and are very relaxed happy horses with excellent stable manners. Mine are all living in large (at least 15 x 15) brick built boxes so are nice and cosy and warm and have ample room to wander about. In contrast my fields have been severly affected by the ice and the ground is rutted and rock solid and my menage is currently frozen too with a few inches of snow covering it all.

Whilst i appreciate that a lot of people may think others are cruel for leaving their horses in, i know my own horses and i know that if i were to turn them out now they would have a hoon around for 10-15 mins, no doubt cause themselves countless injuries and then gallop upto the gate and demand to come back in. So to me, my system is working very well for me albeit with a lot of hard work on my part at the moment, but im hoping that once the snow is gone, mine will be able to return to their routine of exercise and turnout and this bad spell of weather will be all forgotten about without risking any injuries on mine or my horses part. I just think people need to remember that what system may work for one horse/yard may not nessecarily work for another.
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Glad to here that some people are in the same situation as me. My wee boy appears happy enough and is not barging out during mucking out. Unfortunately we have concrete paths and they are a death trap at the moment so they will not be out until they are fully thawed.
 
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