As the snow melts....

WelshD

WelshD

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Is anyone else completely depressed about the state of their fields?

I went up to mine today to be greeted by a river of water and a couple of little lakes plus craters and dips in the already ankle deep mud. I just wanted to cry

I wanted to move the ponies on to the fresh half of the field but it seems pointless to wreck that too

Will it ever recover? :(
 
Yeah mine is just the same :/ I was saying the other day how I'm dreading to see what my field looks like under the snow. No point in moving ponies yet. It will just ruin that field aswell. Is there any way you could put them in stables for tomorrow? Or just a smaller area? That's what I'm gunna do, just the the ground has a day to soak up all the water
 
Same here :( The horses would all rather be in than out. Its pouring down outside now and looks like alot more rain over the next week or so. My field drains pretty well but its all too much. I was talking though to the farmer who brings out our hay & straw and he's not been able to sow any seed as it was far too wet, so the seed he has got is out of date. Lord only knows what he and many in the same situation will do. Depressing all round.
 
I will stable my two at night this week I think
It's odd that just a couple of days ago I was taking gallons of water up by sledge but earlier I bailed out a waterbutt to stop it overflowing and making more mud!
The ducks are happy though, they had their first proper swim in days
 
I am lucky in that at the end of Feb both mine are moving off the fields I have had for the winter. They are pretty wrecked - but grass does have an amazing capacity to return. We will just need that dryish window in spring when we can get on and harrow and roll. They will look sooo much better after that! Fear not - we'll have too much grass befor you know it!
 
Oh god its all melted and standing water on the ground its horrible, I had almost forgotten all about the mud! I was trying to carry new bags of feed across 2 acres sliding all over the place! Had gotten so used to striding across the solid ground... Oh well at least I am not obstructed from hacking by ice now :-)
 
I'm so depressed at the state of my fields, they've taken such a hammering with the heavy rain a few weeks back, were just beginning to dry and then the snow came, now that's melted and replaced with heavy rain :(
Couldn't believe how awful they look.

I just keep telling myself that in approx 6-8 weeks this will all be a distant memory and I'll be sectioning of grazing as I'll have too much grass for the fatty pony! - please let this be true!!
 
Yep snow is melting here now and left with icy snowy lakes. At least if the snow goes I can get riding again but can't really see where all the water is going to go! Hoping for drier weather soon.
 
I can't believe that 8 inches of snow has gone within 36 hours! Our fields are soaking but not too bothered, the horses are just so happy to see grass for the first time in a fortnight. It won't be long before they're frozen again probably.
 
I need a hot dry spring and summer......fields are awful, just sludge.....bringing mine in for six to ten hrs a day to try to give them a break......
Mine have been sodden for months, neds won't graze or move about much as its so horrid to walk on. You'd think it would drain being ridge n furrow and the two big fields on a slope...but no.
Can't wait to get them rolled smooth and solid again!!!
 
Our road is next to a beck, which has flooded. So I haven't even been able to get up to see the state of the fields (though I think they have hopefully drained into the aforementioned beck and won't be too bad!). Thankfully my lovely father-in-law is mucking out for me!
 
There is a river running down the lane this morning, with water pouring off the fields.

I put a heavy cob out and watched her reduce in size from 15h to 11h !! she just sank.
 
Most of mine are under water, we had bad heavy rain last night just to add to it went to turn out this morning at 5.30am and my drains were full with the water running into the field lovely.
 
Yep - horses have had lots of turnout in the snow but I'll have to restrict them for a few days now or they will just plough!
It's also forecast to be 12 degrees on Tuesday - the weather doesn't know what it's doing!
Lets keep fingers crossed for a nice dry spring so we can roll and rest the winter paddocks while lots of lovely spring grass grows.
 
Polos Mum said:
It's also forecast to be 12 degrees on Tuesday - the weather doesn't know what it's doing!.
Click to expand...

.....and it is extreme temperature change that results in sick animals.

In many decades of horse keeping I think the last 10 months have been the most difficult conditions to keep horses happy and healthy.

Lets hope spring arrives early and gives us dry warm days that allow the ground to recover, the grass to grow and this years foals a chance to thrive.
 
I was just so excited to be riding out I didn't pay much attention to the fields! Thought the grass looked quite green out and about, though. Hardly any hay put out. Blissfully happy! :D
 
For the first time since it was built 6 years ago my barn with indoor stables had been flooded an inch deep by water running across the yard off the fields. Deep litter beds are sodden, and I have to get someone in to dig a drainage channel across the entrance. More expense - still at least it wasn't my house. Anyone's house flooded? You have my deepest sympathy if so, it's bad enough in the barn.
 
A day when I can ride again and my cold is still fighting against the antibiotics.... :( everyone else has gone out for the day and im stuck here alone, waaaaaaah! I feel like death warmed up and hating the thought of having to do some school work later.... yuck yuck yuck!
 
Oh yes, water everywhere :(

Have been lucky though, as just over a fortnight ago moved our 2 to a new field as first one trashed. As soon as snow struck we moved them back to the trashed field with hay every day, and this morning back into new field, whew! Just for a change that all worked out well ;)

But, all the snow going revealed a fortnight's worth of poo to be picked :(
 
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