Bang goes my 24/7 turnout :(

I do think the last few weeks have been wetter than usual. I feel pretty lucky reading this, although we are on clay only the gateway is muddy. We have a new "pond" down the bottom end of the field which they love splashing in, the youngster spends hours rooting under the water for grass shoots. They must taste better! However we have a lot of grazing which is the only reason it's standing up to the wet.

Thinking back there have probably been 6-7 days of frost so far this winter, even up here, which is unusual. We're having a series of giant depressions rolling in from the Atlantic and no cold air pushing down from the north or east, hence the continual rain. Bad news is there's another weather warning issued for tomorrow, I think the south and west are forecast for the worst.
 
It's only just now started to get really bad rain-wise for us. Since it started ours have been in at night and out during the day because we've still got some un-boggy bits in the field. It's essential that my boy especially has turnout with his mild arthritis and I don't have time to ride him during the week, so he gets schooled at the weekend and turnout as much as possible (with mum exercising whenever she has a bit of spare time)

My dream would be all-weather arena with lights during the winter months *sigh*

Of course my boy and mum's TB do love to have a good play and a gallop right round the field when they go out!
 
RunToEarth said:
I'm just thankful we haven't had a winter like the last one, that was horrific. It is winter - it rains in winter, it has done every winter I've been about anyway. Horses are always hard work in winter.
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Agree that horses are of course harder work in the winter but it has rained in this part of the UK like no ever winter I have known in the 35 odd years. I actually think the snow and frozen ground from last year was easier than this rain and wind although I quite like the milder temp!
 
If it rains a lot and horses have to stay in, it means us riders/horse managers have to make an extra effort to exercise them. Simples.
 
My fields are water logged in places but I have two horses and three minis on 10 acres and as its on a slope the top is mud free and I still have plenty of grass. Saying that the minis have spent a few days mooching around the stable area where there are grass verges and I have had them on the lawn as well as that is still growing but too wet to cut!! Minis do a great job and their little feet don't churn it up.
 
Jericho said:
Agree that horses are of course harder work in the winter but it has rained in this part of the UK like no ever winter I have known in the 35 odd years. I actually think the snow and frozen ground from last year was easier than this rain and wind although I quite like the milder temp!
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I'm not sure where you are in the country, I'm sorry it's so wet for you. I just expect the fields to be off limits at wetter parts of winter and I can deal with that, they are a hobby for us and we have them for fun after all.

The snow and frozen weather last winter meant parents, who are dairy farmers, were snowed in for 9days to the extent that they had to tip milk into the pits, which is a bit like burning bags of £50s. I'd rather have soggy fields personally.

I know we're in for more wet weather, but the amount of people on here who are constantly complaining about the weather and the hard work - why bother having horses if it's that hard!
 
I'm sorry about the situation last year for your parents, luckily we only have arable. I much prefer frost and snow for horse keeping though, they look happy when its all white and shiney!
 
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Another one who was rubbing their hands in glee only a few weeks ago coz it was the first year in a VERY long time when my two were actually going to be OUT over Christmas!!! :)

Well....... they were out 24/7 over the holiday period: but its only in the last few days that I've brought them in at night. It wasn't that they weren't warm enough; they've both got lovely warm rugs on and even though traddie man is clipped out, his back has still been lovely and warm when I've gone to feed them first thing before sun-up.

But even though they've got a whole 7 acres with just the two of them, the field is like a swamp at the moment. It has held up remarkably well, away from the gated areas and watertrough, it has been actually quite firm out in the middle bits. They've got plenty of shelter to put their backsides against, one hedge faces NW which is usually where we get the inclement weather coming from, and another hedge by the road which they've been using in this recent weather.

The problem is really the wetness out there. We're on Devon clay here, and once it gets wet, it goes the consistency of toffee. Mare has already lost a shoe in it, not helpful as her farrier is off this week, so goodness knows when we'll see him.

So I've made the decision to bring them in at night. They've got turnout during the day, just a small paddock which if its trashed (and it will be) doesn't matter.

The other problem we have here is that unlike the average storm we usually get, the wind & rain is coming more from the south than the west, which means that a lot of rain is blowing right into the stables as they face that way. Which means that everyone's bedding is getting thoroughly mulched and yucky. But nothing that we can do about it, alas.

Hate this weather, I get really cranky in the wind, just can't help it, but s'pose we have to be thankful that as its so mild its not falling as snow.:( And it can't last for ever............. er, can it???
 
It must be a regional thing as I'm struggling to understand how anyone can think last winter wasn't as bad as this...it had been raining since May! In November 2012 my field was a giant lake and didn't drain off all winter. This year it is very wet, but I have loads of grass, fields are holding up well and no mud other than walkways so far (another few days and I may change my mind!) My area is much less badly affected by flooding this year compared to last though, so I realise a lot of places are worse off.
 
RunToEarth said:
I'm not sure where you are in the country, I'm sorry it's so wet for you. I just expect the fields to be off limits at wetter parts of winter and I can deal with that, they are a hobby for us and we have them for fun after all.

The snow and frozen weather last winter meant parents, who are dairy farmers, were snowed in for 9days to the extent that they had to tip milk into the pits, which is a bit like burning bags of £50s. I'd rather have soggy fields personally.

I know we're in for more wet weather, but the amount of people on here who are constantly complaining about the weather and the hard work - why bother having horses if it's that hard!
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Must have been very difficult for your parents and many other farmers. I know some farmers with livestock that have lost them in floods. Farming is a very difficult industry when faced with the inclement weather we sometimes experience and that has been localised.
 
I think extreme weather, whether in the form of snow or heat or rain, makes things challenging for anyone with horses, and of course farmers, worse for them because it's their living.

My farm horses have been off the land since before Xmas, farmer didn't tell us to but we thought it best, we've only got 5 acres for 3 horses. Luckily they have free access to a yard so they're not stables 24/7 .

My livery horses stay in on days when it's just piddling down without a breather because they look so miserable, they don't graze, they don't wander up the hill to the drier part of the field, they just stand by the heavily poached gate, waiting for you to take pity and bring them in.

I am not sure what I will do about the poached areas by the gate, I know the grass will grow, nature is amazing, but there are some deep ruts there. Has anyone had to deal with this kind of thing before?
 
Ours have been on the all weather turnout for about two months now, going out in the field once or twice a week. They are wandering about on it for about ten hours a day. I don't even bother trying to keep them in the field once winter sets in anymore, its easier having them on the winter turnout and they seem happy on it as they can see everything, touch each other and wander around all day (its quite big). I thought about putting them in the field today but it was really wet and sodden and the farrier is off skiing for a week, so didn't want to risk a shoe going!

Where we are it had been pretty mild and no wetter than normal (it rains all the blimmin time here but thankfully doesn't seem to flood. Driving back from London each week it seems half the country is under water and I'm thankful for what we have.

I wouldn't write this winter off as better/worse than last year yet. A lot can happen in the next few months. It snowed the worst in April last year!
 
And still it rains....mine were out 24/7 but the small three 2 acre paddocks are getting trashed. Now in at night and TO for a few hours in the day and a hack around block. Schooling area (no menage yet) is too slippery. HATE HATE HATE all this rain. Got to keep them off the 14 acre field cant risk ruining it, need it for hay and then summer TO. But guarantee that come may it will be so dry I will be praying for rain so grass grows. Don't know whether my small paddocks will ever recover as its my first full winter here.
 
Charmel said:
And still it rains....mine were out 24/7 but the small three 2 acre paddocks are getting trashed. Now in at night and TO for a few hours in the day and a hack around block. Schooling area (no menage yet) is too slippery. HATE HATE HATE all this rain. Got to keep them off the 14 acre field cant risk ruining it, need it for hay and then summer TO. But guarantee that come may it will be so dry I will be praying for rain so grass grows. Don't know whether my small paddocks will ever recover as its my first full winter here.
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They will recover with a harrow and roll. The damage that is done if you turn out onto drying/gluey ground will be worse than turning them out in real wet soupy conditions.
 
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