Dealing with the cold weather - another Siberian cold spell?

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TheRedMare

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I'm told that we're due more snow over Easter and, at least, a spell of unsettled cold weather in the interim.

What have people found most useful during this horrid weather? I thought I was good at dealing with the cold, but I've struggled being out in it since that first Siberian blast and earlier with chilblains.

What helps make life easier in the snow? What have you learned?
 
Making sure I have plenty of feed, hay and bedding ordered in before the cold weather hits and that all the water troughs are full. Hosepipe taken indoors so it doesn't freeze and can be used to top up troughs.
 
What eggs said. I have been hanging the hosepipe up too so it drains fully, then assuming the tap is working I'm pretty much guaranteed that the hose will be OK :D

Also that 4x4s are not that useful in snow with normal road tyres. OH's trucks have been a godsend with their chunky tyres and he's pulled lots of other trucks out of drifts /up hills ;)

Other than that - decent clothing and rugs are worth spending the money on :)
 
TheRedMare said:
I'm told that we're due more snow over Easter and, at least, a spell of unsettled cold weather in the interim.

What have people found most useful during this horrid weather? I thought I was good at dealing with the cold, but I've struggled being out in it since that first Siberian blast and earlier with chilblains.

What helps make life easier in the snow? What have you learned?
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I've been prescribed nifedipine for my raynauds , it's not really helping as I also have a spinal cord injury . My feet are like an odd pair , one swollen puffy red angry foot , one normal . Having anything touching my zombie foot makes it mad itchy .
Apparently it works for folk with chilblains , it might be something that could help you ?
As for making life easier , lovely yo has lots and lots of containers filled with water in tack room . A clean spade for chopping through the ice in the trough helps . Kettle in tack room for hot drinks - kept empty overnight so it doesn't freeze . A big bucket of grit for yard . Yo has nailed bits of carpet to gate posts , for padlocks to sit under , so they don't freeze .
 
milliepops said:
Also that 4x4s are not that useful in snow with normal road tyres. OH's trucks have been a godsend with their chunky tyres and he's pulled lots of other trucks out of drifts /up hills ;)
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We had a 4x4 stuck with the last lot, then the 4x4 that went to help got stuck too! Luckily we have friendly farmers :D
 
Thermals! Uniqlo are brilliant plus I dragged out my old toggi down jacket and a pair of ski gloves. I can barely move but I'm a lot warmer than the last time round.

BUT - NO MORE SNOW. I'M NOT HAVING IT!! NO. NO. NO.
 
1993 C&A ski wear :D They did make good ski wear! So glad I kept it, had only used it once for a week that year so it looks like new but the jacket is day-glo lime green and purple :)
 
TheRedMare said:
I'm told that we're due more snow over Easter and, at least, a spell of unsettled cold weather in the interim.

What have people found most useful during this horrid weather? I thought I was good at dealing with the cold, but I've struggled being out in it since that first Siberian blast and earlier with chilblains.

What helps make life easier in the snow? What have you learned?
Click to expand...

Do you know which forecast is saying more snow?
 
I would like an unlimited budget for heating clothing
https://www.blazewear.com/

I would like one of these as it looks fun
https://www.sstack.com/water-buckets-waterers/dura-tech-strainer-ice-breaker/

To try one of these
https://www.sstack.com/water-buckets-waterers/high-country-insulated-bucket-holder-black/

Until then I fill extra buckets, turn off the main water at night, wrap my outside tap in a blanket, fill the kettle for hot drinks, leave a heated on in the feed room and use the shower turned on hot to do the bucket washing up or defrost anything that needs it, I also stuff a hairdryer down my boots on high heat which gets my toes working :)
 
It's popped up across several news sites now, but I'm HOPING it will stay cloudy only over Easter (milder) as it's not set in stone.

Thank you to who suggested the treatment for chilblains, you are AMAZING <3 Double socks today, but need to let the poor things heal... Planning to sort a trough that will take longer to freeze over for the field (insulating with bedding, as it's worked so well for my stable buckets) if it does look set to plummet on the forecasts ahead come this weekend.
 
webble said:
Easter forecast here is highs of 9 lows of 4 cloudy with sunshine think I'm missing something
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Same here and I'm in Yorkshire. These dire predictions seem to be coming from the Express rather than any actual weather forecaster so I'm choosing not to believe it! :)
 
Oh please no more snow! Mind you, I am lucky as Breggey is on part livery so if it comes to it the YO will sort her out as I don't have to be there but I do like to go and see her. I'd definitely wear my skiing stuff to keep me warm and I don't care if I get laughed at, so long as I am warm!
 
Waterproof, fleece lined overtrousers.
Snow boots - fleece lined ones.
Woolly hat.

Our taps and pipes have frozen several times now; if it were just the taps it wouldn't be such an issue, but the lagging around the pipes has come off and hasn't been replaced so they're freezing solid too. This has meant lugging containers of water from home (warm water to encourage drinking). We've been keeping horses in due to the hard rutted ground at the worst times, I haven't been able to soak hay, it's been an absolute nightmare. My friend's horse got impaction colic - luckily caught early and he is fine.

So honestly, there had better bleddy not be any more snow, I am thoroughly sick of it (as I'm sure you all are!).

I'm emigrating if there is - anyone joining me?
 
Please no more snow, and no more rain, I desperately need my fields to have some time to dry out so I can rotate my girls out of their current paddock without absolutely trashing the next one. The ground is so waterlogged here that the water from the snow is mostly just sitting on top ;__;
 
I'm organising my riding club camp the week after Easter. I had an email from the venue today warning they still have a foot of snow on the XC course. The first lot hadn't melted when they got the second dump. Even if it melts in time it's likely to be sodden. I'm doing my sun and strong wind dance as we speak.
 
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