Feel like a broken record persistent wet!

[Bradsmum]

Correction, we have snow which is settling . Dydd gwyl dewi hapus (Happy St David’s Day).

 

[Ricedance]

Absolutely fed up with it now, my paddocks aren’t too bad but the whole yard is soaked, I’m having to wash the dog every single day because she’s coming back in covered in mud. All my coats are soaked and muddy

 

[Esyllt]

My fields are now swamps. I'm dealing with mud fever, so I made a "stable" with a yard for them so they are not in as such, and can moochy about, but it's not the same as turnout. I don't think there's any joy for them to be standing in knee deep mud. There's no grass. Costing me a fortune in bedding and forage, as I can't find hay local to me, and I'm questioning my sanity, but it is what it is I guess!

 

[Backtoblack]

We had hail last night snow early hours of the morning and rain now

 

[Pinkvboots]

It's freezing wind and torrential rain here and I feel bad as they were out in not very thick rugs because it was 11 degrees yesterday, the pair of them were huddled under the trees so just got them in and they actually did feel warm under the rugs thankfully.

It's meant to stop at lunchtime just looked at next week and it looks drier at the moment.

I bloody hope so it's been grim

 

[SEL]

I'm ankle deep in muddy water on my hard core yard. I can see a lake amongst the mud on the winter field and I've got my mum nagging about wanting to drop stuff off here because it's a shorter journey for them - anything and everything that comes through my yard gates gets covered in mud.

Spring needs to hurry up.

 

[Bobthecob15]

Ours have only been out 2 or 3 times a week as fields don't drain well, the plus side is they are not too trashed. We have a walker they go on twice a day or they go once on the walker and once a day loose school for a gallop and roll.

When they do go out they want to come back in by 12!

 

[setterlover]

Just got back from getting the horses in and it snowed over ice! you can barely stand up melting now but it is treacherous
Wouldn't like to be venturing onto the roads at present

 

[Goldenstar]

Things are looking better here it’s dried up a bit and I have at least felt the need to take a look at the chain harrows .
horses stayed out last night.
It’s not a good forecast for later today .

 

[GreyDot]

The unpredictabiity of the weather forecasting this year has also got me down. Even when a dry spell is predicted, it changes overnight to several days of predicted heavy rain (which appears). I don't know whether the jet stream is being unpredictable or what it is, but this year has been pretty awful.

 

[southerncomfort]

Just started snowing here.

ETA snowing very heavily. Haven't seen it come down like this since the Beast from the East which was exactly 6 years ago today.

 

[Bobthecob15]

Just started snowing here.

ETA snowing very heavily. Haven't seen it come down like this since the Beast from the East which was exactly 6 years ago today.

Oh no!! Stay safe x

 

[expanding_horizon]

Truly grim this morning, freezing cold, driving wind and rain. Yard and fields a mix of lakes and streams. So GRIM

 

[Sealine]

Really grim in Herts this morning, cold, wet and windy. someone talked me into a short hack and my poor horse hated every minute of it. Luckily we are moving fields tomorrow but the new field is further from the yard and the track is going to be very muddy. We're also adding a new horse to the herd on Sunday so they'll probably trash the field in a matter of minutes charging around. Forecast for the next week is looking drier so I'm praying things improve. I've been feeling very down recently and I can't work out if its the weather, SAD, menopause, work stress or a combination of everything.

 

[Highmileagecob]

Snowing here. Old Dobbin was still keen to go out with the others this morning, and rolled in the filthiest part of the field. They are all stood under the hedge gossiping, and I suspect it's only me that feels a tad guilty for turning out. Roll on summer.....spring grass, grazing muzzles, weight issues, coughing......

 

[setterlover]

Sealine said". I've been feeling very down recently and I can't work out if its the weather, SAD, menopause, work stress or a combination of everything. "

So sorry your feeling low I think as you say it's a combination of everything if the weather improved and the fields dried out everything would feel a lot better
I must admit I've had some down periods this last winter as it seems to have gone on forever and it eats into finances as well the pleasure of horse ownership.
One of mine is now on borrowed time (as well as running up a nice little vets bill)
Try to do what you have to do and not push yourself.
Hopefully we'll all feel better if the sun shines.

 

[Darbs]

Road planings and stone hardcore are your friend. Spending a couple of hunderd quid getting the access areas, gateways, etc filled with hardcore was the best thing I did. It redcued my actual encouters with mud by 80%.

 

[setterlover]

I must have ordered £1,000 "s of pounds worth over the last 15 years a lorry load is £180 I have 2 loads every year it seems to be a never ending battle to keep the tracks and forecourts mud free.

 

[PurBee]

Road planings and stone hardcore are your friend. Spending a couple of hunderd quid getting the access areas, gateways, etc filled with hardcore was the best thing I did. It redcued my actual encouters with mud by 80%.

This is all we can do, and it saves so much future work dealing with mud. We did a huge hardcore corral, tracks, gateways. The difference is amazing.

West ireland is usually perpetually wet so the high hay/bedding cost and shovelling barrow loads daily is year round. The dry hardcore areas save them from dealing with perpetual mud and wrecking the land.
I have 1 horse per 2.5acres and they still need pulling off regularly. If we had 10 acres per horse here we *might* get away with leaving them out!

Ive been measuring the autumn/winter weather rainfall closely this year - the last dry day was 18th january. In 150 days we’ve had 25 dry days.
We’re very eager for spring warmth!

 

[Titchy Pony]

I'm sitting here listening to rain on the sky light. I no longer have fields, but bogs. There's so much fencing to sort out, but just no way to do it at the moment. I gave up poo picking when it first started raining, the girls have been in quite a bit this year (last year I didn't have stables, thank goodness I've got them now) and it's involuntarily turning into deep litter bedding because I'm struggling to get the barrow to the muck heap. Luckily, I bought 6 round bales of straw off my neighbour beginning of summer, he's storing them for me, but they're already paid for so I don't need to worry about the cost of bedding, I think I'm on number two or three. Definitely needed more hay though and more diesel to go to the riding school to use the indoor arena.
I'm considering trading in my chickens for ducks and wondering if the fact that I keep seeing animals by pairs is a sign I should start building a very large boat.
Even the puppy doesn't want to go outside and has decided the stables make a good, dry, toilet.

 

[Tiddlypom]

It’s easier to stick the Shogun in 4WD and keep it there just to negotiate the 6 mile round trip to the local village, as the roads are so muddy.

As for the fields…

 

[Catbird]

Soooo done with the rain and mud. Thought (desperately hoped) that spring was on it's way but we've had rain, hail and snow today and it's flippin cold!!

 

[Gloi]

Just got back from getting the horses in and it snowed over ice! you can barely stand up melting now but it is treacherous
Wouldn't like to be venturing onto the roads at present

What part of the country are you? Here, in the Lancashire hills, we have had snow but it's only stuck on the tops.

 

[setterlover]

West Wales we were out last night and when we came to drive home at around 11.30 pm the windscreen was thick with ice.The snow was thick at 7.30 when I went out this morning but very slushy ,all gone now except on the top of the hills

 

[Squeak]

Deleted as it was completely wrong.

 

[irishdraft]

I'm just hoping we get a proper summer this year without constant rain.

To cheer everyone up... Clocks change next weekend

If you're in the UK the clocks don't change until 31st march, maybe wishful thinking x

 

[expanding_horizon]

I'm just hoping we get a proper summer this year without constant rain.

To cheer everyone up... Clocks change next weekend

No they dont! "The clocks next go forward by one hour at 1am on 31 March 2024. The clocks next turn back by one hour at 2am on 27 October 2024."

And when they do change, from my point of view, initially it means darker mornings! So not great.

 

[Squeak]

If you're in the UK the clocks don't change until 31st march, maybe wishful thinking x

No they dont! "The clocks next go forward by one hour at 1am on 31 March 2024. The clocks next turn back by one hour at 2am on 27 October 2024."

And when they do change, from my point of view, initially it means darker mornings! So not great.

Well that's disappointing. I blame Bing, I did think it was a bit early, oh well, they change this month

 

[HorseMaid]

Ours have got 2 big shelters on a good size hardstanding yard, and still chose to stand in the middle of the yard when it was hailing heavily earlier. I can see sprouts of green coming up and there are some lambs in the fields, and daffodils everywhere, so there must be an end coming. I cannot wait

 

[exracehorse]

I’ve been dumping the straw and muck from the stables into the sink hole in front of the first field entrance gate. The fields the ponies are in are awful. It’s a worry as these are winter paddocks so will be in there for a long time yet. I’m bringing in at 3pm. Earlier if heavy rain. Yard drain blocked so have water coming under stable doors. The road to the yard flooded and impassable. Taking me 20 mins extra each day to go the longer route through the golf course which is riddled with sink holes. It’s depressing. Ponies fed up and being arsey. Lost motivation to ride as edge of fields too wet on the hacks.