HHO Winter Survival Guide.

[meandmyself]

Is it wrong that I will be doing this, this year and maybe tying the dog to the front??

Not if you share pictures...

Headcollars make good harnesses if you're stuck.

 

[yvonnec64]

over the summer i bought some waterproof ski trousers ,for £15 now they are invalueable good for keeping out the wind and rain ,i wear wooly tight below them too warm for anything else so if im riding just bring jods with me or if going to work bring my work trousers to change into ,i always double rug with the heavy quilted one on first and lighter weight on top so it can be taken off if by some miracle we have a warm day ,no matter how many socks i wear i just cant get warm in wellies so long or short mucker boots furlined if possible are great ,i even wear them shopping if its snowing ,no risk of falling and looking a fool ,i feed speedi beet which if its really cold use a kettle to warm it up a little not boiling as it could freeze while they are eating ,and rubber gloves below wool one keep your hands dry ,i always have lots of spare gloves ,hats and jackets in my jeep (large boot thank goodness )so keep them handy all winter .

 

[Horsetan]

ONESIES for the yard under everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I swear by those!

 

[Sue C]

Buy cheap gloves got mine for 1.20, cut the tips of the thumb and next two fingers, then you dont have to take gloves off to do rugs etc.

At my yard we all take it in turns to do am or pm, all the horses are feed and hayed together, rug off in the morning/ on at night. They all live out have shelters and beds, so have the choice to do as they please, we are happpy and so to are our horses.

Three days to go and then the nights will be getting lighter x

 

[AbbeyandApache1]

I turned my five year old for the winter- as I can't justify keeping his shoes on we had these taken off too- so that we can chuck on lovely thick rugs and make plenty of spare hay nets for those days when it's too dark or cold to do anything else.

 

[rucky]

Mittens are better than gloves

I've got mittens instead of gloves,it does keep the heat on your hand!

 

[FourBurrowHunt]

For the horse i :I plaster her legs in pig oil, paying particular attention to knees, hocks, elbows, feathers and that bit just under the edge of the rug where the mud sticks. I also put 7 day mud away on her ears and around her eyes and cheeks and jaw as she hates having mud brushed off her face.
I plait her tail and tie it up in a tail bag.
I then put cowboy magic through her mane - it's amazing for stopping mud sticking.
I then spray the entire pony in cowboy magic bodyshine after a full groom. The end result is that during the week when I have no time I can groom her getting every last scrap of mud off in less time than it takes me to pick out her feet. This helps to keep her warm and dry, Then i also bandage or boot up her legs for extra warmth then double rug if i need to and bring in every night x

 

[MeganLindsx]

Last year my horse dropped off so much when it got cold so this year I have only given her a blanket clip and kept her well rugged and this has seemed to help. I also feed her alfa a oil in the winter and the she looks brilliant!!

At night we keep a large ball that floats in our water bluckets in the field (like a football or something) and in the morning you take them out and theres next to no ice..

 

[jm2k]

ive been told to put some liquid glycerin into the water to stop it freezing. (bought in the home cooking department). ive not tried it yet but i will be as soon as the water starts freezing.
i always keep it here incase i ever need to get a dog to drink as a few drops sweetens the water for them.

ive tried tennis balls in the water but that never worked - the horses would take them out and play with them!

 

[madeway]

I read your comments briefly. I found it very informative. I like it.

 

[mrfinnegan]

A sieve.... invaluable, break the ice on the trough and scoop out ice with sieve without getting your hands cold and wet......

 

[PandorasJar]

A sieve.... invaluable, break the ice on the trough and scoop out ice with sieve without getting your hands cold and wet......

lol, I collared OH when he left one morning, our sieve in hand. May be a brilliant idea, and several of our friends use one, but our kitchen one is NOT for horses! People need to be careful giving him ideas!

Pan

 

[Suelin]

Make your sugar beet up in a cool box (for frozen food) Lid on and your sugar beet won't freeze.

 

[pmands]

Not only cold but very wet coming into the Olympics!

With the bad weather new jackets are needed. Does anybody know where I can get a size 10 equestrian jacket like this one please? http://www.philipmorrisdirect.co.uk/musto-coat-ladies-combination-equestrian-jacket/product/

I've bought a lot from here before but I'm looking for more sizes?

I'm afraid to say, Autumn is upon us, and the cold weather is here. Winter wont be long round the corner, and it's set to be as bad as last years if not worse. So, I propose we all post our winter survival guide, be it for out walking, seeing the horses, driving about, or anything. If you've got little hints tips or secrets. Feel free to post about how to keep horses warm, or best way to break the icy water troughs, or what to do if stuck in the snow. Anything to help others winters become easier, we want to hear them!

So, I'll begin with the basics as I've not really had many bad winters or enough to gain many tips

Flasks of hot drinks! Invaluable on a freezing cold day!
Cover your head! Most of your heat is lost through your head so keep it covered.
Layer up your clothes, the more layers the better, the layers trap the air and the air then becomes heated which then keeps you heated
Mittens are better than gloves, heat from each finger will help keep the other fingers warm instead of being lost out into the cold.

 

[qiaok]

yes,i agree with you ,guys .good luck to you.

 

[edgedem]

Here is my tip

Get rid of the beasties and stay indoors drinking tea and eating biscuits!

On a more practical note, leave a football floating in your water trough to help stop it freezing over.

Thats an amazing tip.. i was just pondering how I'm going to tackle that one 2 seconds ago!

 

[AntxGeorgiax]

Fleece lined full chaps over jodhpurs!! Cannot go wrong!
If you need to save the budget, and don't want to fork our for a big warm rug, a normal human duvet can be used, just attach with a sercingle or two.. People at my yard have done this and it works.
Also, robinsons have a big sale on at the minute and have lots of cheap-ish under rugs/under cosies etc.
I also recommend snuggy hoods fleeces, sadly they are very expensive!!
In the field- small golf balls floating in the water, and hay everywhere, if possible a nice shelter facing away from the wind with a big thick bed in, or trees for cover! Bandages under turnout boots, and ALWAYS have a hoof pick on you. It can pick locks that are frozen, smash water troughs and clean hooves out...
Hand warmers are great too. Stick them in your gloves for some nice warmth!
Gah I don't want this winter to come back! Just the idea of my poor pony in the cold

 

[AntxGeorgiax]

Also, maybe try some salt? Just a little. Salt lowers the freezing temperature of water, and if you're afraid of pipes freezing on yard, cover them and fill up multiple buckets the night before and stick in tack room if it's heated!
I think for a cheap way to keep the legs warm, get some stretchy fluffy socks( joules do some that are fab!) cut the toes off and pull up horses legs.. I haven't tried this but I will this winter, I am sure they are loose enough to allow movement and elastic enough to stay up!
Please can I just reiterate, if you choose to bandage have a spare set because cold, soggy, wet bandages are awful on horses legs!
If you're keeping shoes on maybe ask for studs or road nails? Will help when riding and will help them gain some grip in the ice.

 

[kymw90]

A rechargeable builder lamp. big spot light kind of thing that goes off a battery. Great for those of us without the luxury of electricity. Anyone got an idea for battery powered heating though? Would be great to know!!!

 

[Scrumpy20]

I use hiking sticks to dig into hard ice and snow and use snow grips for going up steep hills and walking round fields.

 

[Centauress]

Hi All, New Member Here....

Don't Know if this has Been Mentioned Before {Making My Way Slowly Though Thread} But I Read Somewhere That Someone Packs Their Horses Droppings Around Their Water Buckets in Their Stables So They Won't Freeze and Apparently it Works...

 

[Bright_Spark]

Bit of an odd one, but we once got stuck in some mud in a big van, in the middle of nowhere. We had a sleeping bag in the back, so used this for the stuck wheel. It gave just enough purchase to get the van free. An old rug would probably work just as well.

I make sure my hubby has the following in his car over winter (he laughed at me at first, until the day he got snowed in at work!):
Overnight bag (toothbrush/ paste, deoderant, socks, undies, t-shirts, trousers and extra warm jumper)
Waterproof jacket and trousers
hat, scarf and gloves
blanket
wellies
shovel
food (kendal mint cake is good!) and drink
car stuff such as jump leads, windscreen washer, anti freeze etc

I always have a stash of drinks and food, spare gloves and hat in a rodent proof box at the yard.

H2go carrier, useful for when needing to lug lots of water about.
Small water carriers filled up to soak feed etc

I used to suffer with cold feet, until I got some of these:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Womens-Heat...O4OI/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1352384131&sr=8-4
Fab for wearing with wellies

I always wear a light-ish waterproof jacket and trousers over my clothes, so I don't get too hot when doing jobs and either freeze or get soaked taking off big jacket!

My hubby recently go me one of these:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0034C6GDG/?tag=hydra0b-21&hvadid=9557948349&ref=asc_df_B0034C6GDG
Fab for warming up hands, and I keep it in either a hoody pocket or inside jacket pocket for a little extra warmth!

 

[wiz07]

lol am i the only one actually look forward to the winter?

No I LOVE THE WINTER!

 

[Tremartyns]

It's my first winter of horse ownership and well, hasn't mother nature given me a real treat with all of this rain! My paddock was newly leveled and seeded this year which means its not properly settled yet and was cutting up terribly before the really bad weather.

The dude cob has taken it all in his stride and seems to prefer being stabled through the really rubbish weather than braving it out and getting plastered, which although is costing a small fortune in shavings means grooming and going for a quick hack isn't too much of a mission.

I am just hoping that we can't have much more rain than this, can we?!?!

 

[JustMeThen]

Get a metal sieve/colander; best thing ever for lifting the broken ice out of troughs, without freezing your hands solid!

 

[JustMeThen]

Magic words:

Goretex

Merino

Pertex

Polar Fleece

Only buy clothing/footwear that has one or more of those on the label - sorted!

Forget horsey brands, get yourself to your local outdoor/mountaineering store to buy clothing. Most of the kit is better quality for no more money than horsey gear. Check out the merino socks, silk glove liners, balaclavas, thermal undies, down filled coats etc etc etc

Buy a Buff (or several) most versatile and useful piece of clothing going!

I agree, my ski jacket and gloves were a godsend! The other lifesaver for me is silk gloves, only about £10 and they're thin enough even to fit under leather competition gloves, but they make so much difference.
Also, tights, thermal ones even better, and when it's really cold, I wear cycling shorts under my trousers too... can't think why I'm single...

 

[samsbilly]

If you use straw from a large round bale use a duvet cover and fill it with straw you can get twice the amount than just in a wheelbarrow and it doesn't blow around the yard x

 

[coffeeandabagel]

If you use straw from a large round bale use a duvet cover and fill it with straw you can get twice the amount than just in a wheelbarrow and it doesn't blow around the yard x

Lovely idea plus the sieve for ice - thanks

If you want duvets as under rugs try Freecycle instead of buying - I asked for old scruffy ones and said they were for my horse and was offered more than I needed so shared them round the yard.

 

[justmyluck99]

Put vaseline in your horses hooves to stop snow balling up and sticking!IT WORKS!!;D

 

[Landcruiser]

Dig out your Ragfork. Great for hacking through ice in frozen water troughs.

Keep your ears warm when riding by using a Buff with a fleece neck and pulling the silky bit over your head before putting hat on.

Warm your gloves and boots before putting them on.