How’s everyone coping in this weather ?

[exracehorse]

It’s been tough two weeks. Have covid. Frosty cold days were great. No mud. Then covid took its toll. Fatigue. Temperature. Flu symptoms. Then snowed. Then freezing temperatures. No water at the yard. Filling up containers from home in the butler sink. Parking my car on double yellow lines outside on a busy road. Getting them in car. One fell over going up a hill. Had gallons of water filling up the boot. Then filling up all ten stable trug buckets. Have five horses. Then walking through two fields with said water containers. Stopping every ten strides as I’m dying. Then filling up troughs that the horses drink in ten seconds.

 

[Pmf27]

Sorry to hear that you've had a tough couple of weeks, I hope that things start looking up for you soon!

As for how I'm managing, I hate it. I've had enough and I'm grumpy about it. The bit that's getting me the most is not being able to ride, which is only compounding the (unrelated) stress that is currently doing a number on me.

Riding is the only time my mind is 'quiet' so it's my absolute happy place and I'm a grump without it. Phew, moan over ?

 

[Petmurf]

Fed up with it and glad it’s warming up over the weekend.
Roads are a mess, frozen pipes at the yard, can’t hack out and it’s flipping cold ?

 

[Snow Falcon]

Haven't ridden for 2wks and now have covid so I'm done with it all.

 

[tda]

I feel your pain, all I seem to have done this week is move/fill water containers, then they drink it straight off or put their bluddi foot in it ?

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

Absolutely no regrets around giving up. Would never go back to it.

However can't fully enjoy it as on 3rd week of the awful lurgy, and now have pulled a rib muscle, badly, from coughing.

 

[blitznbobs]

Well after a stressful week where i couldnt catch one of my horses (see other thread - i have actually been happy pottering about filling buckets I would prefer it if they didn't think every time i fill their buckets with warm water that its a nice cup of tea and have them down the lot but at least i know they are not dehydrated

 

[SEL]

I've had some sort of cough / cold bug and trying to wipe my nose in minus 12 wearing ski gloves is a challenge! I'm totally fed up of filling up containers at home and breaking ice. My big mare's outer rug was so frozen yesterday it stayed in shape after I'd wrestled it off. They're eating their bodyweight in hay and grumpy. Yard cat is miserable. Doesn't help that we've got really busy at work so my Xmas shopping hasn't happened and I'm stressed about that too.

 

[shortstuff99]

I've been to the Polar regions, so me dealing with the cold is fine. Doing 3 horses in the cold is rubbish. Also having to fill containers of water at home as no water, no riding, bleurgh.

 

[Goldenstar]

We have not had it too hard we have not lost water at the yard and the horses all clipped except Fatty have stayed out .
They are still on restricted forage but I have added some soaked grass cubes ( a large mug each of dried cubes well soaked ) they have gained a little weight ?as we can’t exercise because of the ground conditions .
Got to love the ID‘s metabolism .

 

[Gloi]

Bad at the yard. Carpark an ice rink. Waterers all frozen up. Just one tap working. ?

 

[Spottyappy]

Utterly fed up with the lugging of water and so much hay being needed too situation.
However, my OH brought me a deer carcass sled a few years ago, for lugging hay to the fields. It’s brilliant in this weather for carting the water from car to trough too.
hope those of you who are poorly, feel much better soon,

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I've struggled tap froze so lugging buckets from the utility room, the horses are bored they are just standing on the same bit of field all day they don't really want to come in but they don't want to be out either.

Counting down the hours until Sunday when hopefully the snow will start to melt we still have tons of it, it's going to be a balmy 4 degrees tomorrow thats pretty warm considering it's been -2 in the day all week.

 

[millikins]

I've been off work this week which has eased the pressure. Managed to nurse one trough by lagging with travel boots and applying a hot water bottle every morning, though it had frozen today after -6 last night. The feed room tap has remained free, it has a tiny paraffin heater under the sink which just about keeps the frost off. The cold is tiring but have to say I much prefer it to the wind and rain forecast next week.
Keeping a tap running has been a godsend, I sympathise with those lugging containers, been there and it's tough.

 

[SpotsandBays]

Defrosted my hose in the bath the other day so I could fill all the troughs up (don’t tell the fiancé!). Frozen taps and troughs have been a bugger, but I’ve c very much enjoyed not getting muddy!!

 

[Michen]

Hacking in -12 celsius out here in Colorado! Boggles snot froze in his whiskers ? But with a heated barn so no tap freezing and heated waterers in the turnouts. And no ice or ruts because there’s no mud or rain!

 

[Caol Ila]

Mostly working on my usual yearly snow rage about my livery yard and the bellend drivers on the roads. In Colorado, we know how to deal with this sh1t. Buy some G0ddamned snow tyres and let me turn my barefoot horses out. We don't need to reinvent the wheel and act like snow is a new problem to humankind. Especially when it happens in Scotland every. f*cking. year.

Your moment of zen. This guy, who crashed into the fence of the mares' field (luckily not the one they are in at the moment). This is a straight, flat bit of road. If you were driving slowly, sensibly, and had appropriate tyres, you would not be in the ditch.

 

[spotty_pony]

Glad to hear I’m not alone! The lugging water and hay out twice per day is back breaking. I have to do water normally but not usually everyday and I don’t usually put hay out unless they really need it but with the ground being so frosty (we haven’t had any snow) they are having hay out twice per day to make sure they have plenty to eat to stay warm (plus two feeds per day!)

IMO it’s worse when it’s muddy though as the wheelbarrow struggles to through the mud and is heavier! Not sure what’s worse!!

Sunday is going to be lethal as it’s meant to rain on top of the frozen ground so I think they will be staying in. I’ve loved having them out for the whole time it’s been frosty but looks like they may be back in a bit more with wet and windy weather on the way next week… I have still managed to do a bit of riding but with having three I never really feel I’m keeping on top of riding them in the winter due to time and daylight! I did ride all three on Wednesday but haven’t had a chance since and won’t until tomorrow.

Hang in there people we are nearly at the shortest day! Roll on spring!!

 

[Squeak]

I have been really enjoying the lack of wind and rain with the clear blue skies, I just wish I could still ride in this weather. I luckily topped all my waters and containers up just before the tap froze and I reckon I've got about one days worth of water left so I've been very lucky.

I'm another that has caught a bug that's going round so it's probably not been a bad thing to have had an enforced riding break but I'd thought that this kind of weather was meant to kill all the bugs going round - We've had the cold for 2 weeks now and more people than ever seem to be ill!

 

[Griffin]

@exracehorse I am sorry to hear you have had Covid, I had it recently and it is very debilitating. I hope you feel better soon.

I don't think I am coping too badly but the frozen water tap makes life hard. I am having to use a more sheltered tap which means a much longer walk. Also, dragging my wheelbarrow to the muck heap is a chore.

 

[LEC]

This is what I am coping with…

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmPQxVrK-P5/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

I am sure there will be several people who will go oh it’s lame or unhappy as seems to be what everyone thinks the whole time on here but nope, it’s just absolutely full of it and sometimes they can be just monkeys.

 

[SEL]

This is what I am coping with…

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmPQxVrK-P5/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

I am sure there will be several people who will go oh it’s lame or unhappy as seems to be what everyone thinks the whole time on here but nope, it’s just absolutely full of it and sometimes they can be just monkeys.

It's so icy mine haven't done anything for 10 days so if we don't get some shapes thrown I'll be be surprised.

 

[Auslander]

I rarely get to a point where I question my life choices, but I'm right at that point at the moment. The pipes at the yard have been frozen for most of the last 5 days, and I have been doing water for 13 of the 18 horses here by wheelbarrow from my house, which is a fair walk away.
I bought some 1000l IBC containers, and got one filled up a few days ago during a short, blissful interlude when I had running water. Still had to use buckets to take water out of it, but a much shorter walk! It is now empty, which, by my reckoning means I am carrying about 500l a day, just for the stables/mares field, before I even get to the 4 boys who aren't within hosepipe distance of the house (thankfully Alf, the colt, and the gremlins are!)

 

[SEL]

I rarely get to a point where I question my life choices, but I'm right at that point at the moment. The pipes at the yard have been frozen for most of the last 5 days, and I have been doing water for 13 of the 18 horses here by wheelbarrow from my house, which is a fair walk away.
I bought some 1000l IBC containers, and got one filled up a few days ago during a short, blissful interlude when I had running water. Still had to use buckets to take water out of it, but a much shorter walk! It is now empty, which, by my reckoning means I am carrying about 500l a day, just for the stables/mares field, before I even get to the 4 boys who aren't within hosepipe distance of the house (thankfully Alf, the colt, and the gremlins are!)

I'm going to stop stressing about doing 3....

 

[cauda equina]

One of the saddest things I've heard was a Canadian dairy farmer talking about carrying water to his 300 cows, and crying

 

[blitznbobs]

One of the saddest things I've heard was a Canadian dairy farmer talking about carrying water to his 300 cows, and crying

To be fair he needs to buy a bowser - pretty poor planning especially in Canada

 

[Peglo]

Yesterday was the first day we had any lying snow. We’ve not had it as cold as you guys north and sooth of us but did get to -4 yesterday and working in a shed with all the doors open was pretty chilly. Didn’t get my forklift stuck in the ice though ???
We’ve gotten off really lightly compared to all you.

@exracehorse hope you feel better soon!

 

[TinseLeneHorse]

???

 

[fidleyspromise]

Glad I have a bath and a metal trough. Both filled up any time it's not frozen.
I remove ice and into buckets but might need to dump some on the muck heap so I can remove more as I've filled all my empty buckets.
Yesterday the ice was so thick I couldn't smash it until I brought out my post rammer.

There's ice all over the field and so bad one of the ponies slid and fell on her knees I've put hay and some water in shelter to try and stop her venturing out.
There's nowhere I can put them as one shelter and one pony stresses inside. (Next year I'll have 2 shelters). I've never had ice so bad in the field.
My soaked feed in shed is wrapped in hay

I'm going to pick up extra hay today to ensure I have loads over winter. I'm giving it dry and keeping a close eye on pony with COPD as not wanting to give frozen hay.
I've not had to carry water. Yet.
Thank god for 4x4 as ice heading up hill to ponies is a bit mad.

 

[HorseMaid]

Ours have managed to stay mostly out, they've got a huge water trough so have removed ice from that every morning, they haven't died ? been feeding and haying in field to save on bedding as straw ran out and delivery man not able to get to us. Taps on yard been frozen so containers filled from home for box rest one.

My mare has been convinced she's dying of hunger (she's definitely not) and whinnies at me constantly from the field whenever I'm there.

Had the farrier the other day and by the time he'd finished my car had slid from where I parked it and was sat sideways across the middle of the yard. Funny, but I'm over it.