How’s everyone coping in this weather ?

[scats]

Feeling rather guilty that my friends have got my girls in this weather. Yard has been an ice rink, taps frozen and fields under solid ice. They have managed to get the girls out to the front paddock this last few days, so that’s good. It’s rained a bit this morning and everywhere is starting to thaw out, thankfully.

 

[little_critter]

We’ve made it to +1 degrees, whoop!
Im hoping the school might be thawed enough later to give T a lunge. Not worked him in over a week now, but luckily they’ve gone out each day.

My poor YO has been run ragged trying to keep water available for the yard.

 

[Landcruiser]

It's been down to -12 locally and never got any warmer than about -4 for most of the last week. My yard tap has refused to defrost for the last few days so I'm carrying water for my 3 from the house (thankfully horses are at home). My biggest difficulty is my youngster who's rehabbing in a tiny pen and supposed to be being handwalked daily. The ice has made this almost impossible. I've tried walking her on the road (our road has been salted for the first time EVER so thankfully no cars through our hedge so far this year!). Unfortunately the passing drivers are tw@ts so I've given up. The other two are confined to yard/turnout area keeping her company so I'm using a huge amount of hay, although this would be the case even without the freeze.
My other big problem has been keeping my hands warm. I have arthritic fingers and my hands get very painful and non functional when they are cold. I have loads of gloves of all sorts but doing stables at -12 degrees at 6am has them beat.
Never thought I'd be longing for MUD!!!

 

[Lady Jane]

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.

Where do you live? You haven't got snow?

 

[welshcobabe]

We are without water lucky that the trusty subaru can manage the farm lane that is like an ice rink so I can take water up for me and my mates. Horse is having some time out every day so that is Ok you just have to choose were to walk, we had a power out the other morning but I had my head torch so could carry on. We now have rain on top of the ice which is just lethal. But I am tackling it all with the right attitude for the moment, it is winter you just have to grin and bare it not long now to the shortest day and then we will be on the up. Top tips I walk to the farm in the early morning with a hot water bottle tucked in my coat it keeps me warm and then gives the lad a warm breakfast and added to the water bucket takes the chill of it. I have also now added grips to the bottom of my wellies and loads of layers if any one has a top tip for my glasses steaming up while mucking out ? other than that just keep going.

 

[Landcruiser]

But I am tackling it all with the right attitude for the moment, it is winter you just have to grin and bare it not long now to the shortest day and then we will be on the up. .

I am really hoping you mean "Grin and BEAR it"

 

[ycbm]

It rained this morning. I was dead pleased until I stepped outside and realised that the ground was below zero and the paths, drive and road were now a lethal skating rink ?

I texted the stables and went back to bed.
.

 

[ycbm]

I am really hoping you mean "Grin and BEAR it"

I prefer her version. You first , WCB ?

 

[little_critter]

We’ve made it to +1 degrees, whoop!
Im hoping the school might be thawed enough later to give T a lunge. Not worked him in over a week now, but luckily they’ve gone out each day.

My poor YO has been run ragged trying to keep water available for the yard.

Not defrosted enough to lunge but did some in hand work in walk and T was very well behaved give he’s had a week off.
Hoping to hack tomorrow (in the pouring rain ??)

 

[Red-1]

It was -9 here yesterday morning, usually -5 over the last week. Both boys have been out of the stables daily. BH is turned on the arena for the day, which is carpet so still has a little grip and give. Rigs has his stable/patio (approx 10m X 25m) and free access in and out.

Today, it was slightly warmer so I got BH walked out and Rigs ridden round the short block. BH was great, Rigs was spicy but fun!

I look like a scarecrow!



but still, that is warmer than I was this morning!



I have managed to persuade the hose to work each day, although it is temporarily a slightly shorter hose, one of those that deflates between uses so I can bring it inside. The tap has been covered but has still needed warm water to bring it to life on 2 occasions.

I mostly hate leaving things scruffy. BH has some faecal water going on but it has been too cold to wash his bum/tail. BH's shelter and Rigs' patio mats have been left un-swept to improve grip. Water is done once a day, so buckets aren't as well scrubbed out. 5 trips for the kettle to the house has been inconvenient too, although I know I am lucky to have the hose once a day at least.

It is raining properly now, if that freezes overnight, we will be snookered. I will have to throw salt and do straightness training on the gravel yard and be done with it!

 

[Ali27]

Absolutely fed up! Last week was ok and my three girls are still happily living out 24/7? Luckily no snow here in Staffs, but this week has nearly killed me as I now have this horrible cold/ cough lurgy!! Couldn’t face poo picking for 2 days so started trying to catch up today! Fed up with boiling kettles to make warm sloppy sugar beet drinks and filling containers up at home? The only bonus has been no mud? But I would trade mud over ice any day as at least can ride then. I’m starting to feel slightly better so hopefully over the worst now?

 

[Gloi]

Awful today rain on the ice has made everything so dangerous I could barely stand up. Nothing has been able to go out today at all. Hopefully most will be melted tomorrow. I was sure I was going to break my neck.

 

[SEL]

I think I'm dressed in most of my wardrobe and ski gloves aren't ideal for the reins, but I'm fed up of cold hands. Next snow day he's pulling a sleigh although my OH reckons wheelbarrows full of frozen poo and the water containers should be pony powered too.

The big melt has started but it's sub zero again tonight so sheet ice tomorrow I guess. I don't think that feather will be white for long ?

 

[LEC]

Where do you live? You haven't got snow?

Somerset - we rarely get snow as 10 mins from the sea and low lying.

 

[Vermeer]

Yard and track leading to field has finally thawed - actually managed to get pony onto the yard today for the first time in over a week! Glad to see the back of this cold spell, I find the endless bucket feed-haylage-water cycle really repetitive when I can't ride, walk pony in hand down the lane or even just bring her in for a groom. And it's nice to feel my hands and feet again!

 

[little_critter]

Somerset - we rarely get snow as 10 mins from the sea and low lying.

Lol, also in somerset and our snow is only just melting after a week.

 

[stangs]

I think I'm dressed in most of my wardrobe and ski gloves aren't ideal for the reins, but I'm fed up of cold hands. Next snow day he's pulling a sleigh although my OH reckons wheelbarrows full of frozen poo and the water containers should be pony powered too.

The big melt has started but it's sub zero again tonight so sheet ice tomorrow I guess. I don't think that feather will be white for long ?
View attachment 104431

Off-topic but that's one very pretty pony you've got there.

 

[ihatework]

Bored of it now.

Lugging water canisters to the field horses for well over a week.

Haven’t been able to exercise the stabled 3yo properly since the snow dump. Just a bit of turnout and in-hand work. Hopefully get on her tomorrow if the big thaw happens ?? no parachute needed

 

[SEL]

Off-topic but that's one very pretty pony you've got there.

He is a handsome boy - thank you. Although he will be a mud wallowing hippo once the rain starts!

 

[poiuytrewq]

Op, it was all worth it for that photo! I love it! Hope your feeling better x

 

[Caol Ila]

Horses still in today. Not turning them out yesterday because it was snowing was f*cking ridiculous, from my point of view, but everything was sheet ice this morning, so they could not be led to their fields safely.

When I first moved to Scotland in 2007, long periods of low temperatures and heavy snow were pretty uncommon in the Central Belt, so you could not really fault yards for not having infrastructure and systems in place to deal. However, in the last 5-7 years, these weather events have become increasingly common. Yet no one (at least the people running my yard) shows the slightest inclination towards lateral thinking or creative problem solving or putting horse welfare first and foremost. The default - and only - response is simply leaving horses in their stables.

And it's not like there's anywhere else to go. If you want a choice of yards within sane DIY-levels of commuting distance from where I live, you are SOL. I wish we could pass a law mandating X hours of turnout per day (unless a horse was on vet-prescribed box rest), which would force yards to get their sh*t together and figure out better, more agile systems for getting horses out, or at least put them at risk of losing their BHS accreditation if horses are kept in too many days per year. That would be f*ckin' sweeeet!!! The BHS side of things would get us (well, me and my horses) far, because my yard cares deeply about that.

Just gotta make the BHS prioritize winter turnout and make their yard-approval criteria reflect that.

 

[Bobthecob15]

Our YO has worked like a trooper and the horses have been out most days for a few hours, we had a big dump of snow on Sunday and it's not gone anywhere...-11C yesterday! However we've been unable to ride as the school is covered in snow, the roads are sheet ice and snowy (yard is up in the hills, its totally compacted snow and ice)..I think my daughters pony will be feral by the time she gets back on ? even the horsewalker is out of action as its too icy...so sick if it now!

 

[southerncomfort]

Pardon me.....but wasn't the big melt supposed to begin today?

How is it then that the whole world is solid ice? We were supposed to be braving Christmas shopping at Meadowhall but even the trusty Shogun is struggling on the roads.

You could easily ice skate in my school!

I've managed to get ponies out to the field but I've had to fence off several parts including the shelter due to thick ice. I'll have to bring them back in at lunchtime if it doesn't thaw.

The wind is absolutely brutal!

 

[Bobthecob15]

Pardon me.....but wasn't the big melt supposed to begin today?

How is it then that the whole world is solid ice? We were supposed to be braving Christmas shopping at Meadowhall but even the trusty Shogun is struggling on the roads.

You could easily ice skate in my school!

I've managed to get ponies out to the field but I've had to fence off several parts including the shelter due to thick ice. I'll have to bring them back in at lunchtime if it doesn't thaw.

The wind is absolutely brutal!

We've had more snow this morning ??

 

[southerncomfort]

We've had more snow this morning ??

Noooo! ?

 

[BBP]

My ponies are thoroughly enjoying what is left of the snow before it thaws out and gets muddy. They have been out the whole time as I felt it was safer than compacting it to ice on the hard standing. This one (fluffy 2yo yak) has become a bit feral as I have done nothing with him for a week ?. Bit of a chore lugging water from home, especially after boiler broke and all outside drainage pipes at home are still frozen solid so I can’t use my washer, dishwasher or kitchen sink til it thaws. But at least the ponies are having fun.

 

[SEL]

Pardon me.....but wasn't the big melt supposed to begin today?

How is it then that the whole world is solid ice? We were supposed to be braving Christmas shopping at Meadowhall but even the trusty Shogun is struggling on the roads.

You could easily ice skate in my school!

I've managed to get ponies out to the field but I've had to fence off several parts including the shelter due to thick ice. I'll have to bring them back in at lunchtime if it doesn't thaw.

The wind is absolutely brutal!

I have a yard of solid ice with an inch of water on top - it's grim. Got there this evening to find 3 grumpy ponies hiding up against the hedge. Threw tea and hay at them and came home to wine. Wind is brutal, rain is miserable and I want to hibernate

 

[OlderNotWiser]

I’m really totally fed up! Horses have been in for a week now, and I on Thursday I slipped on the ice and broke my shoulder ? So looks like I’ll be off until beginning of February whatever the weather decides to do now x

 

[tda]

Pardon me.....but wasn't the big melt supposed to begin today?

How is it then that the whole world is solid ice? We were supposed to be braving Christmas shopping at Meadowhall but even the trusty Shogun is struggling on the roads.

You could easily ice skate in my school!

I've managed to get ponies out to the field but I've had to fence off several parts including the shelter due to thick ice. I'll have to bring them back in at lunchtime if it doesn't thaw.

The wind is absolutely brutal!

Same here, our drive has been fine all week but sheet ice today!

 

[Bobthecob15]

Noooo! ?

Didn't last long thankfully, then chucked it down the rest of the day. The walk from the field to the yard was hazardous to say the least, he was sliding all over the place ? even when they are out they don't seem to want to be, can't blame them! Will be a mud bath tomorrow I'm sure