How are you all coping with the weather/field conditions?

I'm in an area of heavy wet clay - "6 month fields." Most of the equine properties, and there are many, have limited or no turnout over the winter. It's far from ideal. I wouldn't have considered moving here without the 20m x 20m all weather turnout straight off the yard. My boys live in that, the yard, the open stables for the winter, and tbh they pootle around quite happily. But by now they are stir crazy and standing at the field gate. But the fields are squelching, and have standing water in places. I'm totally done with this winter.
 
MotherOfChickens said:
bit of a generalisation there maisie-might be awful where you are and how you kept them, its not the case everywhere and for everyone. I do see a lot of posts on FB though of horses in conditions I wouldnt dream of keeping mine in-mostly fields that are overstocked.
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I am south east based...the yards around me are overstocked and horses standing in mud day in day out or not allowed turnout at all. Lots of the little private rented fields have gone under a flood of development leaving the yards that are left with land that is even wetter as nowhere else for the water to go. I decided giving up was the best option as I wouldn't keep a horse without access to turnout, nor in a bog. I stand by my comments on the UK being not at all horse friendly, we are more overcrowded than ever, horse ownership will again be a pastime for those who own land or those rich enough to afford what livery is left!! Our climate is changing faster than ever and getting wetter and wetter and what land there is left is drowning under a sea of bricks and mortar, no room for horses anymore, bridleways are disappearing and I would never, ever ride on a road these days.
 
maisie06 said:
we are more overcrowded than ever, horse ownership will again be a pastime for those who own land or those rich enough to afford what livery is left!! .
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I agree that horse ownership will increase in cost and not be for everyone. While it might be messy in the interim, I am not convinced that on the whole it will be a bad thing. you do have my sympathy, moving away from the SE was the best decision I ever made.
 
my horses normally come off their winter field around April 1st. its going to be May 1st this year I think. the ground is wet wet wet and there is hardly any grass. Its always amazing how quickly it recovers though.
 
M's gone back to full livery on our previous yard (which I <3) and their fields are dry enough to walk round in trainers. They've been out 7am - 4pm all winter. The fields are on good soil, not overstocked, and all slightly sloping so drain well.
The yard we recently left was on old marshland, it's been liquid mud that's thigh-deep since November. Their fields probably won't dry out until the end of May. That land is not a place that's suitable to keep horses.
 
MotherOfChickens said:
I agree that horse ownership will increase in cost and not be for everyone. While it might be messy in the interim, I am not convinced that on the whole it will be a bad thing. you do have my sympathy, moving away from the SE was the best decision I ever made.
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I agree with you...there are a couple of horse hoarders up the road from me - always posting on FB groups wanting free rugs and cheap hay for their "rescues"..I too am planning to move away from the SE as soon as I possibly can!! I love the sea, but I can live without it!! I also don't have time for a horse anymore, I'm really enjoying training my dog instead!! Still help out a couple of friends with their horses, hoilday cover etc and it compounds the fact I made the right decision!!
 
Our field is on such a hill that it's very wet at the bottom but dry at the top. A marshy spring fed area in the middle is that well fed that it only dries in the driest of summers.

I'm always trying to think how I can make winter's easier, but most stuff costs a lot!
 
we've done ok..................not helped by an extra pony that we didnt expect to be here past Feb, but we have coped.

last 2 weeks of Feb were dicey, 1 very bald field and summer paddocks very green and lush but wet...........we moved the 2 big horses on to their summer paddock at the very beginning of March and prayed................and they have been fine thankfully, not churned it up and just got their head down and eaten.

then the 2 that were on the bald field have moved on to the big horses rough leftovers which suits them fine(both would be a lami risk) and there is grass growing back on those fields now, plus on the bald field so i will shortly fence them all in to 2 sections (a small summer section for fatties and let the back sections grow back for next winter).

the other pony has done really well and apart from a small muddy section near his gate and a very slight track along one fence line he has got loads of winter grass left, summer grass growing and its bone dry. i will fence that off to let 2/3 grow back quicker for next winter soon too.

we've been at this property 20 years and this has been the hardest wettest most difficult winter grass wise.

so we are breathing a sigh of relief really.
 
Our grazing is quite bad in the gateways but the majority of horses on our yard have individual paddocks so its not like a herd of horses hanging around a gateway which can then poach it quite badly. Mine is in a really long and wide paddock so suits much better than something smaller and I'm still extending my paddock onto longish grass about every third day, albeit it only a foot at a time!

Thankfully my horse is pretty sensible and doesn't bomb around too much and when it has been dry for a few days the field has picked up very quickly and soon become dry again which is a godsend.

I intend to bring the strip grazing forwards again as soon as the fields are rolled and let it rest and gradually increase it over the summer months much the same as I am now. The grass soon recovers unless its a field which is overstocked and over grazed in which case it never really goes good again in my experience.
 
My 11 acre winter field is a mess in the front 1/3rd, but has growing grass on the rest. Normally would be on the summer field by now but they have spent 3 days in there early this week and have moved them back again with the latest rain (and an abscess for one of them - never had one in 10 years of being out 24/7).

We were doing very well until mid jan, then they just reached saturation point and it didnt stop raining. :(
 
Well I moved to Yorkshire in November. We have about three and a half acres divided up in to smaller paddocks. One is completely trashed now and I've had to move them off it before it gets beyond fixing. So they are now busy trashing another paddock which is very wet in the gateway and around the edges. There is no grass left in there so I'm feeding hay three times a day and, if the weather is very cold, they come in at night.

The other little paddocks have been resting since the middle of January and there is definitely new grass growth. I'd love to move them in to one of those paddocks but they are very water logged and wouldn't last a day.

Our farmer neighbour is in absolute despair. He would normally have all his animals out by now but the land is far too wet and the grass has only just started growing. It's costing him a fortune and to top it off you can't get straw here for love nor money.

Oh and we have snow forecast for Easter Monday!
 
Ok, most paddocks all good, one has sitting water now but that does happen most winters at some point.
However, it's been pouring since mid morning, the roads are awash so I brought mine in about 2.30 to dry out a bit. Will go back after early dinner to chuck back out.

Not much mud, only a 8ft x 3ft bit in a gateway, otherwise all good, but I do manage the fields to prevent this happening :)
 
This winter has been the hardest I remember for a very long time. Winter has changed. We used to have long periods of frozen ground but now we just have mild and wet. We are on clay and it's terrible. I love horses, they are a lifestyle for us but this year has seriously made me consider selling up and moving somewhere with just a Couple of my own old faithfuls and living out my days with them as pets. I look back to how things have changed since I was a child, the roads are no longer safe to get to bridleways, the bridleways are disappearing and everywhere round here is being built on so more people/traffic and less local events. I find it quite depressing. I have plans in place to improve the situation for next year in relation to the bog fields but I have decided that my current couple of youngster will be my last. The winters are getting too hard and my old bones don't like it !
 
southerncomfort said:
Well I moved to Yorkshire in November. We have about three and a half acres divided up in to smaller paddocks. One is completely trashed now and I've had to move them off it before it gets beyond fixing. So they are now busy trashing another paddock which is very wet in the gateway and around the edges. There is no grass left in there so I'm feeding hay three times a day and, if the weather is very cold, they come in at night.

The other little paddocks have been resting since the middle of January and there is definitely new grass growth. I'd love to move them in to one of those paddocks but they are very water logged and wouldn't last a day.

Our farmer neighbour is in absolute despair. He would normally have all his animals out by now but the land is far too wet and the grass has only just started growing. It's costing him a fortune and to top it off you can't get straw here for love nor money.

Oh and we have snow forecast for Easter Monday!
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Mine are on one pair and are trashing it, but I will not be moving them over to the next field until the wet weather has gone. I would have left them where they were until this wet weather has gone, before moving them over to the next one.

This is one reason why we don't and won't do grass livery 24 hr turnout - as fields get trashed and cost me a fortune to roll them and fertilise them
 
maisie06 said:
I am south east based...the yards around me are overstocked and horses standing in mud day in day out or not allowed turnout at all. Lots of the little private rented fields have gone under a flood of development leaving the yards that are left with land that is even wetter as nowhere else for the water to go. I decided giving up was the best option as I wouldn't keep a horse without access to turnout, nor in a bog. I stand by my comments on the UK being not at all horse friendly, we are more overcrowded than ever, horse ownership will again be a pastime for those who own land or those rich enough to afford what livery is left!! Our climate is changing faster than ever and getting wetter and wetter and what land there is left is drowning under a sea of bricks and mortar, no room for horses anymore, bridleways are disappearing and I would never, ever ride on a road these days.
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Interestingly, I too am in the South East & couldn't have a more different experience.

My horse goes out every day in winter from 6.30-4.30/5pm and will be longer in the Summer. They all go out in herds - seperated mares & geldings only & in huge fields. Yes, the gateways muddy and it's soft underfoot in area's.

There's direct off-road hacking - admittedly some of it permit based, but easy access to bridleways that isn't that goes out onto open countryside/commons/downs if you're happy to. Plus quiet lanes if you want to do road work - I can hack to a local EC within 45 minutes without fearing for my life on busy roads.

It's not the cheapest yard in the area, but it's not obscenely 'only for the rich' priced either.
 
Im in North Bucks and our yard is on clay. We are all diy and all have our own bit of field so we can manage our bit how we choose. With a few exceptions all our ponies have been out for at least part of the day, 5 have lived out all winter. Our gateways are awful but we know from experience they will recover, the difference this year is that I think they will need harrowing, rolling and reseeding, my bit certainly does. We are all seriously fed up now, ponies too! No sign of any real grass growth and everywhere is completely sodden. We have no school or facilities so the YO never makes us keep them in, she is wise enough to know things will recover and it is very much our choice whether to turn out or not. That said, my boy goes out at 7am and is ready to come back in by 9am, he just looks so completely miserable. I cant ride every day so I do stick him out for a couple of hours but he comes in at lunchtime and stays in on the days he is ridden. I guess we are fortunate to have a YO who doesnt fret about a bit of mud but honestly, it is just so miserable and such hard work we are all seriously doubting our sanity :(
 
I'm also South East, mine have done a total of 16 nights and 1 day in stables since winter started.
Probably because I have 50% of paddocks on sand, and only I do mine, no liveries and no over stocking. And it's not attached to my house but 3.5 miles away.
 
MuddyMonster said:
Interestingly, I too am in the South East & couldn't have a more different experience.

My horse goes out every day in winter from 6.30-4.30/5pm and will be longer in the Summer. They all go out in herds - seperated mares & geldings only & in huge fields. Yes, the gateways muddy and it's soft underfoot in area's.

There's direct off-road hacking - admittedly some of it permit based, but easy access to bridleways that isn't that goes out onto open countryside/commons/downs if you're happy to. Plus quiet lanes if you want to do road work - I can hack to a local EC within 45 minutes without fearing for my life on busy roads.

It's not the cheapest yard in the area, but it's not obscenely 'only for the rich' priced either.
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I'm in East Anglia, but I used to be commuter belt within 40 minutes of London, and I was on a number of yards where I always had turnout - 24/7 all summer and at the least all day turnout all winter, in pairs or small herds, even though we were on thick clay. Always had decent hacking, sometimes busier roads, sometimes quieter and usually at least one route straight off road. The horses have always had quite a nice life, really.

I'm certainly not rich enough to pay over the odds for it either!
 
Mine are all in again tonight, after a week or so of living out. They are cold and wet and it is almost as wet underfoot again. I'm tired, too tired to do anything I might enjoy, all my energy has to go into dealing with the essentials now.
 
Mine are now locked on the yard with stables open. They will stay on there until my fields stop looking like a trickling stream! Kept putting off bringing them home from winter grazing and finally brought them home Saturday and yesterday and todays rain just hasnt really stopped and its flooded everywhere! Weekend is supposed to be a wash out as well!

FED UP!!!!
 
Well, glad I'm not the only one who is fed up with this seemingly never ending wet, dull, and cold weather. The long range forecast doesn't give much hope either. That makes it much worse. I'm sorry to say, I jinxed it earlier today with (it hadn't rained for about 5 hours!) ''Every minute that passes when it isn't raining, has to be a bonus for the fields''. .... Within 5 minutes, it rained, and hasn't really stopped today since! Grrrr

Maybe, just maybe the actual summer months might just produce something remotely nice, and re-new our hopes and energy, not to mention repair our fields?!
 
I am very lucky. My main field is pretty dry apart from a couple of small areas. Girls are out 8-5 everyday and there’s no need to wash feet as we have no mud aside from a small patch by my trough. Field is a combination of clay and sand but only my two girls graze it so there is no poaching from overcrowding. I kept them on the sandy end most of the winter and have only recently opened the clay end up. I was going to move them over to another field this weekend as the grass is coming up so thought they could make a start on it, but rain is forecast and as that one is slightly wetter, I am going to leave it for a few days.

Some warm sunny days would be appreciated though!
 
I'm not coping! The Appy has tied up, is poorly and needs quiet turn out. Their field is horrendous but there is nowhere else. Water was literally pouring down through the fields today - & the forecast for the long weekend just looks dreadful.
 
Our fields aren't too bad, but this time last year we were out 24/7, but this year still bringing in at night. I have just driven home through a deluge with lots of standing water on main roads.
I had booked next week off, but have postponed holiday until the following week, as the weather looks to be crap next week. My boss is brill.
 
We&#8217;re West Sussex, clay and no chance of turnout for the foreseeable. The ground is just absolutely sodden. Luckily we have an indoor school they can play in and a horse walker for desperate times. Horse has now injured himself playing in the indoor so even more restricted. Outdoor school and hacking also flooded. Dry,warm weather cannot come soon enough. Have entered a hunter trial mid April but doubt it will go ahead. Bah.
 
All my fields are on a slight gradient and we get all the run off water from the fields above us. My girls have two fields during the winter. The far field isn't too bad but still has developed a stream running across it. :(

The top field is horrible and I do feel for them. It had started dry out too, before the 2nd dumping of snow.:mad:
 
Admittedly, our fields could be worse, but they're still not great (see below). The ground is super poached, although it's definitely drying up a little. I think we've done quite well considering all four of mine live out 24/7, but I've still reached the point where I'm desperate for packed dirt, clean feather, and shiny horses with soft, gleaming summer coats. The warmer weather can't come soon enough really!

SerCO8i.jpg
 
Not too bad...I have a 5 acre sloping field with 2 horses and 3 ponies in 24/7/365. I have a yard at the top that they have access to with a round bale on. The only area that gets poached is the access onto the yard.
 
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