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

SEL said:
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.
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I'm the opposite situation, I have the fields which are dry, sheltered, quiet and not been grazed for a few years but mine have to stay where they are as need restricted grazing. I did let them on one when it was deep in snow as they couldn't get the grass but can't risk it at any other time
 
Mine have wintered out for the last five years and we've never had such a miserable time! We're on Sussex clay too and it's been hideous - it dried up slightly earlier in the week but we had a deluge yesterday and the ground is saturated again. Last winter they were on the same field November to April and I didn't feed hay once. This year that same field was trashed by mid-January and we had to move them to another field, which held up well but is now bare of grass and starting to look pretty muddy. And I'm feeding loads of hay! To say I'm fed up is an understatement, but they're even more fed up!
 
In theory our fields should not be over-grazed. We have 11 horses and one tiny pony on 30 acres. Last summer we had a long hot dry spell weeds well established. Mild but very wet autumn then winter on heavy clay. Normally our horses are stabled at night from December to March. They are still in and came in at the end of November. We too have suffered from the Beast from the East, which means our paddocks are not recovering.

We moved here from Scotland after the weather deteriorated winter after winter and our grazing was not suitable for mares and foals. Pays de la Loire, is known for its wonderful mild climate. This is our worst ever winter after 11 years in France.
 
Granny says "Mud? I don't know what you're talking about! No mud here."

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This is the worst winter EVER in Spain. Between the horizontal sleet, torrential rain and heavy snow I have barely managed to get out and see our very depressed horses today. Two degrees and grim out there today. Not happy.
 
MDB said:
This is the worst winter EVER in Spain. Between the horizontal sleet, torrential rain and heavy snow I have barely managed to get out and see our very depressed horses today. Two degrees and grim out there today. Not happy.
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Yes, even in the south they are experiencing awful rain - but that is not as bad as Ireland after 9 months of continual rain interspersed with 2m snow drifts for light relief.
 
Never seen the fields so wet and churned up not helped by the pony charging about like a mad thing because I was late going up! Went early today and she's quite happy ignoring me and grazing, I am permanently head to toe in waterproofs between dog walking and horse chores. Sick of the weather this winter, horses should be out for the summer by now !
 
It’s awful here the fields are so wet the two that have been used over winter are churned up and beyond awful.
I have three other paddocks the grass is not coming away get and if they get grazed atm they will be mud in 24 hours .
My hard standing is trashed covered in mud and poo and although I am poo picking it it’s going to need a jcb to scrape it when everything drys up..
I am so sick of it .
 
Just awful here too :(

Thinking about branching out into rice crops and trying to only turn out every other day this week (never had to do that before due to wet ground, wherever I've been in the country) as the forecast is Sat: mostly dry, then rain Sun ... Mon ... Tues ... Weds ... Thurs ... Friday.
Driving along the coast road between Seaton and Sidmouth midmorning, the temperature was reading 2.5 degrees and the rain had started to turn to wet snow on the windscreen.


WAH!!!!

Had enough now.

ETA - Kept passing camp-sites where the poor holiday-makers were trying to set up caravan awnings in the deluge ...
 
Goldenstar said:
It’s awful here the fields are so wet the two that have been used over winter are churned up and beyond awful.
I have three other paddocks the grass is not coming away get and if they get grazed atm they will be mud in 24 hours .
My hard standing is trashed covered in mud and poo and although I am poo picking it it’s going to need a jcb to scrape it when everything drys up..
I am so sick of it .
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We spent 3k putting in a 2m wide walkway along the fence last september for the horses in the worst bit near the gate to our field shelter and it was doing ok til about January and since then it's started to go a bit squishy. Think as soon as it's reached optimum peel (it's a mix of hay and poo mainly) I think I'll be scraping back by hand.
 
The fields were looking dry last week just been outside to get mine in and parts are now under water it has not stopped raining for days now and more to come, went to Tesco earlier and part of the car park next door for homebase was under water it looked like a river :(
 
Am not flipping coping!! Field looked all nice and was drying up and is now a quagmire!? Horses are in field shelters and point blank refusing to come out though lol. Sensible beasts.
 
Mine are on bottomless clay, our pond, which is fifteen feet deep didn't need a liner. I know I am really lucky,we have some old hay barns, so they are kept like cattle, in small groups and all go out daily,some can get on the fields all the time but because the sheds are bedded and they are hayed in there they tend to stay in.
Going on the level of the pond it's been a dry winter for us, until we had the snow. The ones that were out 24/7 did not get any extra feed and I was really worried about spring, whoopee they have now lost weight, but I had to downsize their paddock, which is sodden but they are fed haylage on a gravel area.
When I didn't have the barns I used to make straw islands​,made out of rounds and Heston's and fed them on there. If they are always have something to eat they tend to stay on them, and do not run around. Well rugged if needed they where out 24/7
Our weather patterns are changing, some dairy farms have had cows in since September. In my options keeping them in sheds is far less labour/bedding intensive, they have more space, socialise, any thing that has special needs gets a separate area within the barn. I have stables but rarely us them.
It will end with people paying more but land is so expensive what people have been paying is unsustainable in the long term.
 
I actually blame myself for all the way weather as in early January I was feeling a bit smug with how little hay we had been through so far. Not so much now :(

Barns do seem like a good option
 
Cortez said:
Yes, even in the south they are experiencing awful rain - but that is not as bad as Ireland after 9 months of continual rain interspersed with 2m snow drifts for light relief.
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Oh I dunno, we get 2000mm rain annually in this part of Spain, and it all comes in the winter months. At least in the UK and Ireland it is spaced out throughout the year. We have had about five dry days since Christmas, eight consecutive storms, double the amount of rainfall in the past couple of months, and when it is rains, it is torrential with gale force winds. Desperate for spring.
 
South West Wales, wet at the best of times and I don't think this winter has been as bad as last year from a rain point of view but I would love a decent spring and summer as just fed up of cold, poor weather conditions. I have about 15 acres with three horses and three miniatures on it and I know by June I will be blocking areas off as there will just be too much grass for them. I don't think I would have horses if I didn't have my own place.
 
:D
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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Wow! Grazing in large fields in the South East? Where are you MM and is there space for a livery, we’re moving in ?!:D:D;)
 
I’ve had enough. It’s affecting my mood now as well. Raining again today and not forecast to stop until next Sunday
 
Fluffypiglet said:
:D

Wow! Grazing in large fields in the South East? Where are you MM and is there space for a livery, we’re moving in ?!:D:D;)
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Me too, was about to post exactly this. MM I thought you were fairly close to me and I don't know any yard like it, PM me if you prefer!

We have very limited options round here, every yard is overstocked. We don't have summer and winter fields, we have one field for year round use, and it's sodden. When it rains heavily all day, we usually leave in, and we've restricted turnout all winter, they've been coming in just after lunch most days. I'd love to buy my own land so I can manage it how I want, but there's nothing for sale, and when it does come onto the market it's snapped up immediately and is hugely expensive.
 
Abi90 said:
I’ve had enough. It’s affecting my mood now as well. Raining again today and not forecast to stop until next Sunday
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I haven't dared look that far ahead, it is pouring at the moment and set in for the day so I have decided to give mine a day in as they were soaked yesterday and would have been happy to come back in after 10 mins so today they are going to be pleased, I have 2 living out who seem fine but are back on full hay rations when normally by now they would have enough grass and be naked.

If my sale goes though, having a few issues, this time next year my 3 will be living in a barn and yard which should suit them as well as me, a short walk up the garden to check will be a luxury with no mud to cope with every day.
 
Long range weather forecast, although sketchy, looks like a good span of warm dry weather from the 8th April... fingers crossed!
 
Pretty grim because it's been so effing wet here (west coast of Scotland). I've got 4 acres split in 2 with 2 big ISHs on it. They're in at night and out during the day.

Gateway is knee deep, barely any grass left in the winter field, wanted to move them to the summer field at the start of April but I can't because the weather's been too bad for it to actually start growing yet!

This time last year they were staying out until about 7pm, this year they're coming in at 4 because they come down and wait at the gate from 3 onwards ...
 
dibbin said:
Pretty grim because it's been so effing wet here (west coast of Scotland). I've got 4 acres split in 2 with 2 big ISHs on it. They're in at night and out during the day.

Gateway is knee deep, barely any grass left in the winter field, wanted to move them to the summer field at the start of April but I can't because the weather's been too bad for it to actually start growing yet!

This time last year they were staying out until about 7pm, this year they're coming in at 4 because they come down and wait at the gate from 3 onwards ...
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I’m west cost of Scotland too and whilst we’re not known as an area with lovely weatger this winter is just something else. My horse who usually winters out has been in overnight for months to try and let his poor feet dry out 😭
 
im fed up with this miserable weather, seems to have been so much wet weather this year, our field is very squelchy and my horse comes in covered in mud every day.....when will it end!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Not coping well am sick of looking like this:
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Beast is always in at night so that has certainly helped his field a bit, I mean its looking far from great but not as bad as the field next door to us - which hasn't got a blade of grass visible. This year has been the worst ever, that's for sure. We are lucky in the sense that our drainage is excellent so when we do get a short dry spell of 2-3 days things dry up so fast, problem is that we just haven't had a dry spell of that duration. It's driving me a little bit mad.
 
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