How do you? ..... get around in the snow???

[indie999]

I feed round bales and have heated water troughs.

HEATED WATER TROUGHS???????? NOT HEARD OF THESE....Electricity supply needed I presume?? wish I had some of those last year as water trough was like a brick wall with no water SOLID lump

 

[be positive]

I feed round bales and have heated water troughs.

HEATED WATER TROUGHS???????? NOT HEARD OF THESE....Electricity supply needed I presume?? wish I had some of those last year as water trough was like a brick wall with no water SOLID lump

Is this regular practise in Canada?









Last winter the water was freezing so quickly it was hard to keep it available, mine that were out on ad lib haylage drank a fair amount and it was the most time consuming part of the day, even in the stables it seemed to freeze so quickly I worried they would not drink enough.

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

This winter we have a Ford Ranger with all terrain tyres, and a quad - last year we still had the 110. Our village has been taken off the primary gritting route, so our nearest gritted road is a few miles away. As our horses are a mile from home, and then we carry on for four miles to work, we always drive, and we're normally the only people leaving the village in that direction for a few days - last year the kids had built a four foot snow ball in the middle of the road, they had to move that sharpish!!

Regards the horses, they all live out - nothing is rugged yet either. If it snows, they'll be staying in their one acre field, with a bale of haylage - the great bonus is that a spring rises in this field, so I don't have to provide water. We checked it on Saturday, and it's finally running for the first time since our dry summer. Poultry and sheep are fine, food and water for them is easy.

The biggest issue we tend to have is carrying on with winter deliveries - we would normally be in our LWB high top Peugeot Boxer, it's 4WD but this is asking a bit much of it!... this is us on our Thursday (north side of Dartmoor) round in March 2009.

 

[Mithras]

Are we all just making a huge fuss here in the UK?

and as you ask, referring to horses... YES!

Grit your yards, throw your bedding out on the yard - so what if it makes a mess it will clean up, throw your horses out too if you have to. Use an all weather area, or a sacrifice paddock, even better, put them on a field with grass in it, the footing is better, they have something to dig for and hey! fields recover, they are good like that.

Horses aren't stupid, they know snow is slippery and they cope with it. It is the ones that are kept indoors that go nuts, fall over and hurt themselves. the only time I wouldn't risk horses out is if poached paddocks have frozen, rutted mud is lethal.

Mine live out all the time, they know what snow and ice is, they tippy toe across frozen ground, and test the ice to see if it is safe to walk on, one of their favourite sheltering spots is on a frozen pond. I don't just have natives, I have thoroughbreds and arabs living out too - they know the score, and if they don't, they learn pdq.

Totally agree. I was at a yard last winter where they refused to turn out in case the horses injured themselves in the snow. I turned out my big boy on his own - he never went out of walk, he dug holes in the snow with his nose, he rolled, just normal horse behaviour. I also rode him in the deep snow.

The main problems I experience in the snow are caused by other people getting stuck on roads because they have tyres nearing their useful life, no winter tyres, drive too close and crash, or because people want an excuse to get off their work and shops and public facilities close early. The actual snow rarely causes me problems. I cannot believe peopel are not embarrassed in the UK by the fuss they make.

Oh, and for goodness sake, just clear the pavement in front of your house, instead of waiting for the council to do it for you!

 

[JenTaz]

Last year I was at a yard a mile from the house yard owner emailed and text every day about weather conditions on the yard and only to come up if you had a 4x4 she would check all field horses make sure they had food and for those stabled would get the staff to sort them out for the next time we could get up luckily I was able to get up every day had to walk most of it but had to be done this year I'm ten miles away from the yard and will be driving down not got a 4x4 but am very careful horse cannot live out over night so have to get down worst comes to worst mum will take me down in the land rover

 

[Capriole]

I have Land Rover so not a huge problem really, but since last year now have all ponies within walking distance of home (max 2 mile round trip) so if needs be I will be walking along pulling a sledge behind with the feeds and hay on it.

sounds familiar


Landrover + winter tyres
sledge for pulling stuff on the last bit.
horses barely a mile away
plus Ive got snow grip thingies for my boots

 

[Capriole]

well I dont feel like im making a fuss about it, I never do, I just get on with it like everyone else I know gets on with it

 

[Mlini]

I have a crappy little fiesta I was only off the road for half a day last year (because silly me forgot to put anti-freeze in and all the pipes froze!!) I think people worry too much about the snow, as long as the car has good tyres on and you are a careful and confident driver you should be OK Apart from if you need to go off-road or up/down steep hills etc.

Oh, if you have a rear wheel drive - leave it at home! They are useless!!

On the other hand, I think it'd be great fun to strap a sledge to the back of my horse and go sledging around his field! Not quite sure how to do it though! Or if he would let me!

 

[Mince Pie]

I have Land Rover so not a huge problem really, but since last year now have all ponies within walking distance of home (max 2 mile round trip) so if needs be I will be walking along pulling a sledge behind with the feeds and hay on it.

Normal cars can and do get around in the snow, it is just peoples perception that they can't. All you need to remember is keep you distance from other cars, go slow (crawl along slow) and smoothly and do your utmost not to use your brakes as that is the thing most likely to cause you to go into a spin. I'm sure mud and snow tyres would be useful too, but not essential. Manual better than auto.

Good answer!

I bought a truck last year as the track to my yard looked like this:

So I am OK with getting about. I think it also helps that I learnt to drive over the winter in Aberdeen so spent many lessons throwing a Renault Clio round iced over car parks learning how to deal with skids! Was so much fun!!

 

[Mince Pie]

On the other hand, I think it'd be great fun to strap a sledge to the back of my horse and go sledging around his field! Not quite sure how to do it though! Or if he would let me!

I did that!! The joys of having an ex driving cob

Cheers for the antifreeze heads up as well, I'd forgotten!

 

[ivandenisovich10]

I have snow chains for my little auto clio and I was getting places even 4 x 4s couldn't last year. Even without the chains it was amazing in the snow

 

[Solstar]

I have a K reg 106 that manages fine in the snow..... I got to the yard (10 miles away) and work (another 19 miles) across country lanes and main roads fine! As others have said- it's how you drive etc. I think it helps that the wheels on my car are very slim, which helps cut through the snow/slush!

 

[bumblelion]

Luckily the horses are at home, so no problems getting to them! The yards at the bottom of the garden, so if the pipes freeze (including hot water tank in tack room) I can barrow down to the house. Also stables to field is about 5 metres in distance so I can grit and they get out daily. Unable to ride though as ménage turns into ice rink!
As for my car, it's cr*p in the snow/ice/rain!! It's a 4x4 too! It's a Nissan navara but is rwd so unless the backs very heavily weighed down (about a tonne!!) It just swings about!! OH's got an s4 which is quattro and is great! Quite ironic!!

 

[Enfys]

It's a Nissan navara but is rwd so unless the backs very heavily weighed down (about a tonne!!) It just swings about!!

Trucks here often have paving slabs or some other weight in the back (ATV, sno-mobile) as a matter of course during winter because they are so front heavy, often not helped by the fact that a lot of people have plows attached to the front too.

 

[Lexie81]

Last year our road was lethal and my little fiesta wouldn't have got any where! I walked to the yard and left my daughter with my neighbour as she would have been too cold and grumpy.

This year I have a little suzuki vitara 4x4 I bet we get no snow to speak of!

 

[SavingGrace]

In my little roady the micra with the help of Mr Snow Shovel and the buckets of grit in the boot of my car that I stocked up every time I drove past the council waste sites lol I did mean to buy snow chains this winter but haven't got round to it yet... might see if halfords/argos have them in and nip out at lunchtime.

 

[HBrae2]

We have an ML and it's fab in the snow. This will be my first winter without just being able to walk to my horse so not sure how it will be but the 4wd got through everything last year (worst snow I've experienced) and she's on full livery so it should be fine.