How is everyone coping this winter

[Sags_Deer]

How you all coping

Are your horses going out all day in this mud and wet, I have very little grass left but still putting out for 7 hours some days.

THinking of putting out every other day instead not sure on that though

 

[milliepops]

Mine on the yard go out in the morning until about 11. this is the same routine every winter, it's not ideal but they do go out every day without fail which is an improvement on the last place that would shut the fields quite often. they appreciate the routine and are happy to come in to their haynets.

I have 3 that live out at home and their field is muddy but it recovers well with a bit of tlc

 

[meleeka]

I did feel like I was on the last stretch and things were starting to improve, but loan horse has come back and trashed the field. The mud is drying up though and I’ve noticed new grass on the dung heap so I’m pretty optimistic currently. Mine are out every day and sometimes overnight as I’m not on a yard. If the mud comes back they’ll come in at night, but don’t ever stay in unless the weather is awful. I’m really looking forward to harrowing this year.

 

[oldie48]

I'm fortunate to have a lot of land but it's heavy clay so it is very wet ATM but not yet too muddy. However, I'm finding Rose is happier if she has less time in the field if the weather is wet and windy so I've been turning out about 09.00 or later but bringing in by 15.00 at the latest. She has deep sulci and is prone to thrush so she's also better having her feet in the dry too. Fatty is happy as long as he has something to eat I have a succession of little haynets which go in so he doesn't eat the lot in an hour! Rose is away ATM and is having less turnout but more exercise and being on a busier yard, she's more than happy in her stable with a big haynet. It's a glorious day here today but generally it's been grey and dismal so although the horses are fine, I've been pretty fed up!

 

[chocolategirl]

It’s been the wettest I’ve known in 25 years of running a livery? but ours still go out every day all day! The grass had more or less gone by end of December, so we’ve started feeding hay outside now. Once they move to summer grazing, we’ll Harrow, roll and re sow winter paddocks and rest for a couple of months. In 25 years, we’ve never kept ours in?‍ Yes it’s expensive to ‘fix’ paddocks, but tbh, I just suck it up and accept that this is how our winters are now?‍ Tbf, they’re only muddy in gateways so horses only come in with muddy feet not legs thankfully ?

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

All out again, tho were in overnight for a couple of weeks before xmas when it was so wet.
Still pickings to be had up the top fields. Am fortunate that I'm mostly on sand though.

That said, all will be in overnight from this Sun for the next month so I can deal with them more easily for the dark mornings and can ensure that 1 out of the 3 can get dieting properly again.

 

[scats]

All fine at the moment. My fields dry quickly. Horses are out as long as I want them so they go out first thing and come in anytime between 3 and 4 at the moment.

 

[AFB]

Very wet, on restricted TO for the first time in years

 

[Fanatical]

Horrendously muddy. Desperately hoping spring comes early as we're on heavy clay. I don't like keeping in so barring the odd day if we have extremely bad weather like high winds/ heavy rain (basically if there is a weather warning of any kind) they are out every day and have still been getting 6-7 hours. Just about to start bringing in slightly earlier.

 

[HeyMich]

Mine are still out 24/7, and I'm hoping we'll last the winter without too much damage. The field they are in is getting pretty wet and poached, but should come right in the spring/summer. I'm very glad for the hardstanding we put in last year!

I'm desperately trying to avoid putting them in the summer field until the weather is much drier, as the last thing we need is 2 trashed fields!

.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Still on box rest, we are at 3 months now. Its nice he doesn't get muddy but not enjoying mucking out twice a day.

His winter field hasn't even been grazed yet, so its immaculate without a bit of mud in sight.. although won't be as soon as he can go out!

 

[ihatework]

It’s just dire isn’t it.

Little 3/4yo gets some turnout most days (this time last year they were out 24/7!) and spends the rest of the time in a large airy barn so is perfectly happy and settled. He will be going back to boarding school next week and will get overnight turnout there.

Big fella got 8 weeks holiday out 24/7 in the autumn but since end of Nov has been in 24/7 - he’s pretty obliging about the whole thing and gets exercised twice a day and handgrazed. Not ideal ? Roll on spring.

 

[Leo Walker]

I'm doing ok. Its muddy but a day of dry weather and it starts to clear up. Theyve had to stay in 2 days so far, which is unusal as they are normally unlimited turnout. Williams stabled more than I would like, hes out during the day in a small pen but in overnight. Hes just been gelded so needs to move but keep clean and be separate from the mares for a month. Thats only for another week or so and hes going out with the young fell ponies. Hes totally chilled out and fine with it, but I'm counting down the days!

The one thing I have found difficult is driving. My backsteps dont want to drive with me in the pouring rain or freezing cold. I dont blame them either! But it does put the dampers on me doing any sort of serious fittening work, so I'm just ticking her over for now.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

On heavy clay here and struggling. Our horses are out 24/7 as we don't have stables. The 2 acre paddock the ponies were on is wrecked and too deep to leave them on. The pony mare has been moved into the 14 acre field with the mare and foal, that has a lot of foggage and is dry in some areas, very wet in others. We have managed to find a dry area to fence the pony gelding onto and he has moved today. Have known some wet winters but this is the worst yet.
On the plus side the sheep are thriving and the horses look well.

 

[LaurenBay]

The fields are closed where I keep my share Horse. This is week 3. Although he was on box rest for 2 weeks before hand so we are on week 5. He is dealing with it incredibly (although he LOVES his stable) no change to behaviour at all, but is stiffer on warm up. Some Horses are already going nuts though. I must admit, as much as I miss my Horse (she was PTS), I do not miss managing a field with 2 Horses on in this wet weather.

 

[pansymouse]

I'm extremely lucky - mine is out 24/7 on a large sloping field on well drained lime soil - we have a little mud round the gate but it doesn't come over the foot of my wellies. I'm enjoying the mild weather/lack of frosts tbh.

 

[dogatemysalad]

We're on heavy clay and the fields are a bog. YO has the fields open til 3pm but current horse really doesn't like mud, so he and I have worked out the best solution which is early breakfast at 6am and then the offer of turnout once it gets light at 8.30am until he's had enough at 1pm.
On the days when he really doesn't want to plough through the mud, he gets hacked out plus exercised in hand twice. He's happy, me, not so much. However, winter is a part of owning horses, so it's a case of doing what you can and waiting for spring.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Grass went ages ago on my field so it’s just turnout but they go out every day from 7ish to 3.30. I keep them in if it is pouring with rain because we are on clay and it is so deep in the gateways I risk losing wellies and they risk losing shoes. I have just opened the small paddock between my field and the polo ponies which has grass so they are happy at the moment but it won’t last long.

 

[SEL]

On heavy waterlogged clay. It had started to show signs of drying a bit but we had 8mm overnight and there's standing water on the fields again this morning.

Out at 7:30 in about 3 and they are waiting. YO would probably like everything in all day but my retiree wouldn't cope and the mare would tie-up. YO is lovely and being very accommodating of 2 heavies with big feet. I'm building a track system when I win the euromillions.

OH lost his wellie in the mud last week and hasn't shown any enthusiasm for helping me out since!

 

[clairefeekerry1]

I keep mine on a farm so as long as I’m sensible not too much restrictions for turnout, but it is clay and for the first time in years it flooded badly so they have been in more than I like especially as one is young and one has spavins. Just this last week tho they have been out for 8-10 hours a day although my hay bill will be through the roof

 

[Lexi_]

It’s not too bad at the moment to be honest - muddy gateways (the YO has had to move them along the fence line on every field) but our fields are holding up better than most of the others and we haven’t had to hay in the field yet.

A couple of weeks ago it was vile and we were all despairing but we’ve had quite a bit of nice, dry weather which has really helped.

 

[AnShanDan]

We're also on clay, but I've got a fair bit of space so not too muddy except at the field gates. All 4 horses plus donkey are out 8-4, seem happy, not waiting at the gates anyway. Legs need washed but no mud fever as yet in a couple that can be prone.

 

[05jackd]

We are very lucky in having run in barns which go onto a hard standing yard and then free access to the fields. The horses have free choice and spend about 60 % of the day on the yard and go into the fields for a few hours they always have a hay bale in the yard so they are never short of something to eat. IT has however massively saved our fields and despite having 4 horses and 2 foals on 21/2 acres we only really have a very muddy gateway

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Fields are drying up, with this week's better weather but horses stayed in yesterday because the trash paddock is electric fenced and the wind was so wild, that I was worried about fences blowing down. I refuse to move them, as I don't want more trash paddocks. I was most impressed with their calm behaviour when they went out this morning, they are not used to staying in for 36 hours! There is a plan for next year!

 

[Sasana Skye]

77 days til Spring is all I'll say

- in all fairness, me and the girls are doing OK. I probably wouldn't choose to turn them out much more than I already am because there just isn't enough grass to sustain them and we aren't allowed to put hay in the fields neither will we be moving fields. They get a good 12 hours+ out during the day but are waiting by the gate hungry when I go to bring them in. On days where they have to stay in because it's too wet they are hacked/hand walked/free schooled twice a day and/or turned out in the hardcore pen where they are given haynets.

Last couple of winters I found really difficult because both horses were on limited to no work due to injuries or being unbacked so I had constant owner guilt that they weren't getting out enough, this year though they do seem to be reasonably content.

 

[JFTDWS]

Mine live out on clay, and are currently on about an acre and a half of trash paddock. I moved them back at the beginning of December from the bigger hill field. The gateway and fence line is trashed as far back as the first water container - 20m or so. I'm considering fencing them back from this, but they don't really go into it other than when I'm bringing in / out to ride anyway. In an ideal world I'd hardcore this so getting in and out is easier and I could hay on it to protect the rest of the field, but that's not very likely on livery!

The rest of the field is firm and solid, but doesn't have much grass left. They get hay in field nets which I've moved back down the field past the trashed area onto good ground. They seem perfectly happy with the arrangement at present.

The hill field they moved off is turning back to green surprisingly quickly. The only mud they made out there is at the gateway and a couple of metres at the bottom fence where I was feeding them, so very little to recover. My spare field is growing like crazy and is very green indeed. All the fields slope so drain well, despite the clay.

If it takes to heavy rain for a prolonged period again, I'll move mine onto half my rested field. I have the option of another field up the road which is a bit over-grazed at the moment but will recover well in spring and offer some decent grass come summer if necessary.

 

[Cowpony]

We are on clay but the horses are out 24/7 as the herd is mixed livery and riding school and the RS horses don't have stables. That suits me as my horse much prefers being out, but most of the fields are dreadful - around the gateways we have at least a foot deep of creamy boot-sucking mud and there is standing water in the divots all over the fields, even though we are on a hill. Just before Christmas the horses were moved to a different field which is right at the top of the hill and although you can feel the water in the soil as you walk, the grass has good thick roots which are keeping it down. Absolute heaven! I'm dreading being told we've got to move back to the old field.....

 

[Hallo2012]

mine are still out 7-2/3pm so doing better than last year when they were in by 1.

we fertilised and seeded the field in the spring and will do so again this year as that helped the grass cover loads.

the fence walker has made a bog but i cant help him really as he just destroys any field so this year i started to strip graze the part near the gate, gradually moving it out to fresh grass so at least i spread the damage.

the other boy has just had 3/4 of a big bale of straw dumped in his wet gateway and hes happy to lay in it, nibble it, and sunbathe and then carefully pick his way down the field for a bit of grass.

ive noticed the weeds are growing in the gravel so maybe the grass is growing too........

 

[dorsetladette]

Mine are out 24/7 on sandy soil. The ground is holding up OK, just a bit slimy round the gateways. I've opened all 3 paddocks up for them just before Xmas more so they had shelter from all sides, but the last few mornings they haven't been waiting for their hay in a morning so there must be some grass out there somewhere.

 

[chaps89]

I've had enough this year.
I much prefer grass livery and having them out 24/7, but I've always said it has to be in a set up that works.
Our field is too small/overstocked and big bale hay put out in the same place, so the front of the field is a disaster.
Thankfully it does seem to dry out quite quickly and I poo pick the back of the field so it's quite acceptable out there and they have some clean grass to pick at thankfully.