How is everyone coping?

[a kind of magic]

How is everyone coping in this awful weather?

Our field is a river meadow and has usually dried out by now but it is still saturated with water. The grass has usually bounced back by now but instead the field is bare. Our horses are looking slimmer than usual and we've had no end of problems with mud fever and abscesses. I can't wait for winter to end! We're looking for a short term let to just get our horses somewhere dry as currently they are in as much as possible. I'd much rather they were out but at the moment it's the lesser of two evils. Even my stable hating horse is glad to come in!

Any coping strategies that anybody is using with success also gratefully received!

 

[lhotse]

My field is as bad today as it's been all winter, it looked to be drying out a couple of weeks ago but the water table is so high that we are back to square one. There is no grass growing, and I can't move the fences onto the summer half as that will be trashed in a week and I'll have nothing. Having to put hay out even to keep them happy for a couple of hours turnout. Yesterday they stayed in, none were bothered as they had hay. Put two out today and they wanted to come back in after an hour. The shetland wandered around the yard quite happily. I would have ridden today as it's now going to freeze solid and the lane will be icy, but there is a strangles outbreak in the vicinity and several horses around that have been hunted with the Beaufort and may have come into contact with EHV-1, so I'm keeping my horses on the premises to be on the safe side. Luckily, I have a private yard with just my three.
I really can't remember a winter as bad as this, but then I suppose it's been saturated for nearly a whole year now. Net Weather are forecasting a warm and dry April though, so there may be hope on the horizon. Just wish it would hurry up!!

 

[soulfull]

I'm very lucky. Yes field is trashed but have indoor school. Stable is in a barn with doors both ends. Heated tack room
Hot water etc. even so even we have had enough of winter now

 

[Jericho]

argghhh is all I can say. No grass, lots of mud, lots of expensive hay, no riding and another cancelled lesson. please hurry up Spring!

 

[lhotse]

What I would give for an all weather turnout area and an indoor school right now, and I hate riding in a school!

 

[caramel]

It's been really hard, fields are wet, but downhill so all water goes down, horse isn't being ridden as much cause he's hacking only but everywheres to wet/awful weather/icy or dark! He's always covered in mud, comes in at 12 and thoroughly miserable. There's no grass although he has his head in the bushes most of the time, and then goes to the gate and stays there. Decided to leave the work with him and try again when the weather improves.

 

[NativePonyLover]

I wanted to cry this morning when I woke up to snow.

My horse's fields are bare (although not flooded or muddy), he is stuck in today as no one else is turning out.

I've never bought so much hay or bedding in my life. Our school is pretty wet and flooded so can't even exercise much either.

Where is Spring?!?

 

[HappyHooves]

...Any coping strategies that anybody is using with success also gratefully received....

I find " stamping my feet, and screaming and screaming till I'm sick" helps a bit!

Lest face it, there is nothing we can do except pray or put up and shut up. Personally I'm for the screaming!

 

[poiuytrewq]

I'm very lucky. Yes field is trashed but have indoor school. Stable is in a barn with doors both ends. Heated tack room
Hot water etc. even so even we have had enough of winter now

Ohhh GO AWAY!!!

Im not coping! My Other half turns over quickly before the weather forcasts (so as not to depress me!) hey ho nothing we can actually do about it other than buy hay and keep mucking out.....or scooping up poo's as my o/h says!

 

[Highlands]

After letting go of the wheelbarrow in a muddy puddle.....last night I am off mud.... Been in livery till 3 weeks ago and now looks like our fields have had the battle of the Somme through again.... Feeding hay like no tomorrow!