just got summer sussed and now confused about winter !

[JLD]

this is my first year of keeping my new pony at home not on part livery. I have a reasonable of experience but not of total sole care situations. having just ( literally ) got my paddock and regime sorted for summer and started to get the weight off my boy with part stabling in field shelter, track system round field etc I go out last night and think - oo is a bit cold at night now, so needing to think about autumn/winter. i would like to keep out as much as possible but we only have 2 acres on clay and despite being welsh x cob, he seems to be a bit more delicate than I expected and doesnt like being wet or chilly ! When do people usually start rugging in light weights if out at night and if limited grazing is he better off kept up on hard standing with hay for part of the day ( can access stable from it if needed ) to avoid trashing the field - is it worth sacrificing a small area for a trash paddock to minimise area to sort out in spring for the really grotty/wet periods ? also totally confused re bedding - thinking rubber matting with small shavings bed at present if allowed to come and go as he pleases as seems happy with earthen floor of field shelter at present ! advice from the wise please !

 

[Fransurrey]

If you do have hard standing, yes, I would use it. 2 acres of clay is nothing in winter. I'd also get some grass mats or scalpings laid asap around the shelter and trough, plus the gateway.

I am new to rugging (pony getting older, starting to get wimpy!), but I intend to play it by ear again, this winter, as I'm in a new place (last place was horribly exposed). You're lucky in that he's got the shelter, so if I was you, I wouldn't rug at the first sign of crappy weather. Oh, and line the shelter with scalpings/mats, too. That way you can put hay inside if weather is crappy.

Just seen your bit about bedding. I tried shavings with an earth floor and it was fine when dry, but got soggy around the edges when it rained, as water came through. Aubiose was better, but still not fantastic. I have mats lining my shelter, now, which really does make a difference. The other shelter I have is currently unlined and still heavily rutted from the last liveries who had it - and that's on sand! I did contemplate pea gravel at my last place, as it's not uncomfortable, well draining and hard wearing! Although if you decided to lay some scalpings outside, I'd do the inside with the same thing and put mats over that.

 

[JLD]

thanks - hadnt thought about grass mats in shelter - really good idea ! are scalpings the bits they get off roads and do they work well - had thought about hard core but worried about feet. can you get it from builders yard etc ? I have a stable with a proper concrete floor as well which I plan to rubber mat for really bad weather. He has loads of natural shelter on 3 sides of field which he seems to prefer for really bad weather using the field shelter only when it is hot as it stays cooler. will start investigating grass mats now