My fields are like a skateing rink.

[ameeyal]

Last weekend we had snow which then thawed leaving the fields wet, which then froze, for days now they resemble a skating rink, my horses normaly live out, but im scared of them braking legs ect, so im keeping them in, with a few hours supervised turn out, how do people with no stables manage when their fields are like this, has any one had an injury.

 

[Supertrooper]

Our fields are just like this, they are lethal. Two of ours are very pottery out on it so they've come in. The big lad especially is miserable and I suspect he's bruised his foot too :-(

Luckily we have got stables xx

 

[ThePony]

Ours are like it too, too much water which has now frozen solid - absolutly lethal! Our 'out in any weather' mares are in, with twice daily walking in hand. Not fun for either of us, they just want to be out, but I am terrified of them having a slip. Can't see how they wouldn't tbh as even in my super dooper boots I can barely walk across it!

 

[Gracie21]

We had no snow but we have very deep mud which freezes then the water freezes on top, leaving an ice rink with massive frozen holes underneath! I was very unsure about whether to turn out this morning. Pony was terrified and I could barely get him in the field. Normally I just let him go at the gate but today I walked him round the outside until there was some grass and no mud, then let him off. I think he appreciated the extra re-assurance!

I figured that the rest of the field is okay, just the gateway, so hopefully he's intelligent enough to eat grass rather than stand in mud!

 

[Enfys]

If your horses normally live out then they will know what's what.

Really, trust them to trust themselves As long as the entire field is not one big rink and they have the option where to go they will avoid it.

It is usually horses that are in overnight that come to grief on ice when they have a hooley in the morning.

Mine live out and my fields all have ice on them, the horses know exactly where it is, whether there is snow on it or not and they avoid it, or walk on it - as they choose.

If there is ice around their water troughs then throw some salt down on it so they don't slip, I feed them away from the icy patches, but otherwise I leave mine to get on with it.

Our ice is so thick that we can drive the tractor across it:

 

[SS.89]

We're in the same situation at our yard .... fields are water logged, owners haven't allowed any horses out since Monday. Outdoor school is also frozen !! So we're in a catch 22 situation where we can't turn out ... can't ride or lunge in the school and its so icy I wouldn't dream off hacking out around our area.

Sooooooo horses are in - luckily the ex racer would rather be in than out anyway so he's being reasonably sain (so far). Have to walk him out in hand morning and night and the bf goes up on his lunch break to feed and water him and lets him have a bit of grass outside in hand.

Annoyinnnnng we also have brilliant stabling which i'm very grateful for.

SS x

 

[Cobi]

Those pictures are lovely Enfys, love the one standing on the ice, his/her face is brill hehe

Id imagine its a case of being more caucious if your guys arnt used to dodging the ice puddles OP.

Safety first


~

 

[NeverSayNever]

yup,like that here too

my guys live out but my Sec D really struggles on it, she wouldnt even come over to get a drink when i took this on monday.

they do have stable with some hardstanding so have been feeding hay up there and i dont think theyve moved off it. I hate how much she hobbles on it poor love.

 

[Irishbabygirl]

Mine have been going out as usual, like someone else said, you need to trust them

 

[flirtygerty]

Neversaynever, she wouldn't come cos her lip is stuck to the ice,
lovely horse though