Rain Ranting Thread

[Flowerofthefen]

Chucking it down here again at the minute!! This afternoon is supposed to be sunny with temps up to 15!! Wednesday is currently looking wet but most days are looking relatively dry.....if you can trust the forecast

 

[McGrools]

In bed listening to torrential rain, looked on camera and fields are back to Square one!!

I know it will stop eventually but starting to worry it won't, never known anywhere near this much wet for this long

Horses had a day out in field yesterday but will now have to stay in again, will prob turnout in the day on every other or third day ...

Can't get more big bale haylage as last one got too warm as not eaten quickly enough...so soon they will be on small bale which will cost a fortune... Thought I'd be done with picking up more shavings and haylage

I am actually really thinking it is never going to stop raining. Hammering down right now.
I have racked up a big credit card bill forking out for bedding and Haylage this winter keeping my 2 in 24/7 pretty much all of Feb and now march There is just no end in sight.
It’s worrying now

 

[poiuytrewq]

I love winter, I don’t mind rain. I dislike the mud and wind but other than that winter is my preferred time over summer I think.

This year though it’s even getting to me now

I’m just off out the door to do my weekend stint mucking out an million racehorses or so and looking out the window I just can’t bear it…
It’s going to be awful

 

[Errin Paddywack]

7am and I am getting ready to go to an agility show. Chucking it down here and I really feel like going back to bed.

 

[poiuytrewq]

7am and I am getting ready to go to an agility show. Chucking it down here and I really feel like going back to bed.

Oh gosh, is that out doors?

 

[southerncomfort]

Hammered it down all night here.

Little feral shetland has noticed the lush green grass in the surrounding paddocks and has started seemingly teleporting in to them.

She was found in the summer paddock this morning which is actually more like a pond at the moment.

I've given up any notion of being able to harrow the fields.

Am going out for a hack today whether it's wet or not, although Bo may be less than thrilled. He really is fed up bless him. He hates the rain even more than I do.

 

[Patterdale]

I have absolutely had enough now. I am supposed to be taking two horses to camp in 3.5 weeks and neither are fit. The weather is so bad that I really cannot ride. All my usual off road routes are waterlogged, visibility on the roads is dangerous as it is constant rain and mist, and I don’t have an arena. The nearest arena to box up to is over an hour away which isn’t realistic for fitness work.

I am lucky in the my fields are high and well draining, so that apart from gateways the horses are not in mud. But even so, this is just horrible. They all have soft feet. Two are coughing and I think it’s just the relentless cold, rain and wind. There’s just no end in sight!

 

[ecb89]

Lovely spring day here yesterday. Absolutely chucking it down today

 

[SEL]

My paddock maintenance guy has just chased me for when I want to book him for harrowing & aerating. I think it's one of his office team / family actually because he can't possibly think my fields are dry enough for anything apart from a hovercraft.

To rub salt in the wound the mare's tail is poking it's evil head up early this year so I need to pull the horses off their winter field. They get to trash another one

 

[Highmileagecob]

Mud and water everywhere, with a border of JCB tracks. Have to say the horses don't seem bothered. They are happy to stand around in their little groups having a chat.

 

[SantaVera]

Our fields have turned to jelly . Horses are now in and yarded for the foreseeable future.they will not be turned out until it dries up properly and the grass is growing.

 

[windswoo]

I haven't read all the posts, but same here, I've had my field 13 years and it has never been this bad. Water is seeping through the brickwork into the tack room and parts of the bottom of the field smell like a cesspit. I'm due to have the field harrowed this week after we've had to cancel twice and I think I'll just say to him see how far down he can go before hitting the wettest parts and just leave the rest, but it is really badly poached and you could easily break your neck.
Really had enough now!!!

 

[I'm Dun]

I've just been for a walk down near the Thames, in my new much needed wellies. Its been seriously flooded for weeks and weeks, but it has receded a lot now.We just need a week of warmish, windy, dry weather, but we just seem to get a couple of hours then back to rain! I went out in cold and drizzly weather and came back in glorious sunshine.

 

[Horseysheepy]

Beautiful spring sunshine this afternoon, almost feels like July
We've just been inspecting the fence lines on the 20 acres we are about to move the outdoor lambing flock onto and we've never seen it so wet. Huge puddles,sunken fence posts, tree branches down and squashed the fencing, mole hills galore and Labrador sized holes cut in our stock fencing from the shooting season.
Lots of remedial work needed to keep the lambs safe and enclosed it seems!

 

[DabDab]

Here’s an Ai image i generated which has basically been my experience of horse ownership for over a decade here west ireland!

View attachment 135696

If high rainfall is common there’s a few land management techniques that really help mitigate the worst. Over the years ive installed them all to help off-set the high annual rainfall effects. Mainly hundreds of metres of hardcore tracks and a sloping dry-lot turn-out, large shelters, to save the fields.
The trickiest land would be dead-flat land without any drainage channels as that would be a lake.
I always look for land with a slight slope for any agri plans now, having experienced a high rainfall climate.
If i was a serious aspirational rider/trainer i’d have moved years ago, as the weather isnt kind enough to enjoy daily riding/training.
This winter has been particularly brutal with endless storms passing through, but we’re out the other side now, and warmer brighter weather WILL come

Similarly curtesy of Bing...
Highly representative image of my fields and pony right now:

 

[poiuytrewq]

I've just been for a walk down near the Thames, in my new much needed wellies. Its been seriously flooded for weeks and weeks, but it has receded a lot now.We just need a week of warmish, windy, dry weather, but we just seem to get a couple of hours then back to rain! I went out in cold and drizzly weather and came back in glorious sunshine.

I’m not sure where exactly you are but have you seen posts for the little ginger dog that’s been washed away? Near Reading I think. Could you keep an eye?
It’s the most heart breaking story

 

[clinkerbuilt]

on a related topic, is it overnight rain that has meant swathes and swathes of the intermediate Lincolnshire eventers have withdrawn after the dressage this morning? Only the Prices seem to have run their horses...

 

[Errin Paddywack]

Oh gosh, is that out doors?

No, thankfully. It at an equestrian centre, a sport horse stud so all undercover including queuing under the overhangs outside the stables. It was actually a nice day in the end but very muddy in the carpark.

 

[outinthefens88]

Where the monkey is is the middle of the livery yard I am on. Taken by Helicopter in early Jan. Yard is 20 odd acres and there wasn't a single blade of grass above water.

There's mud and there's brick clay 'been under four feet of water for a week mud'.

It drained as fast as it came in (mainly gone in 3-6 days) but its was very, very wet! Total yard evacuation for 2-3 weeks whilst stables etc were stripped and cleaned and fresh hay etc delivered.

Yes its left a mess but somehow the yard manager is making it work, unfortunately it meant several liveries being given notice in order to reduce numbers. Chain harrows aren't going to touch the fields, with much heavier duty farm cultivation type machinery being needed this year!

 

[JoA]

I'm on suffolk clay.... nightmare. But reading some of the above makes me grateful

HOWEVER, despite the pouring rain this morning, the mild temperature this afternoon has brought the midges out in force and I had to get the fly spray out - for both myself and the horses! Can't win atm!

 

[santas_spotty_pony]

Mine have been in lightweight rugs and fly masks today there’s midges everywhere!!

 

[lovely_ponies]

Really glad I found this thread - I was starting to feel really down last week - I've made an account so I can just say how much less alone I feel having read it (although very sorry to hear we all seem to be in the same position!!!)

 

[Bobthecob15]

Feel bad that the horses at our yard have been in so much and off the grass but sounds like it’s not just us….

Makes me worry for the future of horse keeping….

 

[Fluffypiglet]

Duct/duck tape does not work on split wellies. And there’s another leak somewhere on my right foot. I’ve ordered new wellies so I’m very hopeful that should give us some dry weather? . Please please please let it be dry…

 

[Highmileagecob]

Walked out with the grandchildren yesterday. Eldest was poking a stick in the stream to find the shallow bit to cross over. Younger brother simply splashed across and disappeared up to his knees. At least the horse has the sense to stay out of running water.

 

[dorsetladette]

It was discussed on a local FB page yesterday that there was 9 days of dry weather forecast starting today. Today it's drizzling!!!!! More false hope!

 

[Fransurrey]

Second day of spring like weather, bit of sun, vaguely warm....farmer decides to check the winter paddock fences. In the JCB.

We actually managed a hack in dry weather on Friday, only to discover that the NT has had heavy machinery go in and turn all the bridleways into slop. On Saturday we had lovely weather and I was finally motivated to dig out the front of my field shelter (to rescue the mats!) and take out all the bedding to put underneath them, to level them out (they'd buckled under all the mud and slop). As it was so nice, I left the mats up to allow the ground to dry out more. Naturally it p*ssed down all night and Sunday until about 1pm, but at least digging away the solid mud ramp from the lip of each shelter has stopped the rain streaming in...I finally got my onion sets in, yesterday, too!!

 

[dorsetladette]

It was discussed on a local FB page yesterday that there was 9 days of dry weather forecast starting today. Today it's drizzling!!!!! More false hope!

Without wanting to tempt fate - it is currently dry!!!

 

[I'm Dun]

I’m not sure where exactly you are but have you seen posts for the little ginger dog that’s been washed away? Near Reading I think. Could you keep an eye?
It’s the most heart breaking story

Oxford so the wrong bit really. It happens a lot sadly. The Thames has been absolutely wild this winter and wont even be navigable by boat safely till April/May time. We all do keep an eye out though, there's often posts shared onto boater groups and vice versa.

 

[tda]

Where the monkey is is the middle of the livery yard I am on. Taken by Helicopter in early Jan. Yard is 20 odd acres and there wasn't a single blade of grass above water.

There's mud and there's brick clay 'been under four feet of water for a week mud'.

It drained as fast as it came in (mainly gone in 3-6 days) but its was very, very wet! Total yard evacuation for 2-3 weeks whilst stables etc were stripped and cleaned and fresh hay etc delivered.

Yes its left a mess but somehow the yard manager is making it work, unfortunately it meant several liveries being given notice in order to reduce numbers. Chain harrows aren't going to touch the fields, with much heavier duty farm cultivation type machinery being needed this year!


View attachment 135936

Gosh I think I'm going to stop moaning, that must have been horrendous