Stabling in winter

[FlyingCircus]

I've had mine out for years now, but for various reasons will need to bring in this year.

My mare is a bit of a wuss in the cold (despite being a native..!) and her feet really suffered last year due to constantly being wet. She also ended up stiff from being stood in cold, wet around the hay bale.

So, I'd like some advice!

Bedding -
She is v messy and wet.
Would something that is very absorbant to dry her feet out be a good thing or bad?
I'm not made of mega money so something not £8+ a bale...

Rugging -
Do I invest in some nice stable rugs or keep her in turnout? This is what I used to do years ago but I now have access to a rug dryer.
She sweats a fair bit with exercise and I like to wash her down with warm water rather than leave sweaty. Should I buy a thermatex style sheet to put under rug to wick away any moisture? I ride in evening so would be putting her straight to bed after riding and her dinner.

Leg wraps -
are they actually helpful for keeping legs warm? How do you manage them on wet/muddy legs?

Field leg wraps -
Do the mud fever leg protection boots actually work or are they just a pain in the bum when wet?


Basically...help me spend some of my money ?

 

[Antw23uk]

Bedding -
She is v messy and wet.
Would something that is very absorbant to dry her feet out be a good thing or bad?
I'm not made of mega money so something not £8+ a bale... I buy the cheapest shavings i can find and will buy in bulk this year to save more. I muck out like a scrooge so waste very little!

Rugging -
Do I invest in some nice stable rugs or keep her in turnout? This is what I used to do years ago but I now have access to a rug dryer.
She sweats a fair bit with exercise and I like to wash her down with warm water rather than leave sweaty. Should I buy a thermatex style sheet to put under rug to wick away any moisture? I ride in evening so would be putting her straight to bed after riding and her dinner. ..................... new rug with rug liners, they are a thing of beauty and i will never go back. BUY the Thermatex, they are lovely and well worth it.

Leg wraps -
are they actually helpful for keeping legs warm? How do you manage them on wet/muddy legs? - no no no, let them dry naturally, do not wash, brush the dry mud off in the morning and apply a decent mud barrier product

Field leg wraps -
Do the mud fever leg protection boots actually work or are they just a pain in the bum when wet? ... see above, i hate wrapping legs up, especially if they are out in the wet and cold!

 

[eggs]

Straw is the cheapest option but maybe not so good for your mare. Wood or straw pellets would probably be the cheapest option.

Bucas rugs can be put directly onto a wet horse although you can never go wrong if you have a Thermatex in your rug room. I second the rugs with liners and am a big fan of Rambo.

I am not a fan of leg wraps and do not use them.

 

[MuddyMonster]

Mine lived out last winter but was stabled overnight before & will be stabled overnight this year too.

I swear by wood pellets for a wet, messy horse. I was taking out approximately 2 wheelbarrow a day when I was straw but now it fits into a skipping out bucket. I skip out 6 days a week & do a full dig out and put in new pellets one day a week. I pay £5.50 a bag for my pellets from one place and £6.75 from another.

I have two Thermatex's and swear by them. He was Irish clipped & un-rugged last winter but this year I think I'm going to hunter clip and lightly rug. In the past, when rode in the evenings & stables overnight I washed off and put Thermatex on & he was dry by the next morning without a chill. This year, I'm probably going to put one underneath his turnout rug as planning on riding in the morning Monday-Friday.

I'm going to try leg wraps this year for increasing circulation in my PPID/EMS native.

 

[splashgirl45]

if she sweats and you are rugging can you clip her so she doesnt sweat up so much. if you are not clipping why rug? i used to do a dealer clip on mine and only needed to lightly sponge where the girth went and not over the back so could put her turnout rug on almost immediately. thermatex work by wicking the wet to the outside so not a good idea to cover it with turnout as inside of turnout will be damp. if you want to use a thermatex just leave her in that over night and change to turnout in the morning.

 

[SEL]

I deep litter my very, very messy mare over winter. She has a very deep bed of wood pellets and I take out the poo and any obvious 'on the surface' wet bits daily. Bit more of a dig around at weekends - get through about 3 bags of wood pellets a fortnight. That has worked really well for her and wood pellets dry her feet out too. I'm not a fan of washing legs constantly through winter so I let the pellets dry them for me, but that does mean the beautiful white bed you start with turns mucky brown quickly. I've never used leg wraps but would plaster legs in udder cream when the fields turned to bog with all last year's rain.

I pretty much kept her in turnouts overnight. She does have a large 100g that I would throw over her 200g (she needs more rugs than many) in the worst of the weather so the 100g could come off in the evening and be hung up to drip. It could be thrown back on the next morning without worrying about her wearing a damp rug. I do think thermatex rugs are great if you've ridden in the evening and are struggling to get them to cool off.

 

[spotty_pony]

I buy a couple of bags of wood pellets (£5 a bag from Mole Valley) and put them under the straw for my very wet gelding and it works really well. I muck out the straw everyday and the pellets once/twice per week.

And turnout boots were amazing last winter for preventing mud fever.

 

[PurBee]

Mine lived out last winter but was stabled overnight before & will be stabled overnight this year too.

I swear by wood pellets for a wet, messy horse. I was taking out approximately 2 wheelbarrow a day when I was straw but now it fits into a skipping out bucket. I skip out 6 days a week & do a full dig out and put in new pellets one day a week. I pay £5.50 a bag for my pellets from one place and £6.75 from another.

I have two Thermatex's and swear by them. He was Irish clipped & un-rugged last winter but this year I think I'm going to hunter clip and lightly rug. In the past, when rode in the evenings & stables overnight I washed off and put Thermatex on & he was dry by the next morning without a chill. This year, I'm probably going to put one underneath his turnout rug as planning on riding in the morning Monday-Friday.

I'm going to try leg wraps this year for increasing circulation in my PPID/EMS native.

Are those prices you’re paying for 10kg or 20kg bags? - i buy from a wood sawmill who are manufacturers of various bedding types - shavings, pellets, sawdust for cows etc. It’s €3.50 for 10kg bags…if i buy a tonne pallet its 300 and 50 on top for pallet delivery. Or even cheaper to buy a tonne bag loose pellets for €285+ delivery. (If you have yard forklift to move and store it which i dont hence i use the small bags and pay a bit more) So well worth looking at sawmill producers of pellets than buy from middlemen ‘country store/feed’ retailers.

OP - i bought neoprene leg wraps for muddy wet conditions, but didnt use them in the end as i was put off because i wanted their heels to heal from being wet And the skin becoming sore, so thought the wraps would likely cause infection in that instance. But if the legs are in good condition at the beginning of winter season without any issues, theyd certainly stop mud/grit and wet rubbing into the skin if theyre out in a muddier winter paddock.

More useful for very hairy legs/feathers to be kept clean of mud, as caked-in mud theyre unlikely to dry quickly overnight, despite hosing when horse is brought in. Useful to pop on and off if on a yard or circumstance where hosing off isnt always possible when theyre brought in.
I hosed mud off when they come in then they go on pellet base/shaving topped dry bed and dry out very well by morning on average hairy legs.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

Wood pellets are by the far cheapest and best bedding for a mucky horse I’ve ever used. I put a thick bed in. I buy by the pallet. Depending where you are the delivery may be free. My last lot cost me £240 for £65 15kg bags. My current routine is to put one dry in the wet patch area and I top up the top with two soaked in my wheelbarrow. I probably get through about 10 per month per horse in the worst of the winter when they’re in the longest. My oldie turns his bed upside down regularly so he gets more overall and wet taken out every couple of days. My other is very tidy and wet gets taken out weekly or when it domes!

If my horse was getting very sweaty before I put them to bed I would clip so they dried quickly. I would not routinely put a turn-out on a sweaty horse. Usually if I take turn-outs off in the evening if they’re wet they don’t go back on I’ll put on a stable rug. I’d probably put a fleece cooler on underneath a stable rug. I leave my turn-outs on if they’re warm and dry underneath and I’m not needing to take them off to ride or groom. Beware that necks can get ruined by rubbing on door frames.

When I’ve used overnight wraps such as PE magnetic ones I towel dry and then bung on. I haven’t had any issues but it’s not massively muddy here and they only get really muddy legs if they’ve been pratting about. On those days they may get a hose off to check for injury if nothing else. I’ve got some thermatex too but everything sticks to them and they’re prone to sagging.

I haven’t personally tried turn-out boots but from what I’ve seen they’re prone to rubbing so cause other issues.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

I deal with a lot of very hairy feathered legs...
In depths of winter I will only quickly hose if v muddy, if just sodden I leave them. Pick out feet and put in stable, they dry nicely overnight, particularly if you have bedding right across stable and they don't have feet on concrete or matting by hay net area.

Bedding. Straw dries best but can stink if you are on matting with any gaps on joins of it.
I've found better to deep litter a mucky one on the likes of Aubiose (yes, it's pricey) as once compacted the bed stays firm and I use far less than I would of cheaper shavings etc. I take out wet once a week or even longer, depending how the bed is. I don't disturb the bed much otherwise as that stops it being tramped about.

I tend to bring mine in for odd nights or even perhaps week or so during late autumn if weather v wet but hold off fully in till New year if I can,depending on ground and weather.

 

[meleeka]

I use Thermatex leg wraps in the stable for my old pony or she gets really stiff. i don’t have deep mud so I usually just put them on legs without washing. If they were awful I might hose them off first. If makes such a difference to her I think it’s the lesser of two evils really.

I haven’t found any field wraps that are really breathable whilst keeping mud out. Her legs tended to sweat so I don’t bother with them anymore.

 

[FlyingCircus]

Thanks everyone! Useful to have opinions.

RE sweating, I will full clip her again, not sure if best to leave legs on (she's welsh so a bit of feather) or take off. But she did get v sweaty even fully clipped last winter. Maybe now she is fitter it will be less of a problem.

The field was awful last winter, a proper bog that had standing water on 70% of it, so this is one of the reasons I'm going to bring in. Would like to save the ground a bit, save them from standing in it and the miserable weather, and save myself from haying outside when it's raining sideways!

 

[splashgirl45]

i would leave legs on to give her some protection from the mud and wet, good idea to fully clip. also maybe walk for a bit longer when you have finished so she dries off a bit before you need to put her rug on..

 

[Goldenstar]

You might have to try a few bedding methods however sawdust might be a good economic option .
You could build a big bed and remove the droppings and dig out the wet patches daily or keep levelling the bed and dig out the wet a couple of times the week if that’s easier for your time plan .
I would paint her frogs and soles with iodine once a week
My old pal Fatty on paper should live out in winter but he hates it his arthritis gets worse he is miserable and withdrawn.

Thermatex’s don’t work well as under rugs they slip back.
I would buy a light stable rug say 100g my clipped slim horse spends all winter in a 150g unless we have awful all taps frozen type weather ,if your horse sweats when rugged your making her too hot .
I always leave my horses unrugged for a while when they come in from the field .

I would not in any circumstances leave a clipped horse who tends to get hot in the stable in it’s outdoor rug .
I think you are right to stable her wet fields make life miserable for horses and they enjoy the respite.
If I am lucky mine can be out until December but it depends on the Winter you get .

 

[Slightlyconfused]

Bedding, look at wood pellets. Or pellets under straw. Both work for mine who is very wet.

Rugging I leave mine in their outdoors unless the yard has shut the feild or box rest. I have one or two indoor rugs for then. If need more warmth I have linners.
Research linners they are brilliant.

I wouldn't waste money on a thermatex. Just buy one of the old string sweat rugs, lovesan do them still, and get a normal fleece. Put sweat rug on and fleece over the top and it works perfectly.
As long as you give an hour before feed fine to ride and then give dinner. Do stable jobs while horse has sweat rug on.


Leg wraps, I use the premier equine ones, the black and red ones which are their version of the back on track. They also have the thermatex type ones which wick away etc.
I don't wash off mud, I leave it to dry and brush. I do put the wraps on wet legs and haven't had a bother with it.

I don't use feild wraps, just good pig oil and coat the legs.

 

[ponynutz]

Bedding -
She is v messy and wet.
Would something that is very absorbant to dry her feet out be a good thing or bad?
I'm not made of mega money so something not £8+ a bale...

Would definitely recommend deep littering if she's wet and messy. It's hard work in the Spring but saves time and money in the Winter. Put down like 2-3 bales and then after it's built up a bit one shavings bag will keep for at least two weeks. Does she eat her bedding? Straw's the cheapest, all shavings in my area are at least £7.50 a bale and newspaper and pellets are even more. Depending on prices in your area, pellets underneath a shavings bed is another way to absorb more wet stuff. ALSO PLS USE BANKS IF THERE'S 0 TURNOUT.

Rugging -
Do I invest in some nice stable rugs or keep her in turnout? This is what I used to do years ago but I now have access to a rug dryer.
She sweats a fair bit with exercise and I like to wash her down with warm water rather than leave sweaty. Should I buy a thermatex style sheet to put under rug to wick away any moisture? I ride in evening so would be putting her straight to bed after riding and her dinner.

Definitely buy a fleece cooler rug. 2in1 situation, I often double mine up as a fleece under a heavy stable rug when it gets below freezing. If she's going to be clipped then invest in a quilted, super nice heavyweight stable rug at least (with a hood, you can always leave it undone) and a fleece cooler rug and then buy cheap as chips stuff, or use turnout rugs elsewhere.

Leg wraps -
are they actually helpful for keeping legs warm? How do you manage them on wet/muddy legs?

Never used stable ones, sorry. I don't like the idea of something on their legs in a warm stable all the time.

Field leg wraps -
Do the mud fever leg protection boots actually work or are they just a pain in the bum when wet?

I've used turnout ones though and find just brushing excess mud off her legs in the morning and they can go right on. Turnout ones are a lifesaver in the winter especially as it gets darker in the evenings and you don't have time to be washing and drying legs.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Bedding -
She is v messy and wet.
Would something that is very absorbant to dry her feet out be a good thing or bad?
I'm not made of mega money so something not £8+ a bale...

Would definitely recommend deep littering if she's wet and messy. It's hard work in the Spring but saves time and money in the Winter. Put down like 2-3 bales and then after it's built up a bit one shavings bag will keep for at least two weeks. Does she eat her bedding? Straw's the cheapest, all shavings in my area are at least £7.50 a bale and newspaper and pellets are even more. Depending on prices in your area, pellets underneath a shavings bed is another way to absorb more wet stuff. ALSO PLS USE BANKS IF THERE'S 0 TURNOUT.

Rugging -
Do I invest in some nice stable rugs or keep her in turnout? This is what I used to do years ago but I now have access to a rug dryer.
She sweats a fair bit with exercise and I like to wash her down with warm water rather than leave sweaty. Should I buy a thermatex style sheet to put under rug to wick away any moisture? I ride in evening so would be putting her straight to bed after riding and her dinner.

Definitely buy a fleece cooler rug. 2in1 situation, I often double mine up as a fleece under a heavy stable rug when it gets below freezing. If she's going to be clipped then invest in a quilted, super nice heavyweight stable rug at least (with a hood, you can always leave it undone) and a fleece cooler rug and then buy cheap as chips stuff, or use turnout rugs elsewhere.

Leg wraps -
are they actually helpful for keeping legs warm? How do you manage them on wet/muddy legs?

Never used stable ones, sorry. I don't like the idea of something on their legs in a warm stable all the time.

Field leg wraps -
Do the mud fever leg protection boots actually work or are they just a pain in the bum when wet?

I've used turnout ones though and find just brushing excess mud off her legs in the morning and they can go right on. Turnout ones are a lifesaver in the winter especially as it gets darker in the evenings and you don't have time to be washing and drying legs.

I disagree with some points above, fleece rugs pull back on their own, often more so under any rug, has also been mentioned in earlier posts too.

Banks are for aesthetics only, they would need to be huge to prevent getting cast. No need for them unless you use them for stockpiling spare bedding or liking the look.

 

[splashgirl45]

I would not in any circumstances leave a clipped horse who tends to get hot in the stable in it’s outdoor rug .
I think you are right to stable her wet fields make life miserable for horses and they enjoy the respite.
If I am lucky mine can be out until December but it depends on the Winter you get .

i read the post as OP was riding horse and it got hot so she was washing it off but needed to rug so was looking for answers....not that she was too hot in her rug....maybe i got it wrong...

 

[ponynutz]

I disagree with some points above, fleece rugs pull back on their own, often more so under any rug, has also been mentioned in earlier posts too.

Banks are for aesthetics only, they would need to be huge to prevent getting cast. No need for them unless you use them for stockpiling spare bedding or liking the look.

Ah okay, neglected to say my fleece cooler is a bit big on my girl so never really happened for me, but if that's the case then scratch my point about the fleece rug! Would still recommend getting a cooler/wicking rug of some sort if you're washing her off after a ride.

Not sure about banks, I did mean the huge banks and if you're deep littering you might as well build some big ones and then keep making them bigger, but little ones do discourage the horse from lying down too close to the wall (although wouldn't prevent casting if they did).