Top winter tips

Peregrine Falcon

Peregrine Falcon

Looking for the light
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1 July 2008
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Have you discovered any fab ideas to share? Here are some from me.

My friend and I invested in some rubber field mats last year. Best money I've spent for a long time. The gateways and entrances to the field shelters have a solid underfoot so you don't sink to your knees in mud! It's made a huge difference.

Keep a small hammer by the water trough to break the ice and use a colander to get the ice out instead of getting numb hands.

Buy a gas camping stove and kettle so you can have a hot drink to warm up after your chores. Also means you have hot water available for poultices.
 
Falconers Buy a gas camping stove and kettle so you can have a hot drink to warm up after your chores. Also means you have hot water available for poultices.[/QUOTE said:
fill the kettle up the night before - if tap is frozen still can boil kettle - that's if the gas bottle doesn't freeze - haven't had the problem this year but gas froze last year

& I love my marigolds - wear them over gloves if hands might get wet

Do as many feeds & Haynets in advance as possible - makes it easier on the saker nights
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I don't have a huge amount-Ive always been lucky enough to have my horses on livery where there was kettles and lighting!

However- my only tip (which isn't a great help!) is to just do as much as you can in the daylight! BY that i mean stable/field type jobs.

One of my friends also used to keep a football in water troughs to try and stop them from completely freezing over.

A buff to wear around your face when out riding in the bitter wind. Wrap around exercise sheets- quicker to put on and keep your legs warm too! And a constant supply of dry gloves :)
For really howling days- I have a long bush mans coat (a jack murphy one) that keeps the rain out!
 
Best thing I did was move to a yard with electric and floodlit school :D no more mucking out by torchlight and only bring able to ride weekends!
 
Part livery? This is the first year where I haven't had to get up at the crack of dawn in the freezing rain/wind/snow to do pony!
 
Dress yourself properly. Ski socks, thermal base layers, buff for your neck, waterproof trousers or sallopettes, decent boots, coat, hat and gloves makes a hell of a difference. If your warm and dry your a lot happier.
 
Falconers said:
Have you discovered any fab ideas to share? Here are some from me.

My friend and I invested in some rubber field mats last year. Best money I've spent for a long time. The gateways and entrances to the field shelters have a solid underfoot so you don't sink to your knees in mud! It's made a huge difference.

Keep a small hammer by the water trough to break the ice and use a colander to get the ice out instead of getting numb hands.

Buy a gas camping stove and kettle so you can have a hot drink to warm up after your chores. Also means you have hot water available for poultices.
Click to expand...

Hi,

Ive been thinking about getting this field matting for the gate ways after i sore it used somewhere. Have you any idea where you get it from, or the makers name?

Our field has alot of clay in it, the gate areas are a nightmare at the minute.
Thanks
 
My tip would be, if you use a water tap like us, and it freezes in the colder months, cover it up with an old rug. It helps stop the water freezing up massively.
 
For those struggling with hay wastage in the field, if you don't want to buy something like a hay hutch or similar, use an old clean water trough to put your hay in. You can drag it round the field everyday so it only poaches the same amount as if you were feeding on the ground but hay wastage is almost nothing. Saving us a fortune this winter!
 
2 x thermos's - instant hot drink & spare for padlocks/cuts etc.

Lighter - for unfreezing padlocks

Outdoor rug (as said above) for wrapping round yard tap.

Diarise a note for May: To source scalpings for gateways if not already done. (tip: take photo's in winter to remind you HOW bad they might be!)

Do the usual:
Fill nets for a week,
dont sweep up on non-work days (if own yard) as helps adhesion next morning if iced overnight & slippy in the dark....

In early January, book a special day/2 days or weeks holiday in May or June to look forwards to

OPtion: Sell Fuzzies & go on longer holiday, borrow friends fuzzies instead - they will love you as you'll prob offer to do the odd morning for them!

Finally: lust over possibility of getting winning lottery ticket! :biggrin3:
 
There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. I put waterproof trousers over the top of what I'm wearing then a big puffa coat, hat, gloves and decent wellies. I'm never cold and it makes it much easier to get on with things! (and I'm clean when I take all the horse stuff off after!)

Get a hay rack. I made one out of old crates. It's amazing. Fit 3 wheelbarrows of hay in, no wastage.

can't think of any more! :( Sure I will once it starts freezing though ahah!
 
I've got most of the above, but here's some more:

Invest in good gloves and boots. I have the 4 rating sealskins. The 3 rating were rubbish for me (except being waterproof), so having these really has made a difference. I've also got the sealskins waterproof hat and I'm often the only one out poo picking in the cold rain! I really notice the cold when I wear wellies instead of my ariats. Nothing keeps my feet actually warm (Raynauds), but good boots are the difference between cold feet and crying on the way home with pain!

Kind of horsey, but I always make sure I have snacks and drinks with me if bad weather is forecast and I can't avoid a journey. I was one of those stuck 3 years ago on the M25 (stuck for 8 hours due to idiots and ice/snow, spent 10 hours in my car). I'd taken a packed lunch with me and although it wasn't pleasant (did you know it's possible to pee into a paper cup whilst in the driver's seat???), I did have enough sustainance with me to feel fortunate!

Ooh and seat covers all round. My poor car really gets abused, but in the Spring it takes about half an hour to get it looking like new on the inside!
 
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