Weather - any tips??

[Bert&Maud]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm finding the current weather really hard to cope with. We've been frozen solid here for about 3 weeks, and then had about 8" snow last night. My poor horse is currently living on his own, as my livery decided to move her mare for a couple of months to a friends who has an indoor school (wish I'd gone too now!). I keep him at my parent's house (Mum used to ride but is now in her mid 70's so not really willing to do much to help with bored lively 7 year old!) which is 10 miles from home. I work full time, often having to leave home by 6am to get to work. I'm just getting into a complete panic about how I'm going to manage him with driving 20 mile round trip twice a day and turning him out in all weathers sometimes at 6am or earlier.
How do other people in a similar situation cope? It doesn't help that he is the messiest horse I've ever owned , so I seem to spend hours each day just mucking out and defrosting taps outside on my own. So any tips that might make life a bit easier gratefully received!

 

[treacle86]

can u move him to your friends place too now ?? or maybe be easier if you turn him out , if he would cope living out ?
less running around for you . hope you work something out . xx

 

[LauraWinter]

Would it be possible to turn him out and leave him out with a good rug and loads of hay so that first you dont have to spend so much time mucking out and second, if you cant get up there all your mum would have to do to keep him happy is put a fedd/hay in the field and smash any ice on the water? That way he would be fine if it gets too icy and your mum wouldnt have to try and handle him too much

 

[Bert&Maud]

No room at friends place unfortunately, but even if there was, the roads are impassable with any sort of trailer/lorry. We're pretty well snowed in, I've moved to my Mum and Dad's for the moment so I can be sure to be able to see to my horse, and am travelling to work from there. I don't want to do this indefinately though, as my bed at home is much more comfortable and also has my husband in it!

 

[charliesarmy]

For starts I'd probably buy some water containers...rather than spending lots of time defrosting taps...I'd deep litter for the foreseeable future might cost a few pounds more but probably worth it...I'd put aside some time (weekend) and fill as many nets as you can (I've been doing 20 at a time

) and I have even started bagging the daily feeds up at a weekend al saves time in the week!! yep I to am really peed with this weather

 

[brucea]

Hibernate, under a duvet. Wake up again in May.

Had enough of this damn white stuff

 

[monkeymad]

Yes this weather sucks!! This is the only downside I have to keeping my horses on a private yard - there is no one to help out at times like this!! My yard tap takes about 6 kettles to unfreeze each moring (and this is despite it being well rugged up each night!!) With regard to you getting home, if you keep your horse out in the day, if you left everything ready in stable could your mum lead him in? Or if he is in the day could you leave hay and feed and bucket of water to be chucked over door and sod the mucking out for one night? I know what its like with elderly parents, my dad is 80 and I panick like mad when he gets up the ladder to sort out the stable guttering etc!!

 

[pottamus]

I have a similar situation in that I rent a field from a farmer so my horse is on his own too...and I have no help. The only way I cope is that my lad is turned out 24/7 so I do not have all the mucking out to do etc. I have my own issues in that I have no water other than what I get from the water butts on my field stable, so do find myself having to bring water containers from home a lot.
My lad is well rugged and when the weather is awful like this I just ensure he has loads of hay to keep him busy. The frozen water is always difficult in this weather too.
I cant really offer much advice other than to see if any corners can be cut a bit to save time, like throwing hay loose in the field rather than haynets etc. Perhaps the water containers might be better for you than defrosting taps?
The only thing that keeps me going is the knowledge that it will not last forever, we will soon all be back to wind and rain and spring will be on its way!

 

[maxapple]

I'd turn him out if possible well rugged up with lots of hay. If possible get a round bale delivered - if not literally put 2 bales out a night.

I have my pony at one yard living out and he is absolutely fine with his hay bale and rugs on. Thank goodness my other horse is on full livery!

 

[Kat]

Why not just resign yourself to giving him a holiday and turn him out 24/7 for the next couple of weeks? It would be much more manageable to just have to deal with troughs and hay in the field than having to bring in and out and muck out etc.

Use dirty bedding to make safe paths through the ice on the yard so you don't need to worry about anyone slipping and ask your folks to check on him when they get up so you just have to go over in the evening (and if you couldn't it wouldn't be a disaster) If you put hay out in large quantities your parents won't even need to top this up, just make sure he has water.

A lady on here the other week mentioned a gadget that she used for her troughs, it stirred the water which kept it moving and prevented it from freezing - not sure if something like that might work. If not several balls in the water will make it easier to break the ice, and keep it clear for longer.

Good luck.