Weather proofing

Sanversera

Sanversera

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As it seems very wet winters are now the norm what measures are we putting in place to help the horses with the situation? My plan is to make extra hard standing with mud con trol mats,make mud control mat pathways to paddocks and have turnout yards for each horse so they can. Be brought off the fields but not have to stay stabled. Its going to cost.
 
2 winters ago I took a bold step - stripped out 4 internal stables and cut a big hole in the back of my American barn and had a professional track put in to the winter field behind the barn - all properly fenced.

It wasn't cheap and I've fewer stables now but ...... it's been life changing.

No more turning in and out, no more muddy gate ways, no more late night mucking out.

The horses come in and out when they want - so I know they are happy with whatever they choose.

One who is crossed with a polar bear is out in all weathers, always soaking but hey ho. The thinner skinned appy x is in the barn a lot - again his choice - sensible in my view.

I put hay in the barn, so literally none is wasted - I've never found a way of feeding hay in the field that wasn't wasteful

they come in when they see me, so I can check on them whenever I need to.

Early in the winter, even when it was cold I'd only find 1-2 poos a day in there, now with this relentless rain I'm taking out 1/2 a wheelbarrow a day - but between 3 that's not bad - and nobody wee's in there so a couple of bags of shavings have lasted 2 months.

I think future proofing for dry summers and long wet winters is needed sadly
 
Money no object, if love a track and big enough barn the horses don't feel like they can't escape. I guess turnout paddock with hardcore and sand is an option but maybe individual with scratches over fence? We have 4 that would kick the crp out of eachother if area wasn't big enough. At minimum id like to hardcore paths, gateway's and water troughs
 
I have a huge area of Jelka mats.
I have 3 x IBCs, with the lids cut off, as hay boxes. They are staked into the ground, on top of the mats.
Then this summer added a 24 x 12 field shelter. They do use it (not as much as I would!) and it saves me getting them in at 2am when I used to feel guilty about them being out in the field 🙈

And good rugs. They all have Rambo turnout rugs so I know they are comfortable, no rubs and 100% waterproof.
 
Nocturnal said:
I’m on livery so it’s not up to me, if I had my own land I’d be building all weather areas for sure.
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Same, but I only moved here as they had hardstanding already. It's individual atm as Sadie decided she didn't like the only other horse she previously liked anymore but better than a foot of mud or a stable all day. YO is musing about a track but we will see if it comes to anything.
 
When we got our land I put in a hardstanding yard 8x20m with a shelter. It opens onto the (grass) track or the grazing in the middle (4 small fields) so they always have access to it. Over the next few years I had all the gateways hardcored or put mud slabs down, and had a hardstanding walk track put in between gateways in the top fields that can be fenced off with electric to exclude the first field while grazing the second. It's a small set-up for a couple of ponies but it worked really well and after the first winter with muddy gateways it was fantastic, practically zero mud, zero stress, ponies could come and go as they pleased.
 
On a very DIY yard, with winter turnout in the daytime, and good shelter belt hedging. We have a concrete standing behind the gated fence, big enough for all the horses. They choose to stand anywhere but the concrete, but at least there's a dry gateway.
 
We have a shelter ready to go up in one of the smaller paddocks which I hope to set up with a water trough and a smaller hay feeder near by. Basically a mirror image of the winter field. The thought process being that I can keep them in the summer fields longer before moving to the winter side which is now a bog in the most used area's.

I'm toying with the idea of some Jelka mats as well.
 
Sanversera said:
As it seems very wet winters are now the norm what measures are we putting in place to help the horses with the situation? My plan is to make extra hard standing with mud con trol mats,make mud control mat pathways to paddocks and have turnout yards for each horse so they can. Be brought off the fields but not have to stay stabled. Its going to cost.
Click to expand...

Same as you S, think we're going to have to invest heavily in mud control mats. Going to take pics at the weekend so I can remind myself where they're needed the most.
 
All these answers seem to focus on turning grassland into something else, another ‘surface’.
For anyone putting up buildings, particularly individual stables, be well worth considering the versatility of your new doors / ventilation: either full doors on opposite sides, or at least closable ‘topdoor/ window’ peepholes on the opposite side, to offset what are becoming significant changes in UK prevailing winds.
 
1770476283846.jpeg

A truly horrible day here (again!) and you can see how they use it.

It used to be stables along the back in a U shape around the internal yard - gate over the front and back stables gone and it's quite a big space

You can see the hole cut in the back on the left that leads to the field

Most is just concrete - the right hand side has bedding - but I don't see much evidence of them lying down in there.


I encourage anyone who can to be creative with what they have and how it can be used.
 
Exasperated said:
All these answers seem to focus on turning grassland into something else, another ‘surface’.
For anyone putting up buildings, particularly individual stables, be well worth considering the versatility of your new doors / ventilation: either full doors on opposite sides, or at least closable ‘topdoor/ window’ peepholes on the opposite side, to offset what are becoming significant changes in UK prevailing winds.
Click to expand...
I did this, but wooden stables were still unbearably hot last summer, so bought some recharge electric fans. I dream of a lovely brick stable block with a high roof! My fields are an Equicentral system, but as it's with electric tape, I can move paths and gateways as they get poached. (I can't move the field shelter though). I'm running out of options now though, and yesterday I noticed what appeared to be drowned earthworm lying in the puddles/ standing water. The forecast is rain until at least 20th...
 
Nocturnal said:
I’m on livery so it’s not up to me, if I had my own land I’d be building all weather areas for sure.
Click to expand...
Same. All I can do is put mats where it's appropriate. Outside the shelter I put cheap straw (remember that? Dunno what I'll do next winter...) under some stable mats, which holds up for a few months. It's not perfect, but having a non-sloppy walkway between shelters keeps me sane at least. I have slow feeder nets for inside the shelters and only feed hay inside during the wet months. In really bad weather, it's shaken out at the back of the shelter, like a hay bar. Then they can stand bums to the wind and tuck in. I collect rain water from the gutters in troughs, which cuts down on boggy areas as I use it to wash everything and they drink from it.
 
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