what are your yards doing to make the snow situation easier?

I've dug a path to the muck heap & moved a heater into the stables to defrost the water bowser we put in there & pumped full of water last week. OH has dug the driveway with the digger, so that we could get out for some feed. Horses are coping well walking to the field through the snow every day, although I have started putting haylage in the field for them, but they still prefer to dig down for what little grass there is. I also looked out the heavyweight stable rugs this week as the temp got down to -16 2 nights ago, but they are still in their Bucas turnout rugs during the day & are plenty warm enough.

Other than that, no changes.

I love having them at home & not having to worry. I much prefer this weather to the cold horizontal rain we normally get, so you'll hear no moaning from me (although I did have a little wobble a couple of days ago when I had 1 days worth of haylage left & the water to the house had frozen, but all sorted again now).
 
Starzaan said:
I've been filling every bucket in the place with snow and leaving them in the tack room by the heater to melt!
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We are lucky, we still have the yard kitchen taps working. That's scary not having water. With just my own two I could cope by bringing jerry cans from home, but a whole yard full of horses and no water would be my worst nightmare. I really feel for those who don't have water.
 
Misinterpreted said:
W I really feel for those who don't have water.
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Couldn't agree more.

We are on private water here & all the animal & house water comes from from a spring further up the mountain, via a ditch. The field boundaries are such that the ditch runs through each field. Running water obviously freezes much less than still water. The ditch is frozen over, but last year we dug a deeper hollow in each field, which means that we can smash the ice & there is access to water for the animals. It means more work in the drier months when we have to clear the hollows as they fill up with peat & silt, but it seems to work for us.

Having to rely on troughs & taps is no fun.

PS Starzaan, please don't do too much in your current tomato-headed, wobbly state.
 
we havnt done anything and have coped fine, the yard is covered in snow but the horses walk steady so its fine. their turnout pens are 2 metres infront of their stables.
we have not had water for two weeks now so we bring it from home. The YO does my two in the morning when she does hers as she has a 4 wheel drive so i only have to get stuck once ;-) it appears that haylage is very good to get you going when your stuck!
we have plenty of haylage till new year and our farmer still came down to empty our muck heap!
If this weather is a regular winter thing i am going to get a 4x4. i have really struggled on the country roads getting to them this winter and almost dont feel safe driving to the yard, nor is it safe to walk with no pavements. I will be prepared this year!
 
My yard has been great with the snow and ice, we have a muck trail from the yard to the fields so the horses have gone out all day everyday. The taps take the entire day to defrost with constant de-iceing so we fill up water buckets and leave them in caravan for the next day.
It makes it much easier when you have a yard that do everything they can to make it easy. Trouble is I cant get up the lane in my little car, so currently parking at the bottom and walking the mile and a half to the yard!
 
At my yard we have 9 horses, 4 of which are mine! We havent riden for weeks, schools frozen and now has a layer of snow.
We have bought grit for liveries to put out where they feel they need it. I have also cleared paths to field, menage, muck heap, haybarn etc. Fields are open, but no one wants to turnout. Mine have been in arena with hay for afew hours, my thnking being at least arena is flat.
But the worse thing is that we have no water since monday!- our brew room tap finally froze. wasnt best pleased as livery took 2 water containers home to fill, and was happily using them untill i saw her. (id been looking for them everywhere!)
Im sorry but i have 4 of my own horses to water, and own 4 water containers so thats one each every morning and night.
It just a nightmare, really wish it would warm up abit, and just thaw my tap if nothing else!!
 
I may just have to strangle her.... she's the only DIY, and I did her horse for her because she told me she was snowed in. This was fine for three days, but on the fourth she turned up at 11 just as I was coming back from a ride. I told her that her pony was all done and mucked out and turned out etc. and she said "oh for ******'s sake! I've come all this way for nothing!"

I still haven't had a thank you! I might just slip whilst carrying a pitch fork and accidentally plunge it into her leg...hmmm....

Our water for the house comes from a spring in the garden, but hefting containers in and out was just getting ridiculous, so my inspired snow melting plan is the way forward now!

I promise I'm not doing too much. I've chucked all of my lot out except Roy, so that's five less to muck out, and they're all rather enjoying it. The broken footed groom is doing as much as he can, which is really helpful, and I'm just having to sit down a lot and drink copious amounts of Lucozade!
 
We have grit and dirty beds where the horses are walking. I'm on a DIY yard but there is a woman who you can pay to turn out/muck out/feed etc. It's up to us if we want to turn out. We have 5 barns and taps in all but only 1 works at the moment. I'm not sure anyones prepared!
 
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