What have you/will you do differently this winter?

Wagtail said:
Wood pellet bedding freezing, or being unable to use the frozen hose to dampen it.
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Does that really happen?!? :eek::eek: Just ordered a pallet of the stuff to try for the first time this winter, will be no good if I can't stable the horse because his bed is rock hard!! :eek:
 
im feelimg decidely happy about what this year brings! After last years diseateres with a new horse at a friends house over 15 miles from my home... driving was treacherous to say least....
THIS year i have....
Moved to a yard thats a 15 walk from my house, said yard was brand new but up for sale has now been bought by some lovely folk who have installed BRAND NEW school surface, lights in yard and on school, new fencing it looks like a dream
Its a short walk from my house and now I have 6 newly arrived or soon new to arrive liveries to talk to and help out as looks like im the closest to the yard (as well as Yard o).
Have changed my car from a sporty golf that enjoyed ice skating to something far more metaier and practical if I can / want to drive
Hate to sound smug but BRING IT ON!
things i learnt i needed last year tho ... GLOVES THICK ONES!!! love the leg warmers over jods idea defo going to try that! I also need something to add grip to my boots!
 
3Beasties said:
Does that really happen?!? :eek::eek: Just ordered a pallet of the stuff to try for the first time this winter, will be no good if I can't stable the horse because his bed is rock hard!! :eek:
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Get the bed established (with wetted pellets) before the weather gets cold and dont add water to the bags you top up with (the wee in the bed will be enough), that way it shouldnt freeze. I use wood pellets with a bit of Aubiose mixed in and we are in the Cairngorms -20 every winter and the beds didnt freeze. So maybe get a couple of begs of hemcore/aubiose to mix in.
 
We have extreme winters every winter as we are on an exposed hillside on the edge of the Cairngorms and the snow blows off the mountains and plops onto us, drifting a lot. Minus 20 is an every winter occurrance!

We already have Landrover, hay (our own for the sheep and poorer stuff bought in for the pony), oil for heating, wood for log stove, six wheel quad for getting water and hay out to horses and sheep. Six 25L water carriers, half a ton of grit, thermals, kettle in tack room

Things to remember this winter: always leave the kettle filled, as you wont be able to fill it in the morning and some days even with lagged pipes and kettle, pipes dont defrost until about 3pm!
We have bought a snowplough for the tractor as some weeks we are so snowed in noone can get to us, not even the farmer with his tractor! Having it fitted with a 3 point linkage at the mo.
Underfloor heating is excellent for the house. Not only cos it keeps the house cosy, but also because I strongly believe it is the reason our pipes never freeze even at -20.

Our outhouse large chest freezer is full of bread and milk and our butchered lamb from our own sheep, including 3 old cast mutton ewes, which the dogs get and which will mean that if I cant get out to get dog food, they will still have food (tho they may get fed up of mutton!)

My main challenge is keeping our rather delicate 18yo IDxTB 17 hander in good health. He starts the winter well, and is if anything too porky, but he struggles towards the end of the winter and keeping him eating is difficult, he also colics if he eats too much snow....
 
3Beasties said:
Does that really happen?!? :eek::eek: Just ordered a pallet of the stuff to try for the first time this winter, will be no good if I can't stable the horse because his bed is rock hard!! :eek:
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No, the bed usually stays fine because the horses are contantly walking on it, but the bags, if stored outside, sometimes swell and then freeze and I like to fluff the pellets up in the wheelbarrow before putting them in the stable and it freezes in the wheelbarrow! It's a real pain in the very cold weather. You can put the pellets in dry but they are all crunch and slippery for the horses to walk on which is why I fluff them up before putting them in.
 
Thank you I had never heard of ice grips until i read this post so I'm off to ebay to buy some hopefully they do child ones too as that may help too
 
We have a large stock of coal and firewood. Horse wise, I hope to keep mine out for longer than last year. Maybe out all winter. Will see how it goes.
 
Half-way through all that snow, we were given a couple of 150 litre barrels with lids, filled 'em at the tap with short hose after defrosting, then bucketed the water into the troughs, saved lugging small barrels of water everywhere!

Will crack straight on with doing this again, the minute it thinks about freezing heavily again...!
 
It amazes me that people would/could get rid of their horses for that reason!!! To me part of the pleasure is looking after them however awful the weather, it is part of having them.

Hoping not to make too many changes apart from hopefully leaving them out as much as possible. We have three horses at my best friends field. The big lad is my best friends and her DIL's and I share him and we have another mutual friends two horses also so there are four of us to share the duties so always works well xx
 
SplashofSoy said:
Not alot we can do about the pipes as it was the ones under ground that froze and cant lagg those! but we have the huge water butts ready.
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Yet another thing that will have to be taken into account if the UK has colder winters full time...bury your water pipes below the frostline. Ours are 6 - 8' down, a royal PITA when they need replacing, but they don't freeze:)

Oh, another thing to think of, if you have fencing posts that you don't want frozen into position move them before the ground freezes and they are welded in place for the duration:)

I won't be doing anything differently, I've just about got it sussed now, it's taken me 6 years mind.
 
I'm planning to keep my boy out as much as possible this year. Belting rain and wind I can bring him in but intend to leave out. He is 20 yrs old so I will moniter him as he has lived in each winter since a 10yr old. Last year he had the coat of a yak despite being stabled at night and rugged up!
 
Some very good tips in this thread and I must write a 'To Do' list but one thing I always make sure I have done before the dark nights come in is wash all my fluroscent gear so Im bright and glowing YELLOW for all the drivers to see!
 
I need to get off my lardy arse and loose a few pounds so that I can fit into my warm overtrousers!

I will not be buying the next size up (probably ;) ).

I also need some new winter gloves. Has anyone got ski gloves? Are they any good?
 
Last year when the yard froze, we could barely get the horses across the yard to the field. So I dug out my wet easibed from the bottom of my horses and "gritted" the yard with it - it's amazing. It doesn't blow, it just sticks to the snow/ice and gives the horses grip. So the only thing I'll be doing when it starts to snow is to get my horses to wee more so we have more dirty bedding to put down on the yard!
It was also really easy to sweep up after the snow and ice had gone.
 
We've got hay sorted, haylage supply sorted, water supply going into the paddocks that don't have a flowing water supply, we will blow all our pipes down when not in use so shouldn't freeze as mains pipes will all be newly lagged. We still have a bit more fencing to repair and leccy fencing to sort in some paddocks but that will be done in the next week or so. We are moving to within a few minutes walk from the yard in a few weeks so although we have 4x4's anyway we will probably walk most of the time. All the rugs are sorted for those that need them and spares organised just in case the usual good doers end up needing them and I need to sort new boots for me. The children are all sorted with their winter gear so they don't get cold and miserable.

The only thing I am panicking about is space! We are moving from a huge 6 bedroomed house with loads of storage space and cellars to a 'normal house', the new one is big I suppose by most people's standards but I have got used to the space we have here and it is going to take some adjusting. We have 18 saddles and god knows how many bridles and other bits and bobs, not to mention all the rugs that are not in use, to find space for as it isn't safe to leave it at the yard for now.
 
Clipping Fany and rugging her as she got very itchy and ended up rubbing herself raw last year due to being half Yak and growing a coat that would keep her warm in the Arctic!

Buying loads of wool socks, more jumpers etc.
FDC
 
New yard and he'll be living out 24/7 instead of in at night as they don't have any stables free at the moment - he has got a lovely big field with natural shelter and plenty of grass to keep him occupied though! He will be fed and worked pretty much the same. Same clip but probably more rugs!
 
I have a stable and im actually riding her this winter.

I have all my hay in for the winter.

Although now im riding her more regulary and we have started jumping I feel massive on her :( Shes currently on preloved but I doubt she will sell (half heartedly dont want her to go either but im just too big for her)
 
Our horses live out all year round. A couple of things really help us - having a round feeder is just great, we roll a new bale into the field and chuck the feeder over the top. No waste as they can't lay or wee on it, and one bale lasts the three about ten days. I've bought in six bales and bless the lovely contractor who spaced them as I asked so we can get in between them to get them rolling!

We rent a small field opposite our own field. It has a spring in it, which has been dry all summer. I'm praying for loads of rain to bring the water table back up and get the spring going again, then at the first sign of frozen pipes the horses will be going in there, that way I dont have to worry about water.

And buy a cool box for soaking sugarbeet - it doesn't seem to stop the whole lot freezing but most of it stays soft.
 
I HAVE HAD A FIELD SHELTER STABLE BUILT IN THE FIELD AND CURRENTLY ORDERING UNDER RUGS,MUCK BOOTS ,THERMAL SOCKS AND FLEECY CHAPS.ALSO JUST BOUGHT A HI VIZ EXERCISE SHEET.
 
Spot_the_Risk said:
we roll a new bale into the field and chuck the feeder over the top. No waste as they can't lay or wee on it, and one bale lasts the three about ten days. I've bought in six bales and bless the lovely contractor who spaced them as I asked so we can get in between them to get them rolling!
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Quick question (sorry for hijacking)
I'm looking at buying some large bale haylge from Mr Farmer - 5 or 6ft across I think? How easy are they to manouver with man power alone? Tractor can't get right into the yard due to little lanes/gate posts/silly corners so we may need to move them our selves....
 
Getting all my electric checked in stables and some stables rewired. Stables have a new roof! Need to get plumber out to fix my hot water tank in tack room! Got my grit in ready. I'v also ordered a hay rack for the field, which I pick up this weekend (if it will fit in my truck!). Bought a new kettle to steam my hay! Ordered my feed in from simple systems today too!
 
Forgot to add, hay and straw is here and also had all rugs, washed, repaired and reproofed! Need a sledge though for pulling water to field from house, once everything freezes outside!! Used my macwet gloves last year, they were quite good but went hard!! so looking at getting some other warmer, waterproof ones with grip!
 
Only stable them when it's wet and windy or snow.

Last winter Rosie developed an awful cough which took forever to shift. She'd been on a straw bed for years without issue, but mostly only came in at night when the weather was bad.

Last year I had her in every night from Oct to March....which I loved. All dry and warm and cosy!

It just didn't suit her obviously.

So, she's staying out this year. And has a shredded newspaper bed, which she's already sampled and approved of (that involves lots of rolling about!!)
 
I need some exercise sheets actually! I have wimpy fine coated things at the moment, I also will be clipping as I have more rugs this year!

Hmmmmm, I'm taking our old kettle up the yard, and stocking up on teabags/cuppa soups.

I'm not having my hair thinned either, I need this mane to keep my bonce warm as wearing hats that aren't riding hats make me faint (don't even ask, I'm weird.) I also need a new ear warmer (I can cope with those).

I might take my knackered old halogen heater to the yard to plug in too :D.

Magic gloves, I have a stumpy deformed thumb so I always have a floppy end on that particular digit otherwise :D

I drove allthrough that snow last year, every day without fail, in my little punto, so as long as he keeps going for me this winter I will be fine :)
 
Both of my natives (New Forest 2yo & Welsh D 3 1/2yo) will be living out, unrugged as much as possible although I do have rugs for both of them just in case. They are unshod, so no worries about ice balling up in their feet :cool:.
I'll have to go through all of my rugs as I have loads that won't fit either of these two, YO will buy them from me for her ponies and smaller youngsters.
I've plenty of feed at the moment, but if we get a bad forecast, I'll buy more in for my girls (Alfa-A, high fibre cubes and alfabeet or speedibeet).
I'll take a kettle up to the yard for tea/coffee and soaking alfabeet/speedibeet, then I can just soak daily what they need if the ground/ outside pipes get frozen (YO lives on site, I'm sure she won't deny me a kettleful of water from the house if needed). I'll take a thermos flask up to leave at the yard so I can boil the kettle, fill the flask with boiled water then refill the kettle.
The yard is only half an hours walk from my house. It will take longer if we get deep snow, but I'll still be able to get there. I've been to a camping/outdoor shop to buy myself decent winter clothing, already have fleece lined salopettes, waterproof walking boots, about a million lights (head torches and various clip on white and red flashing lights. I also have hi-viz arm/leg bands with red flashing lights, and a good stock of batteries for all of them.
I have 3 pairs of ice grippers for my feet (bought them last winter then it didn't snow again :rolleyes:). I have 2 pairs of Musto Windstopper gloves at the yard, plus wind/waterproof ones from the camping shop. (A good tip to help keep your hands dry/warm - wear a pair of surgical gloves, (you can get latex free ones), under your normal gloves...keeps the wind and wet away from your skin;)).
Plenty of batteries for my camera to take snowy pictures during my walk to/from the yard, and snowy pony photos :D.
I think I'm organised for whatever weather happens this winter :D.
 
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