What would you do differently if it WAS like this every winter?

Enfys

Enfys

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Following on from Bex's thread, have you thought about things that would make life easier?

Other than selling up and moving to sunnier climes!
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As below, accept defeat and not keep trying to ride. There's no point in clipping or shoes if you aren't going to ride. I would take off her shoes, let her get hairy and give her a holiday.

And buy better gloves, my hands can't take much more of this!
 
I'd buy a 4x4 as that would help me enormously.

In my dream world I would also build an indoor school, undercover horse walker and a huge American barn.

I think I need to Win the Lottery
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On the same budget

-Buy a 4x4
-Have them all out 24/7, unclipped with minimal rugs and a properly bedded large barn shelter (deep littered for the whole winter like cows)
-Get a horse to do ice-ski races
-But some crampons
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-Marry into a family that owns a grit salt quarry
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If I won the lottery
-Build insulated indoor school
-Maintain off road track/gallops
-Build insulated american barn
-Install heater water troughs
-Install heated rug rack

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Buy a Toyota Hilux and fit it with winter tyres. Buy up loads of grit salt in the summer and sell it to the local council when they run out for a price of my choosing.
 
Probably not much different other than leave shoes off so it's easier to ride
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What 'coping' mechanisms do you use every year Enfys? Is your water heated?
 
I think the only difference is I would either not clip at all or just take a strip off his neck.

We've got and indoor school, although its small its been a godsend and am very grateful for it!
 
agreee .plan ahead for extra hay,have another field shelter,hardcore track to field so wasnt rutted before freeze.move to a house that wasnt at the top of a single track hill and plan for the horses to have a break.
 
I'd buy a field shelter and have them living out 24/7 so as if i make it to the yard late it doesn't matter or if i can't get there my dad can just chuck them food and water!
 
1) Snow tyres on the car, and a more winter-appropriate car (planning to do that anyway, as need some transport for the pony, and he won't fit in the passenger seat of my MX-5, even with the top down
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If I had my own yard, and loadsa cash:

2) heated troughs, and water pipes buried below frost line (what frost line?)

3) indoor arena

4) covered barn, with enclosed hay storage, heated tack room, and bath/heat lamp stall
 
I would forget about entering any winter shows and just assume I couldn't go instead of being disappointed. I would also just accept that George was going to have a winter holiday if necessary and try to make the most of the extra time to get things done at home.
 
Chuck out for the winter. Always did it as a kid doing affiliated showjumping but working my pony from grass. Fields were very muddy and difficult to get girth area clean enough to ride rgularly plus ponies sweated up alot so used to give them off from mid Nov til end of January even though we had indoor arena. Was always lucky enough to have breakers and other ponies to ride over xmas holidays.
 
Move to a yard with an indoor school...other than that I have been lucky really...our yard is indoors so nice and cosy and safe when mucking out etc, the surround is hardcore so has not got slippy, and I have been able to turn out every day.
Am very relieved that I haven't shelled out a big sum of money to go to the two day show/clinic we had planned in Feb as there's no way our mare will be fit enough now
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If it was like this every winter, I would just accept that I couldn't ride as much in winter, I would just let Murphy be a native pony for a few months...unclipped, shoes off, living out with ad lib hay, and then bring him back to work in Spring. Or I would beg my YO to build an indoor school!! If I could ride every day, I wouldn't be worried about having to limit turnout a bit - Murphy would rather be in anyway.

I do completely understand why this country struggles with 'extreme' weather...it doesn't happen enough to warrant spending money on the infrastructure to deal with it. If it happened every year I'm sure everything would be in place.
 
I'd make sure we had a good supply of salt/grit to keep the stableyard ice free at all times. Other than that wouldn't change anything as thankfully all ours have been fine living out 24/7 for their first winter.

(The reason for wanting to keep the yard ice free is because we are not bringing them into the yard right now due to the ice. Just don't feel it is safe enough).
 
TBH not much different to what I have been... horse would be turned away for the worst of the winter - I think they benefit from a break anyway.

One thing I would do though is encourage everybody else on the yard to keep their own Bloody taps defrosted!!
 
I've already taken shoes off as current horse had only ever had one set on in his life so didn't need them at the moment.

I'm lucky to have an indoor school, although road to walk to it is icy so some days can't get out of stable at all. Like others have said I'm sure if it was like this every year the college would have to be better prepared so road to school and turn out would be much better. Livery also includes unlimited haylage (thankfully)

I would buy some better winter riding jods and boots/gloves. Buy a heater for the tack room. Make a better place for tea and coffee. But other than that I'm ok. I will always feel the cold and it will always make my arthritis worse but ho hum
 
- Buy a 4x4, probably a pick up (or take my Mum up on the offer of hers - shame it's 600 miles away!)
- Move to a yard where it's practical to shovel/grit a track to the field (current yard is on a hill, windy track to get from yard to field, so approx 1/4km of digging/gritting!)
- Better winter jods/thermals/full chaps
- Heated water troughs
- Heated tack room where the water tap is so it doesn't freeze!
- Maybe take shoes off, depending on the ground/amount of snow

Otherwise, coping pretty well!
 
Buy a spare set of steel wheels fitted with snow tyres for use in poor conditions.

Buy grit.

This weather has proven that my skid control course was actually really useful as well as terrific fun, would highly recommend it.
 
Stock up on hay.
Ditto grit.
Heated water pipes/tap.
Better snow shovels.
Find a way of insulating sugar beet.
Force OH to replace our non-roadworthy flatbed trailer so I don't have to fetch hay in the car.
 
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