when will this end

Ours are out daily. They go out any time from 7.30-11am and in from 3-6.30 depending on the weather. Luckily they live at my mums so shes in site to make decisions as and when and top up hay and skip out if they are in longer.

A good 40% of their 7 acres is underwater and the remainder is saturated. The non stop rain this "summer" blocked the field drains. My dad and neighbouring farmer cleared them but because the council don't maintain or clear their ditches it's all backed up again.

I've just bought some mudslabs to go on the main gateway and make a dry spot for haying them in the field.

Ugg please stop!
 
My son's two ponies live out, and after a relatively nice winter last year, this is making me think twice about it :(

Unfortunately we only have three stables between four, so yesterday we had a timeshare arrangement, with the two ponies in for a few hours during the day to dry off, then put them out at 4 and brought the bigger 2 in...

Thankfully I have an all weather area too, but my connie digs it up so if the weather gets so bad that the others are in there, he will have to stay in his stable which definitely won't please Mr fidget pants :(

Fiona
 
Its dreadful.
I'd much prefer freezing cold conditions than this. My big mare is out 24/7on 6/7 acres and my little one is in permanently atm with possible lgl. I have to be honest although mucking out is a chore its less of a chore than the trudge and guilt of the muddy gateway in my field!
 
Fed up now. Never known our land as wet as this so early on the winter.

We have got hardcore in most gateways and in the areas in front of/behind the stables now, which helps a lot, but there’s always somewhere that gets missed. Like the access to the muckheap, which is next on the ‘to do’ list, but meanwhile it’s splish, splosh, slippy, slidey...

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We've got a weather warning until Sunday for more rain and flooding. I've got sandy soil which normally drains really well. But it just can't cope with the volume of water.
I went to hay the boys before work this morning - they are normally playing and pushing each other around while I put the hay out but they were obviously knackered this morning and just stood and waited in their usual spots for me to bring their nets to them.
Its been relentless for what feels like weeks now - either blowing a gail or p***ing down.
I've opened up all 3 paddocks in the hope that they can find shelter somewhere in the field.
 
Cortez said:
Mine are off the fields until further notice. They are in at night, in the turnout arena by day, and getting ridden/lunged twice a day. There's no way I would subject them to slopping around in muck, terrible for the horse and terrible for the land. They'll go out to pasture again when it dries up enough (usually a couple of dry days will do the trick).
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Same here though we are not getting nearly enough chance to keep them ridden/working. :( Mine has been off for 3 weeks with an abcess but is fine now so I can start hacking him out again. 1 youngster turned away (but only on the turnout yard atm) is desperately bored poor thing so I will try doing some ground work over Christmas hols and the other horse barely gets enough exercise to keep him 'safe' but thank goodness tomorrow I can exercise both older ones. It's utterly grim and if I didn't see another horse till Spring I don't think I would mind!! :(
 
It torrential here again. I was really enjoying horses and doing loads of driving and being really focussed and commited, and now its all tailed off. I just cant bring myself to drive in the pouring rain. I just end up completely siezed up and suffering for days and its just not worth it.
 
I don't blame you at all Leo Walker; it is just grim. It is taking me so long to do the jobs with the horses on the yard that everything else has to be shelved. I can ride in the dark but have zero motivation tbh and the combination of getting up in the dark and rain to muck out, feed etc, go to work, come home late lunch to start all over again before sorting out other animals, children and meals is utterly exhausting and I am a healthy, strong 'un that only works part time!! I so want to spend time suppling both me and horse up but it's simply not feasible so I am feeling cold and stiff as I stagger round in my constant waterproof trousers and not so waterproof yard coat. Lets all run away somewhere warm, sunny and lovely!!:D:D
 
I have spent the last 30 years managing clay in winter. Sometimes its been so bad I have used a spade to dig channels to drain off the surface water.
I make straw islands, or in one place a straw alley either side of the walk way from the gate. You need about two round bales to start and then just keep adding to it, about one a week. Plus another large bale of straw,round or sqaure to eat.They are they fed their hay either on the island or along the alley. This keeps them out of the mud,you give them enough to eat so they do not squabble, and if they can find a pick of grass they can still wander off.
I have never had mud fever or an injury, they must get conditioned to it, and because they are never hungrey or waiting to be fed they really just wander round or stand on their island.
 
Up until this week I’ve been resolutely riding at least 3 times in the week as well as weekends but it’s gone to pot this week. What with the rain and fighting a cold I can’t be bothered to rush around in the mornings. Managed to get a lesson in last night but the ginger one was a total toad which I put down to him doing himself a mischief on Tuesday when they were all galloping around like loons in bog like fields because a pony got out and upset them all. Confirmed today by physio which luckily I had already booked in. So light duties just in time for the Xmas break - ?
 
I hack before work in the week but my hacks are getting shorter and shorter as I can't leave the yard until there's a bit of light despite all my hi-viz. I'm in Herts and it was still dark at 7:45 this morning :(
 
If this is what the weather is going to be in the future I think I will give up keeping horses. There is no pleasure to be had during the winter, either for me or for the poor bloody horses. Even if i was to build another indoor arena (I have had them in the past) it's just miserable for everyone.
 
Out 24/7 on water meadow here. It's basically a lake. Two days of dry will allow it to drain, but until then they're up to their fetlocks in water. Spent the morning today checking fences and making running repairs, as I couldn't blame them for trying to find somewhere greener...

Would give anything for an area of hard standing we could use as a bad weather paddock.
 
Cortez said:
If this is what the weather is going to be in the future I think I will give up keeping horses. There is no pleasure to be had during the winter, either for me or for the poor bloody horses. Even if i was to build another indoor arena (I have had them in the past) it's just miserable for everyone.
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Yes it is awful and enough to completely finish off any enjoyment! Our horses are in the best situation we have ever had as they have a winter turnout field which opens onto a large hard standing yard with an open barn and open, made up stables. They get popped into the stables twice a day for feeding but have communal ad lib hay and can do what they like; in/out, hard/soft standing, straw bed/mud. We have actually shut our winter turnout field so the horses are on the yard with their stables and ad lib hay. It is grimly boring for them and us and hard work keeping everything clean. We trail hunt through the winter but my horse has been off with an abcess for 3 weeks and the other one who has been brilliant so far this season has got an on-going case of mild mud-fever. It is depressing to see fit and healthy (mostly!) animals confined and having nothing to do or think about other than eat or bicker and we are the same. I just hope that now my horse is coming back into work that the weather improves enough to make it slightly better. I can't imagine the discipline and determination needed to keep going for any competitive aims but then I suppose most competitive riders have good access to all weather surfaces. That would be wasted here as all I want to do is creep back inside as soon as I can. Even the dogs are bored of it.
 
We are lucky our set up at home means we have masses of grass (13 acres) massive area undercover shelter linked to the grazing as well as American barn of stables outdoor school and half size indoor school and tons of our own home made hay.the horses have grass turnout summer and winter alike However we are down to 3 horses having lost 2 oldies and I doubt we will replace these as they go one is 20 one 19 the other 14 when I get left with one I will get a charity pony I can send back as a companion and when the last one goes that will be it. Probably rent the facilities out as it has separate access that can be used.
 
It’s absolutely lashing down here, has done all day. Severe weather warning in place till Saturday. A third of my field is a lake, complete with ducks. I’ve had to bring mine in overnight now including my youngster which I didn’t really want to do yet. They can still go out for a daily swim.
 
Im used to rain than it being dry! I built a large dry area for the horses over several years to help save the land from horses hooves when it gets saturated, any time of the year. Its necessary here on the west irish coast. Over 250 days of rain a year.
Im seriously considering moving to the uk, am originally from the east midlands. Its extremely dry there in comparison to here.
Im even considering south france or northern spain as i cant afford to buy an equestrian place in the uk, and renting opportunities are slim in dry counties.
Any tips/advice? Im not old, nor young, but feel the next move should truly be permanent, like i hoped here would be.
 
I am beyond fed up now. I've never known a winter like this. I moved to the Cotswolds in September and have barely had a dry day since. Every time we get a couple dry days, it is always followed by more torrential rain. Every time my field looks like it is starting to recover, it comes lashing down and we are back underwater. At my wits end now.

Mine are out 8-3pm but are regularly having to spend days in because of the weather. One is retired and arthritic, the other has severe IAD so staying in all day is really bad news. I'm trying to make sure they both go out at least for a few hours in the morning whilst I muck out, but there is absolutely no grass anymore so I'm having to put out haylage so they have something to chomp.

My 'ridden' boy with the IAD has just come back into walk work, but frankly in these conditions I would't do much more than walk anyway except in a school. All the hacking is sodden. Our local hunt are still hunting which I think is madness, no way would I be galloping on this ground, just asking for injuries. It's bad enough just in the field...

We are due another week of rain...I can't bear it! I'm broke because of all the extra haylage and bedding, they are fed up from having to stay in-no one is happy!!
 
1 of my 2 mini shetlands demanded to stay in and have hay (with menaces) tonight, so all 3 Fuzzies in for 3rd night running.
Even my lovely sandy fields are suffering. The lowest ones by the yard have standing water on them now, bleurgh! I know they'll dry quickly once rain does stop for a while..... but when?
Long term forecast looking rubbish, yuk!
 
On the plus side, I am thanking my lucky stars that I have stables this year! We've done 3 years of grass only, then my YO took over a new place just down the road from her main yard and asked if I'd like to have mine there as there is no school, and mine are retired. Which meant that, for the first winter in four years, we actually have stables! They are actually only spending their 3rd night of the winter in tonight, but it is such a relief to be able to get them off the wet, saturated field for a bit! My Arab had a looked of great contentment this evening as she contemplated her mountain of hay and thick straw bed!
 
I am truly sick of it not ridden in 3 weeks my horses normally live out but have been in at night for 3 weeks, I can't leave them out in this I don't have enough grass or land and it's basically under water anyway really awful never known rain like it.
 
HashRouge said:
On the plus side, I am thanking my lucky stars that I have stables this year! We've done 3 years of grass only, then my YO took over a new place just down the road from her main yard and asked if I'd like to have mine there as there is no school, and mine are retired. Which meant that, for the first winter in four years, we actually have stables! They are actually only spending their 3rd night of the winter in tonight, but it is such a relief to be able to get them off the wet, saturated field for a bit! My Arab had a looked of great contentment this evening as she contemplated her mountain of hay and thick straw bed!
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My Arabs are desperate to get in as well they look quite happy to come in every night, they normally love to just live out whatever the weather:(
 
NinjaPony said:
I am beyond fed up now. I've never known a winter like this. I moved to the Cotswolds in September and have barely had a dry day since. Every time we get a couple dry days, it is always followed by more torrential rain. Every time my field looks like it is starting to recover, it comes lashing down and we are back underwater. At my wits end now.

Mine are out 8-3pm but are regularly having to spend days in because of the weather. One is retired and arthritic, the other has severe IAD so staying in all day is really bad news. I'm trying to make sure they both go out at least for a few hours in the morning whilst I muck out, but there is absolutely no grass anymore so I'm having to put out haylage so they have something to chomp.

My 'ridden' boy with the IAD has just come back into walk work, but frankly in these conditions I would't do much more than walk anyway except in a school. All the hacking is sodden. Our local hunt are still hunting which I think is madness, no way would I be galloping on this ground, just asking for injuries. It's bad enough just in the field...

We are due another week of rain...I can't bear it! I'm broke because of all the extra haylage and bedding, they are fed up from having to stay in-no one is happy!!
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i am in the cotswolds too. See my
Pic above. Wasn’t even this bad beast of east year ?
 
elliesweet said:
I have so had enough of this rain now!! does anyone else have their horses living out in a field which is more like a boggy pond :( they have a field shelter and more hay then they can eat but I still fell bad all the other horses on the yard are in their nice dry stables and mine look like drowned rats!!!
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yes I have two in a boggy pond too! They too have a field shelter with plenty of hay but I still feel bad. They are constantly wet and muddy (although both are also wearing good combo turnout rugs so aren’t technically that wet). They also get a good fed everyday of chaff, pony nuts and grass nuts so aren’t hungry but we have lifterally no grass and they are basically just splashing around in their 7 acre field. Had enough of this weather now - roll on spring!!
 
Yes paddocks mostly under water but I've extended it a few feet up the hill so she can stand in the dry for a bit.

The generator broke on site yesterday snd the secondary generator couldn't keep uo so i got sent home at 12.15. Got a sneaky ride in, in the heavy rain. But oh what fun splashing through puddles. It was warm too. When i looked last night at the week ahead its going mild again with a couple of dry days thank goodness!.
 
AdorableAlice said:
When or if the weather does go properly cold, the poached fields will be totally lethal.
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Good lord hadn’t even thought of that! Despite being on water meadows ours are still getting daily turnout and the river hasn’t flooded but it’s only a matter of time.

Very fortunate that the school drains brilliantly and never seen a puddle in there. Haven’t hacked out for ages though and hunt keeps getting cancelled.
 
My
SEL said:
My mare with a variety of muscle, arthritic and an old suspensory issue has been getting very tetchy about walking through the mud. She loves going out so I think it is uncomfortable. Might get her a pair of flippers for Xmas at this rate.
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My pony has got bone spavin in both hocks, his field is so so wet and muddy. I’ve been worried that he was lame yesterday so got him out this morning and walked him up and down the road and he’s 100% sound so that’s a relief.

It’s just so hard walking around the field but he is semi feral and you can’t confine him so we are stuck with it.
 
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