Whits end with winter!!!

Shoei

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just a general moan really, I don't know if it's pmt but I am so p'd off today. I had a quite productive weekend, 2 good schooling sessions, loads of jobs done and daffs are starting to shoot out of the ground! Spring can't be far away! Turn around to today, horrendous weather forecast for the end of week and bad day at work. Iv hardly been able to ride since Xmas due to weather, light and flu. What do you do when you get in these down grumpy moods.... It can't just be me!!!!
 

Cobbytype

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It'll soon be over... winter always seems to insist on having a final blast before the glimpses of spring arrive to warm our hearts.
 

cobgoblin

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I'm well and truly fed up with the mud and the greyness. What happened to cold and crisp?
I've just staggered down the field with 30kg of Haylage in a wheelbarrow, though ankle deep clay. I'm knackered! I stopped for 30secs to top up the trough, big mistake, my feet sank and I only just got out with wellies still on.
 

3OldPonies

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I want to join this gang!

Well and truly peed off so far this year.

Totally fed up with dark nights and having to put the genny on every night to get lights. Not only that some numpty has bought the land next door and has removed a load of trees so me and the boys now get blown all over the place when it's windy. Can't even use part of the field cos his contractors have loads of hefty machinery out there working in the day and it scares them stupid. So field rotation plan has gone out of the window and we're poaching up the bit I was saving for the spring.

On the good side though I should be getting my bottom back in the saddle at the weekend on a friend's horse, so all being well the coming weekend should see my mojo getting restored!!!

I think we all need some friendly happy vibes - so am sending loads in the direction of anyone feeling down in the dumps and fed up with winter.
 

Sprout

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Can I join in with a moan - I too am sick of the endless grey/dark, the wind, and although we havent had that much rain really, the horses are squelching around in mud, and they are hardly getting ridden because of rain/wind/ice or me being ill! :mad:

I know Spring is just around the corner, but right now that doesnt feel like much of a consolation. :(

Moan over ..... shuffles off muttering ........ :rolleyes:
 

Firefly9410

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Sometimes I feel better for thinking stuff it, taking paracetamol, putting on waterproofs and riding in the rain and dark. Even if just for 20min.

This year though I got tactical. Full clips and full neck rugs equals minimal mud, an indoor arena is shelter from both wind and rain, plus I have made a determined effort to get everything done in daylight. It has made a big difference to my enjoyment of horses this winter. Still find myself wishing I could have full livery sometimes.
 

highlandponygirl

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I too hate wintry weather! A little rain and wind, I can deal with the darkness over winter but what I can't deal with is snow! I live at the top of a small hilly street and we are one of those streets that just doesn't get gritted ever. And the only way down and up the street is...well, down and up, usually on all fours. I have seen a gritter once in the 3 years I've lived here, which shocked me. But what shocked me more was the road sweeper who came down the street 15 minutes later :/ again, the first time I'd seen one of those round here either. You couldn't make it up :D

Sorry for that wee rant lol
 

Spot_the_Risk

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It sucks. But there was a fab sunset at 5pm today, so soon I'll be leaving work in the dimpsy not the dark. I rode each of my horses once in December, and not at all this year, shoes are off (bonus, saving money), boys are living out with ad lib forage, work is crazy and something has to give. Roll on summer!
 

springtime1331

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Not feeling smug - but... I moved my ridden mare to a new yard this year, which has a small indoor, it's not perfect as the surface is a bit deep and it's smaller than 20 x 40 but it's made such a difference. My game plan is to ride in the mornings and even though it's tight time woes and I often only get 20 mins in, the difference to my mood has been fantastic! I hate that feeling I used to get in the winter, of not riding and then worrying that the horse has been sitting idle.
 

tubby1

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I want to join as well. Fed up with the dark, mud, weather and my complete lack of motivation. I'm moving yards this weekend to a yard with lots of concrete, internal barns and an indoor school. After putting up with the basic yard for 3 years I'm looking forward to a but of luxury
 

Spring Feather

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Well we won't see the ground, let alone flowers coming up, for at least another 2 to 3 months. We do have light mornings and lighter evenings than you have though and lots of blue skies and sunshine.
 

flirtygerty

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I also want to join, seriously considered giving up this week, got two living out in mud, two in the barn having a break from the mud, idiot cob (mud free) escaped from barn and is now covered in sticky seed heads, combined with OH having a virus for the last three weeks, taking to his bed for one of them and not being able to bear weight on one ankle, then tonight saw that I had snowdrops up in the garden, YES, spring is on the way, ignore my self pitying rant, but I'll still join the club
 

Merlin11

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It was a lovely sunny day in Fife today and the daffs are coming up. The days are getting noticeably longer too. Spring is definitely round the corner. My horses are out 24/7 and fields are not too muddy so it's not too bad. Prefer the cold sunny days to the wet and windy ones!
 

highlandponygirl

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It was a lovely sunny day in Fife today and the daffs are coming up. The days are getting noticeably longer too. Spring is definitely round the corner. My horses are out 24/7 and fields are not too muddy so it's not too bad. Prefer the cold sunny days to the wet and windy ones!

Yep, fellow Fifer :) weather has been mild, was actually sweating for the first time in ages today lol. Just hope we miss the worst of this weather!
 

meesha

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Finding it knackering, dashing back from work to ride before dark (aswell as mucking out and walking dog) as re-habbing post-op horse, have ridden 6 days a week for last 2 weeks, only hacking in walk but its been flipping cold! One more week of walking which I am determined to achieve at least 5 out of 7 days then will relax a bit when we intro trot! On the upside mine are shut on yard/arena/fie!d shelter due to rehab so very clean, no grooming necessary, if I had to scrape mud off I don't thinkI would get out before dark!

Not long to go, nights are getting lighter each day - no idea how those 9-5 workers cope (I am self employed so juggling work to manage)
 

Shoei

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Well at least we can call this group therapy. Chester was in an equally grumpy mood tonight... We had snowdrops in the paddock but he stomped on them! I'm currently sat on my wetroom floor having dragged the fan heater in hear to warm me up before I have a shower! Don't worry I will put it back outside before the shower goes on 😆.... I will never moan its to hot to ride again!!!! Lol
 

MagicMelon

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We have no signs of daffs. I have ridden once in the past month as field has been frozen solid or covered with snow. Snow has just gone and now we're forecast a lot of snow from Thursday :( And yet Im reading about people down south entering ODE's!! XC isnt remotely possible up here until end of March normally. I'm desperately trying to find grazing for 2 of my horses as my mum is selling her house, Ive got a few grand to pay in tax and VAT bills, one car broke down in a big way and we're fighting with the finance company to give us our money back and I've just had a £900 quote from my garage to fix our other car! Oh and I got told over the weekend by ex-staff that the nursery my son is at is under investigation and isn't good (this isn't a cheap nursery, it was a very nice one but new ownership) so I spent yesterday frantically trying to beg another nursery to find space for him... (which'll be more expensive again, I already pay just over £300 a month for just 1.5 days a week!). Fed up of people either not doing their jobs properly or never seeming to have enough money due to ridiculous outgoings!
 

MyBoyChe

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Id like to join in please. Ridden once since Xmas due to ground being either too hard or too soft! Now Ive hurt my back and have been told not to ride for 4-6 weeks, not only that but no pushing wheelbarrows through the clay or carrying water buckets. So am having to pay someone to do the heavy stuff whilst pony is turned out in a field that is half covered in mud and getting grumpy because he is still on a diet so on mimimal hay rations. I do love my pony and once the mud dries up Ill feel loads better, every January I get fed up with it but it goes with the territory doesnt it. Still, if we can all offload in here for a week or two maybe we can all push each other on a bit x
 

AngieandBen

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Why do we all feel so guilty not riding in the winter?

Horse quite clearly don't give a hoot

I've decided this year I'm going to be a slob and watch dvd's sitting on my sofa with the dogs and a mug of tea :)
 

Slightlyconfused

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I just am not coping with the sudden temp changes! Wednesday is supposed to be 9 degrees then Thursday drops down to 3 degrees and snow!!! Grrrr.....and my back hurts and it's going down my leg :(
 

Enfys

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Daffodils! I am like Spring Feather, Winter has barely started here, we never get anything sticking its' head above ground until end March/April at the earliest, and that's if it has been unseasonably warm. It is 9.30am now (ish) and temps with windchill are in the minus 20's.

I am just off to defrost a frozen trough :)

On the bright side, the sun is out, I can see blue sky and it is not snowing, that isn't forecast until Thursday :D

51 days to calendar Spring apparently :)
 

lunarmagic

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I'm so relieved I've just read this thread and I'm not the only one struggling. This year is the closest I've come to jacking it all in, I've worked with/owned horses all my life yet this year a combination of trying to juggle my young children, work (three jobs) and my own horse has very nearly beaten me. I've had enough of the dark and miserable 6am alarm, trying to find time to get my horse exercised and very limited turnout. It's all feeling a bit too much. Everything is costing me too much and I feel so guilty for spending time with my horse instead of the family.
Someone please tell me it's going to get better or something is going to have to give 😪
 

Hayjay

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So fed up with the ankle deep mud. Just walked down to get mine in and onto dry yard before school pick up and my mare decided she couldn't possibly walk across field to gate - she just stood in field shelter looking at me. No way I was attempting the mud bath in skirt and wellies so left her out and walked back to stables to turn electric fence back on. As I walk back up to house she decides maybe she does want to come in and heads over to gate - aaargh. She can wait til after school run now :-/
 

Enfys

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When I lived in the UK I was always in the deepest depths of SAD by this time of year, so I feel your collective pain.

I was fed up with everything (Welsh winters are dire) the wet, the clay, the mud, the bone seeping chill and damp, the mud, the never ending greyness - inevitably one day I would come home from hunting (which I adore) and think "It's that time again" My horses would be put out the next day and apart from the usual daily care I more or less gave up horses until April.

I HATE British winters, they were a huge part of the reason we choose to skedaddle, not exactly for warmer shores, but for somewhere that does at least have seasons. We know we will have hot summers, and we KNOW Winter will be cold, and mostly dry, and that for the most part the sky will still be blue, and the sun will still shine. Cold temperature - you deal with it, snow, for months - you deal with it.

Winter happens here and I love that.

Winter in the UK is hit and miss.



I miss many things about the UK, the weather is not one of them :D
 

Kati*89

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I want to join the club too!
I have it quite lucky really in that I don't have to muck out Mon-Fri but work is hectic, I have to rush down south every weekend to see the boyfriend as well as everything else that goes on in the weekday evenings and when I can't ride it makes it all seem hard work. I just end up driving up to yard to brush and feed, really want to qualify for novice summer regionals and every time I have something planned in, like lesson/hack for the last 2 months it has been cancelled - just so frustrating as we get one step forwards and 5 back it seems!
School at home is just boggy and barely ok to walk on, and it is too dark to hack in week....grrrr!
Riding is what I love, not going to deny it...spending lots of money to just cuddle him isn't what I want.
At least it getting lighter in evenings will help as I can get out then, but the school won't get any better so that just isn't helping me stay positive!
 

3OldPonies

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I'm so relieved I've just read this thread and I'm not the only one struggling. This year is the closest I've come to jacking it all in, I've worked with/owned horses all my life yet this year a combination of trying to juggle my young children, work (three jobs) and my own horse has very nearly beaten me. I've had enough of the dark and miserable 6am alarm, trying to find time to get my horse exercised and very limited turnout. It's all feeling a bit too much. Everything is costing me too much and I feel so guilty for spending time with my horse instead of the family.
Someone please tell me it's going to get better or something is going to have to give ��

Hang on in there lunarmagic - it has to get better soon (doesn't it?) I'm not renowned for being positive, but I so badly want to believe that things are going to improve sometime soon - hopefully that vibe will transmit across the ether and everyone on this thread will see things turn around in the not too distant future. I think we all deserve a break!!!!!
 
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