Who turns out in the snow?

Bellaboo18 said:
So we've got quite a lot of snow in Staffordshire today and I'm wondering what people tend to do?

I always worry in the mornings what ice there is under the snow on the way to the field so they've all stayed in. I dont worry as much about the two unshod but the one with shoes on ?

Curious what everyone else thinks about the risk?

Be nice to see everyones snowy pictures as well!
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In over 40 years of owning horses, can’t remember ever keeping in because of snow ?
 
Attempted to turn my mare out today, it wasn't too bad walking down the slushy sand track to her field, but in the field was bad! She has bar shoes in front and was getting 4 inch stilts every few strides and after tripping twice in a few mins I caught her and I slowly walked her back. Unshod horses I definitely would. We have an indoor so rode her in there this afternoon. Hoping she can go out for a few hours tomorrow afternoon when it's melted ? tomorrow am our yard is going to be a nightmare when all the slush freezes ?
 
I’ve been on some yards where it’s impossible to get to the field without risking breaking a limb and YO have refused to allow either salt to be used or old bedding to stop slipping. Where I have been able to turn out I have.

ETA this is only once or twice a decade though as rarely snows here.
 
SussexbytheXmasTree said:
I’ve been on some yards where it’s impossible to get to the field without risking breaking a limb and YO have refused to allow either salt to be used or old bedding to stop slipping..
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Yeah same. It would need a 200m path here and no way YO would let me even if I had enough bedding in my 2 boxes ? Last place was almost too slippery in normal weather let alone under ice, and yard before that was 100m on the road between stables and field. There are so many places where its just not possible.
 
Agree with turning out, whatever the weather, but for some reason my cob gets the worst stilts ever - have tried everything to stop it but to no avail. He has come over twice in the snow when ridden, having been caught out on the top of a hill in a blizzard, so sadly very cautious about turning out in the snow.
 
We're on day 2 of heavy snow and it's currently snowing madly. We've cleared a path to the fields and YO has gritted the yard, so horses have been able to go out for a couple of hours. They're so excited, partly because they love snow and partly because the mud has been frozen over.
The worse is yet to come, when the snow melts and the mud returns with a double vengeance, it maybe a horrible, boggy January. Poor fields and poor horses.
 
Mine live out but when I was on livery we used dirty bedding to get them across concrete/tarmac. Once on the grass it was ok.

I appreciate not everywhere is like that, but I wanted them out as much as possible especially as it wasn't possible to get on to the roads there to hack out. Where they were before that it was always possible to ride too.
 
Ours yard has said we can turn out, so ours went out before 6am and i came to check on them at 9am and my old girl was miserable. Shivering and very unhappy, so her and her friend have come in. Shes nearly 27 so what she decides is what she gets!
 
I turn out in snow and don't usually have a problem. I currently have bar shoes on one and the snow was balling up to a dangerous height. I found 2 woofwear poultice boots which I put on over the shoes, no snow balling up and touch wood the boots are still intact.
 
We woke up to surprise snow this morning, so ours are out, with a field shelter. They are currently enjoying watching some families sledging in the next field. We have kept them in, in the past though we have kept in because we couldn't get the main door open.
 
Bellaboo18 said:
So we've got quite a lot of snow in Staffordshire today and I'm wondering what people tend to do?

I always worry in the mornings what ice there is under the snow on the way to the field so they've all stayed in. I dont worry as much about the two unshod but the one with shoes on ?

Curious what everyone else thinks about the risk?

Be nice to see everyones snowy pictures as well!
Click to expand...
We have no snow, at the moment but always turn out in the snow. Never thought of to turning out, they need to go out for a bit.
 
it really depends on whether it's new fluffy snow or stuff that's been driven or walked on and compacted into ice IME, if you're the first one out of the stables then it's often OK but on a busy path that gets a lot of traffic before anything is shovelled out of the way it can turn into an ice rink quite quickly. benefit of having your own yard, if you're the only one there you can shovel concrete etc clear before people start squashing it down. I could do that where my youngsters are cos it's my own place. at a busy yard you're at the mercy of other people mucking in.
 
Tbh we barely get snow here. The last time was about 3 years ago at my last yard, it was a fair snow but the snow was not the issue it was the fact it had frozen and made the concrete yard an icerink that kept the horses in for a few days. Even taking them out for a leg stretch was dicey and only the owners were allowed to do that (as in your horse, your neck) but i made sure i got my lad out cause i was worried about colic and unfortunately one on the yard was lost to it during the time. Sickly pony anyway but owners had only got him so didn't know about that. Vet took ages to attend due to the ice. Was a horrible day.

At home with my littles, i always let them out cause i have no concrete, they are barefoot and it makes for nice pictures :p they generally go out and have a play then run back in to the stable.
 
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