dorsetladette
Well-Known Member
Anyone got Noah's number? I think we need a boat!
Winter is a cruel mistress
- Thread starter Little bit old-fashioned
- Start date
Little bit old-fashioned
Well-Known Member
Everything flooded here. Main roads, country lanes, villages, the dip just down the road from my house, fields and fields underwater. Tail backs of traffic and crashes everywhere.
Absolute bedlam. Never been so grateful to have the battered old 4x4 and not a small runaround.
Didn't sleep a wink worrying about those darned animals who aside from a bit soggy seemed very non-plussed about the situation this morning.
I've got to hand it to the field. Yes we have puddles but we aren't actually underwater. So I'm calling that huge positive. And all the rain is actually helping some of the top soil wash away and revealing hard standing. Positive number 2
But yes very much need an ark over here. And would you believe....it is STILL raining
looks set to improve in a bit though. Been asking colleagues at work (we work remotely from all over the place) and deffo seems like South West took the worst hit last night!
dorsetladette
Well-Known Member
Yeah getting in to work was a challenge. We have a combination of heavy rain (amber warnings) and high tides which is causing most roads to flood. closed roads everywhere and the divertions are flooded. Next high tide is at 6pm ish but it seems to be a very long slow high tide starting around 3.30 so roads likely to be really bad at home time 4pm. All traffic diverted the way I go to the horses so it's going to be long and slow.
But yes plus points are I have a battered old 4x4 that gets through the water fine. And i put a fresh bale of hay in the feeder last night in the dry so they are good for a few days and my water tanks will be nicely filled with all this rain.
Another plus - we cancelled a meeting this morning as none of us could hear each other due to the rain.
But yes plus points are I have a battered old 4x4 that gets through the water fine. And i put a fresh bale of hay in the feeder last night in the dry so they are good for a few days and my water tanks will be nicely filled with all this rain.
Another plus - we cancelled a meeting this morning as none of us could hear each other due to the rain.
Little bit old-fashioned
Well-Known Member
Crumbs! You have it worse than us I think.
If I didn't work from home I would 100% have said couldn't possibly make it in in these conditions and I'll see you all tomorrow. Lol. Admire your dedication for battling your way in!
Knowing hay was done night before and that's off the table must have been such a relief!
KikiDee
Well-Known Member
Rain, rain, rain as far as the forecast goes out!
But at this point I think I'm just resigned to it.... I mean the mud literally can't get any more muddy right?
Haylage delivery turned up at the weekend which was a relief, rolled 10 round bales across the field by hand as tractor couldn't get through the gateway
Moved the hay feeders up the hill out of the mud at the weekend too, which is nice for the horses but now means lugging 2 x 20kg nets of bloody heavy wet haylage up the hill every night, the joys. Telling myself I will be very streamlined and fit by spring! The ungrateful whatsits are also turning their nose up at said haylage but hey they are fat and get plenty of feed so I am done stressing about it.
Farrier due on Monday which is giving me a bit of a predicament as I NEED to get them in out of the mud for the morning to dry their legs off or farrier will kill me - no problem you'd think as I have 2 stables. However humungous dino-horse companion won't stay in a stable as he has worked out he can just lean on the door and push the bolts out the wood and literally barge his way out. I have no plan other than currently threatening to shoot it on a daily basis
But at this point I think I'm just resigned to it.... I mean the mud literally can't get any more muddy right?
Haylage delivery turned up at the weekend which was a relief, rolled 10 round bales across the field by hand as tractor couldn't get through the gateway
Moved the hay feeders up the hill out of the mud at the weekend too, which is nice for the horses but now means lugging 2 x 20kg nets of bloody heavy wet haylage up the hill every night, the joys. Telling myself I will be very streamlined and fit by spring! The ungrateful whatsits are also turning their nose up at said haylage but hey they are fat and get plenty of feed so I am done stressing about it.
Farrier due on Monday which is giving me a bit of a predicament as I NEED to get them in out of the mud for the morning to dry their legs off or farrier will kill me - no problem you'd think as I have 2 stables. However humungous dino-horse companion won't stay in a stable as he has worked out he can just lean on the door and push the bolts out the wood and literally barge his way out. I have no plan other than currently threatening to shoot it on a daily basis
Little bit old-fashioned
Well-Known Member
Giggled at the end line. That would drive me absolutely nuts too. They know just how to get you right! When you are already at the brink they think 'oh I'll just destroy X, Y, Z and really give her a breakdown'Rain, rain, rain as far as the forecast goes out!
But at this point I think I'm just resigned to it.... I mean the mud literally can't get any more muddy right?
Haylage delivery turned up at the weekend which was a relief, rolled 10 round bales across the field by hand as tractor couldn't get through the gateway
Moved the hay feeders up the hill out of the mud at the weekend too, which is nice for the horses but now means lugging 2 x 20kg nets of bloody heavy wet haylage up the hill every night, the joys. Telling myself I will be very streamlined and fit by spring! The ungrateful whatsits are also turning their nose up at said haylage but hey they are fat and get plenty of feed so I am done stressing about it.
Farrier due on Monday which is giving me a bit of a predicament as I NEED to get them in out of the mud for the morning to dry their legs off or farrier will kill me - no problem you'd think as I have 2 stables. However humungous dino-horse companion won't stay in a stable as he has worked out he can just lean on the door and push the bolts out the wood and literally barge his way out. I have no plan other than currently threatening to shoot it on a daily basis
We had to cancel farrier this morning as it would have been a nightmare. They will just have to wait for it to stop raining.
Other half literally said on Sunday when we were shovelling tons of wet slurry top soil out of the feed areas 'why can't we strap a scraper to the horses and get them to tow it out the way for us?
Very good question indeed and got me thinking I might need to alter my long term training plans as we do indeed have some decent horse power going to waste for practical purposes
- any of yours broken to tow said hayledge up the hill??We now have HAIL STORMS here. Ricocheing off all the garden furniture. Not going to look at the horse cam. Give me strength honestly.
KikiDee
Well-Known Member
I had contemplating cancelling farrier tbh - I just can't see feasibly how I can get them done but they have gone 7 weeks without a trim although feet are looking ok and growth is slow due to winter. Would I be horribly negligent to leave them another few weeks and pray for better/drier weather 
We had the exactly same conversation at the weekend about strapping the horses to drag the haylage up the field - they just stood watching over the fence like the freeloaders they are
We had the exactly same conversation at the weekend about strapping the horses to drag the haylage up the field - they just stood watching over the fence like the freeloaders they are
Little bit old-fashioned
Well-Known Member
Absolutely freeloaders. The lot of them. And ungrateful ones to boot! HahaI had contemplating cancelling farrier tbh - I just can't see feasibly how I can get them done but they have gone 7 weeks without a trim although feet are looking ok and growth is slow due to winter. Would I be horribly negligent to leave them another few weeks and pray for better/drier weather
We had the exactly same conversation at the weekend about strapping the horses to drag the haylage up the field - they just stood watching over the fence like the freeloaders they are
If it makes you feel any better by the time farrier comes next week now ours will have done 9 weeks. They get done every 8 as standard (no shoes and just trims as all currently doing nothing but burning a hole in my pocket) so by time next week comes that will be 9 weeks. If I'm honest them going a few extra days is the least of my current worries. As others have said to me throughout the thread can only do what you can do. Can't ask the farrier to shoe in a swamp or I'll never see him again! And reinforcing infrastructure and making changes is off the cards for all of us until we are no longer swimming across the fields.
I'm not sure if I've just finally gone mad but this morning the whole sorry winter affair suddenly seems hilarious and I'm laughing rather than crying.
We all have a 'this is what we would like to happen' but this winter is putting paid to it. So just do what is actually possible.
....wow listen to me...I think those giving me the great advice on this thread has finally sunk in!....
AppyLover1996
Well-Known Member
I detest the torrential downpours, but it did make moving the electric fencing a hell of a lot easier as the posts just slid out and slid into their new places
Rabbit my youngster is loving the weather as he's a real water baby, loves splashing around and is happily dunking his head in every and all puddles he can find - Baggs my retired lad on the other hand is absolutely seething with the rain, detests getting rained on (despite having a full neck turnout on!) and is plotting Rabbit's demise as he hates being splashed with the water from Rabbit's paddling sessions......
Rabbit my youngster is loving the weather as he's a real water baby, loves splashing around and is happily dunking his head in every and all puddles he can find - Baggs my retired lad on the other hand is absolutely seething with the rain, detests getting rained on (despite having a full neck turnout on!) and is plotting Rabbit's demise as he hates being splashed with the water from Rabbit's paddling sessions......
dorsetladette
Well-Known Member
This is just delirium!!! It's a state we all go through at this time of year. What ever you do don't tell anyone non-horsey or you will likely be sectioned (the mental health hospital here has the most beautiful view of the sea so I'm kind of thinking about it, just til the weather improves). We usually self-medicate with pain killers hot baths and alcohol of increasing quantities (and decreasing quality).
KikiDee
Well-Known Member
Yes these 2 are both unshod so just due a trim, last done 7 weeks ago but not looking terrible tbh. In an ideal world I'd get them a rasp but in the grand scheme of things they might have to hang on another 3-4 weeks until I can get them onto the dry field at least. I usually move them for the day onto the rested field to dry their legs off but I currently have 10 bales of haylage parked there! In a few weeks I'll be 5 bales down (if they ever eat the bloody stuff) and can fence off what is left to get them on there.
I've definitely reached the point of a kind of hysteria induced numbness to it all - are they fed? are they warm & dry under rugs? are they upright and appear to not be immediately dying or have a leg falling off? - great, see you tomorrow!
Little bit old-fashioned
Well-Known Member
Wish mine were this enthusiastic. They are deffinitely taking your older boy's approach to the whole thing!
that does sound very pleasant given the current status quo. I think there are a few in my inner circle wondering when they are allowed to do this. Driving everyone absolutely nuts with my horse neuroticism at the mo.
Yup. That one has happened already. When you start eyeing up the cooking brandy and wondering if its drinkable on its own
In that case worry not! You can always change your mind in a weeks time if you decide you think they need doing sooner.Yes these 2 are both unshod so just due a trim, last done 7 weeks ago but not looking terrible tbh.
I've definitely reached the point of a kind of hysteria induced numbness to it all - are they fed? are they warm & dry under rugs? are they upright and appear to not be immediately dying or have a leg falling off? - great, see you tomorrow!
Are they upright is about the sum of it at this stage!
Little bit old-fashioned
Well-Known Member
I think I might need to seriously consider this. Belting it down with rain again and the sound is now like a torture device. Every time I hear rain now (which I used to like the sound of) i feel like I'm going to lose it
Trying noise cancelling headphones to drown it out.AutumnDays
Well-Known Member
I feel terrible... They have dry standing, shelter, adlib hay and rugs on, but the wind and rain is relentless and ever changing in direction, and the mud they have to go through to get to the mud mat yard for the hay etc is like porridge. They look miserable, my sheep look miserable, and I am constantly on the verge of tears! I'm debating jacking it all in, but realistically who will take on non-riddens with issues (not that I resent them, just feel like I'm letting them down in this weather due to lack of infrastructure)
Sorry, just needed to get that out!
Sorry, just needed to get that out!
Little bit old-fashioned
Well-Known Member
Try and stay positive. I promise you I felt exactly the same when I started this post and multiple times since!
Your post is so like what was in my head when I wrote this I was initially reading it trying to work out if you were replying to something I wrote earlier.
I have also considered throwing in the towel. I still led in bed last night considering it when the storm woke me up at 5am and I couldn't get back to sleep worrying about them. But it will pass. The Spring is coming and I know if I gave up now in 4 weeks I'll be kicking myself.
Rant as much on this thread as you need to as well. This is exactly why I started it and don't worry you are not alone.
They also just like to put it on and make us feel guilty. If it helps they have way more creature comforts than mine do right now.
I even went into the field shelter on Saturday to see if they might like to stand in 3 inches of water just to get out of the wind and panels have blown off the roof of that now as well
so we don't even have a functioning underwater shelter left. So hang in there and if they give you evils tell them to think themselves lucky as my lot would kill for a functioning shelter about now.
My inability to mend things due to the season and weather has had me in tears but everyone on this thread is so right. What can we do? Can't change the weather. They are all well fed, watered and in snuggly rugs so really they don't need anything else when it comes down to it.
Hang in there!
KikiDee
Well-Known Member
I feel exactly the same TBH and have been saying the same to OH this week. I don't have thousands to throw at infrastructure and mud mats etc. to improve the situation, I feel totally stuck and out of options. I also rent the yard solely for 30yo pony to live out his days. Land is like gold-dust around here and I genuinely don't have any other options for moving them to. He wouldn't cope on a traditional livery yard and he prefers to live out and needs a companion, everywhere here is individual turnout (he would be miserable) or herd turnout (he would get bullied). He was previously on retirement livery but he needs too much 1-2-1 now (daily bute, big feeds, rug-changes depending on the weather from one day to the next etc.) It is literally the best I can do but I still feel like I am letting them down.
Little bit old-fashioned
Well-Known Member
We aren't half hard on ourselves are we!
From what you have just described he clearly has everything he needs and his home has been created lovingly with his needs in mind. Not getting bullied, not getting lonely and getting all his daily needs. What more can be asked for.
I don't know when I had a change of heart but honestly in 6 weeks we will look back at this thread and it will feel like a whole other world.
I did get the news today that one I've been looking after for someone else is going at the end of the week which is probably helping my positivity as one less mouth to feed and a*** to clean up after will certainly lighten the load in the current conditions.
Imagine if we could get paid for the hours we spent worrying about our horses. We'd all be millionaires!
Chonkers
Well-Known Member
Much to her great joy, my mare has rediscovered the flooded bit of the field. She is dripping mud so as pee’d off as I am about the endless rain, at least she’s happy? 
I have no doubt many of us are giving ourselves a hard time right now and trying to do our best but I’m very much with @Little bit old-fashioned here, crying won’t help but manic laughing might (get me a nice padded cell holiday)
I have no doubt many of us are giving ourselves a hard time right now and trying to do our best but I’m very much with @Little bit old-fashioned here, crying won’t help but manic laughing might (get me a nice padded cell holiday)