Winter is a cruel mistress

How are we all doing? Certainly not into field recovery season yet but girls did have rugs off for full 24 hours before the rain came back today and enjoyed wallowing like hippos and rolling and changing colour with a mud dye.

I had one of those moments today where my Broom broke - lost nail somewhere on hard standing and then spent 30 minutes on hands and knees across hard standing still unable to find it. Friend came down with a metal detector but too much mixed material in the old hard standing to get a accurate reading so still couldnt find it. There is a chance it ended up in wheelbarrow where I dumped the Broom just before it broke and maybe it broke in there and I didnt realise. That's what im convincing myself anyway to alleviate the oh god there is a screw somewhere in their standing zone panic.

I digress - once the Broom broke got myself in an almighty strop because the hard standing was remaining messy and I had nothing to sweep up with and I was acting like the world had ended.

Then randomly tonight was looking through phone for a picture and came across some pictures from when I started this thread and everything was beyond a state. Realised that whilst there is still a long way to go we have achieved a lot and are in a very different position to 6 weeks ago so its okay to take a chill pill and leave a bit of wastage hay for a day or 2. The horses certainly dont care and me 6 weeks ago would have found the idea of some slightly messy hard standing an absolute dream come true!!!

Stable shelter confirmed for installation next Saturday. My excitement about this knows absolutely NO bounds. I wont know myself, but am sure to find something else to worry and stress over.

Anyone else think we horse owners are never happy unless we are worrying? Lol.
 
I’ve moved him onto weekday full livery, this is week 2 and I’m loving it, I feel guilty but haven’t missed the mud, cold mornings etc, it’s lovely to wake up later and walk to my office across the landing. Not liking the cost but I’ve compromised with other stuff like the gym membership that I hardly used but I think it’s worth it especially as I didn’t go to the yard at all yesterday and spent the evening cleaning the house, doing the washing and cooking a roast dinner so I’ve now got all weekend to play ponies 🤣
 
Sooo much better the past 2 weeks! TBH I've not been in the field since new year (thank for my lifesaver of livery services in and out even if its a hit daily ££) . Muck heap is notably easier too! Notable less mud caked on the horses (was chest down, now just splashes and first 15cm legs I'll take it). Finally getting in some more of a riding routine and realising how much fitness my mare has lost damn it... fitness camp starts here..
 
We're not quite on the home straight yet but this weeks wind has dried up a bit of the field so the knee-deep sucking mud is more paddling territory now which is a bit nicer.

We had a relatively dry weekend last week which motivated me to get on with some jobs and I started clearing everything up a bit, tidying up where the bales are stored etc. I have also but 30yo on a diet as he has come out of winter quite fat! 😳 which is a blessing but he needs to drop some weight before I contemplate moving him onto the rested grass at the end of the month 🐷

I am hopeful the bottom field is drying out enough I can plonk them on there for the day to keep them out the mud and finally get their feet done! (dinohorse broke all the bolts off my stable doors if you remember....)
 
The last couple days have been lovely. I've not got any jobs done out of the general routine, but sitting on the bench in the field with the sun on my face for a few minutes really has been good for the sole. drizzly again today :(

But the sound of the birds singing first thing and blue sky peeping through the cloud makes you feel like spring is nearly here - hopefully.

I've booked all the 'beginning of season/ before the clocks change' jobs in. Jabs, teeth and saddle fitting ready for getting started with showing, riding and general fun. Love the planning for summer part of spring!
 
Mr.M and I finally got ourselves organised to book into a clinic this morning. First one of the year. Mr.M’s grey, actually white horse had his first makeover of the year yesterday afternoon and was reclipped, cleaned, washed, tail raked, feathers trimmed and generally tidied up. However the weather had other ideas. It rained so hard last night, the water in the fields this morning is the worst we’ve seen this winter, but worst still, the clinic was cancelled because the arena was flooded.
Looks like it could be dry for 5 days from Monday though which fills me with joy!!
 
We had an unseasonably warm Wednesday. I had to choose between cleaning all the stuff that has been sodden or heading out for a sunny ride, a box ride away. I did the ride!

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7610844360577387799

H isn't fit, so I was out for such a short (but glorious) time that I managed to box home, wash him, his grooming kit and all tack before it got dark. I remembered why I like horses at home again!!!
 
Love hearing all these upbeat posts!

So finally the momentous day arrived and we are now the proud owners of a beautiful stable shelter combo in all its glory.

Mix this in with being able to redo the less than ideal fencing - leaning posts and a thread of barbed wire - that has been bothering me from day 1 and I have finished today tired but oh so calm and relaxed.

The smile wont leave my face. For the first time since moving in I finally feel like the horses have everything they need and more and instead of panic and worry and knee deep mud we have a lovely hard standing yard where we can all finally enjoy life. The feeling like i can finally start thinking about the fun stuff and actually enjoy them - even when the weather is bad - instead of just trying to durvive is honestly the best feeling.

Hopefully the horses will appreciate it as much as me.

Tomorrow for the first time ever I dont need to look at the weather forecast and after moving lights and security camera will be popping the girls indoors for a bloody good groom and a tidy up.

I might even wash their tails!

Have of course cracked open a bottle of bubbles to celebrate!!!!!
 
Whilst interspersed with sunny spells rain does seem to be returning here. Last night when I went to bed I could hear it lashing against the window and very windy. Que immediate body reaction of oh my god the horses, followed very swiftly by 'they are fine they go in the shelter if they want to get out of it' what a great feeling! Ill get fat at this low stress rate 😅. More rain forecast tomorrow night too.

How are everyone's fields doing? Despite dryer patches ours just dont seem to be drying out at all. Its like the water table below the surface is now so high water still can't drain anywhere.

I checked out the Spring paddock last weekend and still saturated. Got a nice pick of grass on top but it would be trashed in a nanosecond if I let them out onto it.

I reckon it won't be until mid april I get them out onto it. Running low on hay supplies now and was hoping to be reducing how much hay needs to go out but very little in the way of grass growth at the moment with the colder nights.

Harrowing or getting a wheelbarrow up the field to restart poo picking also still a distant dream because of all the sinking mud. At least I don't have to venture off hard standing now unless I actually want to.

What's it like where you are?
 
Our 2 saved fields are hilly & dry with grass growing woohoo! Just in time as our heston bales have gone up now from £45 to £60 & the last bale the horses r just kicking around!!!
Still have a plan of action to advertise one & sending away another to be backed off to visit 2nd yard Friday.
 
bubsqueaks said:
Our 2 saved fields are hilly & dry with grass growing woohoo! Just in time as our heston bales have gone up now from £45 to £60 & the last bale the horses r just kicking around!!!
Still have a plan of action to advertise one & sending away another to be backed off to visit 2nd yard Friday.
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You'll have to let us know how it goes. If you don't mind my asking if 2 go how many will you have left?

Going down from 3 to 2 - even without infrastructure - really did make a difference to me. Even though its only picking up a third lot of poo off hard standing its amazing what a difference it makes to the workload.

We are on a slope but still very little in way of draining or grass growth - I'm very jealous of your grass!
 
My summer fields are now looking green - it feels like spring!! As @bubsqueaks says just in time for the price increase in hay. Being on sand means a few days of dry weather and we are back to some sort of normality with the ground, but the grass dies pretty quickly in summer if we don't get regular showers or heavy dews in a morning.

I do have a new problem - I'm running low of collected rain water! As they've been eating so much hay they are drinking a lot. I know I'm never happy.
 
Little bit old-fashioned said:
You'll have to let us know how it goes. If you don't mind my asking if 2 go how many will you have left?

Going down from 3 to 2 - even without infrastructure - really did make a difference to me. Even though its only picking up a third lot of poo off hard standing its amazing what a difference it makes to the workload.

We are on a slope but still very little in way of draining or grass growth - I'm very jealous of your grass!
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That will leave the golden oldie but will depend on how baby goes at backers as we sent her away last Spring & she got Grade 4 ulcers so having to put her on preventative treatment in the hope she will be okay this time. Depending how she is to ride will depend if she stays on sales livery or we have her back home. I think our golden oldie will be fine on her own now as we have a lot of horses around us but will cross that bridge if & when we get to it. It will just ease up everything at home as managing 3 on 3 acres tips the balance somewhat & Im just feeling I need to make my life easier now at this stage in life!
 
dorsetladette said:
My summer fields are now looking green - it feels like spring!! As @bubsqueaks says just in time for the price increase in hay. Being on sand means a few days of dry weather and we are back to some sort of normality with the ground, but the grass dies pretty quickly in summer if we don't get regular showers or heavy dews in a morning.

I do have a new problem - I'm running low of collected rain water! As they've been eating so much hay they are drinking a lot. I know I'm never happy.
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Never happy. Sums up us horse lot up pretty well I think!

bubsqueaks said:
That will leave the golden oldie but will depend on how baby goes at backers as we sent her away last Spring & she got Grade 4 ulcers so having to put her on preventative treatment in the hope she will be okay this time. Depending how she is to ride will depend if she stays on sales livery or we have her back home. I think our golden oldie will be fine on her own now as we have a lot of horses around us but will cross that bridge if & when we get to it. It will just ease up everything at home as managing 3 on 3 acres tips the balance somewhat & Im just feeling I need to make my life easier now at this stage in life!
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It is meant to be fun so making adjustments to keep it that way is never a bad thing.

I can also imagine managing 3 acres with 3 in biblical rain in winter and mud poses challenges and unneeded stress. Ive had 3 on about 4.5 acres of winter grazing then down to 2 (currently shoeless) since just after new year and our winter field is still absolutely trashed.
 
The waterlogged quagmire (all 20 acres of it) that is our main gelding field is still far too wet for any harrowing/rolling that would normally have happened by now. However the grass is now pouring through in all our fields (with green poos to prove it), and a succession of sunny, windy days is drying things up well. Am still feeding Chief Fast Fibre and a small haynet each day (he does possess the "greedy roan gene" so is very happy about this 🤣 🙈) Think we have finally made it through🙏.
 
New Forests Rock said:
However the grass is now pouring through in all our fields (with green poos to prove it),
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God I wish we had that. One of mine has started dropping off a little in the last couple of weeks - a TB so she's done pretty well considering the circumstances - but would be lovely to get her on some spring grass. Was expecting by now to be ditching the hay and moving over but just went to buy more hayledge this lunchtime. Third time I've gone in and said to them - hopefully this is the last lot!
New Forests Rock said:
still far too wet for any harrowing/rolling that would normally have happened by now.
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Absolutely belting it down here today and set to continue into the night.

That's 1 step forwards, 2 steps back for our fields. Reckon I can add on another week longer to dry out based on today's rain.

Seriously considering wandering around the top half of the field with a rake and just doing a bit of manual muck spreading as there is not a hope in hells chance a vehicle will be driving up that slope for ages.

Still smugly looking outside though and thinking, 'Yeah go on rain do your worst, we have a stable and a working shelter now!' 🤣🤣🤣 which makes a nice change.
 
We've had the most awful storm raging here since last night. The wind is horrendous. It peaked at 75-80mph at tea time today. Thankfully abated slightly now but there are trees down everywhere, and the rain may turn wintery by morning.

The land was probably 2 breezy days away from being harrowed but is now sodden again.
 
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southerncomfort said:
We've had the most awful storm raging here since last night. The wind is horrendous. It peaked at 75-80mph at tea time today. Thankfully abated slightly now but there are trees down everywhere, and the rain may turn wintery by morning.

The land was probably 2 breezy days away from being narrowed but is now sodden again.
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Same but wind not quite as bad as where you are, plus its raining now
 
Wet and windy all day again. Even the little cob wanted to come in. Mine gave me a massive side eye as she walked sideways into the stables. She wanted to come in earlier lol
 
Just when I thought spring was here.
Its been constant showers here and the bit of dry field with grass in I had left is no more. Its now a muddy mess like the rest of the paddocks but with two muddy tracks to the dry (er) part of the field so it's back to the arena for turnout. Nobody is going to be pleased about this (least of all me) x
 
Today I have hit the 'Totally had enough' wall. It's been gale force winds and torrential rain/hail for the best part of a fortnight up here. It feels like we are stuck in the depths of winter.
I'm so tired of having to get wrapped up in thermals and waterproofs just to go out and feed the lads. Even though I had a thermal top, fleece, warm coat, hat, gloves and waterproofs on this morning I was still absolutely freezing.
This is my sixth winter up here. I usually get a bit fed up of the weather-related challenges by early March but I've never felt as fed up about it as I do today. As I'm writing this, piles of ice (from the hail) are building up on the window. I desperately need a bit of sun - or just for the wind to stop! At times like this it's hard to imagine that spring will ever come.
 
Nancykitt said:
Today I have hit the 'Totally had enough' wall. It's been gale force winds and torrential rain/hail for the best part of a fortnight up here. It feels like we are stuck in the depths of winter.
I'm so tired of having to get wrapped up in thermals and waterproofs just to go out and feed the lads. Even though I had a thermal top, fleece, warm coat, hat, gloves and waterproofs on this morning I was still absolutely freezing.
This is my sixth winter up here. I usually get a bit fed up of the weather-related challenges by early March but I've never felt as fed up about it as I do today. As I'm writing this, piles of ice (from the hail) are building up on the window. I desperately need a bit of sun - or just for the wind to stop! At times like this it's hard to imagine that spring will ever come.
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Ooh dear, at least only 3 horses, not hundreds of cattle or a lambing flock relying on you!
A house / horse sitter and foreign holiday (err, avoiding Gulf conflict, of course), a spa weekend, perhaps? Sell the damn things?!
 
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