Winter life hacks

[dorsetladette]

Drape old turnout rugs over water butts to avoid freezing.

Bandage taps with old fleece travel bandages and cover with a bread bag. If your good with your bandaging you can leave the top and bottom of the tap out of the bandage and you wont need to take it off when you use the tap.

 

[Hallo2012]

Tie a piece of string around a brick and drop it in your trough / bucket, so that when it freezes, you can lift the ice out by the string without getting your hand wet.
Not only is this quicker and easier, but with no broken ice remaining in the water, it will take longer to refreeze.

100% mine would pull the bricks out and start whacking each other round the face lol!!!!!!!

 

[Sparkeyboy]

I invested in an Equi-Dry last year and loved it. Can do all yard jobs in the morning on the way into work, take the coat off and I was still clean, dry and smelt fine to be in the office all day I fill water containers of an evening whilst i'm topping up buckets, found this was easier to top up water early morning rather than standing around waiting for the hose to finish.

Also 2nd buying some extra haynets, get them all filled on a day you have more time then you're just grabbing what you need.

Plenty of gloves, in the car, coat pockets, tack room, so if a pair gets wet you can put on a dry pair. I've developed eczema on my hands as an adult so really try to keep my hands warm and dry. I put on a pair of plastic gloves (like medical gloves, sell them in B&Ms) under your normal gloves so your hands don't get wet or smelly whilst doing yard jobs. Can re-use the plastic gloves so it's not hugely wasteful.

 

[southerncomfort]

Old ski gloves for covering padlocks so they don't freeze. The ones with pull cord wrists are the best.

Like this! Definitely going to try this one!

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Horses live out, shelter has mud mats as base and a hard standing apron, more mud mats in gateways. X-hose for filling water buckets in freezing weather. We use a small field vac for mucking out and transport the muck in a motorised tipper truck with caterpillars.

 

[HollyWoozle]

Any particular ones you'd recommend?

I've had my set for maybe 10 years and they are great BUT came from Amazon (who I now avoid buying from at all costs) and are probably terrible from an environmental standpoint. Mine are sort of rubbery material and yellow, like what a commercial fisherman would wear and I can't deny that they serve their purpose beautifully.

 

[Caol Ila]

Swearing.

More swearing.

Lots more swearing.

Threaten to move yards but realise ones with less annoying winter turnout (a) don't exist or (b) are 100 miles away or (c) have a million bigger problems.

Threaten to move countries.

Threaten to sell horses.

Resign yourself to spending what feels like the next 4 billion years trapped in this sh1tty Confession Dial because none of the above have achieved anything. And it's all your fault anyway.

 

[Dontforgetaboutme]

Has anyone got recommendations for decent coveralls that can muck out in that aren’t ££££ like Posh Muckerz.

 

[BronsonNutter]

Have your horses teeth done now, because dentistry when it’s -6, covered in ice everywhere, there’s no functional water tap and I have to take my sleeves off is no fun.

If this is unavoidable please offer your dentist/vet a brew so they can defrost

 

[southerncomfort]

Has anyone got recommendations for decent coveralls that can muck out in that aren’t ££££ like Posh Muckerz.

...and aren't man-sized!

I'm 5'3 and never managed to find any that didn't require arms and legs rolled up!

 

[Horsegirl25]

I dont actually mind winter, I love mucking out etc and I live in Scotland so it technically winter most of the year

I am Scotland too!! We defo haven't really had much of a summer, was apparently 15 degrees overnight last night, felt more like 5!!