Winter riding straight from the field with no stables/hard-standing area? tips!!

[cob&onion]

How do you cope riding from the field in winter with no facilities such as stables/hard standing area/just a gate post to tie your horse too/not even a shed?!!
Summer has been easy - chest in the field with bits in and tack in the car, tie up to the fencing in a nice dry quiet spot, no need to change foot wear as no mud etc. But........The field ids going to be wet and muddy very soon and not looking forward to it.
Silly things like carrying my tack over to the field - across the very muddy gateway then having to ride with big clumpy muddy boots
I can't pull the car into the field as will be too muddy!!
So how do you cope those who are in similar situations??

If it gets very bad i may have to find livery for the cob!!

Tips appreciated!

 

[TheMule]

Can you have some hard standing put down in the gateway? Invaluable!

I do everything in wellies then stick the riding boots on last min. Tack gets muddy- it's unavoidable

 

[cob&onion]

Hmmmm hard standing at the gateway sounds like a plan......will have a word with the OH.
Last winter i was lucky to be at a lovely livery yard with my TB, warm showers to wash down the horses, solarium, flood lit menage, barn stables, rug drying room, tea room.................... this year its 24/7 turnout with my cobs first ridden winter!! bit of a reality check!!

 

[NeilM]

I bought some play matting from a company I worked for and installed that in the gateway, you can find it on fleabay. It comes in 1m x 1.5m mats and you just put it on the grass and cable tie the mats together. Watch the price though, as it can be expensive, although as far as I can find out, it is all the same stuff.

Horses can stand on it, I drive the 4X4 over it, tow the car and fully laden trailer over it, no worries.

Other than that, we do the same thing in the winter as we do the rest of the year; get them down, tie them up (lots of different spots to tie up), quick groom, pick out their feet, tack up and off we go

 

[Silmarillion]

I don't ride in winter

 

[Gucci_b]

what about wood chipping!!! council will also luv them if you can go to a wood cutting place as you get far more for your money to buy stright from them.

 

[SusieT]

What about fencing off the gateway/beside the gateway to preserve some grassy area, put a shed on it to store stuff in/keep dry in?

 

[MerrySherryRider]

Just wondering, how will you manage for the farrier ? Is it possible to chuck some sand down and bung a few slabs on top as a temporary measure ? Then carry your stuff across in a wheelbarrow ?

 

[xTrooperx]

i used to have this problem, i would leave tack in car, bring horse to car tack up etc.. use bonnet for a step up .. change shoes while sat in the boot (4x4) and off on the ride. and the same on return. ok it wasn't perfect but it worked rather well.

 

[MiCsarah]

Hell!!! I used to ride for somebody who only had a field shelter but no hard standing in this. Was stupidly muddy and I hated going as I just got filthy!!! This was quite a small field with 2 horses in though

 

[jendie]

I'd make an area of hard standing, preferably by the gate. Make it at least as wide as the length of the horse. I'd use road shavings. You could use bark but I think that would sink into the mud and you'd need very frequent top ups. I'm dreading winter.