with the expense of winter coming

[TicTac]

what will you have to economise on or give up? I find that my biggest cost is bedding and as my two horses live out from March untill the weather turns wet and cold it is an expense I get used to not having! Therefor when I have to start paying for it again I have to cut down on my lessons which I really enjoy. I'm currently trying to sell a few bits and pieces to put into my 'pot' for lessons. I have managed to buy all my winter hay and haylage at a good price and obvioulsy feed I buy as they need it. Also I have decided not to waste money on un necessary supplements. So what I'm really hoping for is a dry winter so the horses can live out!

 

[SonnysHumanSlave]

im hoping to keep mine out all winter, so have not prepared with anything. Im going to be running on pay as you go!!

 

[TMM]

The land im on has everything included in the price weither its summer or winter its all the same price so i have no extra cost to worry about when the winter comes.
Guess im lucky that way.

 

[shellonabeach]

I'm in the middle ground, rent a field so "livery" stays the same but like you winter means hay and bedding costs. I bought my hay in August for £1.25 off the field and spent a hard days work moving it all.

Mine live out 24/7 as much as possible as they have field shelters, had to stable overnight last year for a couple of months as my big grey mare got mud fever.

I bed my 2 on straw when they come in at nights (never in for more than 12 hours a day) and whilst I make nice deep beds I do not actually take much out - take out the wet once a week which worked out about 3 barrows between the 2 of them and put in 1-2 bales of clean straw a week. I find I waste a lot of clean straw if I take out the wet daily. I have also collected the straw off the field at 75p per bale!

I tend to cut down on lessons during the winter, grass arena so ground and weather dependent. I also don't compete / attend pleasure rides over the winter so save costs there.

 

[RandB]

My biggest winter expense is hay and haylage but I cut right back on competing and pleasure rides during winter so the extra cost of hay is more or less made up by saving on entry fees and fuel for towing. Fortunately!!

 

[Fransurrey]

This year I'm using the 'take out wet once a week' approach and have to say, it's saving me a LOT of clean shavings, which inevitably get caught up in the wet stuff.

 

[Mickeymoo]

TMM your avatar is disgusting.

Last year I didn't compete as much over winter, and I was ill most of December / January so that really helped the budget.

 

[stencilface]

I am going to invest in some matting this year, and hope that as I will put less down (although will still be a fair amount of straw) as my horse can be messy, I'm hoping I'll waste less.

I'm also hoping to get hold of some tractor tyres to feed them hay from in the field - hopefully should save it blowing away!

We still have lots of grass left on 5 acres (4 horses currently on 7 acres) and I am going to let them have a little new grass each week, hopefully that'll stretch to the end of oct, which will save some food for them - and stop their bellies exploding