| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| jaybird |
Posted - 31 Dec 2009 : 12:19:49 PM
Hi all
I know that we have all been having a bad time this year in regard to this nasty weather, I have read some tragic stories both on here & elsewhere regarding accidents where horses are slipping over and indeed it is difficult to deal with, but I have in the past seen some very foolhardy acts that put both lives of people and horses at risk and that is people empting thier horses water buckets right outside thier stable doors or onto the yard where it just freezes over creating ice rink conditions, I never change horse water in snow & Ice just keep topping it up until the thaw I also put loads of salt onto any patches and tracks to the field, lay a trail of old straw to the muck heap, I have seen yards where they do nothing so it's always best to ask YO permission before salting and making a mess but it's safety first that counts for yourself & others, take care.
We have been forcast for another lot on Sunday...Oh Joy!
Beryl |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| jaybird |
Posted - 09 Jan 2010 : 07:37:13 AM
Hi Gerri
It's coming, just got up and it's inches again and snowing really hard...big joy!! off again to sort the hay & water and the woosy chickens. 
Beryl |
| jaj |
Posted - 08 Jan 2010 : 11:37:33 PM
I'm lucky where I am now as my friend feeds them in the morning and just opens the stable door and they are in their field which is great. She puts out hay for them and I toddle down mid-morning (schools all shut so children to sort out first) to lug containers of water down to the stables and field.
I'm praying I receive a delivery of hay and straw tomorrow as we are down to the last bale of hay and no straw left  ! Moving somewhere in an emergency is not a good idea if you can help it especially in the middle of winter!
The foal is happy eating and running around in the snow and having a good time bless him. Urgh except that he kicked my friend in the small of the back yesterday and hurt her quite badly which I'm moritfied about norty boy (after all they have done for me as well).
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| troystar |
Posted - 08 Jan 2010 : 10:34:48 PM
its 5.50 a bale in London not that any will diver, and 4.70 haylage, thank good i always have 2 shed loads full, take my 4 horses thou two the summer I'm more that happy with the snow at least the dam mud has gone i have my own yard 4 horses 2acres so no grass just mud, i spend at least 100 a week on feed and hay bedding all that jass, water ant froze yet i cover it well, and a still ride my mare i never see my pigs thou they stay in their bed  |
| Gerri |
Posted - 08 Jan 2010 : 5:20:29 PM
Hi Beryl its a lot warmer here although it feels really cold, yesterday it registered 3 degrees and just now 0 degrees, but NO SNOW as yet |
| jaybird |
Posted - 08 Jan 2010 : 12:54:50 PM
Hi
Sounds like the round bales are the better value...depending on thier sizes they are usually equal to 10 bales of hay, I use one every three weeks with one horse that's out all day on good grass and the largest size...they do vary, even here people are getting through mountains of it I bet it will rocket this year due to stocks (if any) being used quicker than expected in this weather..far better to feed a horse than to buy him nice clothes to wear
It's a -5 here today blue skies are deceiving the snow's melted abit but more forecast for later...can't wait!
Beryl |
| Nichole Waller |
Posted - 07 Jan 2010 : 3:34:45 PM
Our farmer just informed us this morning that he only has enough hay left to last about another 4 weeks, he needs to save the rest for his cattle......
I've made a few phone calls and the cheapest i can find it at the moment is £5.00 a bale or £30 for a round bale.... I was paying £3.00 a bale... Looks like my Christmas money will now have to be spent on hay instead of some lovely things from the saddlery shop... |
| Roseanne |
Posted - 07 Jan 2010 : 2:56:24 PM
My lovely farmer is delivering and stacking lovely dust-free hay at £2.50 a bale - £22 for a vast round haylage bale but I'm not using that (yet!).
There's been hardly any traffic through our village for the past two days. Glad you got home safely and in time to do the stock Beryl! |
| jaybird |
Posted - 06 Jan 2010 : 7:50:59 PM
Hi all
Well down it came today...and did I get caught out, went to Perigueux this morning about 9.00 to take OH to the hospital about 30 miles away...the snow came down in bucket loads and the car was stuck in the hospital car park unable to get up a steep slope....well cutting a very stressfull story short I finally managed to get home at 3.00 to do the animals but it could have been an absolute nightmare for me as I dont have any near neighbours or horsey friends that close that could have helped...they also would have had problems of thier own to deal with...new years resolution Husband can get a taxi in future...Phew!
How is the hay price doing after the reports that it would make £5.00+ a bale ofter the new year?
Beryl
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| jaybird |
Posted - 06 Jan 2010 : 07:14:46 AM
Hi all
Hope you are all coping with this latest lot, we have another forecast for the next few days for more, I have found that the water that I put out daily is freezing after a couple of hours so might be a good idea to get it checked by somebody if you are at work all day, although Guinness usually manages to break it as he's a thirsty boy, that's the biggest problem for me getting the water to the chickens and the field as all the butt's are frozen solid and I have to use the indoor taps...there seems no end to this bad weather and we are definately not used to it !!!
Beryl |
| flosskins |
Posted - 05 Jan 2010 : 4:38:45 PM
Kharidian where is your yard? sounds a wonderful place!
I have to say i prefer the snow and the ice to the wind, rain and mud! I am lucky in that my stable is in my field and I have no concrete so I just shut my mare in at night and leave the door open during the day, she has hay in the field and the stable but seems to be preferring to eat the grass she can find. So selfishly I am loving not plodding through the mud while get soaked - the only downside is having to take water to the field each day! |
| Meggie-Lu |
Posted - 05 Jan 2010 : 11:15:34 AM
I'm not a huge fan of the winter, but im lucky enough to have an outdoor school with is all waether surface, makes life much easier, not that Merlin would be bothered if i dint ride him for a few days! Think he wuld enjoy the time off..... Lazy boy |
| Songbird |
Posted - 04 Jan 2010 : 8:02:12 PM
Gee Gee, We originally had a quote from a top well known name for the fibre and he told us we needed 1.8 tons for our size arena . For the same amouint of money we found a supplier in Leicestershire who delivered us 5 tons on an 8 wheeler . This has been the perfect amount so I can't imagine what it would have been like with the 1.8 tons . We haven't needed to level the arena since we got it , three months , and their is no tracking . Bearing in mind that we are a livery yard and have several horses using the arena that is fantastic. If you pm me I will give you the suppliers details.
Montika , I can't believe your YO allowing hosing on the yard in these conditions . Safety is all these days and that is so irresponsible. She should be educated ! |
| Montikka |
Posted - 04 Jan 2010 : 7:28:41 PM
I couldn't agree with you more Marion and Roseanne - I watch in amazement as some liveries hose down their horses legs for a good 20 minutes whilst all I can see is pink, raw looking legs - and of course THEY are the ones with mud fever. I've persuaded a few to not do it - I think seeing me simply pick my girls feet out and 'pop' them in the stable - AND never have any problems has convinced them that 'less' is often 'more'.
Another problem with this obsession is the constantly wet yard - causing all sorts of problems with ice.
I've ridden only three times in the last two weeks and one of those rides was NOT fun! Little mare was cantering on concrete, while the other riders were WALKING. We do, fortunately have an excellent school so no more riding out for a while.
Agree with you Songbird - I'd chuck dirty muck all over the place if it were my yard, but alas - it's not allowed.
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| rosie |
Posted - 04 Jan 2010 : 7:23:38 PM
We've been doing the same as songbird & putting the used bedding on the concrete path in front of the stables. We take it back up on an evening when the horses come in & fresh again in the morning.
Having a school must be bliss!!
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| geegee |
Posted - 04 Jan 2010 : 7:22:03 PM
Kit,
I'd be interested to know more about the carpet fibre....suppliers, cost, what it looks like etc.... |
| Songbird |
Posted - 04 Jan 2010 : 7:11:11 PM
As soon as the ice strikes we muck out the straw stables onto the yard making wide thick pathways around the yard and to the paddocks . It makes a mess and it means we have quite a clean up job when the weather improves but it works really well and everyone is safe so whats a bit of mess if it keeps horses and humans from potential damage? It's cheap and simple too!
Our school was resurfaced three months ago with recycled carpet fibre on top of the existing silica sand and pvc. This has been a perfect surface and the icing on the cake is that we can ride in this deep freeze as the thick topping is soft and springy. I#d recomend this surface to anyone. |
| pinkvboots |
Posted - 04 Jan 2010 : 3:30:24 PM
Hardly any yard I have worked on or kept my horse on ever grit or do anything about ice and snow, which I find really unbelievable but hearing about people on here it seems to be the norm!!.
Where I am now I buy my own salt and grit a path to my field and around my stable, I also grit all around the muck heap and tap area, no one else bothers to help or offers to buy any salt, I fell over badly last year cant have the bad back I had then, The other liveries just keep there horses in rather than clear a path to turn them out, that's up to them but I would rather turn out everyday as long as it's safe to do so.
I never hose legs off in winter it causes mud fever best to leave and brush off. |
| Roseanne |
Posted - 04 Jan 2010 : 1:16:05 PM
Why don't people let horses be horses instead of cuddly toys????  |
| marionpack |
Posted - 04 Jan 2010 : 1:13:52 PM
Hi Roseanne, I know, but these people don't understand why their horses are the only ones with mud fever |
| Roseanne |
Posted - 04 Jan 2010 : 12:59:06 PM
Not wise Marion!! We always found the best protection against mud fever is to leave the mud coating, not to wash it off. |
| marionpack |
Posted - 04 Jan 2010 : 12:57:09 PM
I don't mind working round snow and ice, thats a natural thing, but for 2/3 days our fields got a little muddy,(not boggy just enough to get mud on the coronet band) so somebody thought it was a good idea to hose their horses legs to clean them, now we have a frozen stream right across the yard with no thaw in sight for the next week, people just don't seem to think |
| Nichole Waller |
Posted - 04 Jan 2010 : 12:40:11 PM
We put old straw / muck down on the yard and in the gateways so we can lead our horses in and out safely. We had about 4 inches of snow just before Christmas but as the weather has been so cold it stayed on the ground for nearly 2 weeks.
This meant we couldn't ride for 10 days as we have no school and the rest of the yard and the roads were very icy. I finally managed to get Ozzy out for a short ride a few days ago and he was a complete nightmare....
Lots of leaping and pinging around .We finally managed a few days on the trot so he was settling down and then this morning (when i'm back to work) we have a really thick frost that looks like snow and loads more ice on the roads... so no riding this morning.. |
| zooscat |
Posted - 04 Jan 2010 : 11:38:07 AM
e the Snow n Ice - it is not as bad down here in Kent as it appears to be in other parts of the Uk - but - it is still stopping almost all excercising - other than that which the horses are getting during turn out. We've been able to do that for a few hours each day, and the dears are having fun rootling through the edges of the woods that border the fields, and grazing the banks. However - the thing that is really making me fed up is that all the fitness and muscle tone, developed soo carefully over the last year with Ry, taking so much care of the sometimes awkward temperament, the dodgy back leg/pelvis, the age (21) and the balance between not fit = not able to carry himself well to achieve good balance and appropriate muscle development, and too fit = loon! It will now mostly be lost, and we will have to start all over again! He hasn't been able to be ridden for about 3 weeks now, except a quick scuttle round the lanes on a couple of occasions between snow/ice, and it's apparently likely to go on for three more weeks! He's usually ridden 4-5 times a week, 2-3 schooling/poles etc, 2/3 hacking. I know this a luxury moan, and that I ought to be grateful that he's well and in one piece - which I really am. Just a bit fed up! Anyone else feel the same or am I the only selfish wretch around? I want an indoor school please!! |
| jaybird |
Posted - 03 Jan 2010 : 12:05:31 PM
Hi all
Yes I agree the manure thing works a treat I don't need it here for Guinness but I do it for the chickens they hate the snow, just use dirty straw that the droppings have been shaken out of and all pledge to help clear it up...next thing is to source a really decent yard that will take care of things if you cannot...most will and a thank you is always nice too!!!
Beryl |
| ACGODFREY |
Posted - 03 Jan 2010 : 12:02:06 PM
I can't bear this weather anymore . My boy has been stuck in for over 2 weeks and having looked at the 10 day forecast and the fact it's now going to get above freezing, I can't foresee that the snow and ice will go away for weeks yet where he is
He's on full livery so the fact that I can't physically get there in my non 4x4 isn't too much of a problem, but I feel for him. I managed to get him to/from indoor when the snow was still powdery but there is sheet ice under the snow now and it's too dangerous. He's going to be wild by the time he does get out and that itself concerns me. Never thought I'd say this, but I'd really prefer the wind and rain to this! I've lived in Scotland for since 1996 and have only ever experienced one year with such prolonged and significant snow fall. Was horseless at the time, so enjoyed it rather more! |
