ICE

[Anne]

OK just venting,

the ice here is ridiculous!

The temps are going to 24 degrees today, the sun is shining, there is no wind and the horses are stuck in the barn. We had ANOTHER layer of ice this last weekend and everything is glazed over. To top it off the temps really dropped last night and it's not going away. Getting to the barn is a challenge right now.

O well at least we have a barn for them to be in and nice size stalls. But they are all going to be pretty restless pretty quick. I rarely keep them in.

This is getting sad.

I had a request to take an action video of a horse I have for sale and I had to let them know it would be awhile before it could be done.

Spring would be nice!

Anne

 

[TheCaseFamily00]

I feel your pain,our ice is gone finally! We still have the cold temps,I keep wishing for atleast a 50 degree day

.

 

[Ashley]

This is only my opinion, I dont lock mine in. We have crazy ice here as well. Thankfully its finally getting a coat of snow packed on it to help. I dont ever lock the horses in unless medical, foaling or in the case of the old skinny guy. I Find if they are left out before it happens they know how to deal with it and do fine. I have not seen my get rowdy or crazy on it.

MY bred mares are confined to a smaller paddock but still are allowed out to move.

 

[Anne]

Ashley,

call me a worrier, I do not like to keep the horses up but I have seen my guys try to get pretty rowdy on ice, have had a fall with an injury to deal with.

I'ts mostly those 1 and 2 yr olds who can't slow it down out there.

So I'm a bit paranoid with ice like this.

Maybe I should just throw the old shavings out on the worst spots and see what I can do.

For now I would rather deal with all of the extra work to keep them stalled than deal with an injury that I would consider unnecessary, I guess.

 

[Sterling]

We've gotten our share of ice storms and days upon weeks of ice on the ground too. Had slip and falls...thankfully not an injury yet...to the horses...I'm a different matter all together!

Anne, do you have any sand or dirt you can top off the real bad parts with? I want to give you a heads up on the shavings over ice which can make it more slippery at times. I made the mistake once of throwing soiled shavings onto the ice which had some maure balls in it

, well that was a BIG mistake! I ended up with a more slick of a surface and the manure balls got harder and made for trecherous walking.

Want to come over to NJ? We're having up to 50 degrees in January!!

It's beautiful today! No wind and mild, who'd've thought!!

 

[Marnie]

We've tried salt and they lick on it which is no good for them and we've tried sand, which gives them a false sense of security, now they are left on their own and just be very carefull. I'm sure something could happen but mine are all older mares, except one colt and they just seem to know. The donkeys are the smartest or maybe just hate the cold the worst, they just stay in the barn, it's a big run in barn and wait for me to bring them hay in the barn. Hopefully the sun today will eliminate some, maybe if it gets a little soft, you could go and try to take a shovel or something and rough it up? Do you have a bobcat with chains on that you could rough it up or a close neighbor who could do it for you? Just trying to think here what might help you.

 

[Anne]

Thanks for the help, I will keep the advice in mind, I read this and did not put the shavings out.

I worried about putting salt out. Even though they have their own salt and minerals I know this would be a potential problem.

We live in what seems to be a shallow bowl. When we had those nice temps in December and all of that snow tried to start melting we were actually managing the water but when it froze we were done.

The ice is over 4 inches thick in some places and we were dealing with that because some areas were still usable and the horses could get out, in two turnouts. But this last weekend we got another dose of freezing rain and we were about done.

Today I closed the doors to the outside and let a couple at a time into the larger run-ins to get them some kind of turnout and scial time.

It was easy to see that they appreciated it! And turned a few loose in the barn while I worked out there.

I do not have "smallish" stalls I did think ahead for times turnout in Wisconsin would be difficult.

The stalls are 12 by 12, 9 by 18 ( three weanlings together there and I can give them an additional 10 by 18 blocked off with the barn aisle)

The smaller stalls are 9 by 9, thats where the yearlings and two year olds get restless.

They certainly need lots of attention while confined and I'm trying to rotate so everyone gets out to move. They are drinking a lot and making messy stalls for me to clean so I guess that means all is good so far.

We have a driveway still covered with about 3 inches of solid ice all the way, it's a bit dangerous, we've covered it with salt and are hoping it gets better.

Noel would like to find a way to break it all up but so far no luck, our tractor is wonderful but it's smaller and not quite up to the job.

We're not giving up though.

We have three beef calves out back, I'm sure I look ridiculous going out to feed them their corn. It's a huge sheet of ice to cross to get to them, and I have started using my cross country ski poles to help me along. The poles and the "grandma shuffle" as I try to "skate" my way around! LOL

Anyone else counting the days until April 1st?? (always makes me feel like we've made it if it gets to April)

I know how many days, go ahead just ask me!!! LOL

 

[Sonya]

When I had the minis there was a low spot in the pasture that would ice over alot in the winter. It was almost half of the pasture, at first I worried like crazy and locked them in when it would ice over. It was much work for me and they were miserable so I finally gave in and let them out. They were much smarter than they looked, they would avoid that spot totally, they learned instantly and tested it with one hoof, they could see the difference in the color of the ice (no snow there at the time) and they tested it and then stayed off it. Even when there was snow on the ground and they couldn't see whether there was ice under it or not, they tested it before they would go near it, 2 were yearlings at the time.

I understand your fear and frustration though, especially with that much ice. I'm about sick of winter here! I like it until Christmas and then I want it GONE!

 

[Reijel's Mom]

I'll join your "ice hate ice" fan club! It's ROTTEN stuff, all the way around, for humans and critters alike. I've had 2 different friends now who's dogs have blown a knee in this stuff this winter. And the horse rescue I volunteer with had a horse that we adopted out have to be put down due to a fall on the ice. A human friend just broke her finger due to starting to fall at out local animal shelter and grabbing the chain link and getting her hand twisted and still falling.

I've wiped out more times than I can count doing chores and volunteering at the shelter. It STINKS!

 

[Marnie]

You girls can get those ice kleats for the bottom of your boots at Fleet Farm or any farm store, I think. It'd be better to get some and wear them than to be falling. We have to stay safe, our animals need us.

 

[AppyLover2]

I went looking for ice cleats yesterday. On another thread Wal Mart and Walgreens were both said to have them. No luck at either of those stores here but Ace Hardware had them.

 

[River Wood]

Ice? I won't say very much because I'll get angry

but yes I hate it too.

 

[Reijel's Mom]

You girls can get those ice kleats for the bottom of your boots at Fleet Farm or any farm store, I think. It'd be better to get some and wear them than to be falling. We have to stay safe, our animals need us.

Just got some, hoping they work great!

 

[Marnie]

Nate just threw some barn lime around where we have to walk, I wonder what that would do for the horses, it seems to really stick to the ice and help us.

 

[Anne]

I would love to find out if lime is ok. I remember it being said that it can be toxic for animals and though I use it and work it into the floors of the stalls I was concerned about just throwing it on top. They do seem to lick and "eat" snow on occassion.

Maybe I will try it where we walk though.

We have been calling around looking for more salt and the stores seem to be out.

 

[Leeana]

You girls can get those ice kleats for the bottom of your boots at Fleet Farm or any farm store, I think. It'd be better to get some and wear them than to be falling. We have to stay safe, our animals need us.

Just got some, hoping they work great!

I have some of these and they work wonders, even on the flat sheets of ice i feel safe with mine on. They work great, i had to get my dad a set of them too.

I really do like winter, for the most part...but at this point im getting tired of the locks on all the gaits freezing to the ground and shut, having the dump snow and ice out of my bunk feeders, that big bulky carhartt jacket. I really miss just slipping on my flip flops and heading out to the barn. I generally love winter..but its really starting to get to me.