Is everyone else going through this in Winter?

[Linda_H]

I know our weather has been crazy - warm 1 day then freezing the next I find myself not spening a lot of time out in the barn with the horses when it is so cold I feel like I am neglecting them but they always have fresh water - thanks to electric buckets- clean stalls and feed they also go out unless it is stormy. I just seem to do the necessaries & run back in the house Am I just a wimp?? How does everyone else handle it? I feel guilty also because I know when Rick begins his treatments in Boston I will have less time I must say that I have always enjoyed my poop slinging time it is a good stress reducer!

 

[small herd]

We have rain for so long I can't remember what the sun looks like :lol: It's dark grey skies everyday, and today was cooler so it was rainy, grey, windy, and cold ! Luckly we don't have any mud problems on our property but the horses are WET :no: Yuckers

:

 

[horsefeather]

Oh my yes! I just hate cold weather! We have been very fortunate with the tempertures this winter, so far. But, like you, it was in the 60's today and will be in the 30's tom. :no: When the weather is nice, I mess with the horses, but when it is cold, I throw feed, check water and run for the house

:

Didn't use to bother me that much, but the older I get.......

Take care of yourself, don't pile on anymore stress than you already have and will be going thru!! When it gets too bad, put on heavy coat and go shovel, shovel, shovel!

:

Pam

 

[slaneyrose]

Its wet cold and muddy here in Southern Ireland....Yuk!! cant wait for summer! Whats it like up north Shane???

 

[MInx]

Glad I'm not the only one. Carl is our saviour here. He goes out there and stays. Every morning and night he brushes, rubs, then hugs and cuddles them, coaxes the bridle into Shadows mouth so he doesn't forget that training that Carl took so long to teach him, and picks out feet.

Took a long time for little Shortcake to accept that so he just picks up each leg and hold a few seconds. He does all this right after they finish eating and before he lets them back out. Then they have free rein in and out but they stay out mostly except when they want water when they come in to heated water tub.

So thank you Carl, every horses best friend, patient horse guru :bgrin for suffering through the cold to do that.

Maxine

 

[horsegal5]

 


Well we have had a fairly mild winter up here in NH... Till Now!

We are having temps in the teens and under with an awful wind chill with temps in the negative...Brrr. And this was after having temps in the 50's.


Thank God , that my girls help out with chores, but in the morning when they are in school its just me. And when its this cold, its feed, water, shovel, and check everyone over, and head to the house.

 

[Shari]

It is wet, cold and really muddy. I love the rain, but at this point I need a break. We need to dry out as this clay can't take any more rain and is more slick than a greased pig.

Most everyone has waterproof rain sheets on,, am out there twice a day to feed or allow the big ones out into the main pasture to eat. But I am not playing with them much or at all.

Was a begger having everyones hooves trimmed this morning.

Just too cold and too wet.

 

[Farmhand]

It's cold here in thumb area of MI. one day, rain and snow next day, then just COLD. We sorta get used to it living here all our lives. Just have to dress for what the weather is. Horses don't seem to mind. They have shelter's, fresh warmish water (use heater's) get plenty of good hay. Some are grained. Babies come in at night along with the one older Mare. It really isn't that bad if you know that you have to do what you have to do. Sometimes don't want to, but if you want animals you have to take care of them properly.

: Oh ya, supposed to get freezing rain tonight turning to snow tomorrow morning. That should be fun :bgrin

 

[Marty]

You won't find me hanging in the barn freezing to death either. Trying to groom horses while I am shaking half to death with mittens on doesn't work well for me.

In the morning, I am getting out there really earlier than usual because I know they need to start eating to get warm. So I dump the feed and hay and get them going on their food and leave them alone to enjoy. A couple of hours later when I know they are pretty much done, that's when I go back out to turn them out while I do the stalls and change the water. I don't fuss with them in the mornings when it's so cold. They just want to eat and get out to go zooooooommmmmmm anyway.

Later on in the day, when it warms up, that is when I go back outside and start grabbing anyone that is hanging around in the barn looking like they need attention and I'll start grooming on them and messing around. But hanging around out there just to play when it's freezing, heck nope. I'm an old decrepit lady you know?

Tonite was warm. It was raining and just so nice hanging out in the barn. I did a super grooming on Sonny and Holly, Silver Belle, and Nick. Added new scrunchies thanks to Fizzy for sending me a never ending supply of new ones. I did a couple of braids. Used the show sheen. Still trying to attack the dried up mud balls. Then I came in to start dinner when Jerry showed up. I love to take advantage of the warmer weather when opportunity arises like it did today. Tomorrow, same thing. I'll do the rest of them. It's going to be a rotten rainy windy day, but not real cold. They won't be outside, but that's the time I will spend a good deal of time in the barn with them, until I have to show up for work. Sonny seems to be requiring more and more of me lately so my focus is a lot on him at the moment. Keeping him comfortable during the winter months is very important as he is ageing.

 

[Sterling]

For me winter time is a time to let the horses relax, kick up their heels and ...as I put it...they're on vacation to do whatever they want to do.....well with supervision of course. I guess it depends on how I'm feeling that day on whether I just feed do the necessary chores and then go back inside. Like for instance tonight...at 10:00 p.m......I'm outside giving more hay, checking water and playing with "puppies"...all this with 7 inches of snow on the ground

: .

 

[AJ]

How cold you feel is directly related to how warm you are dressed. I am equally warm , whether it is +10 or -30, just dressed differently.

 

[sedeh]

It has been so wet this year that doing anything other than feeding them takes sooooo much effort. It actually was only cloudy and a little drippy today and I did get my gelding out and practiced some ground driving. If the forecasters are right and Thurs is dry(I'll believe it when I see it) I have my first driving lesson set up.......I'm excited! The rest of the gang are lucky to get a few scratches and loves and look at me like "why is he getting the attention??". My stallion actually screamed at me when I took Bubba and not him! Oh well, Spring is around the corner......I hope!

 

[nootka]

Yes, it is NASTY outside right now and with the foot of rain we've already gotten this month, the ground is the consistency of pudding, the wind blows gusting to 60 mph every other day, so my horses don't get to do much other than stand around in their stalls though I let them out every 48 hours for at least four hours, rain or ...umm..not rain (no shine here).

I feel badly about it, but I do keep the stalls clean, groom them lightly here and there and they of course get fed three or four times a day.

THIS is the time of year I try to visualize whenever I get the urge to buy a horse. I still have one to sell and a foal coming soon, so I definitely need to stay away from the saleboard though it's so tempting.

Bring on Summer!

Liz M.

 

[KrisP]

It's been a strange year here weather wise, December was HORRIBLE, nasty and cold and not much got done here at all. January has been all over the place, a few warm days then huge drops in temps. I know that each year I get more aches to let me know I'm not a kid anymore but I'm keeping up with things. I'm out several times a day switching out who's in the round pens for turn out and playing a bit with babies but not much more than that. I can't WAIT for spring!

krisp

 

[Frankie]

Honestly, I only care about the temperature when it comes to me getting dressed and what I need to wear. My choice to have them, so it makes no difference what the weather is doing. Once I THOUGHT that way, it really has made it easy.

I am pretty tired of all the mud, but more than sure I can do nothing about it. We have not had a dry lot in almost 3 months, only frozen, or 4 inches of mud. But will be thankful my water is running, not frozen and for January, we have done pretty good!!!

Another thought that also helps me: There is always sunshine in my barn!

 

[KrazyHorses]

THIS is the time of year I try to visualize whenever I get the urge to buy a horse.

That's funny...I think for Floridians this is the time of year when we have our defenses down and get the urge to buy horses...the weather is nice, cool and it is very pleasant to do horsey activities.

To discourage horse buying, I visualize our wet summers here in Florida...standing water, 100+ heat index, flies and mosquitos... :new_shocked:

 

[backwoodsnanny]

Im with you we dont have heated buckets no power in the barn except for a couple of lights so when it is 20 degrees or less you dont see me hanging around down there. I get them fed buckets broken out and then leave for a bit then back down for turn out if the weather is so they can be which with the ice in the paddocks lately has been a challenge only 2 paddocks I could use for 11 horses so have had to be rotating them. As for training and good grooming nope not for a bit. I do do manes tails and forelocks when the temps get warm enough to do that Had great weather last week though nasty outside was great in the barn but they all get out at least every other day Otherwise they are probably neglected until it gets above 30 and the ice in paddocks goes away. This is why I asked about what everyone did to make it easier last fall. When poop freezes to the floor this is not fun. And when it is 11 degrees or less poop does freeze to the floor. About 7 more weeks and it will start to be better.

 

[nassaunellie]

I know our weather has been crazy - warm 1 day then freezing the next I find myself not spening a lot of time out in the barn with the horses when it is so cold I feel like I am neglecting them but they always have fresh water - thanks to electric buckets- clean stalls and feed they also go out unless it is stormy. I just seem to do the necessaries & run back in the house Am I just a wimp?? How does everyone else handle it? I feel guilty also because I know when Rick begins his treatments in Boston I will have less time I must say that I have always enjoyed my poop slinging time it is a good stress reducer!

I know our weather has been crazy - warm 1 day then freezing the next I find myself not spening a lot of time out in the barn with the horses when it is so cold I feel like I am neglecting them but they always have fresh water - thanks to electric buckets- clean stalls and feed they also go out unless it is stormy. I just seem to do the necessaries & run back in the house Am I just a wimp?? How does everyone else handle it? I feel guilty also because I know when Rick begins his treatments in Boston I will have less time I must say that I have always enjoyed my poop slinging time it is a good stress reducer!

I live in Massachusetts and was out yesterday ground driving through the woods, up the road, and around the yard. The snow was fluffy and when you're walking around you keep warm despite the 12 degree weather. My two boys liked to get out and frolick in the snow and have a little change of scene from their paddock and stalls. What I don't like is, it looks like rain is coming mid-week which means all that nice fluffy stuff will freeze up again and limit activities! Oh well, let's think spring!

 

[shminifancier]

And here in Wisc. all we have to do is stay the way it is in temps for 12 more days and we will have had the warmest January in recorded history ever~! So I am not complaining one bit.. A few days ago it was almost 50 degrees~!! Unheard of almost in Jan in Wisc. Jan. is always the coldest month with temps as far down as 30 below zero~! And daytime highs sometimes not getting over 10 Below~! But not this year..Sure is saving on the fuel bill this year~!!!!!! Except for the 1/2 inch of Snow we got last night we had NO Snow on the ground non from Eau Claire County, South~! YEAH...But the snowmobile sales are in the basement this year Too Bad :lol:

 

[Sonya]

This weather is terrible. Yes it's been warmer, which is nice, but it keeps raining! Freeze then thaw, rain, freeze then thaw. My pasture has been getting flooded on and off, I just hate it, horses have been locked up alot more than normal. I'd rather it be 20 and snow instead of 35 and rain! Yuck!