winter preparation-what do you do to get ready

[bevann]

Just curious what others have to do to get ready for winter.Here in Delaware we can have all kinds of weather from temps in 60s to lows of mid 20s.Last year was easy-warm and not much snow.Several years ago we were hit with 36 inches of snow on Sat and another 24 inches the following Wednesday.Not fun when you can't even get out of the house because snow is blocking the doors.Just finished putting out my heated buckets in pastures(not plugged in yet)and moved horses around so I can feed everyone in the barn and not go outside to feed or water or hay(big run in sheds attached to my old dairy barn. 1 older gelding goes out back door of barn in daytime, but he has a huge run in shed across the pound area not too far from back door.At night I just open door and he runs right in.He can stay in his big stall all day if necessary.Loft full of hay -just need to get some more shavings, pellets and Barn Dri. I think I'm ready outside-just need to find my long johns and heavy socks.

 

[chandab]

I really don't do that much to prepare for winter. Make sure I have my hay, and get out the rubber water tubs (they hold up to cold temps and frozen water).

 

[BSharpRanch]

Being in the desert there is not much to do but get out and enjoy the wonderful weather!

 

[targetsmom]

I have been using the heated tubs all summer and the cords for the heated buckets have been rolled up and stored in the bottoms, so mostly I just have to plug them all back in again. I will also start stockpiling used bedding to spread over the ice. I might trace clip the new driving horses that I want to keep in training over the winter. And, oh yeah, I think I will be shopping for a sleigh!

 

[wingnut]

Being in Maryland, our winters are obviously much like yours Bevann.

We don't do a whole lot different in the winter versus the rest of the year. All horses can be stalled if necessary but are generally left to choose where they want to be (in or out). I would like to get a couple of small run-in sheds for the dry lot and the pasture but that's not in the budget (hopefully we can do that next spring) so we just watch the weather and move 'em around as required. It might be a bit trickier this year with our new colt. I hope to have him gelded before winter sets in but his dangly bits may not cooperate (the farrier could only find one yesterday). The vet will be here on Wednesday to check. If he's gelded and recovered, he'll then run with the girls and they'll all come and go as they please. If I have to keep them separated, there may be extended stalling times for everyone, but only if the weather requires it. Our first year with the girls (2009-2010) was the year of the 3 blizzards, we had the hurricane last year, so we've had a lot of learning in the last four years!

I have blankets for everyone but I don't think I put one on any horse last winter except for the hard keeper (not as much body fat). So I make sure to get them out, cleaned/repaired, and put where they are easy to get to.

We'll put away the regular muck buckets we use for water and set out the heated one. I'm not sure we'll do the 50 gallon trough (with heater) this year. They really didn't use it much. I may buy another 16 gallon "muck bucket" sized heated one as they much prefer it. There are no heated buckets in the stalls.

I try to do a good "fall cleaning" of the stalls, including the walls and the tack rooms. We also clean up any areas around the barn where things may be lying around that really should be put away (i.e., some left over fencing from the last fencing project we did late this summer). That way, if and when it snows, there won't be any hidden "treasures" that will come back to haunt us! We already keep the fenced-in areas cleared of such things.

We've already laid in our first supply of hay bales in our hay tackroom (60 bales) and it's full. We're experimenting with a small round bale of the same hay. I think we'll likely get another one when this one is done. That's another purchase I had hoped to make this year: a bale buddy slow feeder net. I may still try to squeeze the budget to get that yet. In fact, I just decided I'm definitely going to go ahead and bite the bullet. I really like having the round bale in the dry lot and I think it's a smart purchase despite it's cost. Hubby will grumble when UPS drops it off but I'm used to that.

 

[amysue]

To prepare for winter we get our bucket cozies out and check the stitching on them as some of our paddocks are too far away from the barn to run cords to. I check the tires on all of my wheeled carts and barrows, as I end up trucking a lot of water in jugs out to the pastures where hoses are not an option in the winter due to freezing. I always have to spend a few weekends taking blanket inventory to ensure everyone has a sheet and blanket who needs one and to make sure that all hardware and straps are functioning. I do this in the fall before actual blanket season arrives as I usually end up having to sew or patch blankets, and sometimes even replace or add to the wardrobe. I purchased several new ponies this year and have to go blanket shopping soon. We also check fence posts, hydrants and fence lines for potential issues that can be easily fixed now and not so much in 0 degree weather when the ground is frozen. we also make sure to mow, weed whack and brush hog around fence lines really well because snow and ice can weigh vegetation down onto fence and render them useless. I also make sure that my equipment and pens have not encroached into the way of the snow removal path. I have a plan drawn up for where I can push snow banks and piles to and for where I can fit the plow through to limit the amount of shoveling that I must do. I try to have a few loads of sand hauled in and stored on the pad to put down over ice. Also we do a thorough cleaning to ensure that clutter is removed, barns are clean to deter mice and all light sockets and electrical plugs are clean and free of cobwebs and dust, as this is a fire hazard. This year I am installing lights in more places and even on poles scattered throughout the barnyard so that I have light for those early dark mornings and evenings where it seems that I leave in the dark and come home in the dark. Lastly I try to give away as many of the barn cats that we mysteriously seem to acquire each summer so I have less to feed and they are not out in the elements all winter. Speaking of...anyone want a barn cat?

 

[Sandee]

Normally we would get out the heated buckets and make sure they work. Then park the manure spreader in the barn so it won't freeze up and put the snow blower on the tractor so we can get out into the field.

But this year we'll just take the horses down to Jason and we'll go find some sunshine. Hopefully before we get "snowed under"!

 

[Marty]

I have a lot of miscellaneous stuff to do. Not huge projects but time consuming stuff.

Don't laugh but I have to make things pretty and tidy first which is what I'm doing now. I"m washing the stupid white vinyl fence that is taking me weeks to get the crud off of it. Then I'll be scraping the barn doors and giving them a coat of new fresh paint and the gates. The tack room is pretty clean but I'll have to straighten out my shelves and then take inventory of emergency meds like banamine and buy some wormers. I'll be soaking my brushes and cleaning out my grooming tool totes. No sense brushing horses with dirty brushes and I have to wash my halters and lead ropes.

My Quarter Horse wears a blanket and I know its ripped so I have to be sure to put that on my list to fix also.

My hay is stocked safely and smells good enough for me to eat. I also stocked my winter beet pulp supply already. My last hoof trim of the year will be right before Thanksgiving so no worries about that stuff.

I still have to take my fans down and store them in the loft until next summer. Then I'll do a good dusting of stalls and I'm forever taking down cobwebs which I do anyhow and touch up with paint a little bit but. I'm not painting the whole barn this year.

I use bungies instead of gate latches which works perfect so the gates never get stuck so already have plenty of extra new bungies to use.

No more worries about warm water. Mr. Retirement installed a hot water heater in my tack room last year. Saved me a world of trouble and work.

After all the above, I think I'll be all set.

 

[disneyhorse]

You poor guys... All I have to do to prepare for winter is trace clip so my horses don't get too sweaty in their winter coats! I couldn't survive if it got colder than 40 degrees at night...

 

[ohmt]

We usually have at least 1 60 below day with wind chill, but we do little to prepare other than feed extra. We don't do heated buckets-we carry warm water from the house each morning and crack ice at night and put the buckets up so they don't crack too. The horses get extra sloppy warm beet pulp at night. All are fed free choice hay and extra grain. That's about it!

 

[Sandee]

Marty, would love to have all that done here but at my age - it ain't gonna happen. I don't suppose you want to "offer a service"? hee, hee

 

[Marty]

Yup I"ll do just about anything for cold hard cash!

I got my fans down today and stored up in the loft. Then I took 6 tarps and laid them along the fence and washed both sides with the hose. Folded and put away. That was about it. Been working on washing that stupid fence now since September. No where near done.

Forgot I still need to put a coat of wax on the trailer. Darn.

 

[Sandee]

Wax a trailer.....hmmmm, I don't even wax our car. I used to put a coat of water sealer on the trailer floor, inside and out, yes crawled under. Must be an age thing as I now sit here and plan how to maneuver the durn thing into the barn so I won't have to work on it at all!

 

[Miniv]

Our main job for winter is setting up the trough heaters and testing them. We have so many troughs to heat that Larry set up timers on them so not to overload our system. And during the winter we have to completely drain the hoses after each use.

The only other change we make is feeding more hay....