Your tips for getting ready for winter?

[Marty]

I don't really have any brillint tips to get ready for winter but I'll tell you what I do:

I wash all my grooming tools and get my tack cleaned and covered up

I stock as much hay as I possibly can fit. And I take care of that hay and be sure it's not going to get wet or anything by watching how I stack it. I just got my first 50 bails to get started with and I'll be adding to that asap.

I do all the repairs on the fencing as needed. There's always some fencing issues. I either always need more of it or have some places to fix up. Basically, whatever has been broke and needed fixing will be fixed before winter sets in. Everything that has been put off and over looked will be fixed.

I get gravel and chat in here everywhere that I walk. If I don't, I'll be slipping and falling in the mud.

I stock up on shavings

I make sure that I have lots of big flashlights and batteries in case the power goes out and it always does. Then I hide them so that no one uses them up on me.

I make sure that I have plenty of feed here in advance of any snow type storms that may prevent the truckers from delivery. Same goes for the holiday seasons. The feed stores close for days at a time.

I don't really use sheets or blankets but I do keep them laundered and ready to wear just in case of an emergency.

I put an extra coat of paint on all the gates.

I also string my Christmas lights up on the barn and fencing and all over the place November 1st. but we don't turn them on until Dec 1st.

I stock up on all meds that I can. You never know around here what the weather will do to prevent a vet from getting here.

That's about all I can think of.

How about you?

 

[Miniv]

We always discover a couple of trough heaters or de-icers that are no longer working and need replacing AFTER the cold sets in!

MA

 

[mountain_waif]

....

 

[zacharyfarms]

I get out the heated buckets..We are in the process of putting down Geo Tek and pea gravel in all the paddocks. Clean out all the barn gutters (and house)..It will be nice when it cools off and then we will vacuum the barn one last time for cobwebs(do it the first of the month each month right now) before the little beggers die or hibernate or whatever spiders do in the winter...

 

[minimomNC]

Hire a handsome young man that looks good in tight Carharts to take care of the barn in winter.

 

[Jess P]

We bring in all of our show grooming items so they don't freeze,

Stack about 180 bales of hay in our hay loft,

let the horses be horses and let them out all day and only bring them in at night,

Sweep, get rid of cobwebs, and wash the walls.

Bring in harnesses to keep them dry

Thats pretty much all we do

 

[ChrystalPaths]

I'll be testing all the heated buckets and trough heaters. Looking at the outdoor extention cord to be sure it's ok although I may not need it this year. Washing said buckets also.

I've worked all summer on the winter footing for me and the horses. Tons of sawdust in a very large area in 2 paddocks in case of ice. New break aways so I can chop the paddock down to the footed area in case there'sice.

I've got the sand bags ready for any flooding, dirt for the burm is coming this week

. Guys will be replacing rotten posts on the far paddocks this fall, for now they'll be cutting them and soaking em in diesal oil.

Shain and I will be putting up the rest of my hay in the next 2 wks. Not that I'm much help with my wrecked body but he's pretty strong now!

Sawdust room is complete and will be filled at first snow. Road dirt/sand bins are ready to be filled soon as the town puts up their mountain of stuff. I use it to be able to walk to and from the barn and on the small paddock so the kids can get out and stretch on icy days.

Replenishing my med stock, blankets are already washed and put away, not that I have ever used them but I like to have them just in case.

Got a man coming next week to put the countertops on

finally, then bustin my butt to get upstairs asap!

Pray for me..I've waited 9 long years to finally live upstairs in a real home!

 

[Frankie]

Bring in all that may freeze and store in a tupperware, lrg., container and mark what is in it. Clean and wrap all clippers and blades and bring them in as well.

Go to the dollar store and buy my 3 spaghetti strainers to get the ice out the water tubs that are not heated. We heat half of water containers, have 3 horses who will not, for any reason drink from heated buckets.

Got all my fencing repaired except a small section that is going to be replaced next week. Still need to tar the seams on the newer section of barn.

 

[MInx]

Hire a handsome young man that looks good in tight Carharts to take care of the barn in winter.Hey ask him if he has a twin brother!! 

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[Jill]

My tips are just standard, but...

I really love those big "muck bucket" shaped heated water containers that hold 16 or so gallons. Last year, we used plug in stock tank de-icers and they did do the job, but because our troughs are 50 gallon long (so shallow) the horses stepped in the water and bent the heating elements, so this year, we're back to the big blue heated buckets (not those flat back ones, this ones are very big).

Some people do not realize that it's very important to provide heated water in the winter. JUST because the water may not freeze over doesn't mean it's not too cold for the horses to drink. Many horses WILL NOT drink near to freezing water. So use something to heat your horses' water containers.

If you're close enough, stop by Karen's to watch her farm boy!!!

 

[MInx]

Good morning all, Marty I woke up thinking exactly about that. Carl got the big Allis Chalmers ready to plow and keeep barn area open.

We're buying a 16 gal heated pail, $50 but I guess better than the floatie kind, and Carl made it so the water tub sits on a small opening accessible to both stalls.Has the area above it fenced off to seperate the horses, but both can still drink, and see each other.

So we'll relpace that tub with the heated one. The two stalls are wired for elec overhead..he built in nice hay racks, wall mounted rubber grain feeders and salt blocks, small, are wall mounted.

Outside the run in shed has watertub under cover, large red salt/mineral block.

Each horse has a warm Winter blanket if needed. SHortcake might , she's so tiny, but I bet Buddy will want to be out all the time. They will only grain and drink inside this Winter and will be out most of the time. I think it's healthier.

Might start greasing their feet (not the hoofwalls tho,) to prevent "snowball" feet problems.

We have to haul water from the house in WInter as we now have a hose run out and it will freeze solid up here. About 3 gallons a day per horse will keep the tub full.ALSO plan to make their Beet Pulp sloppy to increase water intake.

Maxine

 

[Marty]

Debi: Will putting down sawdust or old "used" shavings in the paths keep me from slipping???????

Cause I can surely strip the old barn stalls down to nothing and use that old stuff if it would work.

 

[ChrystalPaths]

Oh Marty absolutely! I hate how the loafing area in front of barns gets knee deep in mud I've been putting pee bedding out there for years! It's probably 12-18" deep by now and goes a looong way! I love it. When we get ice(and we get ICE)the sawdust will get a coating but because it's sawdust (or shavings or pellets) it isn't solid like ground so when you or the horses walk on it it crunches down and breaks up the coating of ice. For really bad storms with heavy ice I keep the road dirt handy and sprinkle it around then cover with extra sawdust so the salt doesn't hur their feet. I use it in a path to the house to as it's down to the house kinda but have to remove boots as it tracks in. I am the queen of reuse reduce and recycle.

 

[CJMM6]

We do most of the above but one thing Ididn't here mentioned is cleats for the bottom of your barn boots

The ice fishermen use them & you can get them at any sports store. They really work, you can walk on solid ice & they really dig in. Two years ago I bought my Vet a pair & she was very thankful.

cjmm

 

[Leeana]

Here is what we usually do

Stock up on plenty of salt and this year we are planning on getting a good amount of sawdust to. Its supose to be a hard winter i heard.

We get enouph Hay to last all winter and put it in the loft, cover it w/ tarps just in case it was to for some reason get water in the loft.

Get about 10 extra bags of wood shaving from TSC for bedding to keep in the loft incase we run out and cant get to get any.

We get out the winter stall blankets for cold nights. Usuaully we keep them on at night and then i take them off in day time. Also if for some reason we put them out i usually stay out there with them since i make sure the blankets are on. No need for a sick mini in the middle of summer.

Also we get heated buckets!!!. Well we got three 3gallon buckets for the mini's. And three 5gallon for the big horses. Then we spend about 5 hours re-wiring the whole darn barn!!

I usually make plans to get to the horses if the doors get snowed in which im planning on making a nice path w/ the shovel. I keep a shovel outside each door of the barn just in case.

**we usually stock up on all this stuff around November'ish**

Of course, bring all shampoo conditioner and freezable stuff inside. Only thing that stays in the barn is brushes, hoof picks, halter, leads and some pads which i use as 'dry baths' if they get dirty. And tail bags. Thats about it.

I usually do this whenever it gets cold outside, im planning bathing Joey tommarow bc its supose to be pretty warm and thats going to be his last bath. Coco and Rocky have already had there last bath a couple days ago. Im waiting untill next year to bathe Lorado or Sammy. Mostly bc there not use to baths so im saving that fun for next summer.

Leeana

 

[susanne]

Hire a handsome young man that looks good in tight Carharts to take care of the barn in winter.

Why wait for winter for this hint? In summer he can traide those tight Carharts for revealing shorts!

(Great filthy minds think alike)

 

[Marty]

OOH! OOH! OOH! OK I finally got a good one!

DE-ICER! Ya know that stuff in the spray cans for your windshield? Yea, that stuff.

Last year my gate latches wouldn't open and were frozen stuck and so were the stall doors so I sprayed this junk on them and WALLA! DE-ICED them bad boys.

 

[CyndiD]

Not a big idea here, but I like to wait till its getting really cold, everyone settled in their spots and then bring in all the halters, leads ect. that I can find..wash them all up and then only take down a few of the bigger ones (to cover yak-face hair) to keep in the barn over winter.

I seldom use halters in winter so only having a few of them makes it so much easier for farrier work, shots or whatever I need to have them haltered for.

Then the others are all ready for springtime.....

(Where does MinimomNC live, exactly...

)

 

[Denise]

Ok it doesnt get to cold here in TX but the few days we do get can be a pain. I like Marty's idea about the de-icer, am going to try that one. I am putting up 100 bales of hay this week, will gather all paste products and bring them in the house along with all my clipper supplies. Will vacuum the barn next month and wash halters-I hang them off of the pipe fence and soap them up and then blast away with the hose, they dry real nice in the sunshine. Will be putting up about 20 bags of shavings and thats about it.

 

[Bess Kelly]

With winter storms, ice, snow, cold, etc.........I try to "step back" and look at all the barn doors, roofs, access, etc. to see if I need to shore up anything & check for loose singles, tin, etc. that might have come loose and not been noticed. My barn is set so that one end gets huge amounts of North winds. I usually cover the strip of open "windows" at that end to keep the hard wind out. The rest are left open.

The pipes in the tack area/barn are checked foany damaged insulation and to be sure the electric strip is working. While the main pipes are all well under ground, those above are checked out for these things -- faucets, etc., etc. And, I keep an extra heat strip as "insurance". AND TARPS

Boy, sometimes those things are really helpful!

Like others -- move freezables inside, stock up extra chips, gravel, hay, meds, etc. I make sure my Kalglo heater is available and working, cleaned, etc. -- sometimes an early foal or sick horse may need it. Extra hoses, buckets, at ready.

I like to have the mower deck removed and hung, so that I can use the mower to pull "things"....I don't have an ATV, so mower & trailer move lots of hay, feed, etc.

Grease up the hooks, latches, cranks on the horse trailer and park them in their shed. This is where I try to keep some extra cattle panels for emerg fence, a few pieces of tin, plywood, etc. for "needs".

Guess it's that time, already!!! I think it's just PREPARE AHEAD.