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Who here is in the big winter storm?

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  • #61
    "Jingles" for all of you struggling with the snow ~ be careful !
    Zu Zu Bailey " IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE ! "

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    • #62
      Originally posted by LarissaL View Post
      \They're only in their medium weight blankets! Do you guys blanket by air temp or by wind chill? I'm always so torn!

      .
      Juice is wearing his Med. weight but with his heavy neck cover attached. Jay is in a heavy weight with a neck cover.

      I wasn't as worried about Juice because he's more dominate and will get to go in the shed, where sometimes Jay is forced to stand outside of it because Juice is a jerk!

      I'm hoping I put enough hay out last night to last until tomorrow!
      http://www.clarkdesigngrouparchitects.com/index.html - Lets build your dream barn

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      • #63
        My guys usually live out but were in overnight and had a ball playing today. I know the ice will be bad later when the days melt it a bit and nights refreeze so they can have day turnout till then since it's dry and powdery.

        Two of mine are in high neck heavyweights, one in a regular neck heavy, another's in a regular neck midweight, and two are in fullneck midweights with additional midweight liners. It depends on the horse...some are like fuzzy little furnaces and some just don't deal well with the cold.
        Please don't try to be a voice of reason. It's way more fun to spin things out of control. #BecauseCOTH - showhorsegallery

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        • #64
          Awww, Butterscotch was giving it his all!
          CoolMeadows..it does look like those horses had a blast! I see one chestnut who apparently didn't want to get snowy from rolling, LOL!
          We *finally* started seeing some flakes at 8 pm tonight. And that's after the news bumped into every single thing on TV and the radio all day long every 15 minutes to tell us "Winter storm warning...any second now. The world will end. White stuff a mile deep. Go out and buy milk, bread and eggs right now. This is not a warning!"
          First they said it would start at noon...then 3 pm....then 4 pm....then 5 pm. By 6 pm they were just lying saying stuff like, "Well it's snowing in CT, but nobody can see it."
          So when I went down the barn for night check I finally saw snow! Good thing too because I was outside bleeding the fuel lines and cleaning the fuel filter on the tractor because the recent frigid weather we had I forgot to run it for a short while and the fuel got a little thick and had a little water in it. Makes for a pokey bogging down tractor.
          There's nothing more country than baking holiday cookies and wondering why you keep smelling diesel. (Must have dipped the end of my ponytail in it, LOL)
          You jump in the saddle,
          Hold onto the bridle!
          Jump in the line!
          ...Belefonte

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          • #65
            OK, so I'm starting to freak out a little at the thought of turning my old guys out tomorrow.

            They're normally on day turnout. They were out yesterday and came in last night. I left them in all day today and I know with almost 2' of snow they'll be in for a LONG time if I don't let them out, this crap is gonna take a while to go away. And of course every day they're in will add to the craziness when they do get out. Ugh. I hate this. I'd pretty much decided I'd turn out in the AM but now I'm nervous about it. What if one of them rolls and can't get up? I've never had this much snow with horses at home.

            I'm not worried at all about my small Welsh mare-- she's teeny but tough as nails and is only 11. But my TB and Appendix are in their 20's and not super sound to begin with.

            Anyone have any words of wisdom for me? Should I just put some liquor in my coffee in the morning and let them rip? If they end up just standing at the gate looking miserable I'll let them back in after I muck. Can I just say again how much I hate this effin' white crap?!!!

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            • #66
              Originally posted by MistyBlue View Post
              mybeau...why use the wheelbarrow if you have a sled? Just put a muck bucket in the sled, fill it and slide it to the manure pile. That's what I do, makes the chore sooooo much easier!

              However I do not recommend standing on the back of the sled to ride it down to your downhill manure pile...it never works out like yoou think it's going to.
              ah.... it was your genius that sent me to the depth of my basement, closets, garage, shed, and barn looking for DD's old sled. It never appeared, but I did learn that a muck buket will happily drag along down the hill to the compost pile. maybe I can hitch the up to the boys and let them do the heavy lifting.
              Lowly Farm Hand with Delusions of Barn Biddieom.
              Witherun Farm
              http://witherun-farm.blogspot.com/

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              • #67
                There's nothing more country than baking holiday cookies and wondering why you keep smelling diesel. (Must have dipped the end of my ponytail in it, LOL)

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                • #68
                  KPF, is your snow wet or fluffy? Mine's really fluffy which is why I opted to boot them out today. There will be many days ahead when this stuff starts to ice for them to be locked up. Two of mine are older too, the first horse in my pix is 26 and the chestnut who refuses to get dirty (his owner recently retired him and this was his first time in snow!) is 19. They're usually turned out in two groups of three but I can't get to my other fields and they've all met each other before... plus I don't have any meanies right now.

                  Are yours shod? I worry about the sloppy snow building up in their feet but that didn't happen today since it's fluffy stuff. If you're worried, try putting a few piles of hay out and turn the quietest one out first, right at a hay pile.
                  Please don't try to be a voice of reason. It's way more fun to spin things out of control. #BecauseCOTH - showhorsegallery

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                  • #69
                    Originally posted by KPF View Post
                    Anyone have any words of wisdom for me? Should I just put some liquor in my coffee in the morning and let them rip?
                    Great idea!!

                    They'll be fine! The snow is deep enough to give them some cushion should they roll and it has enough traction to actually help them up a bit. Plus, the oldsters are pretty smart about what they can handle and what they can't, so they will probably self-regulate their turnout activities to match the unusual weather.
                    Riding: The art of keeping a horse between you and the ground.

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                    • #70
                      So we had about 8 inches at the barn today, which is just in the foothills of the Laurel Mountains. My BO texted my sister and I to let us know that the roads were pretty bad out that way and that she was excused from work today, as she is running out of vehicles (wrecked truck hauling horse last week in the feezing rain we had on Sunday). Then she asked if she could ride with us Had no problem getting there, but my horse slipped and fell while we were out on trail. I jumped off in fear of having 1000+ lbs land on me. The *good thing* was that the snow made it a soft landing for us both and I got back on and we continued. The horses seemed to enjoy the snow and the coming yearlings were so cute playing in the snow.

                      Now, leaving our barn was another story! The road leading up to the barn and houses up past our turnoff is very steep and bendy. Apparently, some service type truck tried to come up it and spun around and almost went completely off the road over the hillside. I had to try to get down it, and did I mention that that is the only way in and out and that it was getting icy? As it is more or less a back road, I had to try or wait and hope someone would come along and plow it again. So I decided to use the ditch I always try to AVOID and put the left side of my vehicle in it to hopefully avoid sliding in the other truck or going over the hillside. I managed to execute my plan without damage to anyone or anything, but boy, were my hands shaking afterward! I did have a few close calls with the other hillside right next to the ditch and the back end of my Envoy started to fish tale right next to the disabled truck. I did continue about my day as planned, just went slower on the turnpike than I otherwise would drive.

                      So far I haven't heard of any power outages in my area, just maybe some vehicle accidents. I hope all my fellow COTHers are safe and their horses comfortable!

                      Comment

                      • #71
                        Originally posted by KPF View Post
                        OK, so I'm starting to freak out a little at the thought of turning my old guys out tomorrow.
                        I've always found that if you just let them in it right away (either while it's snowing or right after it stops) they handle it better than if they've been cooped up for days and you turn out a bunch of crazies in wet slick conditions.

                        I didn't really have the option this time as I only have a run in shed but I'm hoping the fact that they were in it the whole time made them get used to it and not be shell shocked by it all.
                        http://www.clarkdesigngrouparchitects.com/index.html - Lets build your dream barn

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                        • #72
                          My old horse will go out everyday, the other 2 live in a shed and stay out. I found after years of livng in NJ, that if you don't turn them out to rough up and pouind down the paddock/pasture a bit that after a few days of thaw/freeze its a skating rink. They will make trails in the snow that will have some traction and give them a place to walk around.
                          The old horse has already made her tramped down walking trail and her rolling spot in the paddock.

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                          • #73
                            Ice Melters?

                            Do you guys use Safe Paw around the barn?

                            Is it safe to use on any really ice parts in the paddocks or not?

                            I looked on their web page but it doesn't mention anything about horses.
                            http://www.clarkdesigngrouparchitects.com/index.html - Lets build your dream barn

                            Comment

                            • #74
                              *throws a snowball at Meredith Clark*

                              You'll be fine if you don't use too much of it. Just put it where it's really needed so you can get around without slipping and leave the rest to the elements.
                              Thus do we growl that our big toes have, at this moment, been thrown up from below!

                              Comment

                              • #75
                                My guys love the snow if it's not too deep; we only got about 3" here and it melted down to about an inch this morning. Temperature is near or above freezing and it's going to be a mud pit. As you can see from this video from last winter - these guys were having a hoot (and I was impressed at their sure footedness!!). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCQCkVufpRw

                                Only issue I have with horses outside in snow is if their skin gets wet. Most horses have enough oil/hair that it's not a problem (I've seen Mouse with 6" of snow on his back and he was happy as a clam). Wet skin = high heat loss rates = potential problems. Watch out for shivering.

                                Echoing an earlier post, I'd like to express my appreciation for the nurses, policeman, road crews, electric repair guys, and all of the other people who go to work in this stuff so that the rest of us can be safe and (relatively) warm

                                Comment

                                • #76
                                  I did it-- they're out!

                                  I gathered my courage and turned out a couple of hours ago. They're fine so far... getting ready to head back up there and throw some more hay out. Old guys both rolled repeatedly and got up just fine. My old TB (25ish) was actually cantering around in it for a few minutes.

                                  Ours is powdery and they're all barefoot, thank God.

                                  I'm going to leave them out for a bit and bring them in earlier than normal this afternoon.

                                  Thanks for the reassurances, I needed them! I know it is better to get it over with now than wait till they've been cooped up for days and are crazy... snow will be here a WHILE before it melts. Looks like Fri. is supposed to be 50's and rain so hopefully that'll do it, of course the resulting mud is going to be insanity.
                                  Last edited by KPF; Dec. 20, 2009, 10:08 AM. Reason: added info

                                  Comment

                                  • #77
                                    We have at least two feet here in Culpeper County. I have two old geezers - an 18 year old TB mare and a 25 year old TB/Irish gelding, plus a donkey. They live out and they are all fine. The mare galloped through it this morning when she came up for morning feed. It was actually a lovely moment - wish I had caught it on video.

                                    A few other horses in my, ahem, collection, are on full board 40 minutes away. THEY are in their stalls - one of them really loves to be an ass in these conditions, rendering his Mommy lots of heartache and vet bills. So HE is in a stall, damnit, until it's nice or I am there to drug the &*^% out of him before he goes out in the elements.

                                    Husband loves to drive around in this crap. So yes, we were two of those dummies driving around in the storm yesterday. What fun is a snow day without a fridge stocked full with beer?

                                    Trying not to be bored out of my gourd in this. Need to find good, racy, trashy novel to occupy me for the day. Suggestions are welcome! Doesn't really have to be trash or racy. Just GOOD!

                                    Comment

                                    • #78
                                      Anyone else have anything collapse from the snow? My tack shed, a metal 10X14, has one side of the roof collapsed halfway in. Luckily, the support beam only twisted in and down, didn't completely break, or it would have been worse.

                                      Digging out is fun! Ha. Snow is one reason I left Michigan and moved to Virginia, but if this only happens once every 5 years or so, oh well.

                                      The horses spent the night in, but are happy to be out today.

                                      Comment

                                      • #79
                                        FWIW, I never lock my guys in their stalls unless the wind/rain/snow is literally coming in sideways and into the stall. In the winter, I do lock them in their paddocks at night with access to their stalls.

                                        My one homebred is coming 9, the rest are 20-22 years old. Even in this weather, they're locked out of their stalls until the evening. I think most horses have a pretty strong sense of self preservation. It does seem to me that they do regulate their exercise and are quite wise about where they walk, roll, run, etc. Maybe if they were in a large herd they would run around more because the herd mentality kicks in-but if they're alone or in small groups, they seem to be pretty sensible about their safety and the footing.

                                        As far as the question about blanketing-I go by wind chill and temp, but also keep in consideration if it's cloudy or sunny-that seems to make a difference on how warm they get if they are blanketed.
                                        http://thepitchforkchronicles.com

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                                        • #80
                                          Our tractor decided it didn't feel like working today so I had to dig a series of hobbit trails to the barn, the hay shed, the manure pile and the house!!

                                          Currently I'm on here until I garner the strength to go back out and clean the stalls!

                                          We got 2' of snow here-if you own a farm, do you ever like snow? It just seems to add another layer of work to everything. And due to all the drifting, it's not even picturesque(sp?)-the drifts look all distorted like something from Dr. Suess!
                                          http://thepitchforkchronicles.com

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