My total admiration for anyone who

[misty]

I think the worry of not being able to get to them must be terrible. I have just been out to our two girls, let them out into the school (they take themselves) skipped out, water, hay, call them back in, throw snowballs for dog, indoors to a nice brandy!
Lunch time I did the boys. Our lane is very bad and I was prepared to walk but took my 4x4 at 10 mph max (single track, twisty, long slope). Water trough is getting iced up but friend lives next door so will get some hot water and pass it under the hedge. They have a round bale of hay under the trees.
What some of you are having to do makes what I do a a tea dance so I hope it doesn't last too long and take very good care of yourselves.

[lisap]

We have a 6 mile drive to the yard, and many of our owners have considerably further than that to get to Springfield. The roads are OK now, but very treacherous earlier in the week.

We have 6 troughs to keep breaking ice in, and take 12 huge containers of water out every morning, but fortunately have a tractor and trailer to do this with, which helps enormously. We are going through 100 bales of hay every two weeks at present at £350 a time *gulp*. The weather station at Woodford recorded -17 degrees last night, and it looks like being -11 tonight as well, with no end to it anytime soon.
And we are not used to this, North Cheshire *never* gets snow!!

The peacocks are not very impressed either....



"Shall we emigrate?"



"ooooh, owwww, cold toes!!!"

[highlanderpony2002]

I have to drive 12 miles each way to mine but so far have made it every day today through drifting snow interesting in a little front wheel drive car to say the least. I used to live in the north of Scotland but we rarely got this bad and the horse lived in the garden so it was easy. This is the worst since I started owning ponies 40 years ago had to give in and let the youngsters eat the crappy hay as the haylage has run out and I cant get OH to take the lorry out for more. Cant say I blame him

[Zuzan]

I'm either a 6 mile drive... or a 1 mile hike... have landie so the snow's not really an issue and we have so much snow that ice isn't really an issue other than no water outside... but neds are fine.. have super duper haylage in field and a burn at the bottom of their fields.. so are very happy ... they have a good gorse hedge to shelter and browse...

Farm owner rescued a horse with elephantitis the Fri before it started snowing.. that's the Fri before Christmas.. if it had been warm and wet this horse would have to have been kept in to keep legs dry and mud free.. but with the snow and freezing temps it's out and making a really good recovery so far..

So really the cold and snow isn't that difficult as we all ways get some snow .. and some really cold weather.. so we all have the kit and are prepared for it when it does happen..

I really prefer it to warm wet winters.. if it was like this consistently every winter I wouldn't rug as horses can cope well with the cold

[rosemaryhannah]

I do not have water metering. I leave the hose pipe stuck down the drain and a trickle of water running out of it, just more than a drip, and that means it never freezes - I have to soak hay because of Corrie, currently staying here. Mine are natives and cope will with the cold. They miss the grass, though.

[big e]

Spray Mr Sheen on the door rubbers or spray them with a salt water solution this should stop them sticking. I actually pulled my door handle too hard on my car so can only open it from the inside now. and i am going to have suffer with it until the snow stops and i don't need to use it every day.

[happysnail]

Wouldn't live anywhere else! Don't have a horse just now but used to love looking after them in winter and cos I work in education you've got all day when schools are closed to walk in and see horses are well provided for. Been luck enough for horses to have access to running water in burns or troughs so close to a house a kettle of water did the trick defrosting (that ball in the trough trick NEVER works). Horses seem much more comfey in the snow than when we get incessant sideways rain just above freezing. Trick - marigolds over gloves for anything your hands get might get wet/damp for.

So unusual to have this much snow (not ever been this bad in my memory). Been white since 17th December and set to last. It's normally unusual to have snow lying here for more than a week. Novelty has worn off.

Big thank you goes out to everyone who's mucking in and helping out where people are stranded and unable to visit their horses. Such good will about just now.

[nfar]

anyone know what the newforest roads are like today ? mainly beaulieu area ? i have a 12 mile round trip on a push bike to do to check on mine !!!!

[marianne]

funnily enough when I left the UK (Surrey in particular) I had two options in order to be able to buy sufficient land to have my horses at home: one was Scotland, the other was France (and a generally hot, sunny part too).

Guess where I ended up?

[julz]

Well as most of you know I no longer have a full time horse and have to be perfectly honest, I'm enjoying not having to go up every single day.... however.. I do still go up to the yard once a week with sister to aid her to ride a friends horse, and it's pretty harsh up there

also have a pony i attend to up in bonaly.. that's awful... have to walk/slide/trudge a mile or so to give them hay, and dig any unfortunet shetty out the deep snow! no tips other than to take care, have spare clothing and blankets stored in your car, maybe a jerry can of petrol/diesel, and to take hot drinks with you.

Anyone know how to stop a padlock from freezing up?

[RiP Its A Matter Of Principle]

We have been really lucky im west coast Scotland, and we haven't had to have the horses in at all, we have had running water up until this morning, so just filling water up from the running river, and so far apart from it being horrendously cold for me at -6.5 (which has been the coldest so far for us) i dread to think how other people are coping and i guess we have been Lucky. As my partner was up from South West London for new year and he went back to London on the 4th Jan and told me its actually colder in London and the snow and ice is worth, so i guess we have been very lucky here!!
My sympathy for those who have not been so lucky this year, and for the poor farmers whos roofs are colapsing and the poor cows being trapped underneith and dieing.

[mandal]

Minus 12 here last night so we're totally frozen! No house water even!
Minus 20 something for days on end must be dire.
I believe winds are comng to you in England so fingers crossed for you it's not too bad.

[portiabuzz]

yes me too....well done everyone!!

[asbo]

its been pretty bad here, feel for any animal out in this

i had to walk over 20 miles round trip to get to the horses thanks to this weather

julz, take DW40 up and spray the lock, thats what i was doing, failing that a flask of hot water worked at the bottom gate the other day

[gypsyroselee]

I have a 16 mile round trip but the last 4 miles are quite awful so my partner insists on me taking a flask of tea and extra clothes in the car in case the wee thing can't make it in the snow and i have to get out and walk.

However, I'm so impressed with the girls on the yard! They spend all day taking feeds (very heavy feeds now) out to all the horses and ponies in each of the fields, and topping up their water constantly. I don't know how they have time to eat their own lunches!!