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Post by Dragonmaster on Dec 31, 2012 13:38:05 GMT 1
Concrete!
Much as I have been commiserating with a FB friend re the fact that her horse has to be kept in a stable at the yard owner's insistence, and that it is not really good for the horses to be kept in, I'm now 'officially' wishing I had a nice concrete yard and stables for my horses, instead of 3 very muddy acres with standing water and mud soup over ankle deep!
Especially when the 'darlings' knock down the electric fencing & wander up landowner's drive!
However, I am blessed in having a hay-carrying horse. Red has come into his own again as a pack-horse. He now even goes up to the hay store by himself at a command. OH is there filling sacks while I'm at the bottom of the field organising feeds etc.
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Post by shan on Dec 31, 2012 13:46:20 GMT 1
Oh me too!! Just an acre of hard standing would be great... and when I'm minted I'll even make them little paths to walk on so they can graze from dryness, lol!!
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Post by Catrin on Dec 31, 2012 13:56:08 GMT 1
Our two have been prowling the yard by day for weeks since Freyr slid over in the mud — nighttime in the stables as the two warmbloods come into the yard. The fields are too treacherous for leaping TBs to be in. They do, however, have occasional excursions into the woods, but what do they do then, wander back to where we've left the haylage. Exercise? I think I'll get a horse–walker — can you put them on a field that has a 1:2 incline?
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Post by mrsfields on Dec 31, 2012 13:58:52 GMT 1
me too! am desperate for some hard-standing... will hopefully be able to do a small area around the barn in the spring, fingers crossed!
we're on heavy clay here, but luckily it doesn't seem to get tooooo deep - just very wet and slippery on the surface...
i keep thinking it's not a bad thing because at least this way we can see which areas of the land we need to work on in the next few years re. drainage lol!!
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Post by antares on Dec 31, 2012 14:06:08 GMT 1
The first winter in my current house, it became clear that winters were not going to be possible with my usual 24/7 living out regime. The soil here just holds so much water and even the tall boys were up to their knees in thick mud. I had a box walker and a weaver to think about so although I had a couple of stables I couldn't expect them to be used for any great length of time.
Winter no. 2 and I had a hard standing area built at the back of the stables, not a huge area but big enough for two large horses, a weanling and a Shetland to share during the worst of the mud.
Winter no. 3 this area was extended and concreted. Once my fencing is finished then this will be attached to a stone lane way and grass track system so eventually it will all be open with the grass track closed in the wettest weather. It takes time and money to get the land as I would like it but it will all be worth it in the end!
My horses would really struggle in winter without their concrete area where they also have access to their stables.
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Post by Dragonmaster on Dec 31, 2012 14:11:49 GMT 1
I 'rent' my land in an unusual arrangement whereby I pay per horse for grazing, and as I've been there so long (9 years) the landowner, who lives on site, pretty much lets us do as we please, and he does a lot for us, built us a lovely shed in the valley a couple of years ago, but I can't go putting in concrete and he doesn't want to / hasn't time. He did put a good layer of road finings in a 10ft square in front of the shed so we have a bit of hard standing there.
There is a small concrete area where the field goes onto the road, but it is not always practical to have the horses in that field for a variety of reasons. I think they will be back in there from tomorrow though.
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Post by antares on Dec 31, 2012 14:18:39 GMT 1
Ah yes, makes life a lot more difficult if you don't own the land
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Post by KimT on Dec 31, 2012 15:15:07 GMT 1
Ooooo. What equipment do you use to carry hay? Am have visions of Ladys future. lol
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Post by mandal on Dec 31, 2012 15:26:20 GMT 1
I would like more concrete too. My yards are gravel and have been trashed this year. Mind you, they are still a 1000 times better than the field.  I couldn't manage here without the yards with barn access, but the yard and buildings are main the reason we came to this house. |
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Post by Catrin on Dec 31, 2012 15:26:24 GMT 1
The good thing about concrete is that is can be kept swept and keeps their feet out out of the mud. The bad thing about concrete is that you have to make it unslippy when it's icy. We put bedding and messed up haylage on it. What does everyone else do?
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Post by mandal on Dec 31, 2012 15:35:13 GMT 1
I've only got concrete in one barn and being inside don't find they slip. Perhaps I'll stick with gravel, it's a lot cheaper too. lol
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Post by antares on Dec 31, 2012 19:04:02 GMT 1
Yes Catrin ice can be a problem.
But if I know it is going to be frosty or icey then there is less mud and I tend to leave them out. If I get caught out and they are in over night and then the yard ices up then I spread the nights stable mess over part of it, enough to be able to get them out or if its really bad they have to stay in until the afternoon (that's only happened once this winter and my current set of horses are more than happy in their stables for a day or so)
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Post by Dragonmaster on Dec 31, 2012 20:03:36 GMT 1
This is from a few years ago.  Now we use those big 1 mtr square builder's sacks, and tie the handles together and throw them (ha ha - struggle to lift) , over his back. |
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Post by Dragonmaster on Jan 2, 2013 17:33:01 GMT 1
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Post by janwilky on Jan 2, 2013 17:46:29 GMT 1
Fab pics Dragonmaster ;D
I want to get Lucas doing things like that while I can't ride him. I've always wanted to get him pulling logs and manure up our steep slopes, and carrying hay is a good idea too, it's blooming heavy and he's a lot stronger than I am ;D
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SYNERGY EQUINE: 
I couldn't manage here without the yards with barn access, but the yard and buildings are main the reason we came to this house. 