To feel sorry for people with horses?

[ahstop]

Including me!!!

there should be a specific form of seasonal affected disorder for equestrians in the winter! Or some kind of therapy for helping us deal with the trauma of the winter months!

I posted something about winter 2 months ago but I can’t find it now and I’ve namechanged since then 🤣 just a follow up to that thread!

Why does the winter have to be so cold, wet and awful?! It was quite mild here (Scotland) and all of a sudden about 2 weeks ago it’s suddenly freezing. Everything is wet and muddy, my entire wage is being spent on feeds, shavings and rugs and it’s just generally crap. My hands are like ice cubes, my toes are frozen solid, my arse is freezing in the saddle EVERYTHING is wet and muddy. The other day I slipped on my arse in the field and landed in a big pile of cold, wet, squishy mud. I actually burst into tears- winter has ruined me!

but apart from that it’s great! 🤣 I have a thoroughbred so I’ll take any extra thoughts of prayers please! Luckily he’s cute and a nice jumper so he makes up for it 😉

not long until spring- we can do this!!!

Golden teeth ?????

Yeah, well, I still haven’t got a horse.

But the weather outside is atrocious and reading this thread makes me feel a bit better about STILL NOT HAVING A HORSE

Yup, 3 here - one retired and my DDs 2 ponies. Riding after school in the rain, battling to be finished before losing the light (arena but not floodlit) urghhhh and this is life for the next 6 months 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Yup.
I’ve recently moved from livery to renting a field. It’s bliss not having to share.

but my god. Wet. Mud. Dark. Mudfever. Head torches. Poo picking. Two out of three are foals and they shit like bloody elephants.

Great thread!! Wev had torrential rain down here in the south of the uk. What did me & my husband do before bed last night?! Bale out the stables flood water for an hour. It’s just turning 6an and I’m probably off to do the same now. I keep telling myself, I love my horses, I love my horses….

My horse is agoraphobic so is stabled all year round, with access to a yard.
She has ended up in vet hospital twice from injuries sustained due to not wanting to be in a field.
She has had numerous minor injuries from trying to find a setup she can mentally cope with.

I have her at home now and have to buy feed, hay and bedding all year round and of course muck out everyday.

I won't be having another after this one 🙁

I have 3 horses. I don’t feel sorry for myself. I have a few minor irritations, but the weather is always wet in winter. It’s not 4 months since horse people were in a flap about the heat. I’m fully kitted up for dark, wet, cold, and much of the worst of the winter can be mitigated by decent head torches, coats and boots.

My current minor irritations are mainly over the cost of hay and bedding, but that is more to do with the hot weather over the summer for hay and the war in Ukraine for wood-based bedding. Not winter.

the only thing worse than winter with a horse is winter with a horse on an intensive rehab plan. Send me your prayers

Love this thread! Obviously a few Highland pony people on here. When I had my first one 12 years ago , I said to my DH they are cheap to keep. How niave was I?? We have 3 now, one has EMS so cannot have any grass, one has cushings so can only have limited grazing and the other on just gets fat really quickly. So we've spent a fortune on putting in hard standing turn out area and had to buy a ride on mower to keep the grass down.
One of my neighbours at home asked if she could come and see our set up as their 15 Yr wants a pony. I don't think they've any idea what's involved in the winter. I can't imagine not having them but it's bloody hard work. And yes the price of bedding is crazy.
Pic attached of the 3 musketeers

Love this thread! Obviously a few Highland pony people on here. When I had my first one 12 years ago , I said to my DH they are cheap to keep. How niave was I?? We have 3 now, one has EMS so cannot have any grass, one has cushings so can only have limited grazing and the other on just gets fat really quickly. So we've spent a fortune on putting in hard standing turn out area and had to buy a ride on mower to keep the grass down.
One of my neighbours at home asked if she could come and see our set up as their 15 Yr wants a pony. I don't think they've any idea what's involved in the winter. I can't imagine not having them but it's bloody hard work. And yes the price of bedding is crazy.
Pic attached of the 3 musketeers

Sorry didn't mean to post twice 🙄

We cannot avoid having winter and the sudden change in weather can make it seem worse. However there is one thing that I think would make it a little less unpleasant and that is to have British Summer Time year round. More use can be made of an hour of daylight in the afternoon for more people I think, and there would not be the plunge into afternoon darkness at a time when temperatures fall.

OP I agree it's pants!

The reality is though, if we think it's bad now wait a few years and see what climate change brings. We have messed up our planets systems and are about to pay for it.

Hoping Scotlands weather just warms up, but I can imagine much wetter, windier springs and summers too with lots more pesky insects :(

I walk my dog along really boggy lanes accassionally and must admit horse riders are the nicest polite people saying thankyou everytime.
I hold my dog tight and stand still as they come round corners especially and they always seem so cheerful loving what they do.
I do feel sorry for them when they rear up ..how they manage to control them on a narrow swamp like lane beats me.Close up racehorses are incredible to see, but I think I'll stick to a big dirty dog on a wet winter morning thanks.

I do not and could not own horses but I’ve known so many people who do and I just listen open mouthed when they tell me what they have to do every day.
I remember in my first job I worked next to a woman who had a seriously long commute and owned horses. She would even sometimes come to the pub for a few drinks with the team .. before her hour train ride and then before she headed down the the stables to sort out her horses. I was so impressed that she said that she always went - no matter how late she worked or how tired she was. I just don’t have it in me.

It’s the rain here is S Ireland. It hasn’t stopped for a month and will likely not stop for the next 5.

Im starting to question my life choices. I’m not rich. This is literally all my money after paying bills. It means no holidays etc, so a big sacrifice of family money too. But mine keeps me sane. Quite literally. He is my SSRI. But Jesus! In the driving pelting rain…..

But then he gives me that look coming in from the field “this is shit, isn’t it?” And I melt. He has such a sense of humour!

I used to have to keep mine light competition fit and respectable looking through the winter; not an easy job, especially whilst working full time. A fellow competitor used to work night shifts as she said it worked around the horses better, which made sense.

Thank you for the horse pics!

Please send more horse photos

Two unclipped natives on the north coast of Scotland here - I'm lucky in that I have them at home, but they're currently in a field out on the peninsula at the end of our vilage with no water supply and I have to cross someone else's field to get to it, so lugging three or four 20l cannisters of water a day (it's been unseasonably warm up here) from as far as I can get the quad bike to their field is killing me. Moving them on to their next winter field at the weekend, which also has no water supply, but will be bliss in comparison as it's next to the road!

I spend the winter covered in mud with rain dribbling down my chin muttering about selling the bastards

I live rurally and all my neighbours have horses. I watch them traipsing up and down feeding them etc and think they’re mad 😂 can’t see the joy in it myself but appreciate they do!

I used to think it would be nice to own horses then I met my MIL and found out how much work it is! I can't imagine how unpleasant it must be to have to go out every day (several times a day, she said they get their hay three times a day) in winter, especially when its -20 or so. And all the manure everywhere, I suppose they get used to smell (and tbh I couldn't smell anything when I visited last weekend despite there being a mountain of manure at the back of the house).
But the horses are so lovely! So its nice to visit, but have none of the responsibility.

My 2 year old Connie in the summer

No, you choose to have horses.

Like I choose to stay indoors where it's warm. A family member of mine has a horse and constantly moans in winter and tries to rope me into doing turn out in the mornings and afternoons - not today Satan wasn't my choice! 😅