Hows everyone going in the weather then?

[JRsandCoffee]

Just wondering how everyone else is coping in this awful weather, ground is rock hard, with skiddy bits, and patchy snow and the school which isn't great at the best of times is like a rock, with skiddy bits.

Still, I'm sparing a thought for my sister in law whose Connies are apparently just visible under layers of rugs in the -16 and lower temperatures and have to be dug out of their stables in the mornings just to get the feeds in.

But I'd still like to ride, just can't.....anyone else?

[RectalNourishment]

Oh that aqua roll thing looks great too.

[Itsthawooluff]

On the plus side we've decided to go and collect our Xmas veg supplies using the Fell pony as a pack horse - she's going to be thrilled!

[CMOTdibbler]

Am vv glad that pony has giant round bale of hay in the field - between him and his two field mates, it's going to last some time

[happyjules]

Dons tin hat and ducks
Things are really quite ok here (just in sunny cornwall)
Yard owner's husband has cleared the entrance to our access lane
We have water bowser in the american barn for if the automatics freeze
Only 1-2 inches of snow so have been able to turn out my fat tb everday
School frozen but at least we still have the turnout
Plenty of hay/haylage and straw (included in diy costs)
The real downer is that my daughters pony can't be turned out until the frostlifts as he's just recovering from a bout or lamminitis just before the cold spell
Oh they will bring in on xmas afternoon as a matter of course at no extra cost.
Other than the lack of riding it's all been perfectly managable.
Not run out of rugs at all yet
Oh and also have a landrover so getting there is not a problem.
And also my fat tb doesn't have any hard feed at all only haylage. Youve never seen so many fat tb's
Runs and hides emotion

[RectalNourishment]

Have decided water is a two person job AND that they only need one big trug each twice a day. Somehow have managed to make haying and watering and fiddling with rugs my full time occupation this week, think this is partly an excuse to watch them together and reassure self they are happy.

Have been giving them hay about four times a day, fill the hay rack but also putting sections on the ground here and there - horse is slightly horrible to pony and very good at guarding entire hay rack from all angles. Which is greedy and unkind.

I love the clean feet that come with frozen field though!

[Itsthawooluff]

Fell pony was brilliant - didn't turn a hair at 2 big Ikea bags tied onto her saddle, and stuffed with veg. She batted her eyelashes so much at the vegman that he hunted out all the bits of broken carrot for her - so she was happy.

Of course, what with him being a dyed in the wool organic lentil weaving veg man he was so impressed that we hadn't brought down a 4x4. Little does he know that if we had a 4x4 I would have done. I just kept quiet.

[RectalNourishment]

I love fells, and yours sounds full of character! There is a young (3) one in the field I have to cross to get to mine and he is so good, obviously very interested in the feeds and hay and other goodies I'm wheeling about but just trots behind at a respectful yet hopeful distance. Wish mine were that well behaved!

Actually got to ride them both today, it was such a good feeling and they actually were impeccably well behaved (on the road anyway). But feeding a.m., poo picking, haying, watering, bringing down to yard, unrugging, grooming, tacking up, 45min hack, untacking, rugging up again brought me to evening feed time.

Surely two horses are NOT a full time job?

[Butkin]

Beginning to get a bit depressed - can't remember the last time it went above freezing. We lug barrells of warm water to the field in the morning and to top up their stable buckets when they come in at night. The water is even freezing in their stable buckets over night which I can't remember happening before.

We are feeding hay in the field in the mornings (taking it up in plastic Dengie bags) which means that we're eating into our store. Isn't the weather cruel - first giving us a bad hay harvest and now this awful cold.

We got a good delivery of hay in about 2 weeks ago but we know that most of the merchants round by us have now run out unless you can take huge bales - which we can't cope with.

To finish things off we've not ridden for ages. Still at least we're not trying to compete this Winter. DD probably won't go anywhere until BSPS Winter Champs and they are later this year, whilst I've retired my horse from hunting now.

Still the horses look well and their Horseware Ireland rugs are doing a great job.

[RectalNourishment]

We've been above freezing yesterday and today, water wasn't even frozen in the field this morning yet - are we really in the same county! Am only going to hay at night today because they were very happy grazing on actual grass for the first time in ages. Also my limbs are barely functional from the shock of all this work!

Hope you do get to ride soon, it gave me such a boost and I think they enjoyed it too. Could have taken at least one this morning but left my tack at home.

[Pixel]

We've had it thawed on the top (therefore slippery) but still solid and rutted underneath. Absolutely treacherous trying to walk about and push a barrow on it. The electric fences appear to have failed and we keep finding the neighbours' three horses on the grass we had saved for after Christmas. The new big bale we have opened is full of thistles and while the horses don't mind we keep getting our fingers stabbed. Must admit I'm getting a bit fed up with it all now! If it was still pretty snow I wouldn't mind so much but we have the bitter cold with grey mud and grey skies. And dhorse has managed to bust the surcingle on another rug. More sewing

[mummydoc]

dd hasn't ridden pony for 2 1/2 weeks at least - we all fed up, all chrismtas pony club fun stuff cancelled etc etc, we cannot get to yard as my 4x4 blown up and it is up steep hill whichis iced over andmy polo wont make it so pony's presents still under tree. but looks like big thaw started so maybe riding on wed when i not at work