Living with Horses in the Snow

 We get snow.  We live in a "snow belt".  After two feet the snow is deep.  Real deep.  Then it gets up the horse's elbows (horses are 17-hand warmbloods).  Even with Global warming, we get lots of snow and now unfortunately ice in the winter.  How dealing with the snow and ice is not difficult.

Experts say to keep the horses off the fields.  They do not mean our fields.  Our fields are covered in snow. Lots of snow.  Not just a sprinkle.  By feeding the horses in the fields I no longer have manure and mud in the paddock in spring breakup.  The field is fertilized by the best and reseeded.  horse manure, fresh is great for feeding fields.  It is full of nitrogen and nutrients.  the hay the horses eat reseeds the pasture with grasses we want.   A win-win situation.  

The horses come into the paddock for salt and water or to pass through to another pasture.  hay is put out in the other field. No dealing with horses wanting to leave (they learn to stay in when the gates are open because they are always led out, and food is coming in).  Location for the hay is changed every time a bale is put out to give the horses a clean area to eat.  It is not as good as forking the hay and using a calf sled to move the hay.  Using the tractor to put out hay is a lot easier than forking.  

Moving around in winter keeps the horses fitter.  Keeps them occupied so they do not self-entertain. And distributes the manure.  

Plowing out the gates ensures they will open and horses can get in and out.  At some point, gates need to be scraped down.   Plowing and scraping by the water supply lower the packed snow so the horses are not drinking below ground level. 

the horses will be fine with temperature drops and cold temperatures because they have the freedom to choose where to be.  they have unlimited hay which is usually placed to shield them from the north wind.  The north wind is the coldest wind.  that is why loafing sheds in the north face south.  On a sunny day, the horses stand in front of a stand of evergreens, broadside to the sun.  

On warm winter days, the horses will move into the trees to be cooler.  Or not.  It is their choice where to be.  Food is usually nearby.  

A

n insulated stock tank is easy to achieve by glueing, nailing or screwing rigid foam insulation onto thin plywood.  Half the top is covered to help the stock tank heater.  Living in cold areas means the water will freeze.  The horses do need water in winter.  Eating snow is not an option.  

 Either run extension cords and hose out to the stock tank until a line can be put in.  Or situate the water close to power and a hydrant by changing the fences is another option.  It depends on how much you have to spend at this time.  Using a garden horse is torture as draining it and dragging a long hose into the basement gets old fast.  It is surprisingly cheap to have a water line dug with an electrical line a few feet above.  One can get a backhoe in or rent a ditch witch.  The backhoe probably would be cheaper in effort and money if you get an experienced operator.  In winter and even summer, you will consider the money well spent.  

If you use electric fencing do NOT desensitize the horses to the fence.  In winter the fences will not be hot unless you have positive and ground on the fence.  And the snow doesn't cover the fence.  And the horse is not wearing a blanket.  And the horse touches both strands.  It is easier to keep the horses away from the fence.

Horses that are afraid of electric fences stay away.  This means no injuries.  It is up to the human to encourage the horse to stay away from the fence.  No salt, no feed, no water, nothing that will attract the horse should be within 10 feet of the electric fence. Water is a challenge.  Board fencing near the water will stop the current from jumping into the water.  You will know there is an electrical issue when all the horses won't drink.  There is always at least one that is more cautious.  That is the one you watch.

Deep snow is great for horses.  It is fun to ride in.  The horses learn to move from behind galloping around in the deep snow. They develop the correct muscles.  Legs are kept cool by standing in the snow.  Swellings go down, legs tighten, and ligaments and tendons become a lot stronger.  Their living area is clean.  The world is beautiful, especially on a sunny day.  Keep horses outside, in a field with access to different terrain, shelters and friends.

Snowclearing the Farm

 We have snow and cold in our winters.  As long as you have the equipment (tractor to clear the snow, heated water for the horses, electricity to heat the water for the horses, shelters for the horses) winter is not that bad compared to what other people have.  Tornados, hurricanes, landslides, mudslides, mud, earthquakes, volcanos erupting etc.  Our winter will happen. It will snow.  Snow will get deep.  Winter will be long.  Even with Global Warming, the winter is long.  Sometimes not as cold as it should be but then we get snow. ice, and sleet.  It is just awful.  No sun, either. We can always count on our winters being long, snowy, and cold.  

Predictability makes it easy to set up for winter.  With the tractor, we can clear the gates, clear a path to the barn and water and put hay out into the field.  With each winter show clearing machine, we have been able to clear more snow than ever.  This means, of course, that the actual snow clearing time has remained the same.  Because we can foresee what the winter will be it made decisions on machinery buying easier.

Our first winters here we had a 30-inch walk-behind snowblower and shovels to clear the driveway.  No gate access.  No barn access.  We were snowed in, or out if you prefer for the duration of the deep snow.  This was also when the snow was fence high, as well.

The purchase of a  1975 135 Massey Furguson with a bucket and snowblower meant more area to clear and the ability to buy round bales as the number of horses living here increased.  I am not sure which came first: round bale or horses.  Clearing to gates enabled me to take a horse out for a winter ride (bareback, of course).  Riding in deep snow is fun.  It is a good way to learn to grip with your lower leg in order to stay on the bounding horse.  The hay was forked to the horses which was great.  Fresh snow meant a clean place for the horses to eat.  By always putting the hay on the deep snow the living area 

became bigger.  Until the next snow.

The round bales got bigger.  the 135 could only push the bales.  Slow feeder haynets came out.  the Massey was able to move the bales by pushing down the driveway and into the field.  It could flip the bale over but it was a challenge.  The round bales I was buying got bigger than ever which necessitated buying a new tractor.

the 70 horsepower Kubota is four-wheel drive and can go just about anywhere.  Getting it stuck is scary. It moves the 1200 to 1400 pound hay bales easy.  It moves the snow so now clearing involves plowing into the field so the horses can be fed way out.   The driveways are wider.  The horse trailer is kept clear of snow (in case of Vet emergencies) as is the hay trailer.   Live is good with a 70hp tractor.  It even has a cab (heated and air-conditioned).  The radio is kept off as the tractor wouldn't start when temperatures went down (below 0F, 20c).  It is plugged in all the time so starting is easy.  

Having more access makes winter riding more interesting and gives more choices.  If ever the barn catches fire the fire department can drive around the barn.  Not the arena.  The drifting on the south end is incredible.  Some year I will figure clearing or preventing the drifting.  I am hoping the loafing sheds that should be built further south will make a difference.  The trees I have planted in the South Field keep dying.  The only one that survived wasn't in a crucial place.  I could add a snow fence.  

Keeping drifting snow in control is a science.  It can be done. The Government of Canada has information as does Alberta Government.  (links to come).