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).