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Post by kunuma on Jan 6, 2009 19:30:03 GMT 1
I do not wish to hear, at this moment, from those of you sunbathing on a beach!! For those of us undergoing the second ice age, how on earth are you all managing your horses' water if they are still out! All the pipes here have been frozen for three days now, and I'm going to be taking them water in thermos flasks soon! Any tips, or at least tell me I'm not the only one tearing my hair out!
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Post by Buster on Jan 6, 2009 19:33:28 GMT 1
Same! We have to get water from the house and cart it down I'm afraid. This better not last long
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Post by haffyfan on Jan 6, 2009 20:10:10 GMT 1
I break and remove the ice twice a day (rubber gloves a must!) but it's a self filling trough and has only ever froze once (last week and it was my fault as I still had the ball cock tyed up from summer...it's an old fashioned concrete one (wonderful generally) but neeeds bailing out to clean as plug is long since rusted in so in summer I keep it tied up so as not to waste water wily nily as it greens over daily, in winter it lasts a little longer before cleaning) When it's working properly it dosen't seem to freeze but pipes are boxed in.
It was minus 8 at 6.30 this morning!!
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Post by haffyfan on Jan 6, 2009 20:49:42 GMT 1
Totally agree with you there is definatly no such thing as too hot but my work seems to think different and the kiddies strip off on arrivial whilst I shiver in two jumpers and a fleece. My OH thinks I ahve water instead of blood.
My horse are kept naturally too (or as naturally as riding them lends it hand to) but through personal prefernce I rug them as don't like to think of them without. Harry did most of his first winter perfectly well unrugged but this was due to him being not very safe to handle, as soon as we could get near him he wore a rug.
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Post by zoe on Jan 6, 2009 21:23:36 GMT 1
Only 3 days? my water has been frozen for over a week - I don't have running water at the horses it is colected in a huge tank from the rain running off the roof of the barn. This usually works great as it is piped from the tank into self filling troughs but I think the whole tank must be frozen now. So I am filling my car boot twice a day with filled water butts and delivering the ponies water( 4 in all). I'm just glad it's not raining cos I hate trudging in the mud but I actually quite like frost - the field's not getting poached and it all looks very pretty esp Daisy who is like a grey fluffy pompom. In fact my only moan is despite no rug and limited rations, Daisy is far too porky for her own good. Welsh ponies can live on air and the smell of hay I'm sure!!
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Post by snowfilly on Jan 6, 2009 21:28:06 GMT 1
Aaargh. Don't get me started. My lot are at 2 fields at the moment, 2 miles apart, and all the hoses at both were frozen solid. The sugar beet for the oldies had ice lumps in it, the padlocks got sprayed with anti-freeze before we could get in, and I scraped ice off the inside of the car. Luckily, most of ours are Dartmoors (all moor-born) with a few Welsh, Highlands and Shetlands, and I swear they haven't even noticed it's got a bit chilly. I think the Clyde's enjoying it, though he did live for 9 years in North Scotland - he thinks Cornwall's too warm most of the time.
The oldies are wrapped up in good rugs, though, Shetland or not.
Also, my Robbie spent the morning kicking the gate as he couldn't believe that we weren't going riding - the ground's just too frozen.
This is ridicilous. I had a hammer out the toobox for two water bins tonight.
I quite agree that I don't wish to hear from anyone laying in the sun. Also, I'm tempted to start a thread 'why horses in books are better than real ones.'
First reason would be - you can read inside. Ah well, we're all insane, aren't we?
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Post by kunuma on Jan 6, 2009 23:13:38 GMT 1
Funny how it does help to know that other people are having the same problems! It is seriously bad out there now, with no hedges left to sleep in (thanks to the current fashion for not so much cutting hedges as completely destroying them) - I can't see how the smallest birds will survive. I can't remember a night as cold as this!
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Post by Claire on Jan 7, 2009 0:06:06 GMT 1
I don't agree that it can't be too hot having experienced a heatwave on Rhodes once, but i must agree it can certainly not be too hot in this godforsaken country. As I am not fortunate to have any horses at the mo I am not sharing your probs - tho I feel for you - but I do agree that this winter is just too bloomin cold. I think I have the coldest house in England. I have spent the last few weeks in dressing gown, scarf and sometimes hat INDOORS. Outside it is sometimes so cold it hurts. I can't help thinking that people who say they like the cold have never experienced it properly!
I am dreaming of my yacht in Tenerife.....
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Post by seahorse on Jan 7, 2009 0:31:11 GMT 1
I have to get my imput in as southern softie here its dam cold here as well, quads auto waters all frozen as spent a happy day yesterday making buckets for stables. An old trick i used when it was my life not a so called hobby was a football in tanks if its not to cold lol. It float and stops ice forming when Bloody cold cuse lanuage, when you pull it out a thin layer of ice rather than thick ice belive me 18 years of working with the darlings it works
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Post by cally on Jan 7, 2009 1:21:24 GMT 1
Sorry- but I have to put my 2 cents in! Firstly, where I am in Oz it does get quite cold- occasionally snowing- down to minus 7 some mornings, but it still beats summer. It was 36 c here yesterday and it'll be hotter today as it was 30c at 10am.
No offence, but when you guys talk about how lovely the hot weather is it's along the lines of how it'd be nice lying on the beach- warm weather = holidays etc- but most of us have to work, going out in the heat day after stinking day on non air conditioned public transport etc. At least you have water in your troughs- many people have to buy theirs every month or sell their horses- lack of feed is a huge issue too. Studies have shown horses use shelters more to escape the heat than the cold and then there's the mosquitos, flies and snakes and sunburn. Poo picking paddocks when it's 40c+ gives me at best a headache and exhaustion but I have suffered heatstroke a number of times and it's really frightening, but still- it's got to be done.
Your winter this year is particularly fierce and I admit I don't have any real conception of what it must be like week after week, but the opposite end of the spectrum isn't all that much fun either. What's worse is that the respite seasons of Autumn and Spring have shortened with the hot weather lasting here for 6 to 7 months instead of 3-4.
As for sun bathing on a beach, no WAY! Only idiots and tourists do that here in the middle of the day, and there are a lot of idiots here; we have the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world. Anyway, we live around 3 hours inland and get the desert winds. Let's agree to disagree, and say aren't Autumn and Spring gorgeous! Keep warm xoxoxo
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Post by Claire on Jan 7, 2009 13:41:50 GMT 1
Well I think we always want what we havent got...grass is greener, etc. But then again it also depends on what sort of person you are and some people just enjoy the heat more than the cold and vice versa. Some poor souls like you and me cally have just been born in the wrong environment! Actually tho I think kunuma was possibly more annoyed at the people swanning off on holiday to warmer climes while we froze to death here (You know who you are! ;D ) than at the aussie members.
Cally it is interesting to hear you have snow in your part of Australia. I thought it was only the mountain regions that got it. Or maybe thats where you live...cant remember you address off hand and my knowledge of Aussie geography is shocking anyhow!
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Post by kunuma on Jan 7, 2009 14:33:08 GMT 1
Oh dear, now I have offended all those in warmer climes, I have no doubt scuppered my chances of getting a brumby in the post! I'd like to say that I can see the downside of heat, BUT my chilblains are so bad at the moment I don't think I can just now! I'm even typing this sitting on one hand and typing with the other, then swopping over otherwise it is too cold to type! Mind you, apparently I didn't have to look so far afield to envy the weather, a friend who lives in the very West of Cornwall, just said "What frost?" I'm throwing haylage at my two like there is no tomorrow!!
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Post by exmoorfan on Jan 7, 2009 17:20:01 GMT 1
I can see both sides to this. i like it quite warm and don't mind this dry cold. i hate the rain.Well too much anyway.. We have had flurries of snow for the last 3 days. And the lake was frozen and the ducks and geese looked forlorn and lost. Kunuma ,,seahorses idea works if your trough is big enough. We used to wrap all pipes and taps up and if they then froze usally hot water got them going again..
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Post by Claire on Jan 7, 2009 19:43:26 GMT 1
Yes, I used to do seahorses ball thing too and it does work. kunuma you should do a house swap with cally! Your house sounds like mine. Is it all stone? Being serious tho, has anyone heard the news about the deaths from the cold, just been reading it on yahoo.com and it seems that the cold spell is all over Europe not just here. Makes our -8s seem positively balmy uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20090107/twl-eight-freeze-to-death-in-europe-s-co-a2f61c0.html
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Post by zoe on Jan 7, 2009 22:07:05 GMT 1
That's really bad Claire - freezing to death overnight - can you imagine?
Kunuma huge sympathy to you, chilblains are the work of the devil, every winter my poor toes turn purple and I scratch them on the carpet like a dog with a worm. (sorry I know that sounds vile but you get the picture). My oh bought me some river boots by dublin for christmas they're like very posh wellies with style and they keep my feet really warm, even in this weather my chilblains aren't as bad as usual.
I can't moan too much about it being cold as I am one of those hopeless people who tend to pass out when it is really hot (I'm uncomfortable if it gets over 26 ish ) although heat abroad tends to be more bearable I have to keep in the shade if poss.
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Post by Claire on Jan 7, 2009 22:29:07 GMT 1
I know Zoe it is shocking isn't it? Its hard to belive it happens in this day and age. But with the energy prices so high I have a horrible feeling that there may be some old folk dying of hypothermia this year in their own homes cos they can't afford the heating. Ooh chillblains, I used to get them as well and I used to do that dog-worm thing too zoe ;D and how satisfying is it! but for some reason I never get them now. I was just wondering why the other day. Hmm may google chillblains to find out. Yeah I know, need to get out more and all that
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Post by cally on Jan 8, 2009 0:55:40 GMT 1
I used to get chilblains and still get quite cold tootsies, but they went after I stopped smoking in 1994. Also I ALWAYS wear work boots with lots of toe room and thinner cotton socks without seams rather than chunky ones that keep your toes crammed in one position. The worst thing you can do with chilblains is heat them up too much after they've been cold. Try gently warming your feet up before going out with a hot H2O bottle. I have some insoles that release warmth when you stand on them but haven't tried them yet; has anyone else tried them?
I detest the heat because I like being active and everything is so much harder when it's hot ie. pushing barrowloads of poo 300m up a dusty rutted hill to the manure pile 2 or 3 times a day. That's why I want to move somewhere more mild weather-wise, like Tasmania, which has less extremes of temperature.
I'm in Canberra, Claire, and we are in the Southern Tablelands region and surrounded by mountains. We only get snow every other year and maybe only for an hour at that! But the mountains nearby are always snowy in Winter- they're called The Snowy Mountains, the alpine region, NSW High Country etc etc- lots of names and lots of traditions. We have very cold nights and lots of frost, never enough rain and fierce winds- yesterday our gazebo which is (was) tied to star pickets driven a foot into the ground took off. In 2003 a bushfire got out of hand and became a firestorm and around 300 houses (more, maybe) were lost in the outer suburbs. One woman died trying to save her horses and her daughter was badly burnt (she is now a successful RDA rider and horse photographer).
So far today it's at least 15 degrees cooler than yesterday so I'm going out!!!
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Post by cally on Jan 9, 2009 0:00:31 GMT 1
I have not moved from place to place like you have Konstanze, but believe me, there are plenty of people like me who find the unending heat depressing- I have a heart condition that makes exertion difficult at times and it is much worse in the heat. You may find it difficult to imagine anyone can do better in the cold, but I've lived it for 41 years and each year it gets harder and more debilitating as the temperature rises. My father came here from Yorkshire and had the same heart problem and the same dislike of extreme heat. He died at only 45 and I have no intention of not trying out life in a cooler climate.
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Post by zoe on Jan 9, 2009 11:43:33 GMT 1
Cally you sound much more suited to our weather. What a shame about your dad, it's no wonder you want to move.
Well it's almost mild here this morning, the ground might still be solid but the water has defrosted and the sun is shining. I have to admit to putting a panic phonecall in to my nan after what Claire said about people dying of the cold. She was fine but it does make you think about looking after other people esp when the weather turns nasty. I find it all too easy to sit at home with the wood burner revving and being, well, a bit selfish. It's comical that one of the most common questions about my lifestyle is "isn't it really cold?" when even in this weather I only need to wear a t shirt inside.
Hope everyone elses water has defrosted too.
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Post by cally on Jan 9, 2009 23:13:19 GMT 1
We have had a few days respite heat wise and it's been lovely to walk the dog and tromp around the RDA paddocks cuddling the holidaying horses!
I wish we could do a house swap Konstanze, but I don't think it gets as cold in Kenya in Winter as it does here so it probably wouldn't be as suitable. Anyway, I want to house swap with Claire 'cos it sounds lovely but will have to make do with a visit one day, probably right at the end of your summer so I get a bit of Autumn in- my favourite season.
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Post by Claire on Jan 10, 2009 21:15:04 GMT 1
Cally if you do come across you are welcome to stay with me (tho bring ear plugs for oscar's howls!) I am soon moving a few miles to one of James Herriots fav country towns, Richmond, it is so beautiful there with little cobbled streets, a river, waterfalls and a castle. Incidentally it is also not far from Ruby Ferguson's place of birth: Reeth. It would also be nice for you to see your father's birthplace, so sorry to hear about you losing him so young. My dad has also had heart problems and it is a big worry. Yes Autumn can be beautiful here, especially if its not too cold. But believe me if you came in the height of summer you wouldnt find it hot
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Post by haffyfan on Jan 11, 2009 15:17:39 GMT 1
Cally, I have no concept of what the climate in Australia must be like bar what you tell us but you must be nuts wanting to come here ;D Yesterday it didn't get above freezing where I live all day...and today although milder and the frost has gone and the ground thawed out it is blowing a right old gale and raining on and off. I put some hay out for my two this morning and it promptly blew away (it wasn't windy until I put it out! ). It was actually quite amushing as harry (being a real bloater) promptly persued it across the field at a trot whilst I returned to fill and hang nets. At least I didn't need my rubber gloves and brick to chip away at 6 inches of ice in the trough.
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Post by susanb on Jan 11, 2009 16:46:46 GMT 1
No horses to lug water to, and for once I'm grateful.....the high temperature today will be -3 (the low -11). By Friday, that will seem warm, when the high is forecast to be -10, with a low of -17.
Every stables I rode at as a kid always had frozen pipes at one point or another in the winter, at which point they'd have to fill huge barrels (on a truck) from the house, drive to the stables, then the water would have to be lugged by bucket to the stalls.
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Post by darkhorse on Jan 11, 2009 18:16:50 GMT 1
Poor you susanb it sounds like it is colder there than here even. What part of America do you live in? I am trying not to get drawn into the hot versus cold battle but if I was I know what side I would be on.....I will let you guess ;D
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Post by cally on Jan 12, 2009 1:10:59 GMT 1
Is this UK Winter fairly extreme in terms of temperatures as well as length, or is this more the norm? I read that your summers have changed, in some areas at least, with some insect pests expanding their range etc.
Also, has anyone ever tried those heated insole thingys? I bought some to use last winter but it didn't really get cold enough- actually, I was a bit paranoid about them, with visions of my feet getting so hot I'd dance about the indoor arena and scare the ponies during the class and freak out the autistic riders (or crack them up).
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Post by Claire on Jan 12, 2009 13:35:21 GMT 1
Cally it is colder than we have had lately, as for the last few years our winters have got milder. Also it is usually after Christmas that we get the coldest part of winter not before. As to length, we have a long way to go yet, another 3 months of it. I think that is what is so depressing about English winter it lasts so long. Our climate has changed. It has got warmer overall but the overall rise in temperature is mainly from milder winters and that is what has brought the insects in. We seem to have stopped getting summers (at least in the north). Spring also seems fairly non-existant. We just seem to have an endless long season of dreary cool, almost sunless weather. In fact if it wasnt for the trees you would sometimes be hard pushed to tell the seasons apart! I think that is what konstanze was objecting to in her posts. Weather in Britain is depressing at times, and I think it is getting more so. Its probably why a lot of us want to get away, rather than it being just too cold. Do you find that your climate is changing too? Is it getting drier? BTW love the idea of those heated insole things. I havent seen them, are they a riding thing? Sound like just my cup of tea.
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Post by cally on Jan 12, 2009 23:18:07 GMT 1
The insoles were from a chemist, but if you haven't seen or heard of them in a really cold climate, then maybe they're rubbish- I won't be rushing to try them out for a bit unfortunately, it's going to get up to around 40c this week!
Climate here is changing- warmer winters, less defined seasons- just hot or cold- very much like you described. We have stopped using the word 'drought' (according to the Govt.) as the dryness is probably a long-term climate feature.
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Post by kunuma on Jan 17, 2009 19:30:26 GMT 1
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Post by Claire on Jan 17, 2009 20:04:28 GMT 1
Yes we are having the heavy rain and winds too At times like these it doesnt seem so bad not having a horse cos you can stay in the warm (well maybe not in my house) and dry. The temp has gone up tho. In the brief period between freezing and downpour it felt quite warm went up to about 5 degrees!
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Post by haffyfan on Jan 17, 2009 20:11:00 GMT 1
It poured overnight/early this morning then turned into a lovely bright sunny (almost warm) morning/ afternoon (had a lovely hack) with a bit of a breeze but in the last hour the gales have started. Currently howling and persisting it down again.
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