# Having horse in a cold, snowy climate



## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

So we just got about 12-16 inches of snow last night. When everyone was inside, I trudged out for the late night feeding in the dark, wading through knee-deep snow. Lucky for me, hubby gets up bright and early and had the path from the house to the barn plowed by morning feeding.

There was, however, the small matter of shoveling a path to my manure pile. That was not so much fun. Fluffy snow this time though, so that made it easier.


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

Ah Acadian I love this <3 i do want to experience living in a hot climate for at least a year, to see how I fare. I love heat. I hate flies. I hate snow, but I love no flies. If I could find a place that was hot with no flies, I'd be golden. Can I post some of my snowy photos? We're supposed to get another good one Sunday


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

In that last picture, you can just barely see the manure pile. That's three months of manure for two horses, completely buried. So guess what, no smells! For now, anyway... 

Being the kind of person who figures that if life hands you lemons, you should make some margueritas (what did you think I was going to say?), I figured gravity + snow + my kids' old round sled would make a fine manure disposal system. Here's how it works:


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

WhattaTroublemaker said:


> Ah Acadian I love this <3 i do want to experience living in a hot climate for at least a year, to see how I fare. I love heat. I hate flies. I hate snow, but I love no flies. If I could find a place that was hot with no flies, I'd be golden. Can I post some of my snowy photos? We're supposed to get another good one Sunday


Yes! Post away! I totally understand your dilemma. But having spent time in Louisiana, I also appreciate that we have no deadly snakes or bugs. 

Let's post lots of snowy pics, and show how we manage quite well in this climate!


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

The other thing I've found is that without any grass around, the horses are far more interested in what I'm doing and much more interactive. Tonight, Harley kept picking at my gloves until I took them off, then he licked my hands. I assume it was the salty flavour he liked, but he has a salt lick and I add salt to his feed so it's not like he's deficient. Then he took my tuque off and waved it around. I put it on his head and he just stood there with this funny look on his face. They're a lot more interested in hanging out with me now that there's no grass to be eaten!

The other day, Harley even managed to get away from my daughter and ran out the back door of the barn. When he realized all the green grass was covered in white, he just turned around and walked back in the barn. LOL


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

I hear people say they don't ride when it hits below 10C LOL I wish that was an option! 
Here's a couple new and old


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Of course the hard part is that Harley coughs when it gets cold. So I have to give him cough syrup and am trying to resolve it for good. But it's heartbreaking to hear him cough. Luckily, he's a good patient and will happily lick his cough medicine right out of a bucket! 

Kodak, on the other hand, is a different sort of horse. Harley doesn't like the cold so if it's windy, or snowy, or just unpleasant in any way, he'll stand in his stall with his head looking out. Kodak on the other hand, will not come in to save her life. She'd rather stand outside, in front of Harley's stall. Even though her stall door is open. I don't even blanket her because she seems to grow a coat like a grizzly bear.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

WhattaTroublemaker said:


> I hear people say they don't ride when it hits below 10C LOL I wish that was an option!
> Here's a couple new and old


Great pics! 

Yes, that makes me chuckle. I ride at home when I can, but mostly it depends on footing, not on temperature. My daughter rides at the lesson barn (Carriage Hill) every week. I've been taking lessons there lately too. I've never heard of a lesson cancelled because of the cold and it's been around -20 C every morning for like the last 3 Saturdays! - 10 C is balmy!


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

Acadianartist said:


> Of course the hard part is that Harley coughs when it gets cold. So I have to give him cough syrup and am trying to resolve it for good. But it's heartbreaking to hear him cough. Luckily, he's a good patient and will happily lick his cough medicine right out of a bucket!
> 
> Kodak, on the other hand, is a different sort of horse. Harley doesn't like the cold so if it's windy, or snowy, or just unpleasant in any way, he'll stand in his stall with his head looking out. Kodak on the other hand, will not come in to save her life. She'd rather stand outside, in front of Harley's stall. Even though her stall door is open. I don't even blanket her because she seems to grow a coat like a grizzly bear.


Spirit started coughing when the temp dropped too. I come into the barn and she will cough once, so I don't know if she coughs overnight. She also coughs once when she comes out into the cold air. It got a lot better when I started wetting her hay at night. She only coughs once in a blue moon now. 

Trouble has a love hate relationship with the cold. He spent a lot of time in the barn last winter because he was a *cough* escape artist and it was too frozen to rebuild fences. He loves it in the barn. He could do well in 24/7 or out. Doesn't get antsy or excited at all. He just wants to eat. Funny thing because he has a wooly mammoth coat :lol: spirit is the opposite. She gets excited in the barn and always wants to see what's going on outside. She will climb walls if she hears something knock against the walls or something. Sucks because she has a thin thin coat and tends to shiver, but hates her blanket, and will kick out at it. I've hung it up and gave her free choice hay and I'm just letting her figure it out. If she shivers I make her wear her blanket since she is a hard keeper. Ugh horses are so strange.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

WhattaTroublemaker said:


> Ah Acadian I love this <3 i do want to experience living in a hot climate for at least a year, to see how I fare. I love heat. I hate flies. I hate snow, but I love no flies. If I could find a place that was hot with no flies, I'd be golden. Can I post some of my snowy photos? We're supposed to get another good one Sunday


Deserts don't have many flies. Many of them are hot. You what they don't have? Grass. There's no perfect climate!


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

Harley looks like a doll! And it's something about gloves right? 
Trouble took mine off the stool and didn't want to give it back.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

WhattaTroublemaker, I accidentally deleted your post! So sorry, I'm a baby moderator and don't know how to work the buttons yet.


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

Avna said:


> WhattaTroublemaker, I accidentally deleted your post! So sorry, I'm a baby moderator and don't know how to work the buttons yet.


Which post? :lol:


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

WhattaTroublemaker said:


> Which post? :lol:


The one where you hated snow.


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

Avna said:


> The one where you hated snow.


Ohh hahaha it's okay!


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## Fimargue (Jun 19, 2015)

Super nice where you live, looks just like Finland. Even your barn is Finnish style, love it  

That stealing gloves is definitely a gelding thing. Mares never touch my gloves, but geldings yes. One even took my glove in his mouth completely and made holes in it when I wasn't watching, krrrmh.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Fimargue said:


> Super nice where you live, looks just like Finland. Even your barn is Finnish style, love it
> 
> That stealing gloves is definitely a gelding thing. Mares never touch my gloves, but geldings yes. One even took my glove in his mouth completely and made holes in it when I wasn't watching, krrrmh.


I didn't know there was such a thing as a Finnish style barn! Have never been to Finland, but it is certainly up there with the place I'd like to visit someday!

Harley took a finger off my glove when he was trying to get a treat out of my hand. He had the tip of it between his teeth and try as I might, I couldn't get him to let go. He just yanked on it and now I have a glove that's missing a finger.


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

The snow makes it so beautiful and pristine. It is on my bucket list to visit the East Coast one day. 

I can feel your pain though..we have been getting a lot more snow & cold in Alberta this winter. But with the chinooks we get almost every week or 2, it melts but then just turns to ice. It was almost -40 earlier this week and today it is supposed to be +3 or something. It's ridiculous.

Any problems with flooding in the spring???


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

Acadianartist said:


> Yes! Post away! I totally understand your dilemma. But having spent time in Louisiana, I also appreciate that we have no deadly snakes...


Ah, so you are a TRUE Acadian!!  Where did you live in Louisiana?

I lived and taught in Baton Rouge for two years-not really in Acadiana, but close. I loved so much about being there, but as someone born and raised in upstate NY, I never really got used to the weather, the killer mosquitoes, the fire ants, or the cockroaches! But I still love going back to visit a couple of times a year.


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## Paintedponies1992 (Nov 17, 2013)

The only thing about the weather here so far, that I hate, is the freezing rain; especially after we have a good snowfall. Second year in a row that the layer of ice was so thick the horses either couldn't break through it or if they did the edges cut their legs  Haven't rode in over three months now. I don't care if it floods in spring, at least I can ride my horses through water! D:


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## Fimargue (Jun 19, 2015)

Acadianartist said:


> I didn't know there was such a thing as a Finnish style barn! Have never been to Finland, but it is certainly up there with the place I'd like to visit someday!
> 
> Harley took a finger off my glove when he was trying to get a treat out of my hand. He had the tip of it between his teeth and try as I might, I couldn't get him to let go. He just yanked on it and now I have a glove that's missing a finger.


At least that is exactly the (very common) style I grew up with 

Here are some examples:


































I would love to visit Canada, I think I would feel right at home there - in fact I would possibly live there if getting a job would be easier.

Finland is a great country. Bloody hot summers and rather cold winters (not as cold as yours can get still - I give you that!). Everything is pretty, everything works the way things should do. Finnish people have a huge respect for other people's personal space, that to some people not used to "reserved behaviour", may seem unsocial and rude. Having to accustom to French 'la bise' was an absolute nightmare for me.

I would invite you to stay, but unfortunately I don't live in Finland anymore. If however France is one of your future destinations, then that's a whole different story.

:lol: poor glove. I only buy certain cheap ones, as they seem to get lost and eaten by geldings.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Fimargue said:


> At least that is exactly the (very common) style I grew up with
> 
> Here are some examples:
> 
> ...


What beautiful stables! 

I already love Finland - being a rather reserved person myself who really doesn't like being touched. I've heard wonderful things about your education system! Our education system in Canada is terrible, but I'm president of a parent committee to bring the International Baccalaureate to my kids' school. I say if you don't like how things are, change them!

Funny you mention France. I'm going in two weeks (work trip). I go periodically, but this is my second trip in about 3 months this year. Will be mostly in Paris, with a day in Limoges (that's where my work commitment is). Where are you? If I'm ever in your area, I'd love to visit! And if you ever come to Canada, come see me! I'm in New Brunswick (I'm Acadian, thus my user name), which is a tiny province in the east. We are descended from the French and my first language is French.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Paintedponies1992 said:


> The only thing about the weather here so far, that I hate, is the freezing rain; especially after we have a good snowfall. Second year in a row that the layer of ice was so thick the horses either couldn't break through it or if they did the edges cut their legs  Haven't rode in over three months now. I don't care if it floods in spring, at least I can ride my horses through water! D:


I agree. I hate, hate, hate those freezing rain storms. We got quite a few of them this year and as a result, have several layers of crust under the snow. I won't ride my horses in it either. Luckily, my husband has a tractor with a 6 foot snowblower attachment and clears it all out of the paddock for me! So I can still ride and the horses have a place to run around. Here's a picture of my daughter riding in the paddock after we had several freezing rain storms. The footing is fine now, but there was one storm that covered the whole paddock with ice. That was no fun. I had to spread bedding around everywhere so no one would break a leg! I'll take snow over ice any day.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

egrogan said:


> Ah, so you are a TRUE Acadian!!  Where did you live in Louisiana?
> 
> I lived and taught in Baton Rouge for two years-not really in Acadiana, but close. I loved so much about being there, but as someone born and raised in upstate NY, I never really got used to the weather, the killer mosquitoes, the fire ants, or the cockroaches! But I still love going back to visit a couple of times a year.


Haha... as true as they get! Straight from four grandparents of deported families!

I never lived in Louisiana, but visited a friend who lived there for a while. Great people and fun place to visit, but yeah, the bugs! One morning I got up and was walking around on the grass barefoot and my friend who was living there almost had a heart attack. He said you do NOT walk around barefoot in Louisiana! Another time, a friend of his who had a trailer in the bayou (oh, yes, we got to see the REAL Louisiana!) took us four-wheeling at night. Every once in a while, we would see a huge spider web in front of us in the trees. Like bigger than a person. He would stop, get a stick and tear it down, then we would keep going. Oh, and they had to keep telling me to stay away from the water because of the gators!!! 

I grew up in Eastern Canada and am completely at home in the woods. So I just couldn't wrap my head around the fact that there are dangerous insects, snakes and gators everywhere! 

Those drive-through bars were pretty interesting though! Having open liquor in your car is illegal and a very serious offense here. I couldn't believe they pour you a drink and hand it to you in your car!!! That was a hoot.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

cbar said:


> The snow makes it so beautiful and pristine. It is on my bucket list to visit the East Coast one day.
> 
> I can feel your pain though..we have been getting a lot more snow & cold in Alberta this winter. But with the chinooks we get almost every week or 2, it melts but then just turns to ice. It was almost -40 earlier this week and today it is supposed to be +3 or something. It's ridiculous.
> 
> Any problems with flooding in the spring???


Those temperature swings make it hard. I often have to chip ice in the corner of the outside stall doors because of all the freezing and thawing.

We don't flood because we're up on a hill, but close by is a very large river that floods every spring. Of course, people building houses by the water on a flood plain doesn't help. The only issue for us is that some roads can close so we have to plan alternate routes if the flooding is really bad. 

Of course we do get soggy springs when all the snow melts, but the last few years, spring tends to come all of a sudden and everything just melts and dries up. I'm hoping for that kind of spring again this year, but a lot of people do have issues with mud in their paddocks. Again though, that's usually because they have their paddocks in a flat, low area of the land. Ours is higher and slopes very gradually down. So we should be ok, but I guess we'll find out!


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## horseluvr2524 (Sep 17, 2013)

Please stop reminding me how much I hate this dry, dusty desert! :lol:

It really does look so beautiful there. I've always said I like the cold better. Now with this desert blood, I get cold very easily, so it would probably take me a couple years to adjust. But I think I would like it.

Here on the other side in the desert, one thing that often puzzles people in other areas of the world, is why we blanket horses here in the desert. Well, in our winter, our temps can drop to between 4 and 10 Celsius. I remember one early morning we were at 3C, which is extremely cold for here! Just like I have thin blood, so do many of the animals out here, including horses. So they get cold much more easily than a horse from Canada, but also tolerate heat better because of that.
Don't get me wrong, our desert horses won't die in those temps without a blanket. But I've seen it proven over and over how much more comfortable some of our desert horses are with a blanket, and also how much less hay they consume over night trying to keep warm (saves money!).

Sorry for my mini rant... not sure how I got there :shrug: lol

Snow can be a pain, but it sure is pretty!


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Today was an interesting day. Last night the temperature went down to -34 C. That's with the windchill, so out of the wind it wasn't so bad. But of course, last night was the night my light bulb went out in the insulated box where my pipes come into the barn so no water this morning. I had to haul a jug of water out to the barn first thing in the morning (it was still -28 C). I use a plastic sled and put the 25 liter jug in it. It's actually not that hard, but I admit, I was feeling a bit sorry for myself and envying people who get to stay in their nice, warm houses. I also have a nasty cough, and breathing in that bitterly cold air didn't feel good. But you can't take a sick day when it comes to looking after horses right?

After looking after our horses and having a big breakfast, we headed out at 10 am for our riding lessons. I've been taking lessons at the barn where my daughter does her lessons because they have an indoor there. But it's not like it's heated or anything, so still pretty chilly. I do have good warm clothes though so I put on my full merino wool underwear, winter riding chaps, long down-filled coat that splits open so I can ride in it, two pairs of socks...well, you get the idea. I was fine once I started riding. My daughter and I had a great time. She rode a horse that none of the lesson kids had ridden yet! It was a real handful for her at first, but the coach gave her a few tips and just like magic, she had that horse doing exactly what she wanted and cantering around in a frame. So beautiful to watch! 

We got home around 2 pm, and I checked on the water in the barn. I'd been running heaters in the tack room to try to thaw out the pipes. Hubby was checking on things periodically. Still not water. So I got a hair dryer and lowered it down into the insulated box where the pipes come in and aimed it downward. Ran it on high for about 10 minutes and like magic, water squirted out. Yay! No more lugging water jugs. Well, maybe. It's supposed to go down to -20 C tonight so who knows whether I'll have water tomorrow. I will shut off the water to the barn and drain what's in the tap before going to bed in the hopes that there won't be anything in there to freeze. 

So a few pictures of the horses playing in the fresh snow before my husband cleared it all out. Their eyelashes were all frosted up - so cute! And a picture of me in my cold-weather wear!


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

That last picture is of my faucet in the tack room which was frozen this morning. You can see the box we built around it. It's well insulated and inside is a light bulb which is usually enough to keep things from freezing. Usually. That's one of my space heaters in front of it. I know, I know, fire hazard. But I plug it in first thing in the morning when the faucet is frozen and do my barn chores while it thaws out the faucet. Since that part is sticking out of the box, it often does freeze. The heater warms it enough that I can turn it and I don't leave the heater on after that. Except today, I did leave it on longer, but my husband was there to keep an eye on it. I even unplug it from the wall when I'm not using just to be safe. I could use a hair dryer for this too, but this way, I can do chores while it does its thing. When it's -28 C, you don't want to be in the barn any longer than you have to be.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

horseluvr2524 said:


> Please stop reminding me how much I hate this dry, dusty desert! :lol:
> 
> It really does look so beautiful there. I've always said I like the cold better. Now with this desert blood, I get cold very easily, so it would probably take me a couple years to adjust. But I think I would like it.
> 
> ...


I've never lived in a desert climate, but I have heard that it can get very cold there at night. I don't blanket until we hit below double digits, but I can see how wide temperature swings would be really bad for horses. 

Of course Harley is an Arabian so the desert is what he was bred for! Or at least his ancestors. And sure enough, he hates the cold. Will stay in all day if it's really cold. My QH mare, on the other hand, doesn't care.

And before you complain too much about the desert, read my post about frozen pipes this morning (again). Sigh.


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## Fimargue (Jun 19, 2015)

Acadianartist said:


> What beautiful stables!
> 
> I already love Finland - being a rather reserved person myself who really doesn't like being touched. I've heard wonderful things about your education system! Our education system in Canada is terrible, but I'm president of a parent committee to bring the International Baccalaureate to my kids' school. I say if you don't like how things are, change them!
> 
> Funny you mention France. I'm going in two weeks (work trip). I go periodically, but this is my second trip in about 3 months this year. Will be mostly in Paris, with a day in Limoges (that's where my work commitment is). Where are you? If I'm ever in your area, I'd love to visit! And if you ever come to Canada, come see me! I'm in New Brunswick (I'm Acadian, thus my user name), which is a tiny province in the east. We are descended from the French and my first language is French.


Then you would fit right in  Yes, the education system is indeed great - no denying that. I hope you succeed, that would be fantastic for the children.

What a coincidence! How long are you staying? I'm 1,5 h from Limoges, 3,5 h from Paris in La Creuse. I have two Arabians here ready to go out, if you have time to come by. Also, at my workplace, there are plenty of foals to see. But bring your wellies as this is the horrible mud period.

Hopefully can come to visit you someday as well!


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Fimargue said:


> Then you would fit right in  Yes, the education system is indeed great - no denying that. I hope you succeed, that would be fantastic for the children.
> 
> What a coincidence! How long are you staying? I'm 1,5 h from Limoges, 3,5 h from Paris in La Creuse. I have two Arabians here ready to go out, if you have time to come by. Also, at my workplace, there are plenty of foals to see. But bring your wellies as this is the horrible mud period.
> 
> Hopefully can come to visit you someday as well!


I'd LOVE to see those Arabians! They are quickly becoming my favorite breed, despite the challenges they bring (or maybe because of them!). Unfortunately it is a very quick trip. I'm landing in Paris on Sunday, taking the train to Limoges Monday morning, getting back on a plan on Tuesday. I will be exhausted and will have no time for anything. That's what happens when you're the primary caretaker of horses. Maybe next time!


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Fences have now become redundant. We've managed to keep the paddock cleared so far this winter and I'm grateful to my husband for that. However, our snowblower just died and they're forecasting a ridiculous amount of snow tonight. We can still clear snow with a box blade but it's not very efficient.


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## Fimargue (Jun 19, 2015)

Acadianartist said:


> I'd LOVE to see those Arabians! They are quickly becoming my favorite breed, despite the challenges they bring (or maybe because of them!). Unfortunately it is a very quick trip. I'm landing in Paris on Sunday, taking the train to Limoges Monday morning, getting back on a plan on Tuesday. I will be exhausted and will have no time for anything. That's what happens when you're the primary caretaker of horses. Maybe next time!


Arabians are special, and I just look for the same qualities and feeling in other breeds as well. When you're used to the sensitivity and presence, it's hard to go without.

I understand perfectly. Don't worry, there is time 

Gosh, I love to see those snowy photos. It has been a long time since experiencing that amount of snow. We only get very little here, but even that is soothing to watch when it falls out of the sky.


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

Acadianartist said:


> Haha... as true as they get! Straight from four grandparents of deported families!
> 
> I never lived in Louisiana, but visited a friend who lived there for a while. Great people and fun place to visit, but yeah, the bugs! One morning I got up and was walking around on the grass barefoot and my friend who was living there almost had a heart attack. He said you do NOT walk around barefoot in Louisiana! Another time, a friend of his who had a trailer in the bayou (oh, yes, we got to see the REAL Louisiana!) took us four-wheeling at night. Every once in a while, we would see a huge spider web in front of us in the trees. Like bigger than a person. He would stop, get a stick and tear it down, then we would keep going. Oh, and they had to keep telling me to stay away from the water because of the gators!!!
> 
> ...


Wow, you must have some fascinating oral history passed down through your family given your grandparents experience. My dad's mom emigrated from Quebec to upstate NY, where she met my grandfather, fell in love, moved onto the dairy with his family...and the rest is history. Actually, she died at age 97 about a month ago, and I learned some fascinating details of her life by spending time chatting with my dad's cousin, who was very close with her. 

I can totally picture your experience with your friend! When I lived in Baton Rouge, one of our favorite places to go on the weekend was called Whiskey River Landing, a wonderful Cajun and Zydeco dance hall right on the levee









And yes, the drive-thru daiquiri places are certainly...interesting...


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

egrogan said:


> Wow, you must have some fascinating oral history passed down through your family given your grandparents experience. My dad's mom emigrated from Quebec to upstate NY, where she met my grandfather, fell in love, moved onto the dairy with his family...and the rest is history. Actually, she died at age 97 about a month ago, and I learned some fascinating details of her life by spending time chatting with my dad's cousin, who was very close with her.
> 
> I can totally picture your experience with your friend! When I lived in Baton Rouge, one of our favorite places to go on the weekend was called Whiskey River Landing, a wonderful Cajun and Zydeco dance hall right on the levee
> 
> ...


Well, the Acadian deportations happened in 1755-1763, so it's quite a few generations back. The only oral history was about families torn apart. 

Two of my aunts moved to the US with their parents when they were teenagers and never came back. One went to Rochester, NY. Been there many times! 

Louisiana sure is special! Lots of good times and some pretty quirky people that's for sure!


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Very interesting. I like this thread, pretty interesting. I am not a big snow/winter/cold fan. I live on the east side of the US (MD) & we don't get a super cold harsh winter, coldest it's been is like...19/20 degrees so far. Been an odd winter to say the least. Only got an inch of snow last week. :lol: 

Props to you for dealing with the cold though. I don't think I could do it, but then again I couldn't deal with extreme heat either.
The horses look so cute in the snow.  It is pretty although...a pain I'm sure. 
Subbing this!


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

We got hit with about 30 inches of snow yesterday. It was a major blizzard, snow blowing sideways with 80 km/hr wind that nearly knocked me over as I snowshoed to the barn. The whole city shut down and schools were closed yesterday and again today. It's still snowing, but not a blizzard anymore. I had to keep the horses shut in for most of the day yesterday, or else their stalls would have been full of snow. I let them out last night when the wind slowed down a bit. Wish I had had my camera. There was still lots of snow in the paddock, but once they realized it was fluffy snow, they went crazy. Ran around like little kids, bucking and jumping over snow. I just stood in the middle of the paddock against the tree and watched them for about 15 minutes.

Of course I had to shovel out their stall doors and there is snow way up above their heads in some places. Crazy. 

The first photo is the view from the barn to my house. You can just barely see my husband's truck sticking out of the snow in the driveway. The second one is looking out onto our driveway and the main road. There's a mailbox in there somewhere. Will get photos of the barn today.


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

Yikes, you got about double what we did. No fun. Sending you good thoughts for cleanup!


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

egrogan said:


> Yikes, you got about double what we did. No fun. Sending you good thoughts for cleanup!


Thanks! The worst of it is over and hubby cleaned up most of it last night. But with the snowblower at the repair shop, the paddock cleanup will have to wait. 

Apparently there is another storm on the way for tomorrow night! Going to try to head into town later because Harley is out of cough medecine  Hoping the roads won't be too bad.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Woah, talk about a blizzard! Whew! I hope the roads aren't too bad either, just be careful for sure.
That is totally crazy!


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## ApuetsoT (Aug 22, 2014)

I'm so glad the prairies don't get that much moisture! I'll take the weeks of -40 over the repeated feet of snow.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Nah, roads are fine Poptart! A little more narrow, that's all 

We do get lots of precipitation here Apuetso! But I'm not sure I prefer -40 weather. Frozen pipes are the worst for me. Of course, my husband does most of the snow removal, so he may disagree! lol

A few more pics of a lovely day-after-the-storm. Or is it day-before-the-storm? They are calling for 25 cm for tomorrow night.

That last picture shows the dutch doors with the 10 foot overhang which has been a real blessing. I was worried the snow might come off the roof onto the horses, but it's created a snowbank (so they don't walk there) which is a great windbreak. No matter how much snow we get, there's always a little hollow area for them to stand in. I still have to shovel out the stall doors, but it worked out better than I had expected.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

So while I had worried needlessly about snow coming off that overhang, there was something I hadn't really thought through. I mean, it had occurred to me, but I didn't realize what a challenge it would be to get to my manure pile in the winter! I think that's where I've done the most shoveling.

I also hummed and hawed a lot about insulated their outdoor water trough. That was a moot point since they stopped drinking out of it as soon as things got cold and switched to their heated water buckets. Since the doors are always open when they're out, they just come in when they're thirsty. Easier than maintaining a water trough outside.


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

Acadian We have watched the weather reports and I was wondering how you folks out east are managing and I guess there is still more to come.
Oh how I remember shoveling a a path to the manure pile, have done it many times, but not this year. We have had a remarkable mild winter, more rain than snow, but I'm not complaining.

In the 1970's we had lots of weather like you are having now. I have pictures of my daughter and the dog walking up on the snow to stand on the barn roof, and our road had to be cleared by bulldozers as it was too much for the snowplows to handle. Don't miss it a bit.

Anyway thinking of you out there in the snow. Spring is not too far away.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Woodhaven said:


> Acadian We have watched the weather reports and I was wondering how you folks out east are managing and I guess there is still more to come.
> Oh how I remember shoveling a a path to the manure pile, have done it many times, but not this year. We have had a remarkable mild winter, more rain than snow, but I'm not complaining.
> 
> In the 1970's we had lots of weather like you are having now. I have pictures of my daughter and the dog walking up on the snow to stand on the barn roof, and our road had to be cleared by bulldozers as it was too much for the snowplows to handle. Don't miss it a bit.
> ...


Haha... thanks Woodhaven, but we're doing alright! As I've said before, we know how to deal with lots of snow here. It certainly changes how we do things, and can impede getting around, but where there's a will, there's a way! The barn is nice and cozy and today, I was sweating in the sun wearing my down-filled coat! I guess it must be the adventurous side of me, but I take it as a challenge to go out to tend the horses in the middle of a blizzard! 

Before I got too busy with the horses, I used to paint "en plein air" (outside) year round. In fact, I often painted the most in the winter because I had more free time. I loved going out right after a storm to paint. Again, it posed a few challenges (carrying an easel on snowshoes, dealing with the glare of the snow on a sunny day), but when it went well, it was thrilling! I hope to get out and paint more during trail rides next summer. I won't subject my horses to the deep snow though. 

As long as the power doesn't go out, everything is fine. And even if we do lose power, we're quite self-sufficient. We have the ability to heat our house with wood and a generator to keep some basic appliances running. 

Living here isn't necessarily easy, but it makes you appreciate all the things we often take for granted when you have to work extra hard for them. My kids say that a grilled cheese cooked on a cast iron frying pan over a wood stove taste the best! Also, living here is cheap compared to a lot of other places. There's a reason for that! But it means I get to have a large piece of land, my two horses on my property, and can still afford to build a nice barn. It's a trade-off I'm willing to take!

And really, the horses don't seem to mind too much! Came home this afternoon to find Harley dozing while standing in the sun and Kodak laying in the snow, sleeping like a baby.


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

When there is snow on the ground and the sun is shining and it's not a windy day winter can be nice. You do learn to adapt to conditions;

As I said, we had some years like you are having now and I remember one morning going out to feed the horses and it was extremely windy and blowing snow and on the way back to the house I was walking into this wind and visibility was nil and I missed the house and if I hadn't bumped into the burn barrel which was behind the house about a 100 feet, out in the orchard I might have gotten lost in the storm. I wasn't even on the driveway and didn't know it.
Can understand how in the old days people would string a rope to the barn to avoid something like this happening.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Woodhaven said:


> When there is snow on the ground and the sun is shining and it's not a windy day winter can be nice. You do learn to adapt to conditions;
> 
> As I said, we had some years like you are having now and I remember one morning going out to feed the horses and it was extremely windy and blowing snow and on the way back to the house I was walking into this wind and visibility was nil and I missed the house and if I hadn't bumped into the burn barrel which was behind the house about a 100 feet, out in the orchard I might have gotten lost in the storm. I wasn't even on the driveway and didn't know it.
> Can understand how in the old days people would string a rope to the barn to avoid something like this happening.


Haha, yes! The winter we had two years ago was actually worse than this one. But last winter was mild, so we got a little spoiled. I remember a storm in 1992 when we got over 60 inches of snow dumped all at once. People were digging tunnels to their front door. I didn't have horses then. 

When I went out to the barn for the 7 pm feeding, I had to walk sideways so the wind wouldn't be peppering my face with snow and kept drifting off path. Luckily I had left light on in the barn so I had a beacon. The only thing that guided me back to the house was that when I strayed off my foot trail (which was getting blown back in quickly), I would hit high snowbanks on either side so I went by feel!


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Looks like the horses don't mind the snow too much, they look super relaxed. 
LOL great trail to the manure pile! :lol:


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## weeedlady (Jul 19, 2014)

subbing. Love the snow pictures and hope to learn from your experiences. We will be moving to the Upper Peninsula in about 2 years and taking my horse with us.

Snow will be the major difference between there and where I am now in Ohio. 

Also like your barn, very nice.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

weedlady said:


> subbing. Love the snow pictures and hope to learn from your experiences. We will be moving to the Upper Peninsula in about 2 years and taking my horse with us.
> 
> Snow will be the major difference between there and where I am now in Ohio.
> 
> Also like your barn, very nice.


Wow, that's exciting! You get used to snow. Horses actually like it when it's not too cold. On a sunny winter day, it feels good to them to roll around in it! 

But yes, it means a lot of shoveling. Oh well. At least I won't get too soft! I wouldn't mind having a small hand push snowblower sometimes, but my husband clears most of the area with his tractor and snowblower attachment, so I can't complain too much. 

I do love my barn so thanks! It's a small haven of warmth and coziness in the midst of a winter blizzard. During the storm, I would go in, turn on the radio, and just hang out with the horses who were happily much on their hay, waiting for the weather to pass. I can close it up, but it's usually very open and airy. That means cold, for us humans, but also means the horses breathe clean air. My vet was impressed with how open and well ventilated the barn was! I opted not to insulate it because I didn't want to deal with the condensation that sometimes happen when a barn is closed up too tight. If you insulate, you have to install a ventilation system which I felt was unnecessary in our climate. 

I don't get to ride as much as I'd like of course, because I don't have an indoor arena. Hopefully you will! But I do ride in snow, just not in ice.


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## avjudge (Feb 1, 2011)

Acadianartist said:


> Wow, that's exciting! You get used to snow. . . But yes, it means a lot of shoveling.


When we had horses at my childhood (and retirement-to-be!) home in northern NH (northernmost bit of the White Mountains) we never shoveled that I can remember -- we just packed paths.

Early on when we used the neighbor's barn we dragged in grain bags on sleds -- it's really amazing how easily things slide, though wrestling a 100-lb sack from the car over the snow bank could be a challenge (once on the bank it could flop down the back side onto the sled) -- and the whole winter's hay was in the loft. Then we had a "winter pasture" (all woods) with run-in shed near our house with grain stored in our garage and hay dropped off monthly onto pallets just off the road.

We did just have a barn built (installed? it was one of those Amish modular barns and "built" just doesn't seem to fdescribe it) so we can store the full winter's hay safe & dry when we retire, but I wasn't planning on changing my lazy path-packing style.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

avjudge said:


> When we had horses at my childhood (and retirement-to-be!) home in northern NH (northernmost bit of the White Mountains) we never shoveled that I can remember -- we just packed paths.
> 
> Early on when we used the neighbor's barn we dragged in grain bags on sleds -- it's really amazing how easily things slide, though wrestling a 100-lb sack from the car over the snow bank could be a challenge (once on the bank it could flop down the back side onto the sled) -- and the whole winter's hay was in the loft. Then we had a "winter pasture" (all woods) with run-in shed near our house with grain stored in our garage and hay dropped off monthly onto pallets just off the road.
> 
> We did just have a barn built (installed? it was one of those Amish modular barns and "built" just doesn't seem to fdescribe it) so we can store the full winter's hay safe & dry when we retire, but I wasn't planning on changing my lazy path-packing style.


Paths can be difficult to pack in 5 feet of snow. FYI  But you might not get that much. 

I spent an hour shoveling out my mailbox last night. It was literally buried in snow, right to the top. Snow over my head. We hadn't had mail delivered in a week. 

My barn is about 300 feet from the house and the snow is up to my knees. I had shoveled a path, but high winds blew it all back in. I just fed the horses and every step, sank right back down up to my knees. My footsteps were getting blown back in almost immediately. It's slow-going getting there and coming back. When you have to do it 5 times a day, it gets pretty old. 

Maybe this photo will explain why just "packing paths" doesn't work so well in this kind of snow. Not mine - but taken locally during our last storm. This guy is standing at the foot of the stairs that lead to the front door of his house:


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

So other than having to shovel snow, living in this climate has meant that a lot of things have to be brought inside. I admit, I hadn't realized just how much of my tack room I was just going to have to move into my house. 

I choose to feed my horses hay cubes. This allows me to give them supplements and because I have a horse who tends to cough, I feel the wet texture helps him as opposed to a pelleted feed. I also like to add my own supplements, as per my equine nutritionist's instructions, rather than buy something processed. This way I know what my horses are eating and am not giving them unnecessary sugar or calories. I put a mini-fridge in my tack room so I can wet my hay cubes and let them soak until the next feeding time. This, of course, is not possible in -20 C temperature. So the hay cubes, and all the supplements, as well as my first aid kit, shampoos, sprays and, well, anything liquid, now lives on one side of my basement next to my laundry room. I just let the hay cubes soak, mix in the supplements, and take everything out to the barn, then bring the buckets back in. Coats, boots, hats, mittens, etc. are also kept here for convenience (and to keep the smell confined to this area of the house!).

Speaking of which... they're getting hungry!


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

Would snow shoes help? I keep a pair in the garage in case we get a real down fall of snow (which sure hasn't happened this year) so we can walk out to the barn to feed the cats and also get to the pole barn where the tractor and snow blower is stored.
One year we had some big snows and just walking out to get the tractor was a real challenge, very tiring when the snow is over your waist.


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## Abstang2002 (Feb 16, 2017)

Where i live its HOT in the summer and FREEZING (or below) in the winter. it doesnt always snow. but the cold is ridiculous. I dont mind the cold, i can wear layers, i dont mind the rain, i can go under the roof of the barn, i dont mind the clear skies... but anything over 78 F is just too hot..its like im melting. or im in hell. it just cant deal with it. and it might be me just being dramatic. but the wasps and bot flies are HORRIBLE. So, June, July, and August i am inside, or quickly throwing hay and tacking up. I got bit by a bald faced hornet last summer, hurts like hell XD but i still wouldnt want to live anywhere else, also where i have lived my whole life. and with the exception of those 3 months, its awesome here


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Woodhaven said:


> Would snow shoes help? I keep a pair in the garage in case we get a real down fall of snow (which sure hasn't happened this year) so we can walk out to the barn to feed the cats and also get to the pole barn where the tractor and snow blower is stored.
> One year we had some big snows and just walking out to get the tractor was a real challenge, very tiring when the snow is over your waist.


Yes, I also have my snowshoes in the garage, ready to go! I've worn them a few times. But it's so much easier to just get rid of the snow and be able to walk over. I've snowshoed for miles, have been doing it all my life, but it's tiring when you have short legs (you have to walk with your legs spread out for those who have never had the pleasure!) and it's awkward when you're carrying buckets. Still, in a pinch, yes, it's better than trying to wade through deep snow!


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Abstang2002 said:


> Where i live its HOT in the summer and FREEZING (or below) in the winter. it doesnt always snow. but the cold is ridiculous. I dont mind the cold, i can wear layers, i dont mind the rain, i can go under the roof of the barn, i dont mind the clear skies... but anything over 78 F is just too hot..its like im melting. or im in hell. it just cant deal with it. and it might be me just being dramatic. but the wasps and bot flies are HORRIBLE. So, June, July, and August i am inside, or quickly throwing hay and tacking up. I got bit by a bald faced hornet last summer, hurts like hell XD but i still wouldnt want to live anywhere else, also where i have lived my whole life. and with the exception of those 3 months, its awesome here


I totally get that. I mean, the part where you've lived there your whole life and even though there are times when it's not great, you don't want to live anywhere else. I feel the same way. 

Summers here are not so bad. We do get the occasional hot day, but it rarely gets unbearable. Of course the flies can be annoying. We have deer flies which are very aggressive and the horses hate them. So they tend to flip their day/night schedule so that they are grazing at night and sleeping in their stalls during the hottest, most fly infested part of the day (again, the stall doors stay open so they can come and go as they please). But the temperature always drops enough at night that everyone is happy again. My kids have a pool and every year they beg me to buy a heater because the water never really gets that warm! I just tell them to suck it up, but that gives you an idea of our climate. 

Today was so warm! Even tonight. The temperature is hovering around the freezing mark, which feels amazing! I felt like unzipping my long, down-filled coat tonight. We are starting to feel a difference, like spring might actually happen, oh, I don't know, like three months from now!


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

We got our snowblower back from the shop today and hubby cleared out the paddock for the horses! It's staying warm (right around freezing) and my daughter had her big sleepover birthday party so the timing couldn't have been better. All the girls got on Harley for pony rides. A good day!


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## weeedlady (Jul 19, 2014)

Beautiful sky. What time does is get dark where you are at this time of year? The difference in daylight hours between Ohio and the UP surprises me. I guess I don't realize how far north we will actually be.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

weedlady said:


> Beautiful sky. What time does is get dark where you are at this time of year? The difference in daylight hours between Ohio and the UP surprises me. I guess I don't realize how far north we will actually be.


This time of year it's really dark around 6 pm. Which is awesome. On the shortest day of the year, it's dark around 4:30. That's depressing. So plan on really good lighting in the barn! Nothing worse than a dark barn. I usually turn the lights on around the 4 pm feeding and only turn them out at 9 pm. Oh, and I put up lights around my paddock which doubles as an outdoor riding arena. I used the kind of lights they put around outdoor hockey rinks. They work great!


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

I love those lights you have around the paddock- it looks really festive, almost like torches! Glad the girls had fun.


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

Holy you guys look like you got off easy! :lol: the snow in front of our porch was 4 1/2 feet high, and snowshoeing was impossible with the texture of the snow. The drift in front of the barn door was 8 feet nearly on the money. I'll have to get a picture of it! Our internet has been out since the Sunday night storm. The horses are moaning about having to break a trail to the water, and it took them three days to do it, eventually I had to hop on our tallest horse and make him go through. The snow was so deep in places that our poor pony was over his head. Crazy weather but spring is on it's way!


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

WhattaTroublemaker said:


> Holy you guys look like you got off easy! :lol: the snow in front of our porch was 4 1/2 feet high, and snowshoeing was impossible with the texture of the snow. The drift in front of the barn door was 8 feet nearly on the money. I'll have to get a picture of it! Our internet has been out since the Sunday night storm. The horses are moaning about having to break a trail to the water, and it took them three days to do it, eventually I had to hop on our tallest horse and make him go through. The snow was so deep in places that our poor pony was over his head. Crazy weather but spring is on it's way!


Let's see photos Whatta! We got high drifts in some places, but thankfully not where they were too much of a problem. At the far end of the paddock, the snow is over the horses' heads, but with the snowblower back in commission, they're all gone and it's just a wall of snow along the fence line. Just a few more weeks and we should start to see a difference.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

This is probably the time of year I hate the most. Having a lot of snow and very cold temperatures in January and February is something we expect and have learned to live with. But when mother nature decides to tease us with what looks like an early spring, then throws a bunch of winter weather our way, I get grumpy.

We had a very pleasant warm spell for the last week or so, which meant a lot of melting. I did a lot of shoveling around the paddock, getting rid of some manure that had piled up. We were at the point where we could ALMOST see the ground. And then, overnight (literally), everything froze solid again. Last night's low was around -10 Celcius, with a very strong wind that brought that down to about -20 C last night and this morning. Just a couple of days ago, we were enjoying +10 C and up. The kids were wearing their spring coats and I was sweating while doing chores at the barn. Not this morning though.

So of course, as a result, I have a skating rink in the paddock again. I let the horses out anyway, but put their hay around the entrance of the barn so they don't have to go far. There is a path to the tree in the middle of the paddock that has good footing from me putting down sawdust (bedding), but I don't really want the horses to wander too far off that path. Luckily, they're not interested in doing so either. It's not solid ice this time, just patchy ice, but still. 

The next job will be fixing the fencing. I'm really glad I put a solid board at the top of the paddock fence, because the fences are down all over the place at my daughter's lesson barn. People who just use electric fence without a solid top board struggle with this in the winter. Snow banks mound up and solidify into ice, holding that electrobraid within it. It's pretty well impossible to free it without risking some breakage. Then the snow begins to melt and compact, dragging the rope down with it. Needless to say, there isn't much charge left in the rope either. For me, the only line that is still stuck in snow now is the bottom one, so with the warmer weather heading this way next week, it should be freed.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

I can't wait until May so this snow and ice is all gone. The snow banks on the far side of the paddock are still over 6 feet high so it will take a while. But then, of course, we will have mud, so not sure which is worse. Hoping for a quick thaw and a dry spring! 

Having trouble uploading photos again...


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Wow more snow!


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

PoptartShop said:


> Wow more snow!


Yes, we actually had some pretty heavy snow coming down last night, but it didn't last long. With the wind though, it was a blizzard out there for a bit. Rather miserable, to be honest. Like I said, I can take it in the dead of winter, but when it warms up and everything's melting, then you get thrown right back into winter, it's depressing. Unfortunately, that will be the case until about May or so. If we're lucky. :frown_color:


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## weeedlady (Jul 19, 2014)

We had the same teaser in February and now are back to cold. I agree with you, I'm ready for Spring now.


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## bellagris (Dec 6, 2010)

Where do you live? I am in Central Alberta and it looks like you sure got a lot more snow than us this year!! Love the photos...I have some nice winter shots but I am still trying to figure out how to load them haha....


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

bellagris said:


> Where do you live? I am in Central Alberta and it looks like you sure got a lot more snow than us this year!! Love the photos...I have some nice winter shots but I am still trying to figure out how to load them haha....


Central New Brunswick. And yes, we get a LOT of snow here. It's the maritime climate - more moisture in the air. This winter wasn't so bad. Worse than last winter, but not as bad as two years ago when we got a total accumulated snowfall of 18 feet over the course of the winter. That was a bad winter!


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## bellagris (Dec 6, 2010)

That explains it!! You guys always get hammered. We have some really snowy years, but the last couple have been less. I didn't need hay until December the last 2 years!


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

We've had another spell of brutally cold weather. - 31 Celcius today. I did my lesson, and was fine in the indoor while I was riding, but watching my daughter ride in the next group just about killed me and I had to go sit in my car for a bit to warm up. This is not a heated arena, obviously. 

I got home around 2 pm (I'd left the horses with full haynets in the morning). I found Harley shivering in his stall. The doors are left open so they can come in and out and he was wearing his blanket. There was hay left in the net that I hang on the tree in the middle of the paddock, but it was so windy, the horses wouldn't go out to eat it. Seeing him shiver like that freaked me out. I probably overreacted, but I've never seen him so cold - his whole body was shaking. I immediately threw some hay in his stall, shut the doors to cut the wind, and put his fleece cooler on under his winter blanket. Within about 5 minutes, he'd stopped shivering and was happily munching away on hay, stopping to nuzzle me when I came close. I swear, he was grateful I'd "fixed" the problem. 

Kodak was fine. She wasn't even blanketed and didn't appear cold, but I also gave her hay and filled both water buckets. I left her door open so she could decide to stay in or go out. 

I think part of the problem is that Harley has been shedding like crazy. When he sheds, it tends to come off all at once, and I've been brushing him a lot to try to get rid of the hair. Only, he really needed it today.

The footing is still horrible. There's no way I can even think of riding. I think it's been a month now since we've ridden them. So frustrating. But the drive to the barn is starting to clear so I was thinking I'd take them out on a lead and walk them up and down, do a little groundwork, walk them near the road to work on bombproofing around traffic, things like that. I also want to start working Kodak over some poles to teach her to pick up her feet a little more and get both of them a little more fit so I was thinking of putting some poles out. Kodak was totally new to poles last summer, and was pretty scared of them at first, so if she can practice figuring out how to place her feet, she'll be better able to balance with a rider on her back. The barn driveway is really the only safe place to ride at the moment (the house driveway is paved so I think they would find it too hard). I was talking to a friend who was telling me she hasn't been able to ride her horses since November, so I guess we did pretty well, riding through most of the winter without an indoor. The cold doesn't bother me, but the ice and dense, crusty snow makes riding too risky. 

So if anyone has ideas for ways to exercise and work horses without being able to ride and with only a 25 ft x 80 ft area to use, I'm all ears! Well, eyes...


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Have I mentioned I'm sick of winter. I'm just going to scream in my head now. I feel like I will never be able to ride my horses. Maybe in July???


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## weeedlady (Jul 19, 2014)

I am ready for Spring also. I was supposed to on a trail ride yesterday but it was canceled because of cold temperatures. I was both disappointed and relieved, lol.
soon. Spring will come soon. of course, then it will be too muddy......


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## 4horses (Nov 26, 2012)

Hi from Florida!

Could you send some cold air this way? This year has been the warmest winter on record. For that matter, last year was the hottest summer on record. We are averaging about 85 degrees (high) so far this month. 

We finally had a cold front move through this week. It dropped from 85 degrees to about 25 degrees (low) with a 15 mph wind. Most of my horses have shed their winter coats or are clipped, so I had to blanket everyone. The grass was coming in beautifully and now it is all brown again. That said, we should not have to worry about a hay shortage this year! In another week or two we will have grass again. 

Summers here are miserable. 105 degree heat, high humidity and no wind at all. If you aren't back in the house by 10 am, you are about to heatstroke. It is very very easy to heatstroke in Florida. The heat can kill. It is not the poisonous snakes you need to worry about. The snakes are rarely seen and usually do not bother anyone. Alligators aren't much of a problem either, even though I have seen hundreds of them (literally). 

If you like swimming, Florida is the place to be. We have some of the best springs around, if you don't mind swimming with the alligators. Yes, we do swim with the alligators. As long as they aren't in direct sight.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

4horses said:


> Hi from Florida!
> 
> Could you send some cold air this way? This year has been the warmest winter on record. For that matter, last year was the hottest summer on record. We are averaging about 85 degrees (high) so far this month.
> 
> ...


Yes, it would sure be nice to even things out a little! I can send some cold your way and you can send me some warmth! I'm not a fan of intense heat, so the idea of living in a hot climate doesn't appeal to me, but I do get tired of our long winters. We got another storm a few days ago with even more snow so no riding for a while longer. I tried to pack the snow down so I could ride on it, but it's sheer ice underneath so my ATV kept slipping and then my husband brought the tractor in to help, but got it stuck on the ice too! So frustrating. He had to put the chains on the tires to get it out of the paddock. It's not the amount of snow that's a killer - he can clear that away - it's the freezing and thawing and resulting ice. It will take weeks if not months to melt away. No grass here until at least June. We do grow huge quantities of hay in the summer though, so while our growing season is short, we have loads of hay. We just have to store it. A lot of it actually gets shipped south to destinations that are too dry to grow hay.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

We FINALLY got to ride the horses today! It's been over a month. That's the longest we've gone without riding them since we got them. My daughter and I are keeping up with our riding by doing lessons at a barn with an indoor arena, but Kodak and Harley have gotten terribly out of shape. So we only walked/trotted, and kept it short, but I hope we'll be able to ride them 2-3 times a week for the next while so we can get Harley ready for show season. 

I used my four-wheeler and pasture drag to pack down the snow. It does a great job, but the snow has to be the right consistency for this to work well. There was a lot of ice under the snow, but it got really warm yesterday and that caused the snow to melt a little into the ice, giving traction again. It's not perfect, so I wouldn't let my daughter canter, but it was good enough for a quick ride. Kodak was great! I have had some difficulties with her launching into a canter whenever I ask for the trot, and while she did that the first time, I corrected her immediately and she went back down to the trot and kept it. The next time I asked, she just trotted. I was able to get her to trot at a good pace - not too fast, but with lots of energy. She was bending very nicely and while she was a bit gawky, there were times when she relaxed her head and held it in a nice position. I also worked a lot on indirect reining because she tends to drift or pop her shoulder out. We had some nice energy flowing I think! I can't want to start her over poles. 

Attaching a pic of the paddock after I used the pasture drag. That pasture drag is one of the best investments I have made! I use it a lot. 250$ delivered to my door from Amazon! When you live in the middle of nowhere and you can't buy things like this locally, that's amazing. And I can carry it around by myself (it comes apart in 3 pieces).


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## carshon (Apr 7, 2015)

We have the same pasture drag and I will second your opinion. One of the best things we have ever purchased!


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## Change (Jul 19, 2014)

I don't live in snow country, but I think I want one of those drags to help move compost and fill dirt around!


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Change said:


> I don't live in snow country, but I think I want one of those drags to help move compost and fill dirt around!


They're awesome for leveling the ground on a soft surface! I use them to drag manure around the pasture at the end of the summer. I do try to pick up some of it, but always miss some in deep grass. You can use it with tines up or down and it's so fast and easy! I hate having to ask my husband or anyone else for help, so I love that I can haul this out of the barn, hook it up to my four-wheeler, and drive it around all by myself.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

It's spring! Sort of...


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

The paddock is a mucky mess. Just waiting for the rest of the snow to melt in the pasture and I'm going to rope off a sacrifice area so I can keep the horses away from the paddock for a bit. Some fence repairs need to be done too. This may not look much like spring to most of you, but for us, it's cause to celebrate (with a drink in my favorite glass)!


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

Yay! As long as you can see some spots of the actual ground, it definitely counts as spring in my book :wink:


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## avjudge (Feb 1, 2011)

Acadianartist said:


> The paddock is a mucky mess.


Gotta love mud season . . . :-?

We were/will be so lucky - glacial till (mixed sand/gravel) just doesn't make mud! 

("Were" because 1970s-80s -- "Will" because moving back next month!!!!!! Next winter I'll be able to tell you how our snow compares to yours in real life instead of memory -- though a quick google of some stats after my previous post in this thread indicate that, if you're not at elevation, northern NH gets about 20" less snow per winter than you.)

Anne


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

avjudge said:


> Gotta love mud season . . . :-?
> 
> We were/will be so lucky - glacial till (mixed sand/gravel) just doesn't make mud!
> 
> ...


Hmmmm, well if 20" is an overall total number, that's not a huge difference. The winter of 2014/2015, we had a total snowfall of 18 feet over the entire winter. 18 feet minus 20" is still a lot of snow, LOL. Of course that was a very snowy winter. The winter of 2015/2016 was unbelievably mild, bringing very little snow. This past winter was somewhere in between the two. 

I may end up putting crusher dust in my paddock. Going to let it dry out to see what happens, but it's looking pretty bad. I can't see grass being able to grow in there as long as the horses are in it, and there is still a lot of snow in the pasture, so there's nowhere else to put them. It's all an experiment at this point!


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## avjudge (Feb 1, 2011)

Acadianartist said:


> Hmmmm, well if 20" is an overall total number, that's not a huge difference. The winter of 2014/2015, we had a total snowfall of 18 feet over the entire winter. 18 feet minus 20" is still a lot of snow, LOL. . .


I don't know if you can use 14/15 as standard for anything! Northern NH had a good year (spoken as the daughter of a ski area manager!!!:mrgreen:--that will warp your perception for life) but not out of the ordinary - but Boston, where I'm living now, got _clobbered_. "Only" about 9', but when you have no front lawns for the streets to be plowed into (& don't get any normal-for-the-location melting between storms) that's a big deal. All the big storms that year came up the coast, not in from the west. Of course in our news we only knew what they did up through Maine, and really only up through Portland which is about as far as the news cares about (because, really, who lives beyond Portland? :razz, certainly not beyond the border.

I was wondering, do you often get a lot of wind with your storms? Here on the coast the big storms are northeasters with lots of wind so the snow drifts like crazy. But in northern NH the snow generally just falls, and the blow comes after (under a cold bright blue sky as the high moves in). The snow's already on the ground & it doesn't drift the same way. Makes a big difference trying to get from point A to point B if you have to fight through big drifts vs. a level couple feet of snow.



Acadianartist said:


> I may end up putting crusher dust in my paddock. . .


Sounds like a great idea in your situation. It will save stressing about trying to save or restore grass. I'm seeing what horses do to small grassy areas in spring at my sister's. As teens we kept horses in a completely wooded "pasture" in the winter (and I assume my husband & I will do so again), so there was no grass (to speak of) to trample, and that worked well for us.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

avjudge said:


> I don't know if you can use 14/15 as standard for anything! Northern NH had a good year (spoken as the daughter of a ski area manager!!!:mrgreen:--that will warp your perception for life) but not out of the ordinary - but Boston, where I'm living now, got _clobbered_. "Only" about 9', but when you have no front lawns for the streets to be plowed into (& don't get any normal-for-the-location melting between storms) that's a big deal. All the big storms that year came up the coast, not in from the west. Of course in our news we only knew what they did up through Maine, and really only up through Portland which is about as far as the news cares about (because, really, who lives beyond Portland? :razz, certainly not beyond the border.
> 
> I was wondering, do you often get a lot of wind with your storms? Here on the coast the big storms are northeasters with lots of wind so the snow drifts like crazy. But in northern NH the snow generally just falls, and the blow comes after (under a cold bright blue sky as the high moves in). The snow's already on the ground & it doesn't drift the same way. Makes a big difference trying to get from point A to point B if you have to fight through big drifts vs. a level couple feet of snow.
> 
> ...


You're right 2014/15 was crazy! Still, we do get lots of snow and yes, a lot of drifting! Makes a huge mess. You can clean out the driveway, and a few minutes later, it doesn't look like you did anything. Through sheer luck, the wind kind of circled around my barn where the dutch doors are. I had them build a 10' long overhang that runs all the way across both stalls, so 24' long! The horses love it and it kept the entrances to their stalls free of snow... well, mostly. I think it happened twice that I had to shut the dutch doors on their stalls during the day because there was too much snow blowing in. The snow also fell off the overhang and formed a big snowbank. That worked out well since it provided a nice, sheltered area in front of their stalls. Sheer luck, really, I had no idea what it was going to be like.

Our other big issue in the winter, especially these last few years, is freezing rain. Or rain that changes to sleet, that changes to snow. In a day, we can get it all, along with temperature swings of 20C easily. That means crusts on the snow. We have several layers of them this year. 

So if you have no grass, do you feed hay year round?


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

Where are you from @avjudge? I'm all the way down in the SW corner along the CT river. Didn't know there were other NH folks on the forum!


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## avjudge (Feb 1, 2011)

I'll be returning to Shelburne NH. My parents bought the house there when I was 1 and I have an intense love for the setting so it's always been "home" to me even as I spent years in MA for college & grad school, then 15 years in western CT and now 11 next to Boston.

My sister lurks on this forum but I don't think she's registered - she's in central NH. So @egrogan we talk about you! :wink:

We did have pasture for summer. But it's across the road in the Androscoggin River floodplain so couldn't put the horses there until the ground had settled (it is generally saturated in the winter & the frost expands it so it gets quite punky once thawed until it dries out).

The open land was/is a neighbor's - we also have an intervale lot but ours was allowed to grow up since the '20s or '30s, when the property changed from farming to a home for people in management at the local paper mill. When we get horses we'll have to see if we can lease or buy a strip of the neighbor's field, and if not we'll be doing some clearing (ugh).

The winter "pasture" was on our upland lot - that's the the base of the south slope of the Mahoosuc Range which is where the till dumped by glaciers has not been covered by mud dropped by the river, hence much drier soil.

The only digital photo I have that gives a good feel for the setting is a scan of a photo from the '40s or '50s that came with the house! It's taken from the neighbor's field, which is still open today as it was in this shot. Our intervale lot is not in front of the house, but off to the left of this shot. 

Looking at this picture and another I have taken closer, _wow _have the trees grown up since then behind & beside the house. I'm sure if there were a shot pointing left of this one, so it showed our "field," I'd be even more shocked by how close to open land it still was then. But, that's what trees do, given a good part of a century to do their thing.

Anne


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## avjudge (Feb 1, 2011)

And as for drifting, in Shelburne it happens after the storm - you can see the field in the photo looks pretty windblown - so it will fill in footprints and drift some into the cleared driveway, but the blowing snow is just a bit of the top layer, nothing like what I see here in Somerville where it blows while the snow is still in the air. I have a carriage house with large hinged double doors (like a carriage house should have! ) which don't fit tight (that part's not so great), and after a snowy nor'easter I'll have snow forced around the doors, a good sized drift a couple feet inside, and some amount of snow blown all the way to the back of the carriage house - 15' back! And the cracks are not that big!


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

Gorgeous photo @avjudge!

I hope I represent our state well :wink:


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Yes, very cool photo! How neat to be going back there!




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