Visiting horses in the snow

It is not possible for us to drive up to visit the horses when there is snow on the ground.  It takes a 4 x 4 to get up Wenallt Hill and into the lane, and our van is only an ordinary front-wheel-drive vehicle.  So we get as far as we can and walk the rest.  If time is not tight, this is actually most enjoyable.  It is always possible to wrap up against the cold.

The horses are doing fine in the snow.  I am lucky in that Dee will come to the gate on the lane when I call her, even if she is out of sight in the second field.  She knows I will have a feed with me, so why would she not come if she can hear me!

She is certainly more tolerant of certain horses being near her when she is feeding.  Last time it was a piebald that she was content to have also standing at the gate while she consumed her feed.

The snow has mostly gone over the last couple of days and we have had rain rather than snow, so hopefully we will be able to drive into Briwnant again.

Surviving the Winter

A ride returning in the snow.

This winter has been remarkably mild and we had not really even had an overnight frost until January.  Consequently the horses are still finding some forage, and this, supplemented by good hay, is keeping them all looking round and well.  Dee is doing particularly well and has a beautifully glossy coat and has kept a good weight.  Her mane in particular is looking thicker and glossier than I have ever seen.

On Saturday the weather suddenly turned seasonal and we dashed up to Briwnant in case it would prove difficult to get there again for a few days.  Dee was in a stable having a feed of haylage, but was happy to accept a feed from us as well . . . of course.  We added an under-rug to her winter turn-out rug as it was so cold.

Red was also there and happy to be given treats.

Then surprisingly, the snow turned to rain later in the day and was all gone by the following morning.  Perhaps that is the sum total of our winter weather this year . . . or perhaps there is more to come.

What took you so long?

The horses are spending most of the day in the hay fields at the moment.  They come up for hay and feed morning and evening and then wend their way back down.  The hay fields—as the name suggests—are usually left fallow for hay and the horses are not permitted to graze there.  However the grass was still quite long there by the time the snow arrived and they are finding a lot of grazing by scraping away the snow.

On Monday we arrived at the stables early in the afternoon and the herd was still in the bottom fields.  We plodded down through the snow as far a the stream which was one field away from the herd.  We called to Dee hoping she would come to call.  Red was out on a hack and not with the herd.  At first there was no response and then gradually horses started to appear.  At first they walked towards the stream, then they began to trot, and then—in groups of twos and threes—they cantered through the stream and galloped full pelt up the fields through the snow.  Their enjoyment of racing through the snow was evident.

Dee glanced at us as she splashed through the stream, but galloped up the field with the rest of them.  We then plodded back up the fields through the snow.  Dee was waiting for us by the arena.  The expression on her face seemed to say 'what took you so long?'

She is looking great.  She was a little lame last week but it has quickly cleared up.  I think she had just twisted a leg on the uneven ground.  I'm really pleased with her new rug.  It stays in place and she looks warm, dry and comfortable.

We have had an unusual amount of snow in Wales this month.  It has stuck around for two weeks.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and I wish you a healthy and happy 2011.