Tag Archives: rugs

My Winter Horse Keeping Method

1 Reply

The old folk – that is Haakon, Kolka, Iacs, Vitamin and Fivla – are doing well.  They live at the bottom of a rather steep and slippery hill in the field that is inside the track.

This field hasn’t been grazed for two years and is a naturally sheltered valley too, so they can get out of the wind if they want.

Everyone is wearing a rug and the difference has been huge in so many ways.

No one is miserable, shivering or cold.  They just eat, most of the time or rest.

So far, they have kept their weight on and I am very pleased about that – weight maintenance in winter is a constant worry.  The field is holding up well too and hopefully we will get a few more weeks out of it before I move them again.  I don’t want to over-graze as I think it will be useful again next winter.

Keeping everyone outside as much as possible has meant the old horses and ponies are much healthier and “normal”, if you know what I mean. Yes, there is the routine of breakfast but no one is hanging around after looking miserable and wanting to come inside (unless it is beyond vile and then obviously they’re in).  When it rains, I don’t worry.  Their state-of-the-art high neck rugs (and am buying for the old ladies and Tiddles too) are doing the job perfectly and mentally, I think I can see a huge positive change because no one is struggling.

I have decided that this is the best way to keep them in the winter.  Loads of food and good rugs, preferably with high necks (that makes such a difference). The minute anyone can’t cope with this regimen and just wants to be inside all the time, then I will just have to think again.  But, for the time being, it is working.

Anywho, today’s ouvrage!

To join les autres.

My Obsession

3 Replies

As some of you may already know, I like to obsess.

My current obsession is rugs.  Today we swapped all the Shetland ponies’ (Vitamin, Fivla and Tiddles) rugs for dry rugs and I thought to myself that if I hadn’t got Floss with me, it would’ve been very hard work.  The ponies’ rugs were wet through and I don’t like that. So much for waterproof.

Meanwhile all the Icelandics were totally dry underneath their rugs. They are wearing very expensive Rambo high neck 0g turnout rugs.

My back is not getting better. In fact, I can now add brachyalgia (arm “sciatica”) to my list.  I need my life to be easier. I can’t keep nipping out to change rugs because the old horses/ponies and Tiddles are soaked through.  I need to know that the rugs they have on are keeping them 100% dry so they can keep warm and I won’t worry.

I told this to Tiddles and he agreed.

Tiddles is good with rugs.  He does his very best and  I honestly think it is the way forward for him in winter – he has equine metabolic syndrome. Think Type II diabetes.

(and there’s nothing wrong with Newt, though he would love a “dressing gown”)

Pretty please (sorry, no my little fat boy).

Tiddles’ rug is not ideal – I like high necks too.  Tiddles gets wet shoulders.

A high neck allows for freedom and just that extra bit of protection.  I am not a fan of full necks.

So I costed the rugs I want to buy for Fivla, Vitamin and Tiddles and it came to over £1,000 (two rugs each – 0g and 100g high neck Rambo).

And the thing is, and I know this sounds awful but realistic, but what if Fivla and Vitamin don’t make it to winter – they are very, very ancient……. and every day is extra.

Feeling a little sick and wondering what to do, I went into my shed and made another sheep.

Playing Rugs

1 Reply

I spent a good part of my  morning in the rain looking at Haakon’s and Kolka’s rugs.  I was trying to find out exactly what weight they are.  I already knew the size – 5′ 9″.

I found some labels and took photos in case they would give me the information. I couldn’t see anything, though.

For us, Rambo rugs are the best brand.  I like everything about them – their fit, they stay on in a gale, their waterproofness, and they are very hard-wearing too.  I truly believe with rugs that you get what you pay for (I have been stung before).

I also like the high neck fit.  This is Haakon’s.  He is very comfortable in it.

At present, Iacs doesn’t have one that fits. So he is in an older- style Rambo with no high neck.

It is not ideal but it is functional, despite the patching.

Kolka is also wearing the same high-neck version as Haakon but…..

…. it is a size too small for her (her other rug wasn’t the best so we stuffed her into this one for the time being while I did the research).

My current plan is for them all to have high-neck Rambo rugs so they can spend their winters outside, warm and coping well.  Once indoors, I scoured the internet and have just bought the last (possibly in the world) 5′ 9″ high neck 200g Rambo rug (under £200) and it will be for Kolka. Then I will try her rug on Iacs and see if it fits him better. He always was a size smaller than Haakon and Kolka but this year appears to have somehow become bigger so now all his rugs don’t fit him anymore *** sigh ***.  Typical Iacs. Always different.  He played with my walking stick as if that makes anything better.

Snow Here (Again)

4 Replies

We woke up to snow…. again.  Ugh.  I’m not a fan.

Also, we found Iacs had managed to get stuck in the not-working electric fence.  From the look of it, he had only been there a few minutes from when he saw us arriving with our buckets.  We lifted his legs out and I led him by his chin hairs back through the gate and gave him his breakfast.  At least Iacs never panics.  Just stands there looking hopeful or embarrassed.

The little ones had long finished their breakfast and raced down to gaze longingly at everyone else eating their’s.  I told them they could always go back onto the track again if they wanted.  They said no thank you.

The rugs are proving a great success.  No one feels cold or wet underneath and they seem pretty oblivious to the bad weather with them on.

And, luckily, there’s not enough snow to actually stop anyone from eating.

Currently, I am liking the high-necked rug on Haakon best and thinking of increasing my extensive (yes, it may well be an addiction) rug library by getting some high-necked rugs for Iacs and Kolka too.

They don’t make high-neck rugs for ponies that I can find, much to Fivla’s disgust.  I don’t like full-necks, though.

So that’s us at the moment.  Daisy and OH are doing all the lugging while I flit about doing sheep and ducks/hens.  We may give in tomorrow, depending on how it looks, and get everyone inside (again). I am trying hard to hold off on that decision as much as I can as that is actually the kiss of death for my back.

Hopefully the snow won’t stay long.  Please.

Rugs and Moving Fields

2 Replies

These days, it’s a toss-up as to what and how much I can do.

But, as ever with my back, every day is a new oneand the pain is never the same (when it stays the same, I begin to panic). When I wake up in the morning, I can usually gauge my potential achievement level. Last night, I had definitely overdone things but today my back had forgiven me.

This is the last day before the gale, rain and possible snow arrive so Floss and I changed the rugs to thick ones on the old horses and ponies. Then Floss went to work and I went off to throw celery stalks at the Shetland ponies. I could see their field was not looking its best anymore and they were all a bit depressed. I hate that for them.

So I made a decision. I put a nice rug on Tiddles (ok, he’s wet but I can’t dry him and it is better than nothing), and then led him through the inter-connecting gate to the last field the old horses/ponies had been living in. They all dutifully followed. In this field, there is more shelter as it is in a valley with lots of very high dry-stone walls. There is also a bit more grazing. Nothing special, but it will do. The ponies were thrilled and I was left feeling that I had made a good decision. They will be alright in the next gale and I don’t have to worry about anyone now.

Then I went inside to work on the Diaries and I had some help. The head torch is to help me see the teensy tiny writing of August 1947. The help was very licky. Yuk!