PREPARING FOR WINTER - OCTOBER 2017

It’s getting to that time of year again! I don’t know about you guys but I’ve spent the past few weeks either freezing cold or boiling hot, I can’t seem to figure out what to wear, or get my layers right.

So with winter fast approaching I thought I’d share with you a few of my favourite products and tips that help me through the long winter months and to make sure that the yard, horse and myself are ready to take on winter.

For the yard and horses
• This is the time if you haven’t already to get your rugs sent off to be washed, repaired and reproofed. Get them bagged up or hung up and organised, make sure you know which rug belongs to who and whether stable or turnout to make your life easier when you need them.
• Get your clipper blades sent off for sharpening and clippers serviced if needed. Stock up on clipper oil and check your circuit breakers and extension leads are in good working order before you need to use them.
• If you’ve got an elderly horse or pony or one you know doesn’t winter well, start thinking about their nutrition, do you need to change/up feeds. Speak to a nutritionist if you are unsure. All of our horses are fed by a leading feed company and are in tip top shape and condition, their expertise are brilliant and they will come to your yard to discuss dietary requirements and feed options. 
They come out to us regularly with the weigh bridge and discuss any feeding concerns we may have and recommend any changes for each horse. Also think about added nutrition such as salt licks to help if the horses have reduced turnout so won’t be getting the vitamins and minerals they normally would. A personal favourite of mine is the Protexin gut lix, our horses absolutely love them and they are jam packed with all the extra vitamins, minerals and nutrients they need.
• Make sure your taps are all insulated properly, to hopefully help to prevent them from freezing.
• Check all of your lights are working and no bulbs need replacing. Have torches in a convenient place in case of power cuts.
• Make sure you’ve got a good supply of grit/salt should it snow or be icy. So many times I’ve fallen over on the ice and come home covered in bruises.
• Book any routine vet checks to make sure the horses are all in peak health ready for any inclement weather.
• Order your wormers ready for late autumn/ early winter.
• Make sure you’ve got plans in place for Bonfire Night and New Year’s Eve when a lot of fireworks displays will be going on. Look on local websites, newspapers, social media and check for planned displays. It’s also a good idea if you have neighbours close by to check if they are planning on letting any off. If you have horses living out do you need to bring them in? If you have a nervous horse that may get worked up easily, does he/she need any sedation or calmers?
• If I you know there’s a particularly bad patch of weather due then make sure you’ve got enough hay, feed and bedding in stock.
• If the horses are unable to be turned out or will have reduced turnout, make sure you’ve got something to keep them occupied while stabled for longer, such as licks, treat balls, vita munch, jolly ball and anything else that might entertain them.
• If horses are stabled more be sure to keep on top of skipping out throughout the day, it will make mucking out the next day much easier.
• Be organised, have containers of water filled up and if you know it’s going to freeze grit the night before you leave. If you can leave a heater on low in the tack room to prevent tack going damp and mouldy, make up any hay nets, feeds etc and do as much as possible in day light.

Once you’ve got the yard and the horses all ready and organised make sure you don’t forget about yourself!

• If you haven’t had to use them at all over the summer (if you haven’t you don’t live in England) then dig out your wellies, check for any holes or leaks and invest in a new pair if needed. Personally I hate having wet feet and sporting the plastic bag on your feet look isn’t the most stylish or practical, although I’m sure we’ve all been there at some point! 
My favourite wellies are Le Chameau as they are neoprene lined and keep my feet nice and toasty. I also have some short ugg fleece lined yard/work boots which are my absolute favourites for winter. I appreciate both of these pairs of boots are not cheap but they last for years, I’ve had my currant pair of wellies for 4 years and my Ugg ones for 3 years and they are still going strong. 
• Get a couple of sets of good quality thermal base layers. I suffer from chillblains on my thighs so rely on these in the winter.
• Winter breeches are a must if you do a lot of riding, as riding in waterproof over trousers can be a bit slippery and hazardous.
• Check that your coats and waterproof over trousers are all in good repair and that they are actually waterproof, if not either get them reproofed or invest in new ones.
• Some good winter gloves are a must. I have ones for riding that are less bulky, I like the winter ones for riding and then seal skinz ones for around the yard.
• A good woolly hat or ear warmers are high on my list of winter must haves. The cold weather can cause earache or chillblains on the ears so I always make sure I keep mine nice and toasty.
• Good winter socks are a must have, no one wants cold feet especially when you get off a horse onto concrete.
• Make sure you’ve got good layering clothes, rather than having a really thick jumper and coat, wear thinner layers you can add to or remove as needed.

As much as winter always seems like such a drag, I do love the crisp dry weather. We get stunning sun rises and sun sets where we are so that makes the early mornings more bearable, and who doesn’t love to build a snowman or make a snow angels! 
So hopefully you’ve found some of my tips useful and please do share any handy hints you might have and together we will make it to spring in frozen!

Don’t forget if you are a BGA member you can get discounts from our wonderful supporters on many of the products Kate has mentioned. Log in to your account to get your discount codes.

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