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 Born not Made
Posts: 2931
   
Location: North Dakota | Pull shoes. My horses are pastures 24/7 and never stalled, so that doesn't change in the winter.
I always go out Saturday and Sunday to pick off the ice balls. It's hard for me during the week because I board and I work until well after dark but I try to get out at least once during the week and pick off ice balls.
If it is safe to ride (not too horribly icy) and a decent temp (aka not a blizzard), then I'll ride on the weekends. |
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 I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3310
Location: Jersey Girl | Mine are out. Shoes will be coming off in about 2 weeks. Snowed here today but will be gone by tomorrow once the rain comes. |
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 Ace Ventura Pet Detective
Posts: 2409
Location: Wisconsin | My Candyarses are all in every night around 7 til 7 in the morning...however now are only let out from noon to 6 and they are DEMANDING to get back in! lol  |
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Meanest Teacher!!!
Posts: 8552
Location: sunny california | mine are a bunch of babies. they had snow balled up so I had to lock them up and could not get it chipped out. had to dip their hooves in a bucket of water and chip away (dip and chip LOL) they actually lifted their feet as I got to the next one like ya good idea hurry up. |
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  More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
Location: Riding Crackhead. | kwanatha - 2013-12-08 8:18 PM mine are a bunch of babies. they had snow balled up so I had to lock them up and could not get it chipped out. had to dip their hooves in a bucket of water and chip away (dip and chip LOL) they actually lifted their feet as I got to the next one like ya good idea hurry up.
Hammer and screwdriver. |
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Meanest Teacher!!!
Posts: 8552
Location: sunny california | CYA Ranch - 2013-12-08 7:13 PM kwanatha - 2013-12-08 8:18 PM mine are a bunch of babies. they had snow balled up so I had to lock them up and could not get it chipped out. had to dip their hooves in a bucket of water and chip away (dip and chip LOL) they actually lifted their feet as I got to the next one like ya good idea hurry up. Hammer and screwdriver.
it actually came right out with very little work and only a hoof pick this way! it was funny because some of the horses are not very coroporative but they all gladly stuck their foot in the water and let me work with no sas! my husband laughed and thought gee they are so smart they know we are helping them  |
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More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
Location: Riding Crackhead. | kwanatha - 2013-12-08 9:24 PM CYA Ranch - 2013-12-08 7:13 PM kwanatha - 2013-12-08 8:18 PM mine are a bunch of babies. they had snow balled up so I had to lock them up and could not get it chipped out. had to dip their hooves in a bucket of water and chip away (dip and chip LOL) they actually lifted their feet as I got to the next one like ya good idea hurry up. Hammer and screwdriver.
It hurts when the balls get too big. Mine will pick up their feet for me too, they know exactly what I'm doing. I carry a hammer and screw driver in my pocket all winter. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 600
Location: Oklahoma & Texas | My pampered horses are in an insulated barn...they get all the hay they can eat and normal grain and alfalfa rations.. deep shavings and I have hot and cold water in the barn so they get buckets of warm water so I dont have to break ice and it encourages them to drink...I only blanket when its colder than 20 degrees since the barn is insulated it stays a comfortable temp in there ...I know they are spoiled but I can't see letting them stand out in it when the barn is here for them... mine are turned out during the day and brought in at night normally but with this ice storm we just had they've been in since Thursday night... my stalls are 15 x 20 though so they have room to move..im sure they'll be ready to get out tomorrow.... |
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 Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
Location: Kansas | Mine are outside with 4 sheds that the 5 of them can get in. I do have two bullies that only allow others in the shed with them part of the time, so we make sure they have enough sheds that Chance & Joker can't hog them all. I have two with shoes on and I'll be going out regularly to pick ice/snow balls I'm sure. We don't have any permanent stalls so if we have to confine one, it's an extra headache for us. I got home from Tulsa last night and I heard one of them rolling in the snow so they obviously don't mind it. Of course those two are still blanketed from being gone all weekend. |
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 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| My horses are out. We put them in Friday night because Saturday morning was opening day of Shotgun deer season. Needless to say, they weren't impressed and wanted out! We let them out well after daylight. They don't have shoes, so that makes life easier. |
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 I Don't Brag
Posts: 6960
| Where you are at, I'd keep them locked up until the ground clears.
I live in the frozen North and the horses that are being used get shoes with light borium and snow pads at least in the front and one mare is shod all the way around. They are turned out with access to my small indoor arena (more like a giant run in shed). If the weather gets really terrible then I lock a couple of the chickenhearted in large "stalls" so that they don't get picked on, and the rest get the run of the arena with the doors shut.
A word of caution. A few years ago we got about an inch of ice and it remained the base until March. One of my barefoot horses slipped on the ice and pulled a stifle, so barefoot may not lead to ice balls but they can still slip pretty easily. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1367
Location: mi | I HATE the ice. and several of mine do too. I have one mare that totally panics if she hits a patch of ice. Her and I were skating in and out of the barn last year me on the end of the lead just trying to get her to slow down. I will keep them in for ice. But my pastures are small, more like dry lots or turn outs and I will be out with a bucket of rock salt hitting the big patches getting it to bust up so they can go out. It works, if it doesn't cut all the way through the ice it at least makes it bumpy so its not just a big sheet and they might get a moment of traction if necessary. Other wise mine are out all day in all night. No blankets. We have no shelters or wind breaks so they just come in if the weather is questionable. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1432
Location: Never in one place long | WHen I lived in Michigan just pulled shoes and sprayed Pam cooking spray on their hooves after picking them out daily. I really never stall them, they handle it fine and usually stand in their stall all day of their own accord but don't HAVE to. In KS it's easier now because the weather tends to be much milder, I leave shoes on year round on the ones I'm competing on year round. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1100
Location: Southeastern Idaho | Just chipped snowballs out of the pony's feet this morning. :) She hates that. Hammer and a screwdriver work great, I keep them with me when doing chores. Always barefoot in the winter around here. All the horses are turned out with a round bale in the feeder and automatic BAR BAR A (not heated) automatic water. Sometimes that dude freezes when we have lots of wind along with our below zero temps. It was 13 below this morning but no wind...water is still working so crossing my fingers it makes it through this cold spell. |
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