Winter woes
This season’s stable management challenges, solved
Words: Kiera Boyle.
Photos: Jon Stroud
Now that winter is very much afoot, it’s time again for chilly temperatures, freezing toes and muddy horses. But before you despair, H&R has collated some steadfast solutions, tricks of the trade and handy yard hacks to help you tackle the day-to-day troubles that are zeitgeists of winter for us equestrians. Let’s get started.
Deep freeze
Problem: Frozen taps, water troughs and icy yards
Solutions...
• put a tennis ball in water buckets and troughs Floating a ball on top of the water’s surface will help prevent ice from building up and freezing over, ensuring your horse always has access to water during the night
• insulate taps To help prevent freezing, you can upcycle a range of materials to wrap around taps, including newspaper, old towels, bubble wrap or foam insulating tubes. It’s important to do this before temperatures drop