Consequences of the Polar Vortex

Last I left off, we were trundling through the cold temperatures just fine. I felt guilty about putting the heavier blanket on Gwyn and switched it for the sheet for the worst of the temperature drops. I don't clip her at this point in the season so I feel like I could do more harm by blanketing than not. Anyway. Keeping a horse at home is like a constant series of self doubt regarding your decision making for the health of your horse because you've got no one to blame but yourself. 

Friday Jan 25

 In preparation for the snow storm, and in anticipation that the horses wouldn't want to voluntarily leave their stalls, I pulled out my square bale hay net and stuck a full bale in Gwyn's stall (and eventually outside). She was a big fan of it and each time I checked on them they would always have hay. It made me feel better since I know that grazing is the best way to keep them warm and this was a slow feed tiny hole hay net.

Monday Jan 28

 The snow arrived Monday afternoon. I went into work against my better judgement because I had a client that always sends samples every monday that I wanted to get done. I left early as reports were the roads were terrible. And they were.

I tossed some hay into the run just to get Gwyn out of my hair while I cleaned her stall

As suspected, the horses pretty much got out into the wind and went "NOPE" and hustled back to their stalls. They had the option to go anywhere in the pasture and footprints tell the whole story, lol

Tuesday Jan 29

 Eric tried to go to work on Tuesday but got the Volt stuck in the drifts on the driveway. He pretty much gave up on working on location for the rest of the week, especially once other events happened later. His work told him to work from home anyway.

On tuesday, I opted to stay home. Our roads are notorious for not being cleared as well as the ones closer to metro Detroit. When one of our friends (who did try to get to work) reported that he had slowly spun out and landed in the opposing lane of traffic despite not going fast, I knew I was staying home. Sorry, not sorry, coworkers.

This meant I got to watch the horses cavorting in the snow, since the wind had died down and it was no longer snowing heavily.

Keep the volume down, there's children shrieking in the background.

The polar vortex was imminent. I bundled up to leave the house for chores.

Tuesday night was going to be the worst so far as windchill went. I loaded up their water and hay, with lots of extra loose hay and shut the stall doors. 

Saffron was NOT amused. She wanted to hang out in the barn aisle, not her stall.

Best Spouse (TM) had hot tea waiting for me when I came inside.

Fri Feb 1

 Thursday was another cold night but I left the barn open. It wasn't going to be as bad, more just plain cold temperatures rather than cold + wind. Again, lots of hay. On Friday I pulled off Gwyn's rain sheet as the temperatures were going to shoot up. Friday was mid teens but positive and felt amazing. Gwyn was fat, shiny and happy under her sheet.

Evidence of wind: Snow drifts over a foot deep

Saturday Feb 2

 Temperatures rose above freezing on Saturday. When I went out to check the barn, I immediately stepped into ankle deep water. Water was everywhere. Gwyn's stall was totally flooded, ruining all of the bedding I'd had in there for the temperature drop.

Thankfully all of my hay was on high enough ground.

Sunday Feb 3

 I took advantage of a second day of abnormally warm temperatures to pick up all the poop that had frozen to the ground during the temperature drop. The stalls I left alone except to pile the wasted bedding into one big mound to better facilitate water drainage.

Nosy mare

Meanwhile, Eric brought out our aquaponics pump and rigged it for the pond of water in the barn. It worked!

It just doesn't have anywhere to go thanks to the frozen ground

 He did figure out part of the culprit was a rodent hole at the back of my grooming/storage stall. The water was coming in from off the hill and since it couldn't drain well, it was just backing up into the barn. We will be fixing that hole asap. I also want to regrade around the barn, trouble is we don't have a lot of elevation change to work with to facilitate drainage.

Now this evening the water has receded significantly from 24 hours previous. We're supposed to get rain tomorrow.  -.- 

Gwyn's stall

In front of Gwyn's stall

Grooming/Storage no longer under water! 

Saffron's stall

Entry

My grain room has remained dry. My hay is dry. There is dry land for the horses to stand on so they don't get horridly thrushy. I hung Gwyn's hay in a dry spot outside since the weather is mild.

We will get through this. I wish it had just stayed cold. :/