After having had snow on the ground for four weeks accompanied by continuous sub zero temperatures for days on end, the end finally appears to have arrived together with the rain!  The centre has been open for ‘business as usual’ almost every day throughout the cold snap and we have used over two tonnes of salt to maintain this situation.  Staff have been collected where necessary over the worst days and then taken home when the work was done – many thanks to all of our dedicated staff and of course Beccy’s truck.

Now the frost is out of the ground and the snow has melted into already wet fields, we are seeing signs of trampling.  The track up the gallops has certainly helped and we have stoned one very wet and busy gateway area. We have not been able to do any more due to the conditions over the last ten weeks.  A strict minimal grazing and exercise plan has been set up to protect the pastures and this is being monitored daily.

We have fitted an extra two lights to the Outdoor Arena which have made a great difference. We have been able to use it more regularly although the freezing conditions (including wind-chill factors due to its position) have been quite challenging lately.

All of this in stark comparison to the photos of September 2009 – when we were baling the straw that the horses are snuggling into now, planting wheat with the dust flying and all of us running around in shorts and T-shirts.  The outdoor arena was so dry that we had to spray water on it every other day from our vacuum tanker.  All of this just three months ago, in which we have had 65 days of rain out of 80 and the worst snow and ice since the 80’s!  Roll on the Spring.

More images from the winter snow.