"Once in a generation" polar vortex

[Alterration]

From -30 with windchills to 60 this week. With the windchills ours stayed in, but mostly because I couldn’t supply water to them outside. My stock tanks were frozen solid with a foot-18" of ice (too far from electrical to put in tank heaters).

The heated buckets were fabulous and I’m glad I followed my instincts and bought them this year. Typically our barn stays super cozy, but it just couldn’t keep up with the sustained cold. I also put snow pads on, which we don’t typically need in our region. I just had this weird feeling that it was going to get very cold and snowy this year.

[OverandOnward]

Our near term forecast has “colder” weather next week – meaning, highs in the 60’s. When it’s like that and dry, this is the best time of year in this climate.

I’m following the forecast on two weather apps. I actually have 4 weather apps on my phone (have ditched a few other apps such as financial and social so that I can retain these). But the other 2 are more for summer humidity and hurricane season.

BUT – I have an unscientific, unverified feeling that before the end of February we are due for another “polar vortex” (or as we used to say, a Blue Norther). For some reason I think this occasional prolonged hard freeze is a new weather pattern for this region.

Because two years ago we had the “snowmageddon” “once in a generation” hard-long freeze event. Once is an event. Twice is either a coincidence or a new pattern. If it does happen a third time, that will confirm a new weather pattern to plan for the future, as far as I’m concerned.

As some of the permanent flora dies off for good after these freezes, I intend to make any replacements more hardy to the hard freezes that I anticipate will come over the next years.

[millerra]

Your issue is exactly what I struggle with. Going from -20 to 50 and working seems too great of a temp extreme for the horses to me and heated (warm) barns up here tend to reek of urine/ammonia.

My horses have a barn but live out about 20 hours a day. Heating a barn wouldn’t be cost effective . Clearly they adapt to the colder temps. I have yet to find one shivering - even when it’s -20. They do have a great run in shed and an all-you-can-eat hay buffet.

But I also want to ride in the winter… So I have an infrared heater over the top of my grooming area and a heat lamp for warming bits. I am considering spray insulation for the arena and a couple of blower heaters for the indoor that I can turn on just to warm it up slightly and make the wind chill riding not so bad (yes, there is a wind chill while riding, even in an indoor, if it’s cold enough). Some winters, it’s honestly not too bad. Other years, by the end of February, I’m ready to cry.

[written as a reply to Crackerjack]

[Small_Change]

The biggest problem with cold, cold weather and riding (spoken is an Ontarioan) is not necessarily keeping skin warm, but protecting the lungs of both horse and rider when working. The horses especially, probably because of the huge volumes of air that they move while working (which doesn’t get warmed before hitting the lungs), can easily damage lung tissue in very cold weather. The same thing can happen with their riders. Heating an arena isn’t about creature comfort, it is literally about preventing lung injury if you want to keep your horse in work year round. There is lots of literature out there to support this, and even evidence that working in very cold weather can double the risk of pulmonary hemorrhage.

Our arena is not heated or insulated, so I limit what the horses do in there to just walking when it is below -15C or so.

[Renn_aissance]

Well, 10 days ago it was -20 and today I just washed two of my horse’s blankets because he won’t need them all week, the overnight lows being forecast to be in the 50’s.

We have several leaving for FL at the end of the week, so I’m happy they can all get clipped without being miserable.

However… the last time we had a 70-degree day in December, we got 3 feet of snow in one night in February. Can I put myself up on the sign-up sheet to avoid that, please? I didn’t like it, it wasn’t fun, and my farrier doesn’t think we ought to do snow pads this year.

[lenapesadie]

Similar weather and thoughts here for me too!

I’m fairly sure my lemon tree is toast. A satsuma tree would be hardier. I don’t particularly care for satsumas so maybe blueberry bushes would be a better replacement.

I’ve got my eye on a few accessories for the barn to help mitigate these cold snaps.

It hit 82 today. The weather swings are tough on the horses. I may do some body clipping next year to help them handle the heat waves and buy more blankets for the cold snaps. I never thought I would need legit heavyweight blankets but I’ve had to layer turnouts one too many times.

[OverandOnward]

@lenapesadie

It hit 82 today. The weather swings are tough on the horses. I may do some body clipping next year to help them handle the heat waves and buy more blankets for the cold snaps. I never thought I would need legit heavyweight blankets but I’ve had to layer turnouts one too many times.

Yes! I do think the temp swings wear on the horses.

I wonder if it is almost worse for them when they are in a fairly temperate climate like this one and it suddenly goes to a hard cold front, than if the temp patterns are fairly consistent. When I lived in Colorado the horses did well in winter when they got consistent care appropriate to the weather.

[lenapesadie]

It is hard especially when I’m not prepared for this weather!

I dunno if I would be as adaptable as the horses!

[SusanO]

I think my key lime trees are toast. They were in the barn feedroom and I did run a space heater when I was down working in the barn. I wasn’t leaving it on when I was not there. All their leaves turned brown. My orange and lemon trees look to be fine if traumatized. It has been 75 the last few days and my horses are HOT. They didn’t like 12 but they don’t care for 75 and humid either in winter coats. I hope it doesn’t stay warm and then have a late freeze and mess up my blueberry crop.

[lenapesadie]

Were your lemon trees outside? Any protections?

My lemon tree is planted in the ground and pretty big / mature. It’s leaves are all wilted

[clanter]

@SusanO

It has been 75 the last few days and my horses are HOT.

been a little warmer here, have had to put the horses in their stalls under their fans set at lower speed than summer’s settings

[SusanO]

All of my citrus trees are in pots. I think satsumas are the only kind of citrus that are cold hardy enough for winters here planted in the ground. Petals from the Past south of me has citrus planted in the ground but they are in a heated greenhouse. But even satsumas don’t take 12 degree weather. Limes are the least cold hardy.

[Renn_aissance]

@SusanO

It has been 75 the last few days and my horses are HOT. They didn’t like 12 but they don’t care for 75 and humid either in winter coats.

I have an Irish Yak and he would really like to be clipped this week, like his friends going down to Florida. The only problem with that idea is that it actually is January…

So he’s solving this by rolling in the nice cool mud in the shade of the run-in shed, which of course is absolutely foul. I’m doing a lot of scrubbing.

[OverandOnward]

@Renn_aissance

I have an Irish Yak and he would really like to be clipped this week, like his friends going down to Florida. The only problem with that idea is that it actually is January…

This is the thing! The horses are all out there sweating lightly, looking for a breeze – a lot like summer. This warm weather is forecast for at least another week. I had the thought - “should I clip him and just blanket up if it gets cold again?”

But maybe we then go back into extended freezer mode ??? Maybe even for the rest of winter ??? We are too far into the season (after winter solstice) for a clip to grow hair again, as it would in the fall. In my experience, anyway.

Is he more miserable now with his winter fur than he would be later, clipped and wearing a blanket in the cold?

Really thinking this over – cold horse can get a blanket, but it is harder to cool off a hot horse. But I hadn’t planned to clip this year as he isn’t doing much work and they seem more comfortable au natural. But maybe not this year …

[Renn_aissance]

For mine it’s a pretty easy decision. He’s 27, goes out at night, and has started running cold. At 0 degrees he was comfortable in his heavy and midweight with hoods. If I take off all his hairs, I’m not sure he will be any MORE comfortable wearing three blankets!

If it persists and he gets miserable I’ll do the tiniest little trace clip. But right now he’s OK in his stall during the day and he’s not so hairy that 40 degree nights are uncomfortable. If he were working in any capacity I would certainly clip, but it’s easy enough to say “clearly you don’t want to go on a trail ride today.”

Besides, the last year we had a 70-degree day in December, it snowed 3 feet in 12 hours in February.

[lenapesadie]

Earlier in the fall we had a strong heat wave and my boys were hot. They always have access to their breezy n shady barn plus a fair amount of shade from trees. So it’s not like they were stuck in full sun with no respite. I thought then mmmm might have to clip next year. My old guy seems more uncomfortable in the hot and the cold spells. Poor old man. I’m working on expanding his wardrobe (surprise he’s sensitive to blanket fit too!) and I guess I’ll give him some kind of trace / bib clip next year. I really hate clipping though. I might hire it out

[Amy3996]

My guy is running warmer this winter than he has in the past. Trace clipped in late November. After a week of handwalking for 30-45 mins to get him dry after rides even with the trace clip, I gave up and did a full hunter clip.

I’m so glad I did. We had a couple of days in the mid 60s this week. He got a little liniment brace sponge down after our rides and was fine turned out in a 0g sheet and neck cover. I also worry a little less about him being caught in too heavy a blanket for a few hours until I can get there to change it, than I would if he had a full winter coat.

For me, it’s much easier to keep him clean (gray horse problems) and comfortable (warm or cool) clipped than trying to deal with a sweaty, muddy yak in these rollercoaster temps.