Actually this is good advice. Pay son to toss vast amounts of hay twice a day and top up water. If you are in a part of the world where no one has snow tires (including maybe your rides) then it will be pretty dangerous out there. And if one of your rides skids out, you won`t be able to get there anyhow.
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[QUOTE=Bluey;n10288845]
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If you don’t have sand, get kitty litter, the cheapest you can find and use that for icy spots around the barn.
Works as good as sand." (end quote)
Make very sure it is NON-CLUMPING cat litter----the scoopable clay will have you wiping out in no time!
Wet spots from the stalls --soaked shavings stick reasonably well --may not look great but will provide a decent footpath if you need to cover over ice & will rake up readily when the weather improves.
If I run out of sand we do have plenty of cat litter. I think its the clumping kind though and it does make a mess and some big falls!
I can use some sawdust if I have to.
Trust me, I would cook a meal and dessert for bo’s son if I thought it would do any good. I asked him Monday or Tuesday if he was going to be home because of the forecast and I know my car won’t make it.
He said yes and he would feed. Yesterday he texts that he’s not going to be home and that the best he could do would be to throw hay some time tomorrow, probably afternoon.
Eta - my phone keeps cutting off posts, sorry.
My porch is white now but at least Jim Cantore didn’t stay in Asheville and headed on up to Boone. 
I saw a dozen dept. of transportation trucks out on my way back from the barn so hopefully this won’t be as bad as the blizzard! Fingers crossed.
Dumping dirty shavings on the slick spots will work as well in a pinch. Requires some cleanup after the fact, but better than slipping/sliding and someone getting hurt.
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Great advice in this thread. I’ll add a few more: blanket all the horses, do give them electrolytes or salt, if they have stalls in the barn - have water for them in the barn, put buckets lined with plastic over the hose bibs, disconnect the hoses and reconnect for use, stretch the hoses out where they’ll be in the sun, leave your car in the mouth of the driveway or you could be snowed in, definitely rake the snow off the roof over the entrances to the stalls or it can slide and hit you or the horse.
Use a walking stick or rake handle to prod the snow in front of you when walking. You can easily trip over something that’s buried. Hope you have tall muckers. Take extra socks with you for your feet to warm. Mine would be literally covered with ice. Pants over your boots - not tucked in. Take extra pants too. Break the ice on the waterers and remove the ice pieces.
And most important of all - Walk with care! There is likely ice under the snow. You can slip on ice. It is no fun. I’ve done it. Keep your cell phone with you just in case you do. You are a good friend to these folks. I’d skip the son’s Christmas card if I were you. Good luck!
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Thanks to all! I made to the barn this morning, all the horses were good, except for one whose blanket had leaked through. Dried him off and put a fresh blanket on and got everything ready for tonight. My ride couldn’t stick around long so I didn’t get to do any shoveling but that’s ok, I’m just glad she was able to come get me.
Hay bags are ready for tonight, extra hay thrown out and the horses are good. 
We’re at about 10 inches, but thankfully not the 18 to 24 that was possible, so hooray!!
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If you have access to ashes from a wood stove or wood furnace, that is another great means for traction instead of sand or kitty litter. I store the ashes in metal containers outside (always, always make sure the ashes are cold). I prefer this method as there is no mess or clean up in the spring and I think it provides nutrients to the soil.
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There are so many good tips in this thread that I would have have never thought of. I’m going to print this thread out and save it for next time.
We all survived the snowpocalypse and a lot melted today, so we should be in good shape.
Thanks to everyone.
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A lot melted? Jealous! We got 14" or so and then a layer of sleet and frozen rain on top :mad: No melting today, and down to 20* tonight 
Oh no! We stayed above freezing all day yesterday and last night but it’s been snowing all night and all morning so far. Ugh
I think the official count for my city was 17" but we did get lucky with the melting. Now tonight it’s supposed to be 18 so tomorrow morning will be no fun at all.
How are all your critters and you holding up? Do you have power?
We do have power thankfully! We were in the 28-30* range almost all day, until last night when it went to the 32* range for a while, putting a nice little coating of ice 
They are all fine - they stayed in for a bit earlier in the day. I put a round bale by the barn on Saturday to save myself a lot of hay hauling, so I took some of that and made a dozen or so piles around the barn and let them out in the afternoon. . They were happily munching hay this morning and I’m happily NOT dragging hay to the pasture 
I’m glad you have power and all are munching away. Hay hauling and manure hauling from the run in’s are the pits!
I am buying a little sled for the next one so I can drag hay out and if BO’s son takes it for his kids there will be hell to pay!! lol
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Glad to read all is well. The pictures coming in really look like a lot for an area that doesn’t usually get so much snow.
The melting then freezing will create ice. Be careful when walking. This is advice from someone that wound up in the emergency room after slipping on ice.
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Thanks, @TCA Arabians . I will.
Ice is worse than snow by a long shot. My step mom fell on ice several years ago and broke her shoulder - it gives her problems to this day.
Glad you are making it through OK. Too bad about the ice and rain and melting; they love to roll in fluffy snow and if they are not clipped and you pull blankets off it gets them really clean.
No fluffy snow, it was wet and heavy. Now they are all a lovely mud color. Lol
It hasn’t all melted but the combination of frozen slush at night to mud 4 inches deep in the daytime is just yuck.
Something that works well for us - especially in winter. Fill up big boat coolers with water. They hold a lot and since they are insulated the water doesn’t freeze. Easy to put in a wash rack or aisle.
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OP, We use the sleds made for hunters to drag the bodies of deer out of the woods - they are heavy duty and have sides on them. They are wonderful because you don’t lose hay off the sides and back. Used every day where I live. You probably will need to go to an outdoor store to purchase. Good luck and be safe.
Just a warning, we are getting very - high - winds, some easily 66 mph.
That means very - big - storms later East.
Be prepared if this front heads your way.
Once it hits moisture, all bets are off how bad it may become.
thanks Bluey, it’s headed to Fl. also. Friday predictions are afternoon storms, possible tornadoes, lightning and rain
throughout the night.
