Rain versus Outdoor Activities

[mayfair]

Originally Posted by Diana Holbrook

Having a barn and facilities designed to handle rain well makes it a lot better in winter. Our animals always have someplace dry to hang out. It’s not an area where you can usually leave them out on pasture 24/7 in winter.

So true. Sacrifice lots with good footing in winter, careful attention to drainage systems and barn placement go a long way.

Most of the dairy farms in the river valleys keep cattle completely off the pastures (green as they are) all winter and they are kept in barns with covered outdoor areas on concrete lots. The beautiful green pastures would be destroyed in winter otherwise. The cattle go out for a few months in summer when it finally dries out. A few places have good enough drainage for rotational grazing, but that's rare.

It takes planning and work to get through the wet months with livestock. Some of it is initially expensive to set up.

[kavm]

Deleted...

[OlympiaNative]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

Yet there are so many horse owners in W WA, some of whom are very into competitive riding with their kids, 4-H, etc...

I'm not saying it wouldn't be miserable dealing with all that mud. But the friends I have with horses aren't complaining about that so much. Instead, their biggest complaint, especially with kids who ride competitively, is having to haul the horses and families all over kingdom come for the competitions. Yet they still drive and drive and drive. Man, that takes lots of time and energy.

Maybe it's the toll that takes over years and years to finally add up enough to want to get the heck out of the mud to drier pastures. But if you want 'greener' pastures for grazing, you're going need some good rain throughout the year. Or, like some cattle ranchers do in drier high desert type climates, ship the cattle off to less dry lands during their dry, dusty seasons. Drought from minimal rainfall can be worse than mud for cattle ranchers. Some of these outfits would love to have our rain as their 'problem.'

Colorado ranchers are selling off cattle to survive another year of dried-up grass and parched soil.

Derek

I have two horses at home and one at a training barn. The only one that gets ridden regularly is the one in training where there's in indoor arena. An indoor is almost a requirement here if you want to ride year-round. There's a reason you don't see wild/feral horses in rainy climates. They aren't meant to eat lush, green grass like cattle and the constant wet isn't good for their hooves. Notice where the BLM herd management areas are located - mostly the desert.

As with anything, I'm sure the rain and mud don't bother some people. Personally, I'm tired of the daily battle with mud outside and the mud that gets tracked inside from muddy paws.