Cliff Farm Livery

21/12/2025

𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬 (and livestock!)

The end of muddy fields, starting and finishing your day in the dark and painful hay bills is in sight.

All the way up from here to summer time ... You can make it!!!!

14/12/2025

Overrugging is one of my absolute bugbears.

Here’s the facts:

- Horses thermoneutral range (the temperature in which they can easily regulate their own temperature to be comfortable without intervention) goes down to 5 degrees.

- Getting wet decreases their ability to keep warm because piloerection (fluffing up) doesn’t work so well

- clipped horses, very old horses, very thin horses, horses with poor dentition, horses with decreased mobility or horses with health issues such as PSSM might need extra help with keeping warm

- Natural light is one of the main sources of horses processing Vitamin D

- Over-rugging can lead to stress, overheating, rubs, rain scald from sweating under rugs, cause less movement, contribute to obesity

My own horses are rugged if there is heavy or persistent rain forecast, or night time temperatures are going to be under 5 degrees.

I do a lot of miles, 33,000 so far this year, and I’m always checking out horses in fields as I drive about. I’m often horrified to see on dry, warm September days of around 15 or 16 degrees field upon field of rugged horses. Certainly I see more horses rugged than not, most days.

They can’t ALL be old or have PSSM 🤷‍♀️

Every year my partner and I take a little winter weekend ride to one of the European Christmas markets, on his motorbike. (Christmas markets, another thing the Europeans do better than us!) This year we’ve come to Antwerp, so we had quite a long ride yesterday through some fairly rural areas. I’m going to guesstimate that we saw upwards of two hundred horses en route.

Of those, I saw TEN horses with rugs on. Around 5% of the horses I saw, I would say.

And it was 6 degrees.

Believe me, I had my thermals AND my heated gear on!

Three of the rugged horses I saw were quite clearly old and four were on a very posh yard and I’m guessing were clipped.

What is going wrong in the UK that we are consistently getting this so wrong?

Is it convenience? We want clean horses?

We simply don’t understand that horses don’t feel the cold in the same way we do?

It doesn’t seem like a lack of education as there is plenty of material out there on this topic?

I’d love to know! I know as welfare issues go it’s not the worst one, but it does seem to be such a common one!

14/12/2025

What better morning routine could anyone have 🌄

30/11/2025

Sally just chilling in the solarium after her ride this morning ... New upgrade to the yard to go with the hot water shower!!

07/11/2025

I've just found this in the dictionary; now I understand!

But I think they've missed some factors like ... 'the ability to enjoy your nearest and dearest saying they have no idea why you do it, especially after a traumatic day with a sudden lameness or injury'.

What's missing in the definition and which equestrian do you know that fits this description?!

06/11/2025

For once I'm going to be very un-British and make absolutely no complaints about the weather!

🥂 Wishing all horse-people ongoing unseasonably warm days and growing grass 🥂

16/10/2025

Space for one full or part livery coming into winter this year.

Daily turnout on good draining land
Generous stable in a large barn area
20*60 floodlit arena
Jump field
Good hacking
Short drive from various other arena hire/xc schooling facilities
Staff on site
CCTV
Easy access from north Lincoln and surrounding villages.
Group or individual turnout available

Included : Hay, bedding, worming programme and appointments attended.
Not included : hard feed

Additional assistance can be added on an additional hoc basis
Exercise available either as hoc or as a package add on.

16/10/2025

Sadly offered by a long term livery client of ours
Please contact her, Vicki Whyte, directly

10/10/2025

These look nifty!! I've always thought overreach boots don't actually stop shoes being pulled but these could do the trick!

07/08/2025

Another reminder to everyone ... Keep biosecurity conscious when you're out and about with your horse or visiting other yards yourself and best of luck to the yards that are currently dealing with strangles.

Strangles Alert in the Local Area

You may be aware of Strangles outbreaks in some areas local to Bransby Horses.

Strangles is a highly contagious bacterial infection that affects horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules—it can make them extremely unwell.

For us at Bransby Horses we work really hard to keep all our equines free of disease and we love having visitors so please, to help protect our equines, we kindly ask all visitors to follow these biosecurity measures when visiting us:

❌ Please do not wear clothing (including boots, jackets, gloves, or hats) that have been in contact with any other horses when you visit us

🚰Please use the hand sanitisers on arrival and or wash your hands frequently

👀Be aware in general that if you touch horses, you may inadvertently spread disease to the next one, and we advise to make sure you learn as much as you can about Strangles to spot the signs, and don’t delay speaking to your vet if you are concerned.

Your support helps us keep our residents safe. 🐴💙

Learn more about Strangles and how to spot the signs:

https://bransbyhorses.co.uk/what-we-do/equine-advice/strangles/

13/07/2025

Well it's a start .... !

Not the usual full shed photo and the first time trying to store rounds outside under sheeting but I daren't wait for the top up loads half way through winter this time.

Hopefully a full shed photo to come in due course 🤞🙈

Any more offers of hay are very welcome from anyone!