Many riders continue to ride through the winter months. Others hang up the saddle and give their horses a time off. Here are a few essential tips for winter riding fun with your horse.
Wear Warm Clothes
Everyday riding boots and riding gloves offer little insulation between you and the elements; because of this, dress in layers you can add or subtract as needed during your ride. A great piece of clothing to invest in for winter is a thermal base layer. Another good piece of clothing to find are insulated waterproof riding boots. These will not only give you room to wear wool socks but also to add an extra layer of protection between you and the cold. Good winter gloves are essential; and you’ll be happy to have ear warmers under your helmet. For the coldest days, gel-packet hand and foot warmers can provide extra heat for the duration of your ride.
Do Extra Warm-Up and Cool-Down
Allow 15-20 minutes to properly warm up and cool down your horse. This will allow his muscles to get to the temperature they need to be and allow him to get used to breathing in the brisker air. If your horse is used to being stabled and blanketed, consider using a ‘rump rug’ or ‘quarter sheet’ to keep his muscles from getting chilled while riding. Before you get in the saddle, do a few stretches to get your own blood flowing as well. In the winter, horses grow thick furry coats to keep them warm in the cold. As their body temperature increases due to exercise, the coat is going to hold the heat instead of letting it escape. After your ride, towel dry any sweat he may have produced and make sure he is fully dry before you turn him out and/or blanket him.
Cold Air Can Affect Your Horse’s Lungs
If you are planning to ride on a particularly cold day, it’s best to keep your horse’s exercise to a minimum. The more a horse exerts itself the heavier it breathes, meaning that it has to suck more cold air into its lungs. This can damage tissue as well as cause a discomfort to the horse. Knowing this, it’s best to stick to light riding on cold days.
Prepare for Your Horse to Be Fresh
Horses’ energy level can often be dictated by the weather. On cold, brisk, and windy days horses get a little more pep in their step or tend to be a little more spooked. If you would like to burn some of their energy before your ride, you can always lunge them beforehand to let them get all of their crazies out. If your horse is feeling fresh, it’s best to always start your ride in an arena in order to make sure you can control them. Once you feel comfortable with them in the ring, then you can take them out on the trails or in the fields.
Provide More Grip
Snow tends to pack into a horse’s hooves and form snowballs that the horse actually walks on. The snowballs don’t allow for the horse to distribute its weight correctly, so the horse could easily strain a joint. The snowballs also don’t offer any traction, so a horse could slip and hurt itself.Shoes tend to hold mud and snow in the hoof, making it hard to get out. Ask your hoof-care professional about the various ways of increasing traction and avoiding ice balls in his feet.
Warm the Bit Up
A frosty cold bit can be uncomfortable for your horse. Keep bridles in the house, warm the bit with your hands, or put a warm (not hot) gel pack around the bit before putting it in your horse’s mouth.
Check the Weather
Check the weather before you ride out especially if you’re trailering to a place to ride or if you’re going on a long trail ride. Being caught out in severe winter weather can be a serious situation; these conditions can easily increase the risk of hypothermia. Even if the weather forecast looks good have a plan prepared if you were to get caught in inclement weather while riding.
Slow Down
When riding in the snow, remember that it is harder work for the horse than traveling on bare ground. Horses do best on powdery snow, but they can’t quite handle ice. Going nice and slow on trails will avoid any accidents as patches of ice can be lurking under friendly looking fresh snow. You may also have to cut your trek short if the weather turns or if the trail turns out to be too treacherous. More so, horses will need time to adjust to the footing in an arena if they’re used to walking on frozen, uneven ground and their gaits may feel a bit stilted until they learn they can step out with confidence.
