Cold Weather Riding
Many horse crazy people are sensible enough to stop riding during the winter months. They let their horses grow nice thick winter coats, provide them with plenty of hay and fresh (unfrozen) water to drink, keep their hooves picked out and wait for spring temperatures to get back in the saddle again. Others are more tolerant of the cold and not willing to let their riding skills and horse’s training level stagnate over the winter months. At times, even the sensible ones just can’t pass up the joy of a crisp gallop through fresh snow. Then there are those of us who make a living from riding and training, and don’t have the luxury of going on vacation for three or four months.
When riding in very cold weather, first remember to protect yourself! Frostbite is not to be taken lightly. Putting your foot in an iron stirrup while wearing standard riding boots (which usually won’t fit with more than one extra pair of socks on) in temperatures below 10 degrees Fahrenheit could leave you with very painful frostbitten toes. And you may not feel it until after the damage is done. I found this out the hard way!
However, a greater risk is having a large snow boot get stuck in a stirrup should you fall off. If you are the sensible horse owner looking for that occasional winter thrill ride, this may be the perfect time to try riding bareback. You will have to know your horse well, as the cold temperatures and lack of regular work may make him more difficult to handle. Your horse should be nice and fat during the winter though, and between his thick coat and your extra clothes padding his backbone, it may be the most comfortable time to ride bareback. You can wear nice heavy snow boots without worrying about them getting stuck in the stirrup.
Riding bareback will also let you share his body heat, and without the saddle you will be more aware of your horse becoming overheated and sweaty. This should be your main concern when going for the occasional winter ride. Wet, sweaty hair loses its insulating properties and can give the horse a chill. Be sure your horse is completely cool and DRY before you turn him loose again.
For those of us who ride all winter, there are several things we can do to make winter riding less stressful for our horses. The first of which is to adjust our riding routine to include extra long warm up and cool down time. Cold muscles take longer to stretch and flex. Some riders ride with a saddle blanket that also covers the hindquarters of the horse.
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