Do you ride in your field at winter?

[AJHORSE]

I’ve heard that fields can get very wet in winter if they have bad drainage but what is your experience with riding in your field?

 

[vickie123]

My fields drain quite well and I’m on clay. I don’t have a school so it’s either the field, hacking or hiring a school. I didn’t ride in the field last winter because it was so bad but I do normally and up to twice a week including lessons. I can only do that if i’m not using the field for grazing. I don’t school if it’s frosty and hard or too slippy. I find schooling in the field makes my horse sure footed and confident. In the Spring, Summer and Winter we jump in there too. My horse is barefoot so it doesn’t get too carved up.

 

[Red-1]

I am on clay and don't even turn out on there in winter, let alone ride.

We have an arena that is also an all weather turnout.

We used the fields until mid December this year, and will hopefully be back on next month.

 

[Shooting Star]

Yes our main riding field is useable right the way through the winter unless it is an exceptionally wet year but even then the going doesn’t get deep but we do avoid doing too much in those sorts of winters so as not to ruin the ground for the rest of the year.

We are lucky though that are field drain quite freely and have so sand within the soil. I’ve previously been on extremely heavy clay where you could barely turnout let alone ride on the fields.

 

[Cortez]

I ride when the fields are dry enough to do so. I'm riding occasionally in one field at the moment. Last winter I couldn't ride in the fields at all, and a couple of years ago I couldn't ride in the fields for about 18 months.