Do you ride/turn out on hard frost?

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skewby

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Lovely day here today, tried to snow last night but didn't really get going. There is a hard frost though that has not thawed - I really wanted to go out for a nice hack today, but now I'm not sure it's wise?

Was going to go through fields and woods, some roadwork but v little.

Now I'm not so sure...I don't want to risk him! Also first hack since hunting Tues and he's always on his toes then, I would want to keep it slow but don't want him doing himself a mischief.

Thoughts???
 
I took Ed out this morning, see pic.
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We had a very sedate canter and otherwise pootled around. I don't think its wise to ride hard on rutted ground, but a little sensible exercise I think is ok.
 
Have to say I didnt turn out or ride this morning. It was -10 when I went to the yard and the ground is frozen solid. We have to walk half a mile down the road to turn out, and none of the roads have been gritted so I didnt think it was worth the risk. I don't like turning out on frosty grass anyway to be honest. If I had good hacking (off road) I probably would have gone out for a quiet hack but no such luck!
 
Horses out 24/7 all rugged up. Really wanted to ride today but the roads are way too icy. Dont have much close to yard off road hacking so just kept them all in field today. Tonights meant to be worse than last night too so looks like they've got few quiet days in field.
 
Our school was frazen solid and if we wanted to hack out we would have to go on roads for 10 mins.

Would ride out straight onto fields but as we have roads to contend with, I gave it a miss today.
 
I havent turned out, field is rock hard and rutted so dont think its worth the risk, mine only get every other day t/o anyway so they always have a bit of a run round and the field is quite chewed up so add rock hard ground to that it didnt seem worth it to me!
I would hack off road gently but not if i had a lot of road work to do.
 
Turned ours out today, rugged up and happily eating, didn't run around at all which they usually do when they first go out. Loose schooled youngster as school isn't frozen since we got a new surface. Wanted to ride others out this am but decided to give that a miss.
 
I didn't turn Inka out this morning as the ground was solid and rutted. She does run around so didn't want to risk it.
My other two live out 24/7 so and were fine this morning.
 
Rode in the indoor school today but the outdoor was frozen solid. Had planned to hack out with a friend but we decided against it as it wasn't really safe due to ice. A few people were hacking out but it just didn't seem a good idea to me.

Turned out as usual, but had 'words' with Genie about being sensible out there.
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Where it's been muddy it's very rutted, but for her it's better to turn her out on that than to leave her in.
 
Turned out today, after the JCB doing some work on the very icy private road we cross to get the mares field.
Didn't ride, arena frozen solid and we have to walk down the same road to get to bridle paths, as it's on a slope I didn't chance it.
 
Youngster and oldie live out so they're still out but with loads of hay. Jesper is in though as the yard is too icy to risk turning out. I certainly wouldn't ride today where we are but I'm sure some of the other liveries will. I guess it depends on your horse. I did see someone hacking locally earlier and couldn't believe it, the roads are so icy I think she must have a death wish.
 
Well thought better of riding
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ground is horrid, can't ever guarantee to hold him so I didn't risk him!!

PF that is MEAN!!!
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Kitsune I don't half like your Ed, he's right up my street. What's his breeding and how big is he? xx
 
mine went out, but theres a thick covering of grass and it isnt rutted (lucky, sandy soil=no mud=no ruts!).

mum and I hacked too, the roads round us were gritted and as they get used as a rat run, had been nearly totally de frosted by the traffic. both our boys are barefoot too, which i think really helps with grip (and good job too and Star was feeling rather,um, fresh and did about 3 miles of passage and broncing before i could settle him, daft sod!) they were bandaged, knee booted and over reach booted though, just in case of slipping.
 
Ours went out, pampered anglo couldn't wait to get out of her stable and cantered off as soon as she reached the most rutted part of the field - no brains at all. Mine decided to plough straight through the huge icy puddle, brain fixed on haynet further up the field. The fat pony always takes her time, got halfway across the ice then suddenly realised exactly where she was walking when it started creaking.
 
Mine went out. Ground is frozen but not much snow. I rode in the outdoor too but it hasnt thawed all day so we mainly stuck to the outside track where it was softer. We stuck to walk and trot too.
 
Yep - noit much stops me from riding or turning out.

Didn't ride out till about 9.30 this morning, wanted to have the sun on the roads for a bit first. Then turned out for a couple of hours.


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turned out this morning but as its quite close we decided to box to the beach as we would be able to give them more work than dodging frozen puddles on the road locally!
 
Turned out today, albeit into a different field so that we didn't have to contend with the ice on the drive (our current usual field is off of the drive) and was skidding all over the place, just driving up it.

I didn't ride, as horse has had a few months off with injury and only just been turned out again the last week. No way was I risking sitting on him for the first time in ice, snow and frost!
 
Yes I rode today but I don't have to go on any roads and I avoided any worn tracks on the moors, but, to come home I have to ride down a steep hill with very short grass and the ground was rock solid so I did get off and walk her down just in case she slipped over. They both got turned out as well after.
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Mine live out so they're out in hard frosts etc. and are currently out in some decent snow right now. They are pretty clever and never seem to tear around when the ground is slippy / too hard. I dont think we give our horses enough credit
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Mine's normally out during the day, but she's been really uncomfortable walking on the frozen mud, and refused to come in at all on Saturday when someone tried to bring her in for me, so I let her stay in today.

Can't decide what to do tomorrow as I work too far away to bring in/turn out at lunchtime. If it's a bit warmer and the ground's softer it'll be business as usual, but if it's still rock hard in the morning I'll probably sling her out in the school while I muck out and bring her back in.

There's hardly any grass anyway, so she might be happier in.
 
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