for people with horses that are out 24/7?

[SarahRicoh]

Soooo for those of you that have horses out 24/7 do you struggle in the winter with riding etc? And do any of you compete?

Just wondering how people cope with no school etc and im guessing noone can really school in a field in.winter...

 

[Supertrooper]

Don't ride in winter for two reasons, one is that we have no school and it's too muddy generally to ride in field. Can't hack out as we take their shoes off.

Roll on March

 

[Phoebe+Sophie]

We hack weekends in the winter. We do have a grass school which is not normally too bad. At the end of Feb we can start hacking in the week when weather and light allows.

 

[Ella19]

We have a school but no floodlights so I just ride at weekends, mostly hacking. She's barefoot. I would normally hunt her 4 or 5 times in a season (more if work allowed!). I don't compete due to lack of transport.

 

[angelish]

hi mines out 24/7 but he is recovering from an injury so he's not in work at all and has no shoes or rug on ,he's be coming back into work as soon as the weather is more reliable to keep it up but he'll only be walking for the mo so shouldn't need clipped (hopfuly)

i tried to winter the other one out and just keep him ticking over (2 -3 times a week) i rugged him early so i didn't have to clip him but i wanted to compete over the winter and he just wasn't tidy enough to be seen in public so in came

it just didn't work as if i wanted to do anything other than walk he got sweaty and even walking was sweating up on warmer days but i'm of the thinking "if you clip it ,it must come in at least on a night time" but not everyone has this view
there is one on my yard who has a full clip and lives out quite happily (well rugged )although i do feel a little sorry for him as he even has his ears off bless him

 

[SarahRicoh]

So do most people stop riding in winter?

 

[SarahRicoh]

Oh okay... Im.guessing most people only ride weekends as they finish work too late in week....

Rugged up a horse with a trace clip could live out couldnt they?

 

[AngieandBen]

I ride as much as I can, my work is quite flexible so have time during daylight hours. I hack about 10 hours or more a week. Both my riding ponies are barefoot.

 

[AngieandBen]

Don't ride in winter for two reasons, one is that we have no school and it's too muddy generally to ride in field. Can't hack out as we take their shoes off.

Roll on March

You could get them hoof boots if they can't manage barefoot?

 

[Clava]

Oh okay... Im.guessing most people only ride weekends as they finish work too late in week....

Rugged up a horse with a trace clip could live out couldnt they?

A couple of my friends ride before work and other people get time during the day. Yes clipped horses can live out rugged no problem. We also school a lot while out hacking and it is always possible to hire a local school if there is something you want to work on.

 

[AngieandBen]

None of mine are clipped or rugged atm as its very mild. If the're wet then I ride them wet!

 

[MrSpam]

I used to ride before work, a good half to three quarters hour at a brisk trot, but my horse lived in then, it kept him fit enough to hunt. I've always schooled out hacking.

They are out now 24/7, ride at weekends, ride and lead, and have lessons in an indoor school in an evening. Although I don't think horses mind the winter off.

 

[SarahRicoh]

This may be a stupid question but how do u school.out hacking?

 

[The_snoopster]

I hack out whenever I can, not has much as the summer and not as far. But the mild weather has made hacking out this winter very pleasant, and I have done more riding this winter so far than any other

 

[SarahRicoh]

thanks snoopster

 

[FairyLights]

This may be a stupid question but how do u school.out hacking?

I've never had a menage and have backed and schooled several horses. its a matter of finding a track or somewhere to do trots and canters and eventually collection. you can do lots of transitions out hacking. turns on the forehand,halts,backing up. standing and learning to be patient. the difficulties are circles and serpentine's,so unless there's a glade in the forest or something you are a bit stuck.

 

[Cobiau Cymreig Wyllt]

My younger two are out 24/7...I don't compete..there is good hacking for daughter's loan pony so she can do that whenever she's not in school...(but is currently being a 6yo fairweather rider quite frankly! ) but I am struggling to do anything with my 2.5 yo...the end of the field we fenced off as a schooling area is now really slippy underfoot and perilously boggy through the entrance. So not useable really.
And I'm not sure he is actually benefitting from being accidentally turned away TBH...he's a true 'project' youngster (lots of issues) so in-hand hacking would not be a clever idea until he's done more groundwork..so a bit stuck there Telling myself there will be some benefit from him maturing in the field and that Spring will return!
My big boy will shortly be coming home, to another field which backs onto forest tracks - so the surfaces and tracks will be ideal to start his backing process (he is 7 so no youngster issues) - so whilst the other two are marooned in a muddy field, I will try to take advantage of his field set-up and get some work done with him.
I do feel a bit guilty from tiime to time about not doing much with them - but boy do I plan to make up for it when I can!

 

[mystiandsunny]

I finish early a couple of days a week now, so ride then and at weekends. Mostly hacking but when dry enough school in the field - and come spring/summer/autumn can do much more in the field. Winter is only 3 months! Before, I would ride in the dark when need be - local well-lit housing estate to hack round + tonnes of hi-viz; also schooling in the field on the sensible ones. Our field is very well-drained though.

In the past I used to look for yards where you could have horses on grass livery, with access to a floodlit school. Always worked very well.

 

[iThoroughbred]

I used to not bother riding in the winter, but since i've got my new girl who headshakes through the summer months, I try and ride as often as possible on hacks in the weekend or else i's never get to ride her

 

[Nudibranch]

Never kept one in, and never had a school to use; I'm on my 3rd youngster and also had an ex racer who had to be retrained.You'd be amazed how much you can do out hacking, you just need to be inventive. Keeping a lightweight rug on means you can ride any time, although to be fair we do have stables so if they need to dry off afterwards they can. But then again there are exercise rugs!

Only issue is daylight, mid winter means weekends only except school hols (I'm a teacher) but I don't compete in winter or hunt so it's not a problem.

 

[rascal]

Ours are out 24/7 and we ride in the field all year as we dont have a school. Our field is quite sandy though so doesnt tend to have boggy bits. Most of the fields around here you couldnt ride in in winter, they are under water.
You can school out hacking, i think theres even a book about it.