Hacking on roads when it's frosty?

[Ahrena]

As above, is it safe?

I'm very paranoid about horses slipping on roads, mine are shod and for the last 6 years I've been self employed so have always been able to ride once it's defrosted.

I now work shifts so fairly often I need to ride in the morning. This cold spell suddenly was me wondering - am I paranoid or not?

I have photos of me hacking in heavy frost 10 years ago before I became so paranoid and I don't recall them ever slipping but I was also young and stupid then.

Obviously I mean dry frosts, as in it hasn't rained the evening before. Thankfully my school doesn't really freeze so it's not a tots drama but I don't really want to be stuck in the school every work day either if I can help it.

 

[Snowfilly]

I don't, although I've only known a shod horse to slip a couple of times, but we're in very hilly country and I'm terrified of drivers slipping into my horse. I know they should be alright unless the frost is heavy but I feel it's too much of a risk.

 

[doodle]

I’m the same. I used to just ride anyway. I have a favourite photo of riding Minto in the field and it is frozen solid and very white. These days I don’t as I am terrified of him slipping and falling. Plus at the yard I am now any hacking you have to go down the road which is steep and always icey

 

[Ahrena]

Might just need to start timing my hacking days with the weather then!

I had a horse fall on me a few years back (not frost related) when it bolted and slipped on the road so I'm paranoid now and would probably just worry anyway.

Traffic isn't really a factor, our roads are generally very quiet thankfully but I worry about black ice and roads aren't avoidable sadly.

 

[ihatework]

If its been wet and frozen to ice then no.
But a dry frost I would ride, but pick my route and keep to the back lanes.

 

[KAZJAZ]

personally no I wouldn't, I'm worried that either my horse slips or a driver cant stop/pull over appropriately - its narrow roads around us.

I stick to the arena and wait for days off when I can get to do some off road hacking, I'm really hoping to get to the beach sometime soon

 

[Rowreach]

Nope, I rode in the school today because the roads were terrible on the way to the yard, and although the yard wasn't frozen when I got there, it froze over when it got light. My hacking is all off road, but still involves smoothly tarmacked estate lanes. These are slippery in the summer, so I wouldn't risk them in frosty weather.

 

[Orangehorse]

Non slip nails in the shoes and put knee boots on the horse and pick your route. If dry it should be OK if you watch out for under trees, etc.

 

[rabatsa]

I broke my foot when a horse came down on a slippy road, it was trapped in the stirrup iron. Now if I have to ride anywhere slippy I take my feet out of the irons as a precaution.

 

[Merrymoles]

I'm more worried about whether drivers on the road are driving safely for the conditions. We have a few s bends near the yard where visibility isn't too much of a problem but on frosty mornings I often hear cars skidding because they are going too fast.

 

[amandaco2]

not worried about horses slipping (all unshod).
I worry about cars slipping...
so I don't hack if there could be ice on the road.

 

[MyBoyChe]

Im glad you posted this OP as I cancelled last weekends planned early morning hack because we had overnight frost. We have small hills either side of our yard and Im paranoid about my horse slipping or a car slipping into us. Its just not worth the risk imo although I often wonder if Im being overly protective of us both. From the majority of views on here, it seems not!

 

[buddylove]

I don't like hacking when it's frosty. My horse sat down on the road with me when he slipped on our lane, we were both fine but gave us both a bit of a start!

 

[WandaMare]

Ever since my vet told me the worst injuries he has ever had to attend have been where horses have slipped on icy roads, I have been completely put off. Sometimes you think you can see the frosty bits and avoid them, but if they spook or you have to move quickly out of the traffic, it would be so easy to hit a slippy bit. I don't take the risk any more, its just not worth it. I ride on the fields if there is a sniff of frost now.

 

[GirlFriday]

I've found huge differences between horses (same hack, different horse) and between shoeing options (same hack, same horse, different nails etc). I've mostly been at yards I have to drive to so can get an idea of the road conditions for cars before I get there. But even if fine for cars there are some horses I'd be cautious about in certain conditions. 'Hack' in the school? Set up obstacle course/handy pony/TREC/whatever type thing to keep it non-schooling?

 

[SEL]

No. Many years ago I was hacking out with a friend and she was in front of me. We didn't think the roads were that bad and we were actually on a track rather than tarmac when her horse found a patch of ice and turned into bambi. I still feel sick thinking about it because the horse couldn't get its footing, was sliding everywhere and in the end went over on top of her. In its panic to get up she got kicked as well.

I didn't even ride in our arena this morning because it was so icy in there. Did some gentle lunging and watched madam's face as she prepared for her normal canter and buck and then realised it was slippery. One little squeak and a semi strike off into canter and then she stopped dead. Not as stupid as she sometimes comes across!

 

[MagicMelon]

I personally wouldnt. Its not that I think they'll necessarily slip while just walking along, its if they spooked and spun or shot off for even a few strides. Ive had a horse take off with me on a road that wasnt frosty and slip over flat sliding along the road, it wasnt fun.

 

[milliepops]

It's a no from me, too. Our roads are slippery enough in the summer, everything has slipped badly or fallen this year I have to pick my routes really carefully as it is. I have long reined out when there was a slight twinkle in places on the ground, that was OK as we went on a route that had plenty of muddy areas and verges, plus I felt that the horse stood a better chance if it slipped and I wasn't on it!

Luckily our school never freezes so we can always exercise the horses.

 

[ester]

Only when I have only had to do a very short stretch of flat road on a dead end so no traffic to continue the hack (and unshod), and I usually get off in case.

 

[Apercrumbie]

My horse slipped over on me on a very smooth tarmac estate road in non-frosty weather and I still feel too paranoid to ride out in frost.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

not any more-they've resurfaced our single track rural road with SMA, even unshod natives struggle to stay upright on it the old rough granite chipped surface was fine (dont have to worry about cars much)

 

[MyBoyChe]

Indeed MoC, thats whats happened around us. The surface is so smooth and shiny now its best avoided as much as possible

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Indeed MoC, thats whats happened around us. The surface is so smooth and shiny now its best avoided as much as possible

its not too bad when not frosty but absolutely lethal when it is.

 

[turkana]

I try & avoid going out when it's frosty, I had a crashing fall on the ice about 3 years ago, I thought the ice had melted but there was black ice that I couldn't see. My horse slipped whilst trotting, we hit the road with such force it ripped my airjacket & snapped off the metal that the key attaches to. Fortunately she got away with a couple of cuts on her hip & shoulder, I had a deep cut to my elbow (despite wearing 2 layers) & skinned my hands (despite wearing gloves).
I thought it had melted when I went out last Sunday but some puddles still had ice on them so I stuck to the verges as much as possible.