How to stay warm in the winter?

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CrazyDog

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This will be my first winter in Scotland and I'm already wearing a scarf and gloves to walk to work in the morning.
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I expect I'll find it cold to ride and my horse may find it cold as well as we move into winter.

How can I keep both of us warm and comfortable? Any tips for riding clothes for me? Should I buy an exercise sheet for my horse?
 
Rugs for your horse and plenty of shelter to get out of those winds and rain. I bought a big flourescent quilted jacket last year and that is fab in the winter...the wind just does not penetrate it at all. When I ride I have this on and my back protector, which also acts as a good wind defence! Other than that I use tinsulate gloves which are big and thick and windproof and nice warm socks! And if my hands get too cold or numb I stick them in my horses rug for a while and he warms them quickly!
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As has been said, good rugs for your horse & ensure that there is some form of shelter for him from the wind. As for yourself wear layers of clothing. This will trap lots of layers of air that will warm up & insulate you. Always wear a hat, loads of heat can be lost through the top of your head.
 
Layers layers layers! My mammy bought me thermal longjons and a top a few years back and they were brilliant, them under a tshirt, jumper and coat - toastie!
As for rugs you can get so many gorgeous rugs for turnout and excercise - I love those nermarket stripe wool rugs they look really warm!
 
lots of layers! I wear so many I can hardly bend my knees or elbows in the winter, I'm such a baby about the cold, I'm already in gloves, scarf, hat and winter coat, don't know how I'll cope when its really winter!
 
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tut tut thats terrible! I'm wearing 2 fleeces and jodhs, not even started wearing my muck winter yard boots yet!
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HOwever when it does get cold i usually end up with about 3 fleeces, possibly a jacket over the top (esp if its raining), woolley hat, gloves, muck boots (toasty feet) and maybe an over pair of trousers....
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Get a pair of Seal gloves from Derby House, keep your hands dry and warm even when dealing with water, and you don't have to keep taking your gloves off.
Try and get some cotton mix fitted roll neck or turtle neck long sleeve tops, over your thermal vest and with a fleece are great, and means you can get shot of the scarf (which always ends up getting one end dipped into the water.)
Two pairs of socks are better then one thick one, or wear thick tights and socks which keep your legs toastie under jods when riding.
But for both of you! just think layers.
 
Regarding horsey - there is such a huge choice of rugs out there that keeping horsey warm shouldnt be too hard. I have a gelding that feels the cold terribly and we've just moved to Scandinavia
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He's already in a h/w (350g) Mark Todd stable rug! ;p

Jack has a Rambo Jumbo Stable Wug for winter.. its a 550g stable rug and its massively thick. He also has a 350g full neck rambo under rug which is lovely. Last year, those two together were enough to see him through the worst of the Derbyshire winter (although i wrap legs also!). This year hes having a set of snuggy jams from the snuggy hood people to have as a base layer and im going to buy one more really thick stable rug (most likely full neck).

Outdoors he has a rambo duo - when this has the thickest liner attached, its 450g i think. I must admit though, last year this wasnt enough for him through december and january and i switched over to a rambo supreme turnout (450g) and then clipped his 350g duo liner inside this making it a really warm turnout. That saw him quite happily through the really cold months.

I have a couple of sets of leg warmers and stable bandages and i always wrap legs in winter also
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My horse wont be out a whole lot this winter though.

Onto you! I feel the cold really really badly and have always suffered with chilbaines (i get them primarily all over my legs and feet). Last year was the first year i didnt but i have to say.. i went outside looking like i was prepared for an arctic adventure
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As someone else said, always wear a hat.. you lose so much heat through your head otherwise. Both mountain horse and Joules do an expedition hat thats fully fur (fake!) lined and they're wicked.

http://www.joulesclothing.com/product/WinterAccessories_HatsScarvesandGloves/D_EIGER.htm

I have one like that and it has to be the best thing i bought all winter
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I tought quite a bit last year and spent a lot of time on the top of the peaks in the howling wind and it was soooo good for keeping me warm (and stopping ear ache!)

I also invested in some ariat glaciar tall boots and they were fabulous. I normally have to layer like sooo many pairs of socks to try and stop getting chilblained and last year i never had to do this! I nearly always wear long riding socks under them, but these arent thick at all and i had no problem with my feet either.

Thermal jodpurs!!!
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Ive been looking at

https://www.sonnenreiter.de/shop/index.php?rubrik=main&modell=5049&auswahl=reithosen_DOB

And think im actually going to get some to try this winter. Ive also got a set of fleecey full chaps and some mountain horse over rider trousers (their arctic ones). The over riders were fabulous although too warm on all but the worse days really. Gotta say, i also found it quite hard to do the more intense schooling in them too
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but i was warm!

Always have some kind of thermal top closest to your skin when you ride.. lots of the horsey companies do these quite cheaply. A good quality fleece next (i like musto since they seem a million times warmer than any one elses) and then a really good winter coat.

So many of the companies use some of the best fabrics for their coats now that i think life is easier than it was a few years ago. I wear a mountain horse one and its great
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One last thing that made a huge amount of difference to me was a neck warmer! Mines Kyra K but i cant imagine theres much difference between any of them. I never want to take mine off in winter and frequently still have it on in the house
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I'll only wear thin gloves because i hate the bulk when im trying to ride, so this is probably the area i struggle most with.

Keep warm up there
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I save all my summer vest tops and wear them under my normal winter clothes. As someone else said, layers layers and more layers.

Tesco bags betwen your socks (two thin pair of socks seem to keep your feet warmer) and your boots make your feet really toasty and dry. A balaclava under your riding hat (if you're not going to be seen lol) and always always wear a snug fleecy hat which covers your ears.
 
i second Tierra's recommendation of neckwarmers. fleecy ones from ski-shops (turtle fur ones are the best, mine are about 10 yrs old and still going strong) are very reasonable and make a huge difference. i wear two if it's really cold. they're so much better than a scarf.
 
Get a set of quilted coveralls. You need to look like a "navvy road worker" or that's what my brother says.
I bake in jeans and a tee shirt under quilted coveralls, yes, I do look like a road worker, who cares? I'm not the one with frost bitten toes or fingers.

I do (practically) everything in mine, a couple of pairs of gloves, a fleece neck warmer pulled over my mouth and a fur lined trapper hat......toasty. If it works here then you'll be fine in Scotland with it.

I never had cold feet with Muckboots in the UK, but here I do wear something with a bit more insulation in.

I must be a very odd person as I can't wait for it to get cold again!
 
Thanks for the advice! Lots of good stuff there for me and some shopping ahead, I think.

For horsey, he is lucky and is stabled overnight. He has a collection of rugs to choose from for daytime turnout (I've never had so many rugs before!) but should he have something for being worked as well? Should I have an exercise sheet or will he be too hot in it for anything other than hacking out?
 
Best thing to keep horsey warm is plenty of high fibre food, give him plenty of hay, this will warm him from the inside out.
For yourself, several thin layers rather than a thick layer. Cover your head, wear gloves and keep the feet warm.
And as you are in Scotland - lots of Porridge Oats!
 
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