Is anyone else finding the winter really hard?!

Perfect_Pirouette

Perfect_Pirouette

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I'm really hating the winter. I've come back into horses over the last 19 months after a 5 year break. I shared for 8 months and have had one on full loan for past 3 so this is my first winter since I had my pony when I was younger and I have to say.....i'm finding it really hard.

I'm just so tired all of the time...and cold...and wet and fed up. I hate getting up in the pitch black every bloody morning and getting soaked and smelly before work. I hate after work when it's freezing and tipping it down and all I want to do is go home and curl up in the warm because i'm so shattered a and I can't.

The past couple of weeks I have been really struggling and not enjoying it and wondering if I'm cut out for the whole 'horsey' thing anymore, even as i'm typing this I know I don't mean it, they're my life I don't know where i'd be or what I would do without them but i'm tired
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We have a great all weather floodlit arena, two actually and a small indoor although that's not in use at the mo and I still find it a struggle to force myself to ride during the week, I can only school as it's too dark to hack after work and although he's going really nicely for me at the moment I'm struggiling to see the point other than to keep him fit as I can't even compete as I don't have a trailer etc so all the intensive schooling seem pointless as I don't have anything to work towards
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It's only during the week I feel like this though, i LOVE the weekends and having a horse then, it's just during the week with working 9-5 everyday I just have no time. I have got a sharer in the past week and she's going to do 2 weekdays for me during the week so that'll give me a break. Meh, I dunno, just think I want to get out more to shows and start to enjoy the whole thing again. I think this is just tired ramblings.
 
I think everyones finding it hard... sounds like you've got winter blues... cheer up its xmas soon!
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I'm so so so so jealous of your floodlights.... i don't have any which means no riding in the week at all!! You're so so lucky!!
 
It has been rough so far hun, its not just you.....

Just think, we're nearly at Christmas and then we can start looking forward to Spring.

Could you maybe not afford to pay someone to help you out a bit more in the week whilst you're at work??
 
It's the same for us all hun! Once you get going with your sharer doing 2 days in the week, you will feel alot better. And as others have said, once Christmas is out of the way, I always feel we are on our way to springtime.

If you can afford it perhaps you could put your horse on full livery just for 5 days to give yourself a bit of a re-charge.
 
I think the nights get longer from the 21st!
By the end of Jan you'll see a big difference, although we haven't had any real weather yet. I'm hardly riding mine and have given up feeling guilty!
 
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I think the nights get longer from the 21st!


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No - I think it's that the nights get shorter from 21st. Just by a few minutes per day.
 
I am also finding winter hard!!! I think its the constant, dark, wet and wind combined with a demanding full time job and a demanding horse that needs lots of exercise!!! I m permantly knackered.

It should help with your sharer doing two weekdays, just make sure you make the most of your days off and really relax and pamper yourself!!!

At times like this I try to think forward to the spring/summer....its not always going to be like this...infact 3 weeks till the shortest day and then it starts getting better!

Also with the riding in the school in the week I try and do different things each days. One day i might ride around the school with a friend on their horse and natter a lot, another day i might do a full schooling session, another day I just do circuits for fittening work, another day polework another jumping and then another day ill just lunge or longrein!

Hope you feel better soon! And it will be worth it when the winter is over!!! I think most of us feel like this in the winter with horses and full time work.
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Is it just the booze calling? - i have 3 and must admit have only skipped tonight so i could get home to a roaring fire, a blanket and a bottle of red....... YES JUST THE ONE.....

Seriously, its a bit like any sport i.e going to the gym, swimming ect - try to eat a soemthing ie a bannana about 4pm to get an energy kick, have a drink of water and treat it like going to the gym. Once you get yourself into the I WILL RIDE NO MATTER WHAT routine you will be fine - must admit getting a sharer for me work against me, as i would get so used to going home to "doss" i would not want to do the other 3 nights.
 
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I think the nights get longer from the 21st!
By the end of Jan you'll see a big difference, although we haven't had any real weather yet. I'm hardly riding mine and have given up feeling guilty!

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no lol the days get longer
 
Blimey it's not winter yet
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Ok so i am lucky as most mornings my YO turns out for me, i work 9 - 5 then go to the yard, cos YO turns out i usually fetch in for her. My boy needs mucking out, then they all need bringing in, rugging and feeding (not every night, as she does come down and do while we have a chat)

Winter is depressing full stop
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if i didn't have to get out of bed, i wouldn't
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At least you have a floodlit menage, so can ride in the evening. We have no lights so it's 2 rides a week for me at the moment
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to be honest most people may find this very strange but i like the winter i used to work on the yard and still get on well with the staff so i usually get liverys asking me where there horse is etc so in the winter its peaceful after college i can school/ jump in peace and have the outdoor school to my self while over the summer its full of kids galloping about
 
i hate the mud. my life is all about MUDMUDMUDMUDMUD at the moment. at least when it's colder the mud will freeze and i won't have to keep squelching around!

i feel your winter blues... it's soooo depressing. i've just managed to get my kids into bed, and instead of settling down with a nice hot cuppa, i now have to go out in the cold MUD and squish around with a little lantern getting the horses tucked in for the night... it's going to be ANOTHER late night... ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz so tired...
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but hey, spring soon... and then SUMMER!
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I find it is the cold and rain that gets me down - my pony lives out on assisted DIY and I only need to go once a day to feed him but it 1/3 mile walk from yard to fields so I can get very wet and cold.

Do you need to ride your horse every day - I only ride mine at the weekends in the winter and he is fine - though as he is out 24/7 he does get exercise walking about in the fields.

If you don't feel like riding and don't have then don't force yourself. Most horses if they are getting adequate turnout don't mind not being ridden every day.

Could you find a friend at the yard who you could do a rota with so they turn out or bring in your horse a couple of times and week and then you return the favour?
 
I know how you feel, think alot of us feel like this, its hard and costly and you do wonder sometimes, the weekends are what its all about, chin up, just think about spring, it will soon come round
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[ QUOTE ]
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I think the nights get longer from the 21st!
By the end of Jan you'll see a big difference, although we haven't had any real weather yet. I'm hardly riding mine and have given up feeling guilty!

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no lol the days get longer

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Oh dear, will go have more wine.
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yes i am struggling because this time last year i was living in australia and riding the horses meant saddle and bridle on and go. hotpants and chaps and suntan along the way. untack let the horses roll. done. slightly different to what im doing at the moment!! get past chrimbo and its nearly spring!
 
Ahhhh, just keep a supply of hot toddies at the yard! I actually don't mind it and will ride in most weathers, but hunting every week keeps it bearable for me, i think if i wasn't out and about I would def feel like giving up and prob not ride at all. Can you not borrow a trailer or hire lorry every once ina while, or move yards to somewhere witha more possitive competitive atmosphere who either hold in house shows or go out a lot?
 
My tip would be to invest in some really, good lightweight, warm and waterproof clothes, and a good pair of insulated wellies. I hate feeling bulky and restricted and I get cold really quickly if I'm not careful.

There are some really high tech materials now that make so much difference and it is so worth spending the extra money.

Another tip is when it's raining I put a pair of latex gloves over my woolly gloves to keep my hands warm and dry when I'm doing all the yard duties.
 
I could just about cope with the dark and cold but the rain, wind and mud is getting a bit tedious now. I find it's like the gym though - the thought of it is the worst bit once I'm there and got over the initial shock of the cold I don't mind it and it's always nice to see the horses tucked up and cosy for the night!
 
Thanks everyone- good to know i'm not the only one with the winter blues. I know the bad weather hasn't even started yet and that's another reason why i'm a bit worried!

I think i'm going to get a new VERY WARM winter coat and get some of those long boot socks as my feet do get cold in my normal ones. Think I may also start wearing my ski stuff down there even if I do look like a freak lol as it's so warm...and waterproof!

I think once I get to end of January i'll defo start feeling better about things.
 
Its the getting up early 7 days a week that I find hard.
Not so bad in the week as have to go to work anyway.
Weekends though I find it hard to get out of bed!
 
Yes. And my horse is on part livery. I ride after work which means the earliest I get down is 7 with the dogs - and thats with a lightening change of clothes and out. I am struggling because our school has not coped with all the rain and its been really hard to find a way of keeping my boy ticking over - everything is covered in mud and having 2 dogs does not help!! The quickest they move is to get past me and the towel when they have been in the garden/yard.....roll on spring!! or just please reduce the rain!
 
The worst of proper winter weather is yet to come but know what you mean. I think a lot of people just reach December feeling shattered, the end of the year thing.

I'm finding this winter tougher but only because I've had to be totally DIY all year which is not what I usually do so have reached December very weary. I can cope with most weathers, struggle in very freezing weather though as have poor circulation. I'm sure you'll get some lovely crisp cold days when it will all seem worth it and your sharer will help make it seem easier too. Take supplies to yard of flask of nice coffee and some flapjack to perk you up on the early shift or when you're cold.

I love the care bit of the horse even when I can't get much riding in and maybe I'm odd but if I'm last on the yard and I'm there with my cosy boy in his rug on a star-lit night and the owls are hooting in the distance I think it's great!
 
...and here's me praying for a freeze because I am getting a bit of mud. It has been so warm here recently that the brambles have started getting new shoots and I saw flowers on them today! It is like Spring here.

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That won't last, forecast is for -7C day time tomorrow, good!
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A few days of that should sort my ground out.

Jade has been having snow in Wisconsin so hopefully it is making its' way up here.

If I was still in Wales i know for sure that I would be heartily sick of rain and mud by now and counting down the days until December 21st, by February though, every year, I gave into my SAD, turfed the horses out and buried my head in the sand until May.
 
Mud. Bolshy horses that REALLY want to go in for their tea faster than you want to go. No school at all - never mind no floodlights! the only time I get in a school is when I go to a dressage test
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I was looking at the dark sky yesterday morning and admiring the moon in that royal blue sky and thought - 16 weeks to the end of March! Then it's Spring!
 
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