Is there any point? (winter/riding)

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asterid

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For a few years I have thought this, but each year I continue!

The roads and areas are icy = No hacking
Outdoor School frozen = No schooling/ lunging
Indoor school = Rarely free due to lessons and liveries fighting over it.

So, is there any point in trying to maintain a training schedule over winter?????? I feel like I am fighting a losing battle. Plus horse seems to have been possessed by the devil in the cold weather!

So, my thoughts were to give her december and january off every year, but maybe hack when the weather permits. So it is less stress trying to maintain training and when I can hack it would be a bonus/ treat! Then start proper schooling/ fittening and training on February.

What does everyone else think?
 
What a nightmare this weather is :mad:! I've ridden twice in a month and that was only a 40 minute hack around the block! My YO gives hers the winter off takes their shoes off and leaves them out! Then starts working them again in the spring! I think she's got the right idea! I've not bothered to reclip my horse since she was done at the beginning of winter that's practically grown out now! I've never known it to be as bad as it us this year tho! I think IF we get to ride at the moment it's a bonus and not much point in keeping a horse fit just enjoy the odd hack we get! My horse is a fatty at the moment too and really want the weight off by the spring :( need to work for that too :(.
 
T.his year has been unusual. Most English winters see a few cold days, then it goes back to being wet/foggy/damp etc. So I usually manage to keep my horse semi-fit by riding him three or four times a week for a week or two then having a week off and then back to riding again. That way he's kept ticking over and it doesn't feel like a complete waste of time and money keeping a horse! This year has been very different, if you consider that there was very little riding January & February, and then again for half of November and all of December, that amounts to over 25% of the year with no riding. For the first time in my life I am seriously considering giving up
 
We turn our eventers out over the winter, it means we don't stress about not be able to ride them and they get a nice break. They have shoes off, get nice and fluffy and will be back in Feb when fingers crossed the weather may be improving ??!! The have a masive field and have a feed once a day and hay when it snows. Its the best decission for me :)
 
queenb said:
We turn our eventers out over the winter, it means we don't stress about not be able to ride them and they get a nice break. They have shoes off, get nice and fluffy and will be back in Feb when fingers crossed the weather may be improving ??!! The have a masive field and have a feed once a day and hay when it snows. Its the best decission for me :)
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Do the horses have a problem initially when the shoes are taken off due to ground frost and all and when does their holiday start to when? I think I will follow suit next year.Thx
 
My eventers used to have Nov and Dec off (sometimes I was mad enough to get back on on Cristmas Day to start their walk work as I love riding CD). We used to have a little blip at end of Jan beginning of Feb just as they were blowing their minds having done 5 weeks of walk work, we would get some ice/snow. However the roads round here used to get gritted as there were loads of dairy herds so we could get out after a day or 2 and ride down the main road. Now there is no dairy the roads are lethal.

We never had a problem with taking their back shoes off (they were all 3/4 or 7/8 TB) and in fact used to do the first week or two of walk work without shoes on (hinds) as we tried to keep them living out if the weather was ok. Once they were up to an hours walk work and needed clipping we bought them in. They never got sore feet, but they did all have good feet that didn't break up much.

My boy is meant to be in work all this winter for physio reasons (although I'm not riding due to surgery on shoulder) - it sounds like he is going to be having a break after all!
 
I don't worry about it, I used to get very stressed purley on a "I need to keep the weight off" issue I had with my cob;

But I turn them out 24/7 feed one small handful of Fast Fibre with magnesium a day, no hay ( they have plenty of grass) unclipped and only my 20 year old has a light rug on.

I've found they keep fairly fit living out, plus they seem to pace themselves out regarding the "stuffing themselves with grass"

I think they are very happy indeed not being ridden :)
 
I'm of same opinion.... when it's impossible, just make sure they are ok. When it's better, go hacking or do what you can.

Would love to give winter off buuuuttt.... how boring?

Mine has been off intermittently and he's actually improved with time off.
 
Friend rode ours last weekend and he was horrid, can't ride now anyway due to snow so he'll prob get the rest of the winter off now and will start riding again in spring. He's not fussed, as long as he gets food he's more than happy.

To be honest it's enough of a struggle just to do the looking after side, what with mucking out, rugs, frozen everything etc etc etc
 
Two of ours went out in october with no shoes as the farrier was happy their feet would be fine. One had back shoes off as has had a few issues with front feet cracking/splitting this year. Afetr 6 weeks the back feet were doing fine so she had the fronts taken off too and she has been fine. It gives the feet a break and as long as they are not on flinty ground they will be fine. And with no shoes you don't have to stress about them pulling shoes/half the foot off if the charge around on sticky ground and taking half the foot off with them ! They are a mixture of horses TB / irish sports.
 
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