Not having time to ride and winter blues!

[fr234]

Hi everyone!
anyone else sick of this winter weather already?!
I just wanted to pop on to ask if anyone else feels like this…
As it’s now darker earlier, I can only really ride 3 times a week now. After work is too dark and I only have lights that are bright enough to light up half a 20x40 which isn’t much good for schooling Really!
I usually ride once (twice at the best) on a night in winter and then try my best to ride both days at the weekend. I feel SO guilty for not being able to keep my horse fit and ride as much.
I’m sure I’m not the only one!
I know it’s pretty easy to get your horse fit in spring with the right routine so this is nothing to panick about but I can’t help feel like this
Let me know your winter routines etc below

 

[GrassChop]

Nothing to add with winter routines.
No at home riding available as no school, can only hack but out in the sticks, there are no street lights and wouldn't want to risk it in the dark. Can't ride in the week now because of the dark evenings so weekends only which is hard to cram everything into.
I am so sick of the mud already and my fields aren't bad in comparison to others but it still drives me mad. It sprays up and your feet get stuck each step you take.

 

[Barton Bounty]

If I still had BB we would be riding in all the crappy weather but with Orby I am not working him a lot so we haven’t bothered in the rain yet

 

[fr234]

If I still had BB we would be riding in all the crappy weather but with Orby I am not working him a lot so we haven’t bothered in the rain yet

I’m honestly so done with this weather! We’ve got months of it to come too which just makes you feel awful doesn’t it!

 

[fr234]

Nothing to add with winter routines.
No at home riding available as no school, can only hack but out in the sticks, there are no street lights and wouldn't want to risk it in the dark. Can't ride in the week now because of the dark evenings so weekends only which is hard to cram everything into.
I am so sick of the mud already and my fields aren't bad in comparison to others but it still drives me mad. It sprays up and your feet get stuck each step you take.

We never used to have a school so I definitely feel you! We luckily have one now but still no lights so can’t ride after work sadly

 

[Barton Bounty]

I’m honestly so done with this weather! We’ve got months of it to come too which just makes you feel awful doesn’t it!

Yeah, i used to hate riding in the rain until I made myself do it, we went out got soaked to the skin and next time wasn’t as bad so it became a habit. To be honest If I didnt ride in the rain, would never ever ride in scotland

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I don't generally give my horse any length of holiday. He is ridden most days in the summer so coming into winter he is plenty fit enough for our weekend outings. I try and ride 4 times a week but I'm happy if it's only 3 as it still keeps him ticking over enough. Don't feel guilty. As long as your horse is fit enough for what you require don't worry.

 

[fr234]

I don't generally give my horse any length of holiday. He is ridden most days in the summer so coming into winter he is plenty fit enough for our weekend outings. I try and ride 4 times a week but I'm happy if it's only 3 as it still keeps him ticking over enough. Don't feel guilty. As long as your horse is fit enough for what you require don't worry.

Love this! Yes, my horse was ridden most days until the clocks changed too so as you say she should be fit enough for our dressage every couple of Saturdays. She’ll soon get fit again come spring with a bit of good old hacking!

 

[Skib]

I didnt ride in the rain today. I went to the yard and got drenched. Last winter I rode twice in the rain and got a cough which has never entirely gone. So I have decided I am now a fair weather rider in winter. My excuse is that over 80 one needs to take care. But I will definitely ride all this coming winter, as long as I am fit. I get miserable unless I ride. Riding was my cure for seasonal depression,

 

[expanding_horizon]

The wet, the cold, the dark, the mud is pretty depressing.

My horse lives out, clipped and rugged.

He has a stable but isn’t a fan of being stabled.

It is however a luxury to have somewhere dry and lit to tack up!

I have use of two arenas (one small indoors and larger outdoor) but are a 25 minute walk away or a 50 minute round trip.

I live a 25 minute drive away outside traffic, so it is a bit depressing that by the time I have driven to the yard, brought my horse in, tacked up and got to an arena it takes me over 90 minutes before doing any schooling (plus the same in reverse to get back home) and not including doing my horse chores!

Hacking involves negotiating 4 gates, 3 of which cannot be done mounted.

My horse wears 4 hoof boots hacking, so when he comes in from muddy field, I need to clean and dry his feet and heels and put his boots which takes about 35 minutes (large supply of old towels). Plus cleaning hoof boots after riding when ground is muddy and hanging them to dry.

Dealing with drying wet rugs, quarter sheets, coats, tack etc.

It all takes so long in winter, and the daylight hours are short.

I tend to arrive early at the yard, and start off using the headtorch.

 

[Identityincrisis]

Urgh, this weather is really sapping the life out if me already. I’m so lucky I have access to total off road hacking so if I’m quick on my early finishes i can be tacked up at 4:15 for a quick spin but i get back in the dark, both me and my horse are used to this now but the ground is so slippy I have use of an arena which is only half lit but again, i don’t let that put me off, we can still see enough to school. I just wish it would stop raining!!

 

[RHM]

Honestly I feel exactly the same. I also can only ride 3 times a week and I’m well and truly fed up!!
Very tempted to move yards to somewhere with lights but I have such good hacking where I am, when I can see it! Winter is awful isn’t it!

 

[Kirstd33]

Also only riding 2/3 times a week, either on my 2 day 2pm work finishes and once at the weekend and again only hacking as our grass school gets too boggy. C’est la vie I guess for the next few months, I’m not putting any pressure on ourselves as I work near enough FT and have 3 kiddies so as long as everyone’s fed and happy the rest is a bonus

 

[Greylegs]

Major case of winter blues here too …. Not sat on mine for over two weeks now and just can’t be bothered to even try. The horse is happy and well cared for, but I’m bored and de-motivated in the school and, although we do have some good off road riding, it’s as muddy as hell and absolutely no fun to ride on at the moment. I need to find a way to stop beating myself up about it, but I do feel guilty ………..

 

[Peglo]

I’ve not ridden for a month and even if we get a nice weekend now I don’t think it’s fair when she has zero fitness. It’s dark when I leave for work and dark when I get home and I don’t have a school as the horses are at home so can’t really ride through the week.
I don’t feel guilty though, I’m just trying to get through winter as best I can and try and keep the horses happy.

 

[Cloball]

I don't mind riding in the rain it's the high winds that have got me this week! Our school is surrounded by trees but you just get branches and leaves thrown at you. Pony isnt rugged either so by the time I've got her clean it's dark so I'm trying to do ground work twice a week as less cleaning is required and ride twice on the weekend. Totally feeling the guilt though. All the other liveries work part time and have days to ride I'm the only full timer!

 

[smolmaus]

I've come home today particularly ready to crawl into a hole and hibernate until March. Took me 45 mins to get to the yard (traffic down to flooding probably), driving in the dark and rain, the wet has started to overwhelm even the hard standing paddocks so pony is standing in "mud" even without being in a field, arena is waterlogged so you can only really trot in parts of it and she was still finding it really hard. Misery misery misery.

I can't really just ride on the weekends either, spent all summer building up her muscle to support a dodgy stifle and if she loses that again we are back to square one. I was considering chancing my arm with a half day every week until Christmas so I could at least hack in the light but don't know if PM will agree and then I won't get my full 2 weeks off

 

[TheHairyOne]

Im normally ok till feb when i really want to go on strike.

In some ways i like winter as my horse is so much nicer to ride when its a bit cooler.

I use the winter to consolidate basics on rubbish nights, so maybe only 20 mins of suppling etc. so I dont feel the need to make myself do a long session. That and I can only ride in the school in the week so dont want to overdo it.

However, my yard has no electric what so ever so I school in the dark. Its fine, the horse can see perfectly well and your eyes do adjust. I find it helps me feel things better as well so no negatives to doing it!

 

[dorsetladette]

I'm a fair weather horse woman and not ashamed to admit it. I know my lot are OK with having less time with me in the winter. My 3 Yr old will do bits when the weather permits. I don't have use of a school and refuse to work with babies when the ground is slippy, so we have to work around dry days when the field has had a day or two to dry out (thank the lord for sandy soil). I've never seen the need to ride in all weather's, I get that some need to when preparing for competition or mostly stabled horses, but mine don't need it and neither do I.

I did slip on my backside tonight while checking fences. as it was dark no one saw me.

 

[SEL]

I'm not normally fair weather but every single one of our bridlepaths has turned into a quagmire so that leaves riding on roads - with idiot drivers coming past at speed spraying water everywhere

I hired an indoor last week. Good experience but their parking is a bit open and trying to sort out baby cob in the driving rain wasn't fun.

My gateways are swamps and my life plan now involves a decent euromillions win and an indoor school.

 

[Sossigpoker]

I work from home and come and do the horses around 2.30 in the afternoons. I prioritise riding while it's light as mucking out and other jobs can be done with the lights/torch on.
My horse has hock arthritis so I need to keep him working or it affects his soundness/suppleness, unfortunately this means riding or lunging in less than ideal conditions! Otherwise I wouldn't do it!

 

[Boughtabay]

I’m not enjoying this winter we’ve had our first full summer under saddle - been to lessons, done some competitions, hacked a lot etc. I lost my mare mid October and my boy as a result had an unexpected break/change of field/routine - he’s regressed quite a lot. I’m now re-teaching loading from scratch in the hopes that I’ll be able to get him out and about solo so that takes up a lot of time and riding has gone back onto the back burner for a while & im so sad about it but groundwork/trailer training twice a day (incl in the dark) and everything else doesn’t leave much time for ridden work right now. Hoping it will pay off in the long run but … I hate winter this year!!

 

[JBM]

I’m a big baby always freezing so no rain for me!! Blankets and tea

 

[BallyJ]

I'm struggling this winter, trying to keep her ticking over on riding at the weekend, 1 weekday and lunge 1 weekday. Just keep reminding myself I have 2 weeks off over Christmas to get her going again before the slog of jan/feb!

 

[Skib]

(yesterday) I didnt ride in the rain today.

Perverse. The weather is lovely today. We have blue sky and sun. But I am a sharer, and Tuesday is my day for riding. I cant beg for extra as we need to wait in for a delivery this morning.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I'm sick of it already everything is just under water and I don't ride in the torrential rain which is all we seem to be getting, mine are older now so it really doesn't matter if they don't get ridden.

I don't feel guilty anymore about it I just do what I can and not force myself to ride I think it just makes you resent it if you do.

So everyone cut yourself some slack and don't feel bad.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

We never used to have a school so I definitely feel you! We luckily have one now but still no lights so can’t ride after work sadly

Could you not look at those flood lights that ToolStation sell for about £30? They're really good

 

[Fluffypiglet]

I’m so fed up. My horse has decided that turnout is awful and runs screaming round his field but won’t be caught by anyone but me. It’s got standing water in parts and not much grass so I don’t en blame him! He’s currently stabled because of this and showing no interest at all about being turned out so I’m having to exercise him every day. After work…. Without a floodlight school. . Just over 1 month til the shortest day. And hopefully it will stop raining for more than one day at a time?

 

[lauragreen85]

Hi everyone!
anyone else sick of this winter weather already?!
I just wanted to pop on to ask if anyone else feels like this…
As it’s now darker earlier, I can only really ride 3 times a week now. After work is too dark and I only have lights that are bright enough to light up half a 20x40 which isn’t much good for schooling Really!
I usually ride once (twice at the best) on a night in winter and then try my best to ride both days at the weekend. I feel SO guilty for not being able to keep my horse fit and ride as much.
I’m sure I’m not the only one!
I know it’s pretty easy to get your horse fit in spring with the right routine so this is nothing to panick about but I can’t help feel like this
Let me know your winter routines etc below

I just relax in winter and take november and most of december off from riding. does the horses no harm,

 

[SDMabel]

I have turned usually very clean, neat , clipped and ridden cob into a hairy feral goat like creature.

I ride on nice days only and only if i feel like it.

Last winter we hunted all season and this year I cannot be bothered.

The mud, the cleaning to go, the cleaning once home.... no thanks.

I've not found a winter easier than this one ! Just completely taken the pressure off and rolling with it.