The winter blahs have hit

[Pippity]

In five years of horse ownership (plus two of sharing), this is the first winter when I've just flat-out not wanted to ride. I don't even want to hack at the weekends. Our off-road hacking is too muddy, and the roads are full of idiots, and it's cold and dark and miserable.

I've got the school booked to ride this evening, but I really, really don't want to.

Previous years, I've been able to skip out of work an hour or two early to get some daylight, but I'm too new in my current job to pull that one!

What do other people do to combat the blahs?

 

[BallyJ]

I'm not here to offer support.

Just to sit in the Blah with you. I'm struggling this year, and seem to be the only person on the yard that can't skip out of work for a daylight potter!

 

[Bluewaves]

I had this feeling last year and this year i just gave into the blahs and he is out on 24/7 hour turnout over the winter months. I'll start again in March. My decision was helped by me getting injured but I thought it would be helpful to him to be out moving about in winter and get a break from me.

 

[splashgirl45]

There’s no shame in not riding for the winter. Why bother unless your horse needs riding but as long as they have turnout they don’t care if they are ridden or not… I always used to ride for at least 5 days as I was older and wanted to keep myself riding fit, I’m sure my horse would have been happy to chill in the field rather than be ridden

 

[Squeak]

Have you got any competitions or goals you want to achieve? That's what usually keeps me going over winter. Otherwise is there a reason you have to ride? If not you could just give yourself the winter or a couple of months off. You might be surprised that when you don't have to you actually want to get back to it sooner than you expected.

The weather is rubbish at the moment, getting colder, darker and we've already had so much rain that everything is wet, miserable and muddy.

 

[Patterdale]

I only ride if it’s sunny and I feel like it. Much better!

 

[Sealine]

My horse is semi-retired and I no longer have the pressure of keeping him hunting/competition fit. I have to admit I'm enjoying not feeling the guilt if I don't ride enough or do enough fast work. I've reduced my week day early morning hacks to two days and I work those around the weather avoiding riding in the rain. I also ride at weekends but don't feel guilty if I'm too busy and miss a day. I've just realised I've become a fair weather rider! I haven't had my horse clipped yet this winter as we're not doing enough work to get him hot and sweaty. In previous years he would have been clipped three times by now.

If you don't need to ride and you don't want to ride, don't do it.

 

[94lunagem]

Another with no real advice of how to combat the blahs but can sympathise.

I now only see mine in daylight at the weekends and really struggle with enthusiasm when it’s constantly wet.

Roll on cold and crisp please!

Be kind to yourself - remember riding is supposed to be fun and if it’s not and it’s not doing anyone any harm, then don’t.

 

[tda]

I only ride if it’s sunny and I feel like it. Much better!

Me too

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

I wish I could just ride when it's nice but that means forfeiting pre-paid for lessons and taking up a space that doesn't get used. It was miserable weather when I woke up, I'm already not feeling great, dragged myself out of bed anyway. It had brightened up when I arrived for my lesson but still cold and windy, and I went to pieces. Maybe I will just be a fair weather rider and hope my skills and the bit of confidence I had built up don't suffer to much for a break.

 

[Polos Mum]

I really struggle with this. I split the winter into two halves, I really try and carry on until the Christmas holidays. I have monthly flat lesson, monthly SJ lesson, monthly dressage competition that is a a points thingy that accumulates the more times you go. All that keep me really busy in Nov and Dec.
A 20 mins lunge is OK, 15 mins in school to run through tests twice is also OK - 'rides' don't have to be hours long.

After the holidays I usually give them a good break, at least a month maybe 6 weeks - they have 24/ 7 turnout (bar terrible weather) and I find by mid Feb I'm itching to get back on again and the daylight is heading firmly in the right direction - even if the weather is not !

It's not perfect but helps me.

 

[santas_spotty_pony]

I’ve taken the pressure off myself this year - I have three to ride but all are leisure horses and my boy is 24 now. Once a seasoned hunter, he is now in light work and I probably ride them all two times per week each at the moment as we don’t have a school and it’s too wet to school ok the field and hacking takes longer so I am limited with time and daylight hours. In the summer they do three/four times per week each as I ride in the field a lot with the other two and just hack them out once per week. I do sometimes ride and lead to try and get two done in one go. If the weather is bad though we don’t go out. They live out 24/7 and only come in for a snooze or if the weather is bad so I doubt they really mind. My boy loves this time of year though as in his head he still thinks he’s a hunter so I enjoy taking him out but again, can’t say I miss the pressure of having to have him really really fit. December is my busiest month at work so the riding may drop off further over that month but it won’t do them any harm. As others have said, the more you put the pressure on the more you resent it and I think the horses would rather you spend the time feeding and caring for them than riding them.

 

[scats]

Take the pressure off. I didn’t ride for 3 months last winter after my accident and both horses came out of winter fine and Millie was back in work end of Feb as the weather improved and we had a great summer, so it just proved that it doesn’t really matter if they have the winter off.

Mine have just had an unplanned week off as my kidneys flared up and then my back went (worst timing!) but it’s worked quite well coz the weather has been rubbish. I’m taking winter day at a time and if I feel like riding I will, and if I don’t, I won’t. I know my mojo will come back in the new year as soon as I start seeing the days draw out a bit, so the next couple of months is very much survival and not putting undue pressure on myself. Winter is hard for normal people, let alone horse people who are trying to hold down jobs and other commitments.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I feel like it’s perfectly acceptable! I don’t think I’ve known it this wet this early in years.
I actually like winter but the rain is getting a bit much!

 

[Flame_]

In five years of horse ownership (plus two of sharing), this is the first winter when I've just flat-out not wanted to ride. I don't even want to hack at the weekends. Our off-road hacking is too muddy, and the roads are full of idiots, and it's cold and dark and miserable.

I've got the school booked to ride this evening, but I really, really don't want to.

Previous years, I've been able to skip out of work an hour or two early to get some daylight, but I'm too new in my current job to pull that one!

What do other people do to combat the blahs?

I don't ride until the end of January. It would just be a million times more effort than it would be worth. I'm a postie so my job gets stupidly intense from October to Christmas. I don't have an arena so the lack of daylight and vaguely pleasant weather are problematic. I could go on with all the reasons why riding seems like an insurmountable task at this time of year but, bottom line is, it just does so I don't do it. Plus my horse's feet get a break from shoes, I get a break from paying for said shoes and arena hire, etc and me and horse just get to get off that hamster wheel that I can't help but create when I've got riding goals. I've treated myself to Netflix this winter and am enjoying my indoor time, happy days.

 

[Pippity]

Well, after forcing myself down to the yard, I decided I'd just play with her loose over some poles, and ended up doing poles bareback with just a rope round her neck. Taking the pressure off worked!

 

[pistolpete]

We all need to move to Spain!

 

[Widgeon]

Nothing to say that hasn't already been said, but I'm another one who barely rides in the winter. I tend to ride once a week at the weekend. Horse is steady as they come and lives out 24/7 so he's perfectly happy...it took me two winters of guilt before I realised I don't actually *need* to ride him. Sometimes I take him for a walk to the village - don't ask me why but for some reason sticking a bridle and halter on and pottering about on foot requires much less motivation than actually riding.

I was chatting with our YO this morning and we realised that we've not had 48 hours without rain for....about eternity, now!

 

[SO1]

This is meant to be a fun relaxing hobby. If there are no health implications for not riding during winter then don't.

When Homey lived out I only rode at the weekends during the winter. I am only riding Bert at the weekends as he is relatively new and I don't get to the yard till 7.30pm and nobody else is there and he has never been ridden under floodlights before.

My instructor is riding him during the week a couple of times. I just go up after work groom and cuddle. I have been so tired recently that I have not minded not riding and a groom and cuddle for an is nice for us both.

 

[Pippity]

Unfortunately, she's had the past two winters off for various reasons, with the result that she's getting distinctly porky. (She tends not to gain weight in winter, but she doesn't lose it unless I work her. She then inevitably gains some during summer, despite my best efforts, with the result that, while the vet isn't worried about her weight, I'd prefer her to be 20-30kg less than she is.)

I've decided that I'm going to set myself a target of going to a 30cm showjumping clinic. At the moment, we don't jump at all (largely because she likes to tackle fences at top speed and I'm a wimp) so it's a big ask, with a lot of little asks along the way.

We started by popping over a tiny crosspole this morning. It was so tiny that she could easily have trotted over it, but it's a huge achievement for me!

 

[Horsegirl70]

If there's no need to ride in the winter and you don't want to, don't! It's supposed to be what we do for fun, not a chore. If you're worried about your get up and go, don't forget that starting a new job is exhausting! It takes a while before you adapt but also maybe think about vitamin d/b12. I've been feeling absolutely shattered (also new job) and started taking d and b12 and feel more like myself again. Roll on Spring!

 

[Bernster]

I’m struggling with work and home life being busy, the rain, cold and dark nights. I also don’t have a plan, which is the biggest factor. I’m better if I have some sort of goal. I did have a lovely yard day today however in the sunshine, chatting to friends. I’ll think of something to aim for for early next year but Dec is usually a write off with non horsey things. Horses are happy and working though as I have a sharer for one and the yard exercises them.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

It just seems later in the year than November because everywhere is so wet and muddy it's horrible so I'm struggling to ride alot of the time, I normally am OK until about Christmas time but not this year I hope we get some colder drier weather soon.

 

[southerncomfort]

I feel like this every year.

This year I've signed up for TREC Tuesdays with Evie O'Keefe.

Every week there is a webinar to watch/join in with, plus training challenges to video and submit for more tips/comments.

She is also running a training league competition where you can accumulate points over the winter.

I've also set myself the challenge of getting Bo really good at neck reining by the end of the winter. Currently he ignores me and wanders where he likes.