Those with access to an indoor - In this weather is it worth it?....

[Chloe_GHE]

Hello peeps!

Haven't been on HHO for a while because I had some 'PC issues' (think laptop meets pint of OJ, and not a happy ending!) so am sneaking on at work in lunch

Just a quick Q

Those of you with an indoor on site/easy access to one do you use it in this weather?....

We have an outdoor 20x40 with floodlights but I'm finding it hard to muster the enthusiasm at 6pm at night in the semi-dark -6 temps to tack up and battle with the horses as they pretend the arena at that time of day is v spooky!!

So is all my 'indoor envy' justified?... Or even with an indoor in this weather/time of year do you find yourself deciding not to ride so much?....

Adios
C x

 

[ihatework]

From my perspective it is a god send.

I have access to an indoor school (well 3 to be precise, but hey I wouldn't want to rub that in!!).

I work full time in quite a challenging environment. I can work long and ad hoc hours with travelling mixed in. My horse is currently on full livery which costs a fair amount of money. If I can only find time to ride 2 times a week then at least with an indoor school I can ride ! I tell you what, even that works out as a bloody expensive ride!

It also means I can do early or late, in the pitch black when the majority of outdoor surfaces are rather crunchy in -6 temps!

 

[spike123]

definitely worth having. I moved to a yard just over a month ago with 2 indoor schools and again as I work all sorts of hours it is great to know I can still ride after or before work regardless of daylight and weather conditions.

 

[MadisonBelle]

I hadn't used our's once in 4 yrs after moving to our new smaller yard (main yard has indoor but has at least 20 school horses) but now that our 20x40 is frozen I will be going the 10min walk to the covered one....... However, this is only because our one is now frozen.... I wouldn't otherwise and ride most nights at 7pm as that's when I get there after work..

 

[quirky]

I ride in the day but still choose to ride in the indoor as the wind is so bitingly cold.
I originally moved there because my previous horse used to bronc in the rain.

Now, having been spoilt, I don't think I could do without one.

 

[CrazyMare]

I haven't used ours at all other than to give them a leg stretch loose.

TBH I can't be bothered to peel all the layers off clipped beastie, to then try to ride when she has her back up and ears stuffed up my nose.

I might stretch to lunging tonight...

 

[dibbin]

Yep, I barely used it at all until the freeze last winter, and it was absolutely worth it then as it was the only place we could ride!

 

[madeleine1]

i love my indoor school. i have to fight for it with both the posh horses and the riding school horses. but i still managed an hour a day and i have no second thoughts about riding. i have my horse at home and at the current yard in winter and althought i miss my lovly hacking at home i love my warm indoor school in winter means i can ride anytime anyday.

 

[TheoryX1]

I have to be honest I amm with you Chloe. I work pretty long hours and at the moment the thought of riding in a spooky 20 x 40 which adjoins another yard, and where the ponies think its great to stick their heads over the arena fencing and spook the horses in it fill me with dread. I dont have to ride my horse every day - he is the same whether he is ridden or not, but he is getting a bit stiff in the stable. None of the other liveries are turning out, and he wont be happy on his own. With L its a different matter, plus our new baby. They are doing their nuts in the stable. By the time we get to the yard at 6.00 pm plus the thought of riding is making us both feel totally depressed. We were going showjumping last weekend at West Wilts, as we have got to get the pole bashing sorted out so she can hopefully take said pole basher 1* and hopefully Intermediate. Doesnt look like we shall be doing that for a while though.We havent ridden since Sunday and I guess we will have to make an effort tonight. Oh well, at least I am away from Thursday morning at a conference in London till Saturday lunchtime - I shall be warm!!!!!!

I have to be honest, even the thought of access to an indoor school, if we had it, does not exactly fill me with enthuisiasm. I do love my horses, but at the moment I could cheerfully not see them again until April next year.

 

[Halfstep]

yes it is wonderful to have the indoor, and last winter when the horses couldn't go out for weeks on end in the snow, it was great to keep them in work.

 

[flyingfeet]

Feeling very jealous !

I was going to lunge one last night at 7.30pm, but it was so damn cold and the fire won! Again after work and even with school and floodlights, the motivation is really really hard.

 

[siennamum]

Ha Ha, TX I am also considering an enforced break from horses till it warms up. I wondered whether you guys were getting out on the lanes at the moment, feel less guilty now I know you aren't.
Have you done a post about your youngster? haven't seen one.......

 

[dieseldog]

Imagine having a lovley indoor school which someone has filled with horrible bits of tractor and other equipment

 

[NeedNewHorse]

My last yard actually had a wonderful set up, for the stables I had access to the field from our indoor stables, so straight out if need be.

Then we had a small indoor, and people could loose school or chuck them in for a bit to have a run around and still manage to ride as it never froze - then a covered walker and the yard owner would always makes sure people could get to either, so by grit or whatever so no one was stuck in their stables.

It was good.

Now, don't have an indoor and I so wish I did. Would be lovely to keep on riding no matter the weather, really appreciate rain and wind now as at least you can still ride!! Wont be moaning about that again, as suddenly that's the better of the two! lol

 

[flyingfeet]

Imagine having a lovley indoor school which someone has filled with horrible bits of tractor and other equipment

Just called a scrappie and make it magically disappear? To be fair we have 4 stables and 1 pen out of use as they have made implement and 'stuff' homes!

 

[dieseldog]

Just called a scrappie and make it magically disappear? To be fair we have 4 stables and 1 pen out of use as they have made implement and 'stuff' homes!

A lot of it ended up on EBay this summer - but not enough of it!

 

[TarrSteps]

I would cheerfully KILL for an indoor right now. Preferably attached to the barn and, if I could be picky, with heaters. Ah, happy memories . . . (Of course, it was -15 outside and most of the day was actually spent digging out, making sure things didn't freeze, trying not to freeze . . . but memory is selective. )

Spare a thought for the people whose livelihood depends on getting horses worked!

 

[deskbound]

Working F/T and riding at silly hours means the indoor is indispensable... plus the lights are good enough for midweek jumping . The 5 min hack across a field in the dark to it is more interesting, but brings a whole new meaning to light at the end of the tunnel....!

 

[KatB]

If I had the money and the inclination, my mare would be going on her "winter holidays" to a nearby producer with a lovely indoor stable/barn complex, so she could continue being worked! I would LOVE to be on a yard with an indoor, but it just isn't meant to be!

 

[TPO]

We have an indoor but TBH why fight nature?! It's fricking freezing, the yard is slippy and it's blowing a gale not to mention "puking" down with snow (according to my mate in Canada that means snowing really heavily??). I have to leave the car a mile from the yard and stomp through the deep and slippy snow uphill then fall down it on my knees on the way back! I'm happy to hibernate when the weather is like this and the Doobster seems to be in agreement if I've translated the burying of head into haybar of haylage correctly!

Don't get me wrong it's handy having it so he can get a leg stretch and a roll without a rug when they can't get out (snow brought the fences down on the yard).

I'm looking forward to nice hacks on crisp weekend days through the forest but not so keen on endless circles in the freezing cold and pitch black nights! That's what March can be for; with this weather and these conditions can't get the lorry off the yard anyway.

 

[lar]

I moved this summer from a yard with an indoor to one with "only" three outdoors. I'm now REALLY missing the indoor.

New yard is great in many ways - only 5 minutes from home, acres more turnout, I'd still move back to my old yard like a SHOT if it wasn't a 60 mile round trip to get there!

 

[Mollymop]

I spent 30 odd years with no electricity, running water, any school surface whatsoever. I now keep horses at a yard with an indoor school, american barn type stables, kitchen facilities etc. I know I would never ever go back to having to do everything myself. The indoor school may be like a freezer in winter but at least I can ride which makes the working day worthwhile. Even if I don't feel like it beforehand, having a canter round the school always seem to make things better!

 

[Ignition]

Yes I ride a lot in my indoor in this weather - i'm old and feel the cold Does get boring for both horses and rider though when overused - but mustn't complain!

 

[Doncella]

I would kill for an indoor arena. Having just started on the fitness campaign with the horse everything has now been put back weeks.

 

[JessPickle]

I do feel spoilt having an indoor school! not sure i could manage without one now. Was Hellish enough getting my two down from the field together down the steep slope! Had Henry pushing me over and Pickle holding me up!

 

[MegaBeast]

Well...we have a 20x40 indoor school and a 30x60 outdoor. The last few days I've been riding twice daily (at 7am and 7pm) in the OUTDOOR school as I prefer having the room! Horse has a thick exercise sheet and I've got my thermal long johns. It is frozen and covered in snow but not slippery and we're only allowed to walk (vets orders) so figure it's no worse than the roads for slow work.

Mare is on a phased return to work after PSD so giving her time off isn't really an option as we're just coming to the end of the second week of walking under saddle.

I could head indoors but it can be dusty in there and it's slightly further to lead her (as in about 100m further). I did go indoors one evening last week because people were already in there and we can't have both arenas lit at the same time.

To say I'm dedicated would be an understatment. But I do confess to feeling very mean when I peel her warm rugs off in the dark, and the snow, and the sub zero temperatures! It does take a lot of motivation but seeing as she's in now (the fields are churned up and frozen solid and I refuse to chance her legs although the others are out - she gets to go in a pen during the day so not constantly stabled) she needs the work to keep her sane.

 

[TheoryX1]

Ha Ha, TX I am also considering an enforced break from horses till it warms up. I wondered whether you guys were getting out on the lanes at the moment, feel less guilty now I know you aren't.
Have you done a post about your youngster? haven't seen one.......

Siennamum, its one of Claires that Lizzie is helping to bring on for her. If she doesnt sell, she will do some BE90s later next year, but for the meantime, she is good experience. Its the little chestnut mare with a white blaze, and I suspect you will have seen her.

 

[Weezy]

Gosh I wish we had an indoor - we have the perfect structure for it and keep asking the YO to convert it...only thing is we currently have 6 horses in pens in there!

I have not ridden for a week now, and I am not stressing about it. Tomorrow, I doubt I will get to turn out for the couple of hours I have managed thus far, as we had snow last night, it has semi melted during today and so tomorrow we will have sheet ice...on a slippy concrete yard = horses stay in!

 

[SamuelWhiskers]

indoor.......i'd settle for an outdoor!!!

I'm grounded at the moment, have been since saturday, same every winter!

My dream would be for an indoor school or the use of one locally, which in my case there is a light at the end of the tunnel, as planning permission has just been granted for a new equestrian place, with indoor schools, within 4 miles of home ......yippppppeeeeeeeee, i feel this is the closest we'll get! LOL ;-)

 

[bigboyrocky]

having had use of an indoor at the old yard, i would kill for one at our current yard... ive never dreaded riding though and i always grab the opportunity to ride because i dont get to ride mon, tues, wed due to mum working v late so she does him on the way back from work but yes it was brilliant to have an indoor, and i would definatley love to have one over the winter!!!