Too cold to ride? Yay or nay

[ozpoz]

I abstained today, although the arena is fine. I don't have to ride in all weathers anymore and it feels good!

I really didn't want to take his rug off, it was so bitter although he worked reasonably hard yesterday. He's been turned out most of the day anyway.

 

[mandyroberts]

Young horse so don't over do it so that's my excuse. We just aren't used to this cold. Surface fine so did lunge for 20 mins today....a little light lunging just keeps things ticking over. I can't ride in all the layers I need to stay warm. So nice to know I'm not the only one being a wus!

 

[Dave's Mam]

Reynauds, frozen manege, icy roads. Duvet days for Dave & I.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

As title really.

Am I the only one being a wimp right now??

I've got carpal tunnel problems, and hands are always cold at the best of times, and I frankly don't have what it takes to face tacking up, faffing around with girths & bridles with freezing cold fingers, and THEN haul reluctant butt into the saddle to face the North wind whistling over the hedge on a horse that feels like it wants to gallop off full-tilt into the next county as soon as your foot goes in the stirrup and that frankly would much rather have its backside tucked up under the hedge!

The sunshine is glorious, but the wind is just soooohhh bleddi cold!! Jeez. Plus (sensible head not excuse) there IS the issue of ice on the lanes to consider........

Yes OK so tell me to Woman-Up, I'll agree totally, yes need to.

But is anyone else deciding to leave riding, for now???

Or is it just me wimping out??

My horse is in training during the week so ridden for me as I don't have the time and also with 5 years off riding due to injury to myself and the gelding I prefer S to train her as my mare is having to be re schooled. That said I ride weekend and don't care about cold as I have warm clothes and she has warm rugs so no probs. Also during the 80's we HAD to ride the horses in what ever the weather so you get used to riding in any type of weather so no issue for me.

 

[willhegofirst]

Suffer with cold finger, and horse kept on a hill, so I'm afraid he's not done much for a few days. His turnout is literally the side of a hill, so he does have a reasonable amount of exercise in his field

 

[Sukistokes2]

I’m not worried about the cold, you can wrap up warm, ice however is another matter. Having been over on the road I’m not keen to do it again. If there is ice, I don’t ride until it Clears.

 

[Peregrine Falcon]

I can't undo the rug, yet alone put a bridle on as a raynaud's sufferer so not riding at the moment.

Even if I could most of our ground is rutted so I wouldn't risk it. Most of the year it's fab having luxury of off-road riding but not in freezing conditions like these. It'll be over soon and peeing it down with rain instead.

 

[{97702}]

Had a lesson tonight - it was great fun So definitely not too cold to ride yet Tomorrow may be a different matter of course.....

 

[JFTDWS]

My arena was surprisingly springy this morning, and since I plan on taking the mare to training on Saturday (weather and sick Landy allowing!), I figure that I'd be well advised to work her as much as I can, when I can. We're forecast more snow tomorrow, so who knows whether I'll manage to ride then.

I wouldn't have wanted to hack out this morning, but certainly wasn't too cold to hoon around doing rollbacks and haunch turns.

 

[Ceriann]

Too cold for me - I left for work st 8 and got back at 7pm by which time it was -6 for us. In the week I ride under lights in my school but just can’t force myself when it’s this cold. Rode fri, sat and Sunday and hands suffered (even with gloves)! It will turn soon!0

 

[Snowfilly]

Had a lesson at the school last night in the indoor, but there's ice on every single road so not going out on any of ours. They're barefoot so would probably cope but I don't trust the drivers.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Too icy here now snow yesterday evening, only a tiny bit but enough to wet the roads and concrete which has frozen solid. Almost killed myself driving to a dental checkup. Not risking riding in that!

 

[Keith_Beef]

I wouldn't say it's too cold to ride. The hardness of the ground might be a problem, but I don't know that I'm qualified to judge that, yet.

All you need, unless you're getting down to -20°C, is to have the right clothing (for you and for the horse).

Once you get down to -20°C, I'm not sure that I'd want to ride a horse, but I've walked outdoors in snowshoes, I've skied, skated on the ice...

 

[Laika]

Honestly .. whats riding again? Can someone remind me?

THIS. My arenas are frozen over (outdoor paddocks) AND there is ice everywhere. I feel that I may unintentionally learn how to skii leading my horse around too.

 

[Hannahgb]

Ive managed to carry on riding, my turnout is really reduced though so dont have much choice! May struggle tonight as arena was frozen solid this morning!

 

[NinjaPony]

Luckily mine are on full livery as the roads are terrible, yard and school covered in snow and like an ice rink! So they are having duvet days tucked up in their rugs with hay. Ridden one is established enough and sensible enough that time off isn't a problem, and the other is retired anyway...

 

[Notimetoride]

It's more of a safety thing really. Is it safe to ride? For many people it just isn't. I'm v lucky to have a small indoor so can keep her ticking over (and I do need to keep her ticking over if I can). I can't lie though, finding motivation is hard at the moment. Everything seems to take twice as long. My desire to ride is slightly higher than my desire not to, so we keep going as best we can. But if you don't have to and don't want to, then don't.
We will soon be having the opposite problem - is it too hot to ride

 

[AFB]

Far too cold for me, unless they need to be ridden. I want to enjoy riding, not freeze and be miserable whilst doing it.

 

[pennyturner]

I love it. They're all clean and fluffy - it's the only time they're not covered in mud!

Add to this that our hacking is either lanes (gritted) or grass tracks (long-ish grass, so not too hard), it's only the wind-chill that's a problem, so I wrap up and keep my mouth shut (or else my teeth hurt).

 

[Keith_Beef]

But if you don't have to and don't want to, then don't.
We will soon be having the opposite problem - is it too hot to ride

Too hot to ride? In the UK?

 

[SEL]

Too hot to ride? In the UK?

There were 2 weeks last year where it went over 30! Very uncomfortable for horses not used to that heat. One of mine was dripping and the other stopped sweating and required an emergency vet call out........

Cold weather isn't just about the clothing. Some evidence that it can cause respiratory distress in horses (just like asthma cases increasing in humans). Slow and steady needs to be the mantra even if the ground wasn't treacherous.

 

[Fiona]

It's not safe to ride here 😣😣 School frozen and snow lying on roads.

Wind chill is horrendous though, even the ponies have two rugs on so I'd feel mean taking them off to walk them round the fields.

Fiona

 

[Cortez]

Quite apart from the "I'd rather be inside with a hot choccy" on my part, none of my horses like the cold, especially the wind (they're all Spanish, bless 'em). They'll go out in the arena for a little trot and leap about, then stand by the gate (or start weaving at the gate in one case...) and ask to come back in to a full hay rack. Happy to oblige, and I often apologise to them for our crap weather.

 

[Merrymoles]

I'm another one who used to have to ride in all weathers so I am very happy to give my horse some time off! I may have to lunge before we head out for the first time but with about four inches of snow and below freezing temperature, that's unlikely to be any time soon!

 

[teapot]

Lesson this morning, was glorious but super cold. The coat still came off half way through though!

 

[Asha]

it looks lovely out there, but only while I'm inside with a brew and a choccie biscuit.

even if I wanted to ride I couldn't, arena is frozen, and the lanes are iced up ( no gritters around us).

 

[dominobrown]

No riding for me today. I do feel guilty but none of the DIY liveries could get up so after mucking out the whole yard, filling 40+ haynets and doing yard jobs I am too zonked to think about riding.

 

[Sleipnir]

It's lower than -20C here right now and that's not even considering the windchill - speaking of which, the wind is quite fierce, too. I'm giving Horse this week off and am happy to know that he's getting sunbaths in the field, conserving energy, munching on adlib hay, having lukewarm water in his heated trough and being able to hide in his field shelters at any time, while I am hiding at home, under several blankets with my cats. He loves the cold, but I would surely not benefit from riding him at a walk in these temperatures, although I have my big coat and a pair of skiing pants! We don't have an indoor, so it's either the outdoor or the woods, and I stop trotting and cantering him when it falls under -15C.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Scotland this morning!

 

[TheOldTrout]

Scotland this morning!

What a beautiful photo!