What do you do in winter?

[lolly10fi]

What does everyone do in winter to keep horses exercised?
I dont have a school just a riding field, i was hoping to do hacking in winter when i cant ride in the field
Just wondering what everyone else does

 

[Irishbabygirl]

I just hack at weekends and on a Tuesday during the winter

 

[baby_dudley]

First winter with my horse. Think mine will be similar, weekends and once in the week when my little one is in nursery x

 

[Darcydoo]

My first winter but have started riding in a morning before work hack one day lunge/school the next and a big hack at weekend .

 

[Cortez]

I am very lucky and have an arena and lights. My horses perform all summer and so winter is time to have a little break, then get serious with off-season training. It's also the only time I have to do some "normal" stuff, like dressage competitions.

 

[flirtygerty]

I try to hibernate, but work and animals keep getting in the way.

 

[hannah90]

First winter with my horse. Think mine will be similar, weekends and once in the week when my little one is in nursery x

same

 

[Mark Gilbert]

The same as the rest of the year! but with added bonus of hunting! lots of youngsters to get broken, others to bring on, schooling, indoor show jumping!!!! it makes the winter go faster!!!!!

Oh and hopefully sell a few for my owners!!!!

 

[**Vanner**]

Turn on the indoor lights and carry on . We are very lucky. We've just started our winter dressage season too so plenty to be working on.

 

[tiga71]

I'm very lucky as I work for myself and work around riding to a degree.

I will have 2 lessons early in the morning in the week. Hack out two afternoons in the week and then hack at weekends.

I have trained my clients to deal with my horse work hours.

 

[FfionWinnie]

I will have more time as can't work in the dark. I don't have a school so I am planning to hack in the dark (or try it anyway!) and box to a local indoor.

I mainly hope to ride out before work and work flexi time, but I will have two to ride.

 

[emma.is]

I try to hibernate, but work and animals keep getting in the way.

ditto this

 

[Jingleballs]

I'm fortunate enough to have access to an arena but when I first moved to the yard it was only stables and fields so I would lunge in the dark with a head torch a couple of times a week and hack out at weekends.

I'd also trailer out to hire nearby arena's once or twice a month.

 

[pottamus]

I am limited to weekends already as it is too dark first thing to hack and I have no other facilities. My horse does not seem bothered about it though!
tiga71 - what do you do for a living? I am gearing up to go self employed in the new year, so so perhaps not next winter but the one after, I hope to have enough business to be a bit more flexible with riding times in the winter.

 

[Wheels]

Usually I ride in the mornings before work up to the end of November then they have a couple of months off as it's too dark in Dec and Jan then they come back into work mid Feb.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

Im lucky - altho in NE Scotland Im free during the day so in theory can hack out several times a week. However.....quite often snow and ice puts paid to that plan, sometimes for weeks or months (we are very exposed!). We dont have a manege so they just dont get ridden then! Thankfully the one in regular work (other is only ridden occasionally - he's an oldie) is the sort of mare you can take out after 2 months off and she is fine )) good job really! And we are just happy hackers!

 

[Oriel]

I ride in the sandschool 3 times a week and have one lesson a week too.

I'm lucky in that I'm self-employed and can ride whenever I like. I tend to ride mid-morning but we do have floodlights in the school if I want to ride in the evenings. I hack out at the weekend - weather permitting!

 

[claireandnadia]

Don't know this year as Nadia is not allowed to be schooled, hacking only and I don't get to the yard after work until 5.45ish so it'll just be weekend riding I think.

 

[AmyMay]

Horse is hacked out four times a week, and maybe ridden in the school one night - all this is up to the new year. After which horse has a month or so off, with just the odd hack at the weekend.

 

[claribella]

I have just moved from a place which had a floodlit school to a place that doesnt. Last winter I did a bit in the school but to be honest I get a little bit bored of schooling unless I have someone there pushin me to do stuff. Thankfull my circumstances have changed in that both my sons are now in school so I have all day every day to hack out and keep my girl fit this winter.

 

[Mince Pie]

I am not really working at the moment apart from the odd evening pub shift, so it's business as normal for me!

 

[helencharlie]

Nothing really changes from summer to winter. Charlie is usually ridden 6 days a week with a mixture of schooling, hacking, lessons and shows. He was going to to have nov to jan off, but he has decided that he would prefer to be stabled rather than turned out. Aiming on doing winter dressage league shows this year. I am lucky that I can ride in the mornings as I dont start work until the afternoon.

 

[LouandBee]

I try and ride mine at least 4 days a week, 2 at the weekend and 2 short rides before work in the week. Even on the shortest day's it's light enough to go out at 7.30 a.m which gives me just enough time for a quick spin round the countryside. I just try and keep her fit enough so we can still get a few lessons and the odd competition in over winter.