Who isn't going to ride over the winter?

i try to carry on as much as i can - but if its anything like last winter i couldnt physically get her out of the field from dec-march so she had that time off - we both hated it!

ideally i'll be polishing up SJ an DR ready for next season and going out hunting as much as i can afford :)

oh - i ahve no arena, no stables, no lights, no field shelters (just good natural shelter) and no flat bit in fields to school - but that doesnt stop me ;) i do ride in the dark to kep her fit - all off road trot work on estate tracks
 
Because of the last 2 winters' snow and ice I haven't really managed tbh. Only thing is I find when I start again it takes ages for my confidence levels to come up. This winter if it is bad I've decided to take lessons at my local riding school. Lucky enough to have a horse whom I can ride every 3 weeks as stays the same. Unless I put up a jump......
 
If anything I ride more in the winter, these days. I just put on a lot of lights (and clothes!) and go off down the track if it's evening, just the clothes/reflectives during the day. He isn't shod, so only extreme ice gets us. Am hoping that his new gloves will help in the snow, too, so that will help us get out a little more.

All this is until winter depression sets in, when I'll spend more time in bed than at the field!
 
My own horses will get the winter off. I have 2 on box rest anyway and can't be ridden until spring. The rest all worked their butts off this summer out at the shows so they fully deserve a few months being wild! My job also gets in the way of me riding my lot overly much as I spend alot of time away at the races. So they all get fed, mucked out where necessary and checked, otherwise they are free to do as they plese for the winter.

Whilst my horses get the winter off of work I don't. I get paid to ride horses out whatever the weather and upto 5 lots a day in lashing winds, rain, snow, blizzards etc. isn't fun but it must be done!
 
EKW said:
My own horses will get the winter off. I have 2 on box rest anyway and can't be ridden until spring. The rest all worked their butts off this summer out at the shows so they fully deserve a few months being wild! My job also gets in the way of me riding my lot overly much as I spend alot of time away at the races. So they all get fed, mucked out where necessary and checked, otherwise they are free to do as they plese for the winter.

Whilst my horses get the winter off of work I don't. I get paid to ride horses out whatever the weather and upto 5 lots a day in lashing winds, rain, snow, blizzards etc. isn't fun but it must be done!
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Blimey you must be brave!
 
Planning to ride until too icey to do so. Oddly I find I ride more in winter than in summer as I know there is a finite number of daylight hours and get better organised. Daft I know.
 
Will be carrying on as normal, only difference will be it being freezing cold and dark, will spend most of the winter fighting to get into the indoor school if not will be decked out in hi viz and head torches to be able to go for a hack, i couldnt not ride over the winter, taz wouldnt be happy and neither would i, weekly comps will be a good incentive to get out while the weather allows before the stupid snow hits and then it will just be schooling in the indoor school only till it goes away
 
Will carry on regardless, including Lottie who is 31, she only does 15 mins twice a week with a tiny novice anyway. Floodlit out door school so only difference is less hacking/jumping in bad weather and more rain sheets!
 
In theory it sounds lovely BUT

I get quite nasty if I don't ride ..... in fact I think its more important to have the reason to go out and face the weather in the Winter than the Summer.

I may not think I like it, but it keeps me a happier and saner person in the Winter (PS that goes for my horse too!!).
 
catembi said:
Sometimes I really cba riding in the dark, rain, high wind etc, having to drag out my floodlight & tie it to the fence with baler twine if windy...but if I *don't* ride, I get really restless & cross. Far easier to get on with it because I drive myself distracted if I don't.
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This could be me!! :D
 
Will be riding most of winter unless dreaded snow and ice arrives and cant get off yard. Horse gets stiff if not ridden most days.

He has just had a month off work due to saddle issues and lameness and he is becoming naughty to handle as is bored stiff.

Can start hacking again in few days, just walk to start with and build up. Will have to stock up on the superglue to stick my bum to saddle lol :)
 
I'll be carrying on as normal - hacking out and doing some bits of schooling. I probably ride more in the winter because mine are stabled for part of the day so big girl is dry (unlike at the moment) and she prefers cold and damp to warm and sunny :)
 
My mare will be ridden at weekends over the winter. I'm riding her as much as I can at the moment to get her fit for a fun ride but once that's done we'll be slowing it down and just pootling when we feel like it. We don't have lights on our school and i don't get the yard till after 6.

I'm in a quandary over my gelding. We had an *incident* on sunday and I'm wondering whether to just leave him be over the winter (with lunging maybe at weekends just so he doesn't forget how to listen to me) and then try and sort him out next spring. But this is a whole other thread, really.
 
As normal. Lucky enough to have a good school with floodlights, plus a horsewalker.

Plus american barn stables are literally only 5 metres from the gate to the school so even ice isn't much of a hindrance.

However horse is for sale so might well be a moot point anyway! Will ride anyway though, I go stir crazy if I don't!
 
nope I am holding high hopes that the ground will stay good over the winter so we can get some bonus XC schooling done on the odd weekend to polish up for our first season BE in March so studs will stay in.

Also will spend the winter out DR and SJ, practice makes almost perfect :D

Winter for us will be practice practice but she will have 2 weeks off over winter.
 
My daughter would drive me nuts saying 'I'm bored' constantly if she didn't ride over the winter!!! It's business as usual for us of course depending on the weather although we're lucky that the field never gets boggy. In fact we go to more shows in the winter as most of our local BS venues are indoor so only do winter time :)
 
I will be riding at the weekends right through until iced/snowed off the roads. My lad needs to keep his weight down as previously had laminitis, so he is ridden whenever physically possible and un-rugged. The mud scrapes off with the approriate chisel!!!!!!
 
RunToEarth said:
I spend my summer waiting for winter to arrive, hunting hunting and more hunting, I wouldn't have horses if I couldn't have them fit and going in the winter.
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Sob. This was me. Happy hunting RTE :)

Nowadays I just haul a horse in occasionally and ride if it is sunny or just because I feel like it.

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My boy pretty much had last winter off , but I'm still recovering from having my ovary removed and i'm getting frustrated watching others have fun on my boy , so i think i will be up for hauling my ass out on the weekends. As they live out 24/7 and field shelter is only a hop , skip and buck away from the school so i'll have no excuse anyway...
 
It's the best time for me and my lad, because it's time to hunt!! So I will be riding all winter, but if we were in the areas of the UK where some of you are (high and mountainy) then I would not be able to do half as much.
 
no way!! :o

I will be riding 5 days a week. Ive changed my job to fit in with that! I need daylight hours so working evenings and weekends (nights)! :)

She cant have time off else shes actually evil. So no way. Paddock surface sees how many times we ride per week but it will be around 5x a week :)
 
The broken back meant I missed what riding we could have had last year, so this year I'll be riding as much as possible! Early mornings, wrapped up like a Michelin man, floodlights (fingers crossed school is ok), hacking when we can. Those crispy rides, steaming breath, clear sunlight, warming fingers under her mane. Just can't wait! :D :D Okay, so it will be fog and snow storms, but I can dream lol
 
My girl had the entire winter off last year. She enjoyed the holiday, my joints enjoyed the break from riding (arthritic in hips, shoulders, back and neck)... This year I haven't decided what I'm doing as due to recent house move not ridden her much at all... Will depend on the weather, I don't mind cold, just add layers to me and thermatex exercise rug to the mare... it's the wet I can't do..
 
I'll be attempting to ride as the Boy has been off most of the summer... I am mostly looking forward to muddy cantering and hopping over trees and stiles hacking out :D Will probably try and squeeze some of the schooling stuff in as long as the arena will take it. I also want to do some of the BS club shows as they'll be indoor with coffee :D

I'm off to cross everything as he's a self harmer the minute I plan anything *rolls eyes*
 
He'll get a month off in Jan or Feb (depends how money is and if I can afford to carry on with hunting til the end of season...unlikely :(). But otherwise it's business as usual, I cannot afford to give him copious of time off as I ride for pleasure and without him to look forward to the winter would be even more of a horrible chore than it already is.
 
berry said:
No riding for me either :(. Expecting my baby end of Nov time and will be having a c section so no point weaning foal and bringing mare back into work until march/ April time. Both will live out baby will prob be naked unless she actually starts to feel cold but dont think she will!!!
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i think you might get social services round if you leave newborn naked all winter!

as for me, got my finals in february so riding going to be very limited for me!
 
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