Winter Depression

LillyTheCat

LillyTheCat

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I know it’s no where near winter yet but I’m already feeling depressed about the dark evenings. Doesn’t help that often I’m the only one on the yard after work and with a slightly sharp beast, riding alone doesn’t seem appealing. I’ve done it before but this year I am definitely dreading more and not sure why. Had such a lovely summer with loads of hacking and fun.

How do you all cope?
 
Long time sufferer of SAD so I totally feel your pain 😢 Have you tried SAD light therapy? You only need to sit in front of it for 10 minutes a day and it makes a big difference. I also have a Lumie wake up light as I feel physically sick waking up to my alarm in the dark!
I try and get outdoors as much as I can in daylight, and failing that, always sit by a window.
 
I’ve just been thinking the same thing. I think it’s being highlighted by the unusually lovely summer we’ve had following that horrible period of ‘grey days’ and for me worse as I’ve just returned from a 2 week break to miserable/cold/wet weather and horses, house already got the ‘damp dog’ whiff, putting the heating on etc and it seems a looong time till next Spring!! When I worked indoors I did use a SAD lamp daily and made sure I went outside for breaks. For now I know (hope) that once I’ve made the relevant wardrobe adjustments we’ll all feel happier about things, sun is due back out this afternoon 👍🏻
Are there any other options for livery/yards for you that might have the after work crowd there?
 
I hear you. I suffer terribly in the winter. Last winter for the first time I decided I wouldn't ride at all. I pulled shoes and took him out for the occasional walk or short hack to keep him ticking over until Spring, but because it was a 'bonus' hack, there was no obligation. It took a lot of pressure off as I wasn't rushing to do everything in daylight. I also started the habit of taking a flask up with me and set up a chair in my shelter, so I could make a tea/hot chocolate and just watch the world go by. Did it all through the summer, too! I also have a Lumie wake-up light, but although I wake up more gently, I still find it really hard to actually get up at all times of year. My sleep is never particularly restful. Another coping strategy is that I go for walks with my OH in the evening. If wet, we head to town and explore the older streets. If nice, we head off road and go mushroom spotting. I do run twice a week in the dark, too.

I hate the dark, but I get through much better with the strategies above. Filling the dark evenings makes the winter go faster if nothing else!
 
Fransurrey said:
Last winter for the first time I decided I wouldn't ride at all. I pulled shoes and took him out for the occasional walk or short hack to keep him ticking over until Spring, but because it was a 'bonus' hack, there was no obligation. It took a lot of pressure off
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I do similar, I tell myself I will ride once a week and that's the goal. Mine is out 24/7 so he's fine with that. It took me several years to stop feeling bad about not battling the dark and the weather, but winter is hard enough without piling extra pressure on yourself. I love the idea of taking a hot chocolate up to the yard, I will have to do that.
 
Widgeon said:
I do similar, I tell myself I will ride once a week and that's the goal. Mine is out 24/7 so he's fine with that. It took me several years to stop feeling bad about not battling the dark and the weather, but winter is hard enough without piling extra pressure on yourself. I love the idea of taking a hot chocolate up to the yard, I will have to do that.
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It's a game changer. The reason I use a flask is so I can use the rest of the water for horse cleaning (sheath/hot cloth for clipping/tack cleaning). I'm quite detached from the main yard, and too lazy to walk 5 minutes to the kettle!
 
grit my teeth and curse inwardly.

dont mind doing AM yard at all, OH helps so we potter about in a companionable silence with the dog and cats and leave everything ready for PM.....................and i am very lucky in that OH WFH so brings in and poo picks as well.

so when i get home at 5.20pm i just have to ride but still, by the time I've done number 1 and its pitch black and raining and 6.45pm and i have number 2 left to ride.....i am not loving it.

we are very seriously considering moving to spain-enough dressage to keep me going and a much easier climate.
 
I’ve never done much over winter (3rd winter now) and I first got horses at the start of that horrific “wettest in 300 years” winter. I ride on weekends and occasionally lunge/sit on if there’s a nice evening during the week. I’m very much a fair weather rider and my mare is very much a fair weather horse (she just looks grumpy) 😂
 
In 2 weeks time I am having shoes off, need to get fit for skiing so will try to cycle more but my usual hacking buddy is out of action for a few months and I can't face having fields churned up more than needed for sake of the odd hack. Shoes were off for 3 months last winter due to an abscess and I really noticed how quickly land deteriorated once they were back on (700kg elephant horse)
 
Thank you all for taking the time to reply. It definitely helps knowing others feel the same. I think I will take the pressure to ride off and just see how I feel each day. I’m used to riding 6 days a week over summer so feels like quite a change. Weirdly I haven’t struggled as much the last couple of winters so not sure what is different this year but it is different and I should be kind to myself.
 
WBGG said:
Long time sufferer of SAD so I totally feel your pain 😢 Have you tried SAD light therapy? You only need to sit in front of it for 10 minutes a day and it makes a big difference. I also have a Lumie wake up light as I feel physically sick waking up to my alarm in the dark!
I try and get outdoors as much as I can in daylight, and failing that, always sit by a window.
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I haven’t tried light therapy, I guess I hadn’t really thought it could be SAD! I do massively struggle getting up in the mornings, do you find the lumie alarm helps?
 
Dave's Mam said:
Are your employers flexible on times? I take a long lunch & work later in the evening so I can ride at lunchtime & do all my bits before it's dark.
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I could probably get some flexibility but I feel odd about taking a longer break in the middle of the day, I think I’m quite old school work wise and feel guilty if I start after 9 or finish before 5.30… (despite the fact I regularly work excessive hours anyway!)
 
LillyTheCat said:
I could probably get some flexibility but I feel odd about taking a longer break in the middle of the day, I think I’m quite old school work wise and feel guilty if I start after 9 or finish before 5.30… (despite the fact I regularly work excessive hours anyway!)
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It's worth an ask. Flexible working is becoming much more popular. I was very surprised when I made the proposal to my boss, that it was accepted without even a pause. It works both ways, if they need me to be flexible, I will be.
I am very lucky, but you never know if it's something they will consider until you ask.
Good Luck!
 
Fellow dreader of winter here 🙋 I don't put too much (any!) pressure on myself, but I can feel the change in my mood happening already. In winter there's at least 4 days a week where I don't see daylight at all - get up and sort horses/go to work in the dark, work in a room with no windows all day, then back out into the dark, it's awful!! If I ride once a week it's a massive achievement when coupled with battling the weather, motivation levels being low etc
 
I hate winter, I suffer from the cold and find it very painful but I literally use mind over matter/don’t think how grim it is. I get there, tack up and ride without thinking about it too much. I do all my jobs on a morning so i only need to ride on a night. I also do clinics during winter so i need to ride between those to make a difference.
 
I am mainly annoyed about the return of the mud… have NOT missed it in its extended absence!

I now have a feathered creature and there is a very real chance that the mud may drive me to just shave them off!

I KNEW the second I bought another pony the weather would turn crap!

I am very lucky that I don’t start work until 1pm so can have some daylight in the mornings to do things & that the type of things I’ll mostly be doing will be fairly short sessions to start with / tbh I tend to think 20-30 minutes is plenty long enough for a groundwork session anyway even with an older horse that doesn’t have the attention span of a goldfish! (Although I’m certainly not going to force myself to do stuff in the belting it down rain)

My vast tea collection and my trusty flask shall keep me going!
 
Keeping my PRE in the level of work required to hold weight/EMS/laminitis at bay might break me this winter. Or at least reduce me to only communicating in gifs and images from the Doctor Who episode 'Heaven Sent.'
 
I have 2 horses and plan different strategies. Both can have winter turnout, but it is on a surface or track as opposed to grazing Nov to March, so not quite as enriching.

H has hunts and clinics planned. If I do one of each a week, then I only have to hack out twice a week and maybe school once and he is done. The hunts and clinics are social events rather than serious training.

Rigs has time off planned. He's 20, has a track and is the sort who can be pulled out after weeks off to go for a walk round the village if we fancy riding out together. He is also OK for ride and lead. But, he is mainly heading for a winter break.

I should find it helps that I am retired. Actually, it is harder to motivate myself when I don't have to 'fit in' around work. I do swim 3 x a week and try to cycle too. I used to run, but my knee got injured this summer and I'm not fit for that yet. I have also started a Pilates class.

The Lumie is already in action. I do find it easier to get up when it is on.
 
My girl's worked hard this summer so in 2 weeks she'll be going on holiday until the New Year when I'll bring her back with long slow work for a month or two. I'll do a weekly in hand poles session in walk to maintain some postural muscle tone other than that I'll be doing the bare minimum to keep them happy and healthy 🤞🏻🤞🏻
 
I am not looking forward to the winter weather and we have jumped straight from summer in to a wet, damp autumn. However, D is back from the rehab yard and the physio has made me an inhand plan, he has also started the water treadmill, so that's a trip out! I am gently bringing my old chap into work too, so doing some of the plan with him as well.

I plan to do Top Barn with him both from 1 January and have found that a really helpful way to navigate the late winter months.

Hopefully the sun will break through the clouds soon and we will get a little sun.
 
I try not to look at it as the whole winter - but just have to get through the darkening days until January. Then, it might be cold and/or wet, but the improving light levels really make a difference to me.

Can't help with the riding as now too old but just do what makes you happy and gets you through.
 
I'm looking at last winter and saying if I can get through that I can get through this! Planning to do more in hand and liberty work this winter so I don't have the pressure of needing to actually ride. I also have a pony that needs to be kept going for her benefit so no big long breaks for us! But I'm hoping it can now be cute fun things rather than "if I don't ride this horse she will crumble to dust" like it was for a bit last year and it was so grim.

Might do the smart thing and order some vit D too. I got a sunrise alarm clock last winter and I didn't get the lumie, I got a cheap knock off version and me and the OH both hate it so I might do an upgrade to the real thing 😂
 
I am coming into my first winter in many years with only one horse. He is 21 years old and at present fit and healthy. I will continue to try and ride 4/5 days a week but if that doesn't happen he won't mind. He has a strong base line of fitness and doesn't mind at all if he has few days/weeks off or not.
I can cope with the the cold and wet but hate the dark, especially as my part time retirement job is delivering groceries for tesco three evenings a week!
 
Irony on a horse forum, but I started riding in winter to cure winter seasonal depression. I remembered my teenage rides in the Cristmas holidays from boarding school.
I still prefer winter rides as we have to stay on the riding track and share mare does the whole way without napping. She is happier in winter anyway as she is an irish horse who suffers in heat but is resistant to wind and weather.
 
sollimum said:
I am not looking forward to the winter weather and we have jumped straight from summer in to a wet, damp autumn. However, D is back from the rehab yard and the physio has made me an inhand plan, he has also started the water treadmill, so that's a trip out! I am gently bringing my old chap into work too, so doing some of the plan with him as well.

I plan to do Top Barn with him both from 1 January and have found that a really helpful way to navigate the late winter months.

Hopefully the sun will break through the clouds soon and we will get a little sun.
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What is top barn
 
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