So sick of winter riding....already

[JennyandJosey]

It's only January and I can't wait for Spring. Between work, school & the kids activities I have limited time out at the barn. My mare is so hairy it doesn't take much before she starts sweating when I ride. I usually ride in the afternoons right before I have to pick the kids up from school. If I'm going to get out of there in time I can't ride for long or do very much because I need to make time for cooling off and blow drying so I can turn her back out. It's been so cold this year the rides have been few & far between as it is. Sorry, there's no real point to this thread. I'm just really frustrated.:(

[Palogal]

I hear ya girl...
Although we don't get snow here, we get enough rain that everything's muddy and flooded and you can't ride. I haven't been able to ride since Saturday. I work and have a kid too and I totally understand the time thing. It's not like you can park the kiddos in the house and go play with your horse. It's dark early, freezing cold in the morning, not to mention the winter fur....

Think spring!!!! If we all think spring at the same time....well here's hopin'

I'll get my sunglasses ready just in case.

[Ranger44]

I'm right with you. I am busiest with work in the fall and just when I finally got a broke horse to ride I got too busy with work(mega overtime) and now it's all snow and ice. Spring can't get here soon enough.

[JennyandJosey]

The problem is I've trained myself not to even think about Spring until mid-March. I'm in real trouble if I'm already thinking about it!

[Ranger44]

LOL Some would argue I'm not trainable. I have taken many warm vacations to get away from the MN winters over the years but it's not in the cards this year. I guess we can all suffer together or console each other here at BWF. :)

[JetLagaside]

I'm right there with you! It seems like it's been a lot harder this winter than last.

[Buckpoco]

It seems like it's been winter forever, doesn't it? This has been a very cold, snowy winter so far and not typical of this area for sure. Now they are saying we are headed for global cooling. It seems more accurate....I laugh though because when it's in the high nineties and the bugs are biting, I'm griping about summer. I guess I'd rather stick with spring and fall, definitely the best times to ride. Could we get rid of winter and summer???:confused:

[FatSpottedAppy]

I took a winter ride yesterday just to get my mind off of things.. I admit, it was fun, but going downhill back to the barn on a barn sour horse in the snow wasn't an awesome experience. I did get to gallop up the hill and could hardly see because of the huge snow flakes that were attacking my face. Blah.

Just makes me look forward to summer even more.. No more popping iceballs out of hooves, no more shaggy horses, no more layers of clothing.. Right now it sounds too good to be true!

[shynbvs]

My mare is so hairy it doesn't take much before she starts sweating when I ride. I usually ride in the afternoons right before I have to pick the kids up from school. If I'm going to get out of there in time I can't ride for long or do very much because I need to make time for cooling off and blow drying so I can turn her back out.

You should try clipping her. that would eliminate some cooling out and blow-drying time

[JennyandJosey]

You should try clipping her. that would eliminate some cooling out and blow-drying time

I'd love that option but I don't think it'd work. She needs to be outside 24/7 (heaves symptoms) and it gets very cold here. She was blanketed the past two winters but I opted not to this year. She is basically pasture boarded and I can't get out there every day to check on her. It's especially tough come spring when she needs a blanket one day and not the next. Last year it would be 30 on Friday, we'd go out of town and it'd be 55 on Saturday and no one there to take her blanket off.

If she were clipped...would she be able to stay warm enough in -10 to -20 degree weather?

[luv2show]

Awh I'm sorry to hear that!
If you want you can come to up to my house in Canada and have a taste of our winters! hahaha.
I don't mind them though. Tanner's blanketed and he's not hairy at all. Plus I don't ride outside much at all in the winter, I'm able to ride in the indoor with some layers under a sweater.

[Annasmom]

I'm right there with ya too! :( ick

[John Boy]

last couple of days it's been around 20 , and it feels like a heat wave.
Re-snowblowed the pasture again Sunday , but there is enough ice under the packed snow , to say no to riding.

Snow will eventually grind into the ice enough to ride , and some of the best riding can be done then. Nothing fancy , walk , trot but it opens the mind to winters wonder.

[FoxFireEMT]

Jenny, sorry your frustrated! I love this time of year, seems like I get more time to ride or more time to do more b/c I have NO other activity bugging me. No flies bugging me, no gnats bugging me & I hate the HEAT! I get heat sick soooo quickly. Anyway, I do feel your pain in some standards though, its been doing nothing but raining. My poor horses feet look like heck, she looks miserable ~ this rain has got to stop! We'd rather have snow! Less miserable! **Hope you get your early Spring!**

[jeezitsjacki]

ugh I know how you feel. I had a month off for winter break and I was so excited to ride all the time, but I have hardly ridden at all, its very frustrating. Between the snow and now the rain our arena is a big mud puddle, and I think most of the trails are blocked off because of fallen trees. Is it spring yet?

[Annie&Dixie]

I know exactly how you feel...well maybe not exactly but close. We just got an inch or two here in Ohio. We had been having a cold, but mild, winter. I prefer that to snow. It was ok until it started sticking to the street. I hate driving in the snow sooo much. Last year, I slammed into the concrete median wall on the interstate in my truck, luckily the damage wasn't too bad but it definitely freaked me out.

I always worry about Dixie sweating too. She's so darn chubby and big that it doesn't take much and she's also kept out 24/7 so it can be a problem to get her back out and everything. Do you use a cooler? If you don't, it'll help out with the drying off so less time blow drying but then again, it might take longer so who knows.

Don't worry, spring will be here soon!

[JennyandJosey]

Yea, I just got a wool cooler and it helps some I guess. Josey's a bit chubby too which I'm sure doesn't help. I don't mind the snow, it's the frigid cold I could do without.

Awh I'm sorry to hear that!
If you want you can come to up to my house in Canada and have a taste of our winters! hahaha.
I don't mind them though. Tanner's blanketed and he's not hairy at all. Plus I don't ride outside much at all in the winter, I'm able to ride in the indoor with some layers under a sweater.

Thanks, but it's plenty cold her as it is! I have an indoor to ride in too. I can stay plenty warm. But I can't turn her back out until she's dry.

[quicktodance21]

I understand exactly where you're coming from! My thoroughbred Dance is the hairest!! I can barely do anything when I ride because she sweats just from walking around the ring. What i've found helps a lot is if you do a few walking laps then do 3 to 5 laps of trotting and then take a 10 minute walk break then do your cantering / more trotting and just take lots of walk breaks inbetween to help reduce the sweating! Its a pain in the butt but it does help, a little anyways! I understand exactly how frustrated you are!


As for staying warm in -10 and -20 degree weather I would say if she is clipped and not blanketed she probally would not be able to generate enough heat to stay warm. in that cold of weather.

[Maggiepie121493]

At least you can ride your horse. The one I keep at home who NEEDS to be worked or else he gets grumpy can't be worked because the roads are too icy. >.<

[Miracle Whip]

You can definitely come snow blow our pasture. We have a blower but can't get it started and it takes so long to clear the driveway we never do the pasture. Horses have to dig through the snow without any help.

[Remali]

I was just thinking the very same thing....I'm so tired of winter, it has been an especially cold one here in WI and MN, they were just talking about it on our local weather on TV. It's almost too cold to do much of anything outside, I can't keep my feet warm no matter what I do, so more often than not I end up staying indoors. I hate it, I'm getting cabin fever! I keep thinking of the MN Horse Expo, I can't wait for that!

[JennyandJosey]

I think this is the coldest winter I can remember in over 10 years. But, I've decided to change my attitude. There's nothing I can do about it and it will be 3 more months until Spring. So instead of driving my husband nuts with my complaining (:innocent:) I'm going to accept it and do what I want to do regardless of the weather...except of course next week when the high is expected to be -1 :doh:.