For those of us dealing with wintry weather - :-D

[FluffyCritter]

Just thought I would share.

https://dressagetoday.com/lifestyle/fai ... iding-plan

[piedmontfields]

Keeping up a riding program without an indoor up north would be no joke---especially around typical working hours.

I'm in the mid-south and I definitely have to drag myself to the barn sometimes, due to gloom and rain of winter---but it really isn't that cold here (so far, we've had less than 4 days where the high of the day was around freezing) and our outdoor is only unrideable a few days a year (more likely to flooding than to ice). No excuses in the south! Although many people around here do ride significantly less in winter...unless they head to Florida.

[DJR]

The winters where I live (eastern Ontario, Canada) have gone from snowy with adequate footing for the most part (the first 2-3 years I lived here) to icy & crappy (the last 4-5 years at least). I was hopeful this year because we had more fluffy snow WITHOUT rain & freezing after than usual, but now we’re bogged down with icy/hard footing everywhere. Today there is a nice scurf of sticky snow falling that seems to be adhering to the ice underneath (I hate it when it snows on ice but doesn’t stick because that’s even MORE treacherous!), so I’m hopeful that we may get a day or a few days of footing that allows riding, but not holding my breath.

I bought a sleigh about 8 years ago and have only been able to use it ONCE (the year after I bought it) because of the footing problem!!!

I decided to keep Jet at home for his suspensory ligament rehab thinking I could ride him down the road in intervals since it’s straight & flat. I’ve only been able to ride him twice since Jan 1st (when I had the ok to slowly start him back under saddle). But, no biggie, he’s got a small paddock and walks around regularly so he’s not withering away in a stall, and more time won’t hurt his recovery.

Meanwhile, we have Finn and my daughter’s QH pony, Sawyer, at an indoor just a 5 min drive away. I can’t keep a horse fit enough to make winter work effective without an indoor in this climate!!

[StraightForward]

Keeping up a riding program without an indoor up north would be no joke---especially around typical working hours.

Yep, especially in MN! The last few winters that I was at a place without an indoor, I would do in-hand work in the snow with Annabelle, and 2-3 days a week, try to follow a very specific schedule in which I get to the office early so I could cut out of work at 3:15, truck at the ready, speed to the stable, hook up the trailer and haul to an indoor that was available until 5:15ish.

I'm grateful for our little 60x120 indoor arena. It's not spacious or fancy, but it's allowing me to get Annabelle through her rehab during lots of early mornings.

[Rosie B]

This is the first winter I've boarded Bliss somewhere with an indoor.

Our average temperature from December to March is ranges between 10-30 degrees F. We get broad temperature swings though... one day it could be 0F and the next it's 30+. We get a fair bit of snow, and with the variable temps we often have an icy mess which makes riding near to impossible.

It's been a struggle every winter to keep him in work. The only way it's possible for me is if I get up at 4:00am and ride him in the dark. I have done this for many winters, but it is SO HARD. I've ridden him in the dark in snowstorms, freezing rain, freezing cold, and it's BRUTAL. And despite my best efforts, he loses significant fitness because most of the time it's not possible to trot or canter. I don't think I can do it anymore. Especially not when I can afford to have him in training somewhere with an indoor. This winter has been lovely.

[Chancellor]

Love the blog FluffyCritter!