Oh, the weather outside may be frightful, but the horses we care about still need our attention. There are stalls to be mucked, blankets that require adjusting and water troughs that must be kept ice free. And let’s not forget all the hairy horses caked with mud. They’re in desperate need of 15 minutes with a curry comb. Isn’t wintertime wonderful?
Horse lovers outside the snowy regions face a pair of seasonal nemeses: wind and rain. Just when you think you can saddle up and go for a ride, Mother Nature whips up a windstorm that threatens to rip the roof off the tack room. That pretty much cancels out any saddle time, because it can be suicidal to ride when stuff is blowing through the air like the twister scene in The Wizard of Oz. Dodging raindrops isn’t any more pleasant. Are you a soggy soul who has to tramp through mud to toss hay to your horses? Do you keep a running tally of how many shoes your horse has pulled from cavorting in fetlock-deep mud?
For the majority of horse lovers, winter is a season that must be endured. We just resign ourselves to the long, dark wait before the first warm rays of spring sunshine. But before you settle in to your parkas and raingear, we’d like to know what you consider the worst aspects of wintertime around the barn. Is there a particular chore that’s made “extra special” thanks to the weather? Are you incredibly frustrated by the enforced lack of riding time? Do you look at your favorite horse’s coat (not to mention his tail) and cringe at the hours of grooming awaiting you? Sip some hot cocoa and let your fellow Horse Channel readers know how winter impacts your horsey life. Reveal what you dread most about the season. Just click on Submit a Comment below and begin typing, providing your fingers aren’t frostbitten. Some of the responses may appear in Horse Illustrated.
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The S-word…SNOW!!! Living in the North where there is lots of it. It gets so cold, sometimes so cold I don’t ride my horse for his sake.
Since we live in Canada it’s terribly chilly and unrewarding to spend your time at a stable where there is no indoor arena. I had to volunteer at ‘Christmas Camp’ where the children were getting their Equine Canada certifications. After letting out several horses I went to check the large water bucket. This unappealing blue basket is huge and keep in mind I’m only 4 foot 7. One of the more experienced volunteers offered to help me break up the ice but, wanting to make a good first impression, I turned her down. As I stomped on the thick ice it suddenly snapped and I found myself up to my hip in bone-chilling icy water. As if I need to add this, what I hate about winter is the stable chores!
Winter is a difficult time for me. I have hard time riding since I don’t have an indoor arena available. I trail ride, but it is very hard to ride because of the knee deep snow, blistering winds and the dreaded ice that seems to hide under every inch of snow. Other than the not as good ridding, I completely enjoy winter! I let my horse’s coat grow nice and long so she needs lots of extra grooming! I love to groom her and she just loves getting her fuzzy coat nice and clean. Overall I wish I had an indoor arena but love going out to the barn on a freezing winter day to snuggle with my fuzzy horse!
I love winter. I love the fresh, crisp air! I love the snow and the icicles(sort of). But I do dread a few things about winter. For one I could do without the frozen water buckets in the mornings when I wash them! Also I don’t aprrieciate frozen toes and frozen bits–warming both these things takes FOREVER!!!! And last but definitly not least I don’t like my fresh spooky 9 yr. old off the track tb gelding thats spooks at every little snowflake falling off the indoor ring roof!!! But other than that winter is not so bad.
i cant stand snow! which stinks because i live up north. we get lots of snow! its hard to go see my horse. we dont keep her at our house so we board her at another stable. its hard to get out with the bad weather. i hate having frozen toes and fingers1 and trying to warm up bits and the snow falling from the indoor arena. and it deosnt help thats its so small, so only 1 person can ride at a time. so winter can be bad
When the leaves fall and snow comes, I cringe. The wintery weather up north brings snow and sleet that is unsafe for riding, and stable chores that numb my fingers. I think the worst part about it though is carrying water buckets. They slosh all over you, make you FREEZING wet and cold, and often freeze on your clothing. Not to mention, if your gloves aren’t ultra waterproof, your hands become instant icicles. YAY!
I LOVE WINTER! the thing that I don’t like happens toward the end of winter when the snow gets soft and starts sliding off the roof. Spooking both me and the horse I am riding.
I hat the cold tempatures,ice and mud. I hate the lack of riding time and frozen water buckets. I also don’t like chipping through ice to get the barn open.
I can’t stand chipping away at frozen sawdust piles, and my frozen toes and fingers when I ride! 🙂
Well, this is going to be my first winter in horse ownership, so I’m positive that by next spring I am going to have a longer list than I have now. So far, I really can’t stand how at 6:00 at night, it’s already pitch black and frrreeezzzing!!! I also don’t like warming up the bit because it just takes so long. Seriously, I think that my hands are more frozen than the bit!
Other than that though, I like the winter and can’t wait to go riding in the snow!
My stable has an indoor arena, so I don’t have to worry getting to cold. The stable lights are good to, so no worry there either! But one thing is the fact that I like riding a a horse, Tico, that gets really pumped up during the canter, so during the winter when it’s not sweltering hot outside, I’m worried that he might be a little bit more excited than usual! And also the fact that riding pants aren’t always the warmest things to wear, along with riding gloves!
I really love the snow that I get, but I absolutely HATE breaking the ice in the water trough for my horse: Mika. I keep her at home, so the stable hands don’t do it, it’s up to me. And I recently got her a new yellow blanket, and it is So confusing to use!
Being from Northern Alabama the weather doesn’t really get too cold to have a serious ice or snow storm yet there are always those EXTRA cold days. I’m really looking forward to spring because than the weather will permit me to spend more time with my best friend, Sean (a 4 year old Percheron Stud) and I won’t be always running back home to get warm.
I enjoy going for that first ride in the snow. My horses are really good with that and look forward to it. As for grooming it’s not so bad I keep the blanketed for winter and they get groomed almost daily. I have them at my house which makes it easier. I hate the ice when the snow falls then it warms up and refreezes. I bought flannel lined jeans and use those with long john’s keeps me warm. I try to get out 3 days a week depending on weather. I have a water heater in their tub so no breaking ice. I don’t like doing water no heaters in barn if they have to stay in so left over water is always fun trying to get it out of buckets when it’s ice. We don’t have water hooked up at barn but what we did was make a cart to hook on back of quad and it has a 50 gallon drum on it with a valve on end to let water out. I just don’t like the wind chills when they are below 0%.
what i hate most is the ring being frozen so i cant jump, i dont like wearing 20 million layers to stay warm either. counting the days till spring
The worst thing about winter is carrying full water buckets to that stall at the end of the barn, as it sloshes down your leg on the way over. Frozen jeans-yuck!
I always hate trying to dump heavy fozen buckets and how it gets so icy that i have no choice but not ride outside. I do enjoy waking up to see my horses with a foot of snow on there backs but yet it doesn’t even bother them, or when they gallop and play to warm up in the bitter cold
The worst thing about winter is the ice that gets frozen on the ground because sometimes you don’t see it and slip.
The worst thing about cold weather is that I can’t ride all the time- it’s too cold. I don’t like that!
The worst thing for me about winter is that my fingers get frostbitten nearly every time I feed, no matter how many layers I put on. Also, I can’t ride or work with my horses as much.
I can’t think of a single thing I or anyone who has to work with horses actually like about winter. It makes every little thing so much harder, but the worst is ice- in any of its forms. Iced over buckets, ice on the pathway so I slip, ice in the pasture so the horses slip. I’m dreaming of a … tropical winter.
The snowballs that form in your horse’s hooves! Not only are they uncomfortable for him, they are also almost impossible to dislodge.
Hauling manure in my little wheelbarrel is impossible in deep snow! I sometimes can’t clean the barn for a week!
My horse lives outside 24/7, so I’m worried about not having the chance to ride him because of the snow & ice (if we get any). I’m also hoping that he doesn’t tear his blanket!
Letting my horse out to pasture coming to the end of winter becomes a problem in dealing with washing mud of my horse!
I hate having to go feed and muck in freezing cold weather!
I love the season, and I love seeing my horse’s dark coats against the snow. I also love the fresh,crisp, air, and being able to go inside and have hot chocolate. Of course then there are the annoying technical things such as having to break through ice, and not being able to ride as much as I would like to. Though I wish I still lived up north where there is snow, I’m glad I don’t have to deal with it! Today it was 60 degrees! It feels mor like spring than fall!!
Although in winter the sun sets early and water freezes and it gets wet and muddy, I like taking care of my horses in the winter. They really stick out against the glistening white snow, and they seem to symbolize the color in my world. It’s also fun to ride bareback through the snow on a nice, relaxing trail ride to see the “winter wonderland” that snow always turns the farm into.
Since i work and bring in all 30 horses by myself most of the time i will dread that. While i love the white snow and the flurries. My horse is camoflauge in snow, another downfall of a light grey horse. And the water will be freezing creating more issues i will have to deal with. But winter is a great time of year. Its gorgeous but unfortunately, it means inside riding only for us.
I am on the west coast and I keep my horse in the foothills above L.A. I know everyone thinks it’s warm all the time out here, but it isn’t. Early winter mornings my feet and toes are numb inside my boots. We don’t get snow, so nothing freezes. But that means that when it rains it’s muddy and sloppy for weeks at a time. I just get sick of mud, mud, mud even though we really need the rain.
i hate not being able to ride
I hate not being able to ride my Rocky Mt. Horse, Charlie, on the trails when it is very cold & icey. At least where I board has an indoor arena. Can use it as long as it is not icy out. His stall is in the lower barn – arena is up the hill. I took off his shoes to make it easier for him to tackle the hill to give him more traction to get into the arena to exercise.
I hate not being able to unroll the hose and fill up the buckets. I have to trudge thru the snow get the buckets fill them up at the spigot then lugging them back to the barn. I also hate the fear of my horse slipping on some ice in the pasture and getting hurt.
I hate that its so cold you absolutely have to wear gloves, but then you can’t feel how soft your horses winter coat is!
What I hate most about winter is that you have to haul out heaps hay and heavy buckets of water to your horses so they can eat and drink The snow is 6 inches deep, getting deeper, and, if it’s fluffy, getting in your pack boots and soaking your toes. Sometimes the wind blows the snow into your face so strong that you can’t even see! But you keep trudging on. You’ve got to feed your precious animals.
I hate that I can’t ride. We don’t have an indoor arena and it’s always too snowy or icy.
I’m pretty sure I hate everything about winter, but shoveling is probably one of the worst things! Also I hate ice, I’m a fairly clumsy person and when theres Ice I tend to trip and slip a lot 🙁
My horse’s death. he’s very old, and he has very little body fat. It’s hard for him to gain weight, so I dont want him to get too cold 🙁
I’m sorry to hear about your horse,Annie. I hope he makes it through winter.
The worst is not being able to go on trail and ride outside. I also fear one of the horses sliping because our barn gets very icy!
Besides the cold and the wind, not being able to ride is having to water. I keep tubs of water out for my horses and when they freeze it can be a mess. I am lucky there is also a pond that they bust open for water.
I dread having to drive to where I board on the slippery roads. The barn is on a dirt back road with a very steep hill and lots of sharp turns. Three years ago I wrecked a car in the winter on that very hill. Let’s hope for a mild winter so I can regularly see my babies during the week.
My least favourite part of winter, is breaking the ice on the water with my bare hands and picking the pieces out. No, we don’t have a water heater and there’s no electricity out there. I carry a bucket of water to my horse everyday. Brrr!
My least favorite part of winter is that the water! Every time it rains in the winter we can’t ride outside because the horses will get sick. Plus, we can’t ride in the water. Our horses have a blast out in the water, and during the winter we can’t unless we want our horses to be as frozen as ice cubes!
I hhate the part when We expect 70’s the next day, and instead its freezing rain. Oops! Got to go put blankets on, 15 horses
One of my least favorita parts of winter is when I have to place my horse’s bit if front of the heater and wait for ten minutes for it to be tolerable!
I live in Southern California, so it really does not get cold. When it does, my horse has a winter blanket and I don’t clip my horse. I don’t have an indoor arena, so I just wear a lot of layers:) I guess I have it lucky with the weather.
I think that winter is a good break time, but I hate the fact that there is no such thing that will keep me toasty when I’m om my horse. I don’t like getting out of my bed in the moprning when it’s below 30- I love my horses, but I don’t like the weather. Snow is a ok, but it’s a pain to get out of hooves! Ice is my least favorite when it comes to my horses. Oh, I admit, being a teenager I love to slip around on ice, but I’m terrified of my horses slipping. So, I don’t ride much in the winter, I try to, but it just doesn’t play out that way. Whoever has an indoor arena- you are sooo lucky!!
i hate going in the cold to feed them. i imagen they don’t like it much either
My least favorite things in the winter is trying to hay with 2 inches of ice by the door way, it’s just fun usually trying to get past 2 hungry horses in 3 feet of snow yet alone ice. Other thing is most the time here I cannot ride because of snow drifts blocking in the biggest enterance for my horse to get out or the ice problem. Dont like riding them on ice but trough snow drifts build their muscles and they enjoy eating the snow.
what i hate is when it is raining and you have to go out in the rain and clean the paddocks up. one it is cold two it is wet and three it is impossible to see where as in the spring you can go in between the drops and there’s more sun then rain and it is warmer!
The thing that I dread most about winter is that my mother refuses to let me ride if it is colder than 32 degrees, which is quite often where I live. Luckily, the thermometer in our car is not very accurate, so if it is 32, it registers as 35 or so.
I can endure most anything in the winter with the exception of the bitter cold. Northern Indiana winters can be brutal, and even though we have heaters in the water troughs, my young paint mare likes to pull them out. God love her, but its just not fun chopping ice!
Oh…and don’t forget wiping out slimy buckets with frost-bitten fingers…ahhh winter, God’s way of helping us to remember just how blissful summer really is.
Breaking ice that has frozen in hoses, no matter how much of a downhill slope you put them on they still freeze somehow.
I don’t like mucking in cold weather or doing horse shows. I also don’t like dismounting when it’s freezing.
I hate trying to break ice in the water trough! The Minnesota winters are terrible but my horse’s are so worth it!
I hate putting my butt in a cold saddle when I first mount up!
I spend my time trail riding, but the winter rains turn the trail to muck or cause flash floods making trial riding almost impossible.
The cold. It is SO hard to buckle up a horses bridle when your hands feel like theyve been frozen. But at least there arent any flies at the barn during winter 🙂
The worst part about winter for me is going out to feed and water four times a day in the harsh Minnesota weather. I have to haul water to my horse by hand, so it can be a real chore. I just keep chanting “I love my horse. I love my horse. I love my horse…..”
The worst part of winter is wheelbarrowing the manure through the snow to the manure pile, while trying to duck your face as far away from the demanding winds that come across the fields! Winter riding is beautiful though. No bugs! Plus, I love seeing our boys and little girl all furry like giant teddy bears!
The worst part about winter is wading through 2ft of snow with the wheelbarrow.Also trying to brush all the mud off my horse ~ he takes forever! When he starts to shed its awful .I think he’s the furriest appaloosa in the world !I have a bear for a horse with all that hair but I still love you Richy. I love taking trail rides in the snow but winter horsekeeping can be a challenge!
In Ca, winter weather is great for riding! It’s in the 50s or 60s mostly. The only thing I don’t like is my pony is an Icelandic. He sweats soo much through that thick coat. Then shedding…..
I hate keeping frozen water tanks ice free!!!
I hate the ice. It is so slippery for my horses, especially the ones who have shoes on. Our barn is a long walk from the arena at the stabes we board at and it is dangerous for the horses in the wintertime when the paths are so icy!
I absolutely loathe the rain. Where I live instead of snow, we get rain. And loads of it. I don’t have access to an indoor, and everything becomes slop. My horse gets bored, and so do I. The countdown until summer is already in affect.
The arena I ride in is an indoor, and when ice and snow sits on the roof it eventually slides down, creating this deafening screeching/tearing noise. The horses arn’t fans…
We do have indoor arenas so im gunna choose feeding at 7am haha its not fun getting the 4 wheelr started in 32 degrees
What i dread the most about winter is that your animals(horses, cats, dogs, etc.) are all FREEZING and there’s nothing you can do about it! You can make sure they have fresh warm water and food, but you can’t bring them inside to warm up and melt the ice off their hooves/paws.
I dread taking WARM water down to my horses’ pail. It’s kind of far, and all I have to use to transport the 5 gallon pails is a wagon! Winter in Minnesota is so mean to me.
I hate farrier visits in winter cause your toes and fingers freeze off while standing there holding your horse. and then he usualy makes the process harder by getting frisky and jumping around stepping on toes.
Honestly, I love winter. But I better says something bad in case my trainer reads this. WET horses suck. And MUD (still wet) is the worst. Also, longer warm-ups and shorter rides are kinda annoying. Hmm… breaking ice isn’t that hard… OOH, I know! I HATE COLD BARNS! The barn is always twice as cold as outside!
What I hate most about winter is you have to freese doing what you love the most.The only thing nice about it is I can ride Kelly.She has heaves and it’s hard on her in the summer.
I board my horse at a stable that takes care of him for me, but my lest fav thing a bout having a horse in winder is when you want to ride. Snow, cold, ice, and the only way to stay warm is a whole bunch of clothes. but it helps to ride bareback
My least favorite thing about winter is all the time it takes to layer my clothes on…and feeling like the child from A CHRISTMAS STORY…and not being able to move:0)
My horses laugh at me…
My least favorite thing I had to actually do tonight! Blizzard came to us Southdakotians….and someone has to battle the slippery roads and cold temps and wind to go and blanket the horses! Had to do it though…temps will be down to -27 tonight with windchill. And of course you can’t use heavy gloves to blanket them because then you can’t buckle anything! So freezing fingers and toes galore!
With winter here it’s just hard enough to get out to the barn and see your horses. Snow drifts block the way most the time. My BIGGEST regret about winter is less riding time. I love riding my mares but if I dont ride them enough, they get jumpy in the spring with the saddle.
I hate layering clothes. I hate that I cannot ride as often. I hate that it gets dark so early. There’s not much I like about winter.
Already posted, but was just reminded of another thing I HATE about winter….FROZEN HOSES!!! The paddock my horse was in had no water in it and we had to fill up muck buckets and attempt to drive them to the water bucket. Half of it splashed on us, a quarter of it splashed on the ground, and the last quarter went into the bucket. Dont you just LOVE winter 😛
The worst thing about winter is the icy roads. I’ll trailer out to the hills to go riding, and the roads are sometimes iced up in unexpected spots. It is so difficult to drive the truck and trailer on intermittently icy roads, especially in the dark on the way home. My horse is depending on me to not crash, so I have to drive very carefully.
The worst thing about winter is that you can’t ride as often (at least here in Montana) and when you are training a horse, you both kind of forget where you left off (and also lose your confidence).
There are two things I absolutely hate about winter. Frozen waterers and bundleing up to ride. Making sure your horse’s water is never frozen on the top in a pain and when you have to wear a bunch of layers, it feels like I am a huge marshmellow!
The hardest thing would be exchanging a warm bed and fuzzy PJs for nose nipping cold and stiff jeans. But later on in the day, when I’m feeling less lethargic and more energetic, I love it. Riding in cold weather is tons of fun.
What I hate about winter is having to trudge out to the barn in the cold and break the ice out of my horses’ water. Definitely not fun!
Although I personally think of winter as a blissful season, the snow storms in Colorado can be very cold!!If I had topick one thing I hate most of all, it would be when I am not able to see my horse because the roads to the barn are so bad. Who wants that?? To me, though, winter has an upside – lugging out blankets for your horse, and seeing them look all warm and cosy, particularly when you are freezing!!! That’s just one of the many bad/good things about winter!!
It’s not so bad here. Just about 20 to 10 degrees at the coldest. Basically no snow, just lots of wind. Brrr! But I survive it here in TN. The other seasons are beautiful.
well it gets into the negatives at night here so my worst fear is my horses getting chilled then sick so I don’t ride very much in the winter and my other fear is them slipping on the Ice and something horrible happening.
I literaly hate winter, for I am disabled, which makes it hard to walk in the snow deep and the freezing cold to have to unthaw water in the barn and outside drinker as well!!!!
I am siting here in Flagstaff,AZ in a blizzard with 60 mph winds. I can’t even see the horses shelters right now. It was very hard getting over the drifts to get to them this morning and the snow won’t stop. Freezing water tanks, stalls full of snow, is it spring yet?
I dread having to bring the horses inside in the 50 mph wind. I also hate ice (not only for the horses but sliding while on the way to the barn) frozen water troughs and buckets, and frozen fingers and toes. Also those long cool downs (especially with an outta shape OTTB)
Here in eastern Tennessee, we get a lot of rain. It occasionally gets quite frigid too, but slogging through mud around the barn is just routine. I love it when it gets really cold, but I hate having to give up regular riding, or riding in certain areas, because it’s so wet.
Living in Vermont for 90% of my life I am accustommed to the snow, wind, and ice. I’ve smartened up to putting studded shoes on my horses so I can continue riding. And heated water buckets and deicers keep water from freezing. However, under no circumstances will I ever enjoy dragging water hoses from tank to tank. Then draining and wrapping those very hoses up so then they don’t freeze. Not to mention, while draining the rapidly freezing hoses, you get drenched with water that freezes and makes clothing crusty and cold with ice. Not fun to say the least.
Winter is my favorite season, but I hate de-icing water buckets and fixing blanket straps. My horse is a little protective of his space; so when you try to put a strap back and he’s eating, you have to watch his ears very closely.
I hate the cold weather here and haveing to go out and crack the ice multiple times dureing the day. Not to mention carry buckets of water when the hose or water pump freezes.
Winter is my least favorite season to ride in, and is definatly the worst for barn chores. My least favorite chore to deal with in winter is watering the horses. My horses are stabled at a pasture we rent and so I have to fill 5 gal. water buckets up at home (unfortunatly there is no water hose at the pasture, only a creek), and transport them to the pasture, only to face freezing cold temperatures, and often times rain, as I water the horses. It’s very time consuming, cold, and frustrating, but I know the horses need it, so I try not to complain to much.
For riding its great I love it! However I don’t like mucking out the stall, or running water by hand. It’s really bad when you get those days that are below zero.
I like riding in the snow, but I hate it when my hands get so cold I can’t feel them. I also hate Ice. last year a horse at my barn slipped on Ice and got severely injured, but lived. I’m scared it will happen to Cisco, my horse, even if it hasn’t happened yet. I’m glad Cisco doesn’t need a blanket.
I hate ice, and I’m not a huge fan of the cold.But seeing as though I live in WI I guess I’ll have to deal with it. It’s so slippery and I am so afraid my horse will slip and fall. And I hate it when I’m doing barn chores, and I have to get the ice out of the water buckets. It takes forever, and I am so afraid I’m gonna spill cold water on myself and freeze.
I hate the ice in the water tubs! Having to go out to the paddocks everyday and break up that ice is the hardest part about winter. However I really love the cold weather and prefer 10 degrees to 100 degrees!
I hate it when you have to muck out 8 pens in 1 day in the winter. Even if its -30 out! It takes forever to get the manuer unstuck and nobody wants to help because its too cold. My fingers and toes always freeze the 1st 5 minuets I’m out mucking. But riding in the snow is fun.
I hate the thought of my horse slipping or getting hurt on ice. Just the thought makes me shutter. I also hate when myb riding gloves arnet warm enough and my hans are to cold to even grip on the reins! Lastly I ride Saddlebreds and they tend to sweat alot, and sweating and cold weather together, not such a good idea. But that’s why we have coolers!
I hate all the ice! A couple years ago one of my horses slipped and tore his groin muscle- it took almost eight weeks to properly heal!!!
First of all its sooooo freezing cold:( When I ride my hands get really cold. I am so glad that my (english) boots are a little big so I can wear warm fuzzie socks! But the snow is fun to ride in.
I read this article yesterday and thought about it all night. It was 27 degrees last night and the one thing that was on my mind was did I do enough to keep them warm while they were out on the pasture. I got up several times to make sure they were ok. I threw them some extra hay. I made sure the water system had no major malfunctions and checked on them to make sure there was no injury. Of course I felt better knowing they were ok but now I have a cold. Ho o Ho everyone Merry Christmas.
I take riding lessons but where I live it is freezing outside, so riding is canceled. Last year I got a lot of riding in when winter came, but this year I rode once before I vacationed. It sucks, because when I get back on a horse, I’ll be sore for days. I could simply do without winter.
Aside from the fact that northwest Montana winters are exceedingly dreary, gray, cold and depressing, it’s also difficult to do anything with your horses unless you have a covered area to work in. The footing is generally too dangerous for horses to do anything safely in outdoors. So that makes winters difficult to deal with, but also frozen water spigots and hoses also add to the challenge of properly caring for your horses. We all long for the warmth of summer or moving to a frost-free climate!!
Most people would rather be in our Florida weather during the winter, but are they wrong! It’s in the 30’s down here, so it’s not very different from up North.
My 5-year old filly,Faith loves to roll in the mud after the snow melts, and when it’s 20 degrees in Maryland, I can’t exactly give her a bath. My other horse, Gypsy is forever trying to figure out why I groan when Faith comes in, sopping wet , muddy and nibbling at my barn buddies, who genorusly lead her in for me, as I dislike going out in freezing cold weather. So long, and stay warm, fellow cowgirls!
Winter is one of the things that most equestrians dread the most about owning a horse. I absolutley hate it when my horse rolls in the mud while it is muddy outside and plus the long winter coat doesn’t help much either when your in a hurry while brushing your horse!
What I hate about winter is grooming! I like to take my time in the summer. But when its cold outside I just tend to rush and and throw the blanket back on. Oh and the water troughs. They freeze my hands!!
What I hate about winter is grooming! I like to take my time in the summer. But when its cold outside I just tend to rush and throw the blanket back on. Oh and the water troughs. They freeze my hands!!
ugh i hate frozen buckets and poop more than anything!
also frozen bits suck and a frozen ground. these both can stop u from riding!!! =(
well… 1)You cant practice if you dont have an indoor arena bacause its frozen 2)Winter fur, oh my gosh my pony gets like 4 inches of fur so it looks bad at shows. 🙁 3)my pony is cranky.
chopping ice in a water trough. when its 10 degrees out and its very thick, its no fun
No hoses…the 4-wheeler never starts…the pile of shavings freeze into a giant iceberg…AND having your iced coffee freeze into a giant block
🙁
Although I agree with many of the Winter woes described I can help with one – the snowballs packed in your horses hooves. POPPERS!!! they are the best – sold in pairs – so you will need two sets to go around – they are rubber forms that go between the hooves and the shoes – they litterally pop the snow balls out when they walk. Only one warning if you are anywhere but first inline while trail riding you might have to dodge a snow ball or two! I swear by them – they are a little know secret my Amish farrier turned me onto.
Not being able to ride very much. I have no indoor and have to haul to an indoor arena in order to give my horse a full workout.
This is regarding the snowballs lodging in my horse’s hooves. When we lived in NY, we had the same problem after fox hunting for 2-3 hours. I finally found a solution. I put vaseline on the horse’s entire sole area and the snow balls no longer clinged. Try it and you will be delighted
I have found spraying the bottom of your horse’s hooves with vegetable spray
(like Pam) will help or eliminate the problem of snow balling up on their
feet. (I lived in the snow belt of Northwestern Pennsylvania with horses for
many years, I have since retired to North Carolina & I love it!) Maybe this
will help, its easier than vaseline (I think).
The thing I dislike most about winter is dragging myself out of my nice warm bed and going out to feed horses in sub-zero weather at 7:30 in the morning. I also miss my horses’ sleek, shiny, summer coats and being able to ride more often.
My water pipes freezing over. When that happens I have to carry buckets of water to my horses. But thankfully, we have warm ups during the winter months.
Commuting a long way to work in rush hour on the freeway
I hate the shorter daylight times, I get home at 4:00pm and I could only ride for 1 hour and a half at the most.The cold don’t bother me so I don’t hate it that much, even though the summer is nice. I love grooming so I can’t wait till my horses shed off there winter coat so I can make them sleak and shiny!
Not being able to ride is the biggest downfall of winter. I wish I had an indoor. I’m limited to property walks and hand walking.
My horse is a paint who is mostly white, with his few black spots entirely above his knees and hocks. Once his pen is muddy, the only way to keep him clean is for it to freeze over. I find myself wishing for below freezing temperatures all winter just so he won’t be caked in mud.
I dread the xold and harshness of the weather. It’s hard enough to keep weight on a thoroughbred but when you put them out for 2 days they lode weight drasticlly
I dread the cold and harshness of the weather. Its hard enough to keep a thoroughbreds weight on them but when you turn them out prepare for a different horse. Been there once dont want to go back
The thing I dread most about winter is that i can’t go on a nice long trail ride or ride through the river. The other thing is that I don’t like riding with big bulky clothes on. (And the gloves!) I like winter though because then you can work on things that might be in an indoor event.
Winter is also the time to slow down, and care for your tack. Trouble is the tack room and barn are just a few degrees warmer than the outside world. – 20 outside, still makes for frozen water inside, and very cold fingers…..but spring is coming!!!
Bulky clothes and having to take on and off coolers and my gelding’s four blankets! Also,having to not be able to use my beloved washstall and turn to extreme curry combing. I do like to clip my horse, and he actually enjoys the buzz and falls asleep! Also, spending that extra ten minutes warming up the car, and while riding, you and the horse! Chipping packed snow from a gelding’s hooves, constantly conditioning tack against the cold, dry air and wetness, and not to mention chapped hands, lips, and face! Bring out the lotion! Making sure the horses’ balnkets don’t chafe them, eventually buying spandex blanket bibs, repairing ripped banket surgicles, dealing with the horses’ non-turnout energy. The tiring darkness in the morning and at night, and trying desperately to keep all of my gelding’s blankets clean! I have to use the barn’s (thankfully) titanic and sturdy washer and dryer to clean the sheets and blankets every two weeks otherwise I will go crazy with the mud and inbedded shavings! Ugh! I NEED SPRING!!!
I absolutely hate the winter, the cold in itself is horrible. The wind is worse. My horse is constantly covered in mud. So he gets groomed twice a day to keep him clean and keeping my sanity :D. I hate that i cant feel my feet or hands after about 20 minutes of being in the barn and walking through thigh high snow drifts uphill while your leg muscles are cramping because of the cold isn’t any kind of pick-nick either. Did I mention the lack of sunshine and riding?
Definatly frozen bits! Before putting a horse’s bridle on, I always have to stand there for five minutes with my bare hands on the frozen bit! SO COLD! The horses are lucky I care! I also hate the fact that the barn isn’t heated, but I’d reather be freezing than the barn catch on fire!
The snow and freezing cold! Not pleasent!
I dread frozen water buckets and fewer places and times to ride, cause i don’t have an indoor arena.
i really hate the the rain, because where there is rain, there is mud! it is so pritty looking out the window and listening to the rain, and then you remember that your horses are out there and next time you go to ride you have to groom horses who look like they bathed in brown hair dye! 🙂
I hate frozen water buckets, takes alot of time and muscle, and muddy pastures.
What I despise about winter is trying to keep the water troughs full. Either I have to spend a really long time lugging the buckets back and forth between the trough the and the hydrent or I have to spend an equally long time trying to unfreeze the danged hose!
What I hate most about winter is the fact that it is so cold in MN. The horses’ coats get so slippery it’s hard to ride how I like to best: Bareback. I also hate it when the water freezez. It is also annoying that every morning and every night I have to hay the pasture for 4 horses.
The only thing that my friends and I dread, is the lack of daylight hours. we will ride in anything!!!! Special shoes and snowball pads keep us going in any conditions but we usually run out of daylight before we get to fully enjoy the snow, rain, mud, or whatever else Mother Nature decides to throw our way. Cars stop and ask if we are crazy or do we know the temperature is below 20 degrees and dropping. If your gonna live in the Northeast you better not be bothered by such trivial things as the weather or the cold.
I dread that it’s going to end! Late fall and winter are the only times it’s a pleasure to be outside, so I soak up as much winter sun as I can with my horse. Everybody is happier down here when the temperatures drop, hurricane season ends, and it stops storming ever afternoon. It’s riding time!
I hate winter. Doing Winter Chores are a pain. Especially Frozen buckets. I have cracked a few when I have used a hammer lightly. But you have to make sure it is lightly one wrong tap and it can go CCRRAACCKK. not fun..lol. Plus I hate the cold..lol!
Az in winter can sometimes be hard. Just trying to get to the barn is hard, the roads are covered in ice, snow is falling everywhere and you never know if you will be able to stop. Frozen water buckets are the worst. They all most all ways freeze to a point you have to get a hammer to break the ice. Trying to clean a frozen water bucket is never fun. Mud is one more thing that I hate. My horses sometimes will be standing in mud for days, due to all the bad weather. I have seen so many horses slip and fall in mud that will not dry up. The day light hours are so short that there is less time to do anything outside. Muddy paddocks are so hard to clean when the weather turns bad, trying to muck out 4 feet of snow that will not melt, does not make my day.
I am leased a Mustang… owe the shaggy coat. Death to the curry comb.
Wintertime in San Fran. is no colder than the summer, so I can’t tell too much of a difference. Still, the horse I ride is a grey Arabian.
Grey horse that likes to role in mud and rain + longer coat = long hours of personal time in the crossties
Sweaty horses in the winter take forever to cool off. Especially when it’s 12 below. Worse then that, the get a nice warm winter coat that takes FOREVER to shed out in the spring.
I also dread frozen water buckets…
I don’t like not being able to just run upto the barn and groom or ride my horse. It gets so cold sometimes I can’t bear to go up to the barn for a ride. I also don’t like walking up to the barn in the morning or in the night to feed in the freezing cold. It’s a pain.
Cold feet, dirty blankets, being stuck in the indoor.
The freezing toes, the long walk to the pasture, my horse seems to take forever to eat his grain, my horse is always tired since they play so much in the field with snow and cold air, and having to leave the heated tack room. But I think the worst part is knowing shedding season is right around the corner
Not being able to ride every day out in the open fields because its just to freezing cold!
The cold, plain and simple. I can’t stand trudging through snow and ice and freezing my tail off every day, twice a day. I hope my horses appreciate what I do for them!
I hate being stuck in the indoor and having the snow crash off the roof and then your horse bolts and you almost fall off.
UGH!! I hate winter!!! My mom and dad don’t like the cold so they don’t take me horseback riding!
I absolutely hate banging the ice out of the horse’s water buckets! We don’t have fancy heated stalls or buckets, so every morning and afternoon we have to scrape the ice out with a hoof pick. It makes me long for the weather where water doesn’t freeze!
The cold, and frozen water buckets and hoses.
I hate the mud up here in Rainy Oregon
The thing I dread most about winter, is the time difference between daytime and night time! Since I get of the bus from school to the stable, It’s already the afternoon. I get off at 3:00 and by then we only have 2 hours and 30 minutes to get everything done! Since we are all friends, we talk alittle in the barn, too. We have to clean our horses stalls, then get the horses from the pasture, and start grooming and tacking up. (By this time it’s already been 1 hour.) Then, when we ride, we only have 30-45 minutes to ride! Then, when we get off we have to tend to our horses and be ready to leave before it’s dark!
What I dread most about winter is not being able to ride. I can get a few days in but not much.
The thing I dread most about Winter would be the snow and the freezing teeth of the wind.On the way to the barn, I have to brace against the wind, and once I’m at the door, I’m forced to barrel through the snow,grasp the freezing door knob,and then kick the door so that it will open.But my efforts are well worth it:I’m greeted by a friendly nicker,and although we can’t ride,I still have time to enjoy life with my best friend.