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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 964
  
Location: Alberta, Canada | Being in Northern Alberta makes it difficult to continue hauling and running through the winter. Traditionally, I have turned out anything I ran through the season from mid October until January. However, I find that by the time the horses are legged back up and ready to run and then we start getting back into our groove, the season is half over!
Traditionally, I have also been strictly a jackpot/futurity rider. I have, however, built up what I think to be a pretty nice team of horses and I would like to try my hand at rodeo come spring.
That being said, I'm on the fence about turning out my good horses for the winter because I feel as though even just staying on them a few days a week will give me a leg up on getting them fit... Am I crazy?? |
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 Mature beyond Years
Posts: 10780
Location: North of the 49th Parallel | I did it last winter, with no indoor and it sucked but we had a pretty mild winter (I'm in the Calgary area). This year I have an indoor arena and had knee surgery so not allowed to haul until Dec/Jan but I'll have my horse is decent shape by then after her extended summer break. Hopefully I'll get to haul more in the new year. My advice is just blanket/hoods included because it's hard to get them super dry when winter comes. |
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | SOUTH!!!! Move SOUTH!!
Edited by komet. 2015-10-16 8:56 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 964
Location: Alberta, Canada | Lol moving south is in the works in the next few years.. but for now we're stuck.
Thanks! I'm a blanket/hood person so that should be easy enough. I think I am going to try and keep her going until it gets too cold to do so! |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I ride year round. I only haul to do barrel work. I have rigged up a breast collar with led lights so I can ride after work when it is pitch black out.
I either ride down the road barring the ice, or in the field barring excess snow.
If the snow is crusty, or over 3 feet deep, then I plow it with the cat
I also ride until -20c, I dress up like a pillsbury dough girl, so I stay warm, and of the horses sweat up, I will put a cooler under their blanket then pull it off in the morning.
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Regular
Posts: 79
| i live in the Midwest and have no indoor and dont get home until it's dark ... the weekends are the only time I can ride...while i'm not riding to keep horses legged up for competition, I ride to give my old ones some exercise. I, too, bundle up and get us out there and hack around. Last year I didn't ride all Winter and I hated it not only for myself but also found it really didn't benefit the horses ... |
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 Underestimated Underdog
Posts: 3971
Location: Minnesota | I ride through the winter but only a few days a weeks. I give my old guy some much needed time off but I don't want to let him sit for months. He isn't a horse that can sit for awhile so riding in the winter is required. A few winters ago it was 50 below for a record number of days and that was the only time I didn't ride in the winter. I say go for it. It's cold but worth it. |
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 Serious Snap Trapper
Posts: 4275
Location: In The Snow, AZ | I turned mine out last winter and regretted it when it came time to leg up. It seemed to take forever to get her back to running shape. I'm hoping to ride her thru the winter. I would hate to see all our hard work and muscle waste away. Just warm up slow, cool down slow. Get a set of nice coveralls and a heavy, hooded jacket. Toe and finger warmers. I even got one of those full face wraps. I hate being cold. And it happens fast. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 964
Location: Alberta, Canada | I should clarify that I DO ride in the winter lol. Starting in January I ride in pretty much anything... Last winter I long trotted in the dark with a headlamp. That doesn't scare me. Just looking more to see if others had opinions on benefits of giving horses a few months off or otherwise. And I think I got some great answers. Thanks everyone! |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| jschipper - 2015-10-17 10:43 AM
I should clarify that I DO ride in the winter lol. Starting in January I ride in pretty much anything... Last winter I long trotted in the dark with a headlamp. That doesn't scare me. Just looking more to see if others had opinions on benefits of giving horses a few months off or otherwise. And I think I got some great answers. Thanks everyone!
If you are asking about time off, my vet always said a competitive horse should get 3 consecutative months off a year, and 3 consecutative months of legging up before competition.
This is to allow their tendons, ligaments to heal. And gives the joints a break
With my competitive horses, I do give them the time off, and leg them up for 3 months before competition.
However when my horses are kicked out, they are fed 1/4 mile one way away from their water supply, so they are walking atleast 1/2 mile. Also we space out their hay bales so they have to move around.
Mine are also pawing till end of December/January
I do find when my horses come back in to be legged up, it is more their wind I have to work on, not their muscle tone |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 964
Location: Alberta, Canada | cheryl makofka - 2015-10-17 10:10 AM
jschipper - 2015-10-17 10:43 AM
I should clarify that I DO ride in the winter lol. Starting in January I ride in pretty much anything... Last winter I long trotted in the dark with a headlamp. That doesn't scare me. Just looking more to see if others had opinions on benefits of giving horses a few months off or otherwise. And I think I got some great answers. Thanks everyone!
If you are asking about time off, my vet always said a competitive horse should get 3 consecutative months off a year, and 3 consecutative months of legging up before competition.
This is to allow their tendons, ligaments to heal. And gives the joints a break
With my competitive horses, I do give them the time off, and leg them up for 3 months before competition.
However when my horses are kicked out, they are fed 1/4 mile one way away from their water supply, so they are walking atleast 1/2 mile. Also we space out their hay bales so they have to move around.
Mine are also pawing till end of December/January
I do find when my horses come back in to be legged up, it is more their wind I have to work on, not their muscle tone
THANK YOU!! THIS is the exact information I am looking for!!!
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Advice needed -- Riding through the winter