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 Expert
Posts: 1258
  
Location: MN | I thought someone told me once that if it is 0 degrees or below it is too hard on the horse lungs to ride. What about just light riding? Up here it is -12 this morning but will be 0 this afternoon, (w/o the windchill factor) but is riding lightly in an arena ok? I just hate for him to be in a stall and paddock all the time without and moving around much, or is just walking him around for awhile on a lead rope a better option? |
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  Desert Diva
Posts: 4946
 
Location: The birthplace of Honest Abe | I read article the other day that makes total sense to me. It is a long way to the horses lungs and the air will be warmed up by the time it reaches them. It said it would be too cold for you wayyyy before too cold for the horse. Just make sure to get them warmed up and cooled off completely. Use a cooler when walking out to pull out any moisture from sweating.
Edited by jenijill 2015-01-05 7:14 AM
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 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | my cut off was always -20 with no wind....but now its around -17 with no wind and i do my week day riding after i get home from work so its dark to boot..nothing worse than a frozen branch in the face at -15 to wake one up...lol
m |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | I think local climate plays a role. I usually stop doing true rides at 15 above. We rarely have temps below that during the winter for very long.
If it is under that, I may hop on for a short while and just walk around, trail ride, or jog for a few minutes, but I don't consider that much work. I really don't enjoy the cold terribly much anyway. |
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 Serious Snap Trapper
Posts: 4275
Location: In The Snow, AZ | Wow. I'm a baby. I've only ridden once this winter that it's been below freezing. Even then, I think it was 23 or so. But that's nothing to do with whether or not my horses can handle it. I've just become a wimp and like feeling all my body parts, |
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 Midget Lover
Location: Kentucky | ~BINGO~ - 2015-01-05 10:40 AM Wow. I'm a baby. I've only ridden once this winter that it's been below freezing. Even then, I think it was 23 or so. But that's nothing to do with whether or not my horses can handle it. I've just become a wimp and like feeling all my body parts,
Ditto. I won't ride if it's below freezing. My eyes are super sensitive in the cold and they water up where I can't see anything. |
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Serious Snap Trapper
Posts: 4275
Location: In The Snow, AZ | Murphy - 2015-01-05 7:41 AM ~BINGO~ - 2015-01-05 10:40 AM Wow. I'm a baby. I've only ridden once this winter that it's been below freezing. Even then, I think it was 23 or so. But that's nothing to do with whether or not my horses can handle it. I've just become a wimp and like feeling all my body parts, Ditto. I won't ride if it's below freezing. My eyes are super sensitive in the cold and they water up where I can't see anything.
Mine are the same way. My contacts don't help though. Lol. Even during the summer, I have to wear sunglasses to ride. My eyeballs do not like quick moving air. I look like I've been bawling most of the time. |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | I board and have access to an indoor arena- that makes a HUGE difference too. |
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 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| I rode yesterday. I walked my boy around and trotted a lap. I rode for about 10 minutes. Bareback and in a halter. It was 12 degrees.
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
| ~BINGO~ - 2015-01-05 9:40 AM Wow. I'm a baby. I've only ridden once this winter that it's been below freezing. Even then, I think it was 23 or so. But that's nothing to do with whether or not my horses can handle it. I've just become a wimp and like feeling all my body parts,
I am a baby too - I simply can't stand to be cold! |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | I have a heated barn with a heated indoor arena so my gelding that is kept inside at night gets ridden at any temperature. I don't work the ones that have to go back outside if it's below 0. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 762
Location: NC | ~BINGO~ - 2015-01-05 10:40 AM
Wow. I'm a baby. I've only ridden once this winter that it's been below freezing. Even then, I think it was 23 or so. But that's nothing to do with whether or not my horses can handle it. I've just become a wimp and like feeling all my body parts,
I agree with ya. By the time we are done cleaning, watering its to cold. Plus ground is frozen and my idiot i would like to lunge to get the crazy-ness out of before do much.(although we have gotten on a few times so far in halter/leadropes on their blankets) |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | When I lived in a cold climate I would only ride if there wasn't any wind (or if there was a slight breeze it has to be sunny haha). Last winter I toughed it out and rode at 14 degrees....just a easy ride out in the field. But I typically don't feel like riding under 20 degrees. I would usually ride bareback--you stay warmer that way. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 678
Location: Canada | I read the same article about the lungs. Stacy Westfal cross posted it from Discover Horses.
http://stacywestfallhorseblog.com/2014/01/25/how-cold-is-too-cold-t...
I live in Manitoba where temperatures throughout winter are -9F ranging to -31F. We stop riding when the base temperature is -13F or the combined temps are -27F. Now that being said it's in an indoor arena (not heated) attached to a barn so at least no wind and the footing is sand and soft.
The colder it gets the more we are careful not to get them to excited or too sweaty. They all get coolers on once they're done riding and no horse goes back outside till their dry but if we had to wait for warmer weather we'd be waiting till May.
Last winter was the coldest in something like 200 years. We had days here where it was colder then mars and most of last January was -58F. I didn't get any riding done last winter but neither did most people. |
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 Playing the Waiting Game
Posts: 2304
| We rode most of the winter in minn. BUT we didn't work them hard. In the old days the horses had to carry the homesteaders to church regardless of the temp. That being said It is usually too cold for ME long before to cold for the horse. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 628
Location: Missouri | I go by this, I only ride if it is warmer then my age. I am 24 so that is my cut off. If I am going hard in the winter I will ride in just about anything that I know I can handle, but if I am just riding to ride, it has to be above freezing and sunny. I use to haul through the winter, but I found any more I don't enjoy going to a race if I am going to be cold. It also helps that my horses have 15 acres to run around on when they want and that helps them stay somewhat in shape come February when I go to start riding again. |
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 I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3314
Location: Jersey Girl | Below freezing. Its just not fun when you can't feel your fingers or toes. |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992
Location: Kansas | If I walk outside....and my boogers freeze......that is when I know it is too cold to ride my horse. |
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I AM being nice
Posts: 4396
Location: MD | Fortunately, it never truly gets "too cold" to ride here. It does get colder than I want to ride in though! |
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 Expert
Posts: 1482
Location: on my horse | mruggles - 2015-01-05 8:09 AM
my cut off was always -20 with no wind....but now its around -17 with no wind and i do my week day riding after i get home from work so its dark to boot..nothing worse than a frozen branch in the face at -15 to wake one up...lol
m
You are iron woman I am a wimp an would quit by that temp lol |
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