(photo taken from andrewdierks.photoshelter.com)

Horse lovers have a love/hate relationship with winter. Sure the snow is pretty, there's ice skating and skiing and Christmas and New Years to look forward to... but it makes it harder to ride and have fun with our horse friends. Here's some tips on how to keep you and your horse active and having fun together during the winter months. But first, here's some general guidelines to keep you and your horse safe while working in winter:

A good rule of thumb is not to ride in temperatures under 32 degrees or when it's icy. You don't want to get your horse too hot in freezing temperatures.. Riding in a blizzard is rarely fun and could be potentially dangerous to you and your horse. Remember: It's okay if you have to skip a ride due to bad weather. Your horse won't resent you for it and you'll both be much happier riding during a time when it's 32 degrees or above and not storming out.

Be sure to dress warm and in layers. Make sure you warm your horse up very well during the cold weather as their muscles are stiffer and take longer to warm up. A sufficient warm up time will decrease your horse's chance of injury. A proper cool down is also vital to your horse's health at any time of the year but especially during winter. A hot horse that is put away in the cold is liable to get sick. Either don't work your horse too hard, have a long cool down, or buy a cooler to put on after working to help regulate your horse's temperature and prevent their temperature dropping too rapidly while they are cooling down.

It's also important to check the area in which you will be working with your horse. Mud and ice is risky terrain so try to avoid them. If it's deep snow, make sure there are no pitfalls or objects hidden underneath the snow that could cause your horse injury.

Now with that out of the way, let's look at all the things you can do in the winter!

Groundwork. If there are several factors preventing you from being able to ride, groundwork is always available and is a great way to remind your horse of the basics, teach him something new, or just having fun doing something together! Look online or buy a book that has some good groundwork exercises, pick one or two to play with on a given day and rest assured that your horse will be mentally and physically engaged.

(photo taken from straightnesstraining.com)

Lateral Work. Lateral work is valuable at any time during your horse's training as it strengthens important muscles, but it is great during the winter months when you need to keep your horse conditioned, but the weather does not allow for a full out training session. Doing lateral work in hand at the walk is just as affective as doing lateral work in the saddle. Be sure not to overdue the lateral work so as not to injure your horse and be sure to take walking breaks after several lateral movements to keep lactic acid from building up in your horse. Also make sure you know how to do lateral work properly. If your horse doesn't know how to do lateral work be sure to take the time to teach him how to do it properly.

(photo taken from academicartofriding.com)

Lunging. Lunging is a great way to keep your horse fit during the winter months if you can't ride them. Note: Be sure your horse knows how to lunge properly. They should be calm, relaxed, and attentive to you on the lunge line. Lunging is not letting the horse run around crazy or chasing them with a lunge whip in order to get them moving. You should expect your horse to behave just as well as if you were riding him. If your horse does not know how to lunge or you are unsure of how to lunge properly, wait to pursue that until nicer weather comes. Improper lunging can be risky for both you and your horse at any time, but especially during winter.

You do not have to lunge long or hard in order to get a good work out. 15-30 min walk/trot is a great amount for the winter. If you and your horse can and want to go longer, great! If you want to go less, that's great too! The important thing is that you and your horse are spending time together and your horse is getting some movement.

(photo taken from horsejournals.com)

Grooming. There are some days when any sort of physical workout just isn't going to happen. That's okay. If you find yourself facing one of those days, why not just spend a while grooming your horse Sometimes a good groom on a cold snowy day is all you and horse need.

(photo taken from tender-loving-horse-care.com)

Clean/Organize. This is a great one for those warm, sun-filled muddy days that are bound to come after a snow storm. Riding/working your horse in the mud is even worse then snow! So, take this opportunity to do some cleaning/organizing in the barn!

(photo taken from blog.classic-equine.com)

Rider Fitness. During the winter months, it's not only the horse you're worried getting out of shape, but yourself too! Make sure you continue to be active and keep yourself in shape. There are many classes that gyms, recreation centers, and even dance studios offer that would be just the thing to keep you active during the months you can't ride your horse as much. Be sure to do a good variety of strength building, flexibility, cardio, and core exercises. Don't just stick with one! Your body won't benefit as much from just one! Choose a class or classes that you really enjoy and look forward to going to. This is also a great way to get you out of the house and prevents "winter hibernation." (though some of us would love to be able to hibernate the whole winter, it is healthier to get out whenever possible.)

We hope these ideas help. Though the winter may be harder, it won't stop us from having fun with our horses!

(photo taken from horsenation.com)

“For God took a handful of blizzard snow, blew on it and created the horse.” --Elyne Mitchell

~ Saddle Up