Re: [RC] Do you ride in this weather? - Jim Simpson
Yup, we ride. Went yesterday. Temp was
7 when we left. I had 3 layers under Carhart coveralls. I stick to the
woods, go for a couple of hours at a time. I basically pleasure ride,
mostly to avoid cabin fever (too much time stuck inside). I personally
leave my Arabs home and opt to ride bareback on my QHs. It's warmer and
easier to sit, plus I can wear big warm boots and not worry about getting stuck
in stirrups. Slow rides in snow is wonderful for working muscles, even on
pastured horses. Just make sure you get the horses dried out and their
hair coat back fluffy before they go back outside when you are done. In
answer to your question about how often. Week-ends. it's the only time I
see daylight when I'm home.
Today I put on 3 layers of
clothing and went for a 4 hour ride. Mostly walking and trotting. The snow is
2 feet deep here, and the temperature was between 10 and 8 degree's
Fahrenheit. It snowed another 2 - 3 inches while I was riding. We only went
2.5 mph averaged out.
My question is for people like
my self who live in the snowy, cold areas. How often do you ride a week?
How long and how far? How hard? I don't have the resources for indoor riding.
I want to be ready for Shore to Shore in the spring, but don't want to push to
hard in this weather.
