Temperatures have been dropping and we all knew we couldn’t get away with a soft winter forever. However well prepared you are, however good your cold weather clothing and rugs, chilly weather is always a tricky time for horse owners. Here are 12 questions we’ve all asked ourselves between shivers…
1. Does my horse have enough rugs on?
2. Do I really have to stick my hand in that freezing water trough to remove the bits of ice? (Where’s that old kitchen sieve when you need it?)
3. How long is this going to last? I’ve only got three weeks supply of haylage left and I can’t get my trailer up the icy hill out of the yard to collect more until it thaws…
4. Where did I put those really warm riding gloves at the end of last winter?
5. Can I persuade my other half to hump water containers from the house to the car and out to the yard for me because the outdoor tap and hose are frozen solid?
6. Is that school too frozen to ride on?
7. Will my horse slip over on that treacherous track to the woods if I try to go hacking?
Article continues below…
You might also be interested in:
Riding on snow: is it safe?
16 ways that being a horse rider prepares you for a skiing holiday
From knowing the importance of matchy matchy to practice at apologising for being out of control, riders are one step
Subscribe to Horse & Hound this spring for great savings
8. Exactly how many clothes can I wear and still be able to ride with some degree of competence to control this fire-breathing dragon?
9. How much fitness is my horse losing while he can’t do much work?
10. And how much should I reduce his feed to account for his lower workload?
11. Will I be able to get out to that super-duper training session I’ve booked next week?
12. Remind me why I’m doing this? I’m sure knitting is very soothing… and warm…
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.
