In our last blog we discussed 3 ‘Physio Tips’ for keeping your horse moving in the cold and icy weather (click here to read it first). I asked my Sponsored Riders how they coped keeping their competition horses going during the cold snaps and bad weather! Here are their thoughts…
“I don’t think you can do too much hacking at this time of the year so when the arena is frozen do your schooling on the roads. I do lots of leg yeilding/shoulder in/half pass etc. And you can really think about your horses straightness when you haven’t got any walls to stick to. I always use a hi viz exercise sheet so the horses stay warm and you can easily be seen on dull horrible days”
Morven Pringle (3* Event Rider)
“One tip I have is to add boiling water to water buckets to take the chill off their drinking water. Also solarium before riding to help them warm up and an excercise sheet when hacking/light schooling/warming up”
Blyth Brewster (Horsescotland Squad Showjumper)
“If it’s snowy oil the inside of horses hooves to stop balls of snow from forming out hacking etc and always have a folding hoof pick in your pocket. If you don’t have a solarium or are at a show you can duck tape 2 (or 4) hot water bottles together and put them between two thin rugs to heat the horses back before riding. Works really well if they are standing in the lorry at shows on cold days. Also if you spray the inside of your horses hoods with main and tail spray it helps stop them getting rubbed!”
Robyn Smith (International/Team GB Dressage Rider)
We would love to hear your tips and tricks for surviving the winter weather! Join in the conversation on Facebook – Click Here to visit our page!
