>>>> #3 Choose not to ride when the footing is treacherous... For shod horses, >>>> the winter is also a when they can have their shoes pulled and allow their >>>> feet to expand.
Really good point, Wanda. We don't have tons of ice here (actually more ice than snow though) but we DO have plenty of seasonal mud. We make adjustments in our riding based on mud. As we all know (or should know) footing that is too soft, or is slippery due to "looseness" is also hard on joints. We don't trail ride in often places we know it will be extremely muddy - it's hard on the horses joints, plus it tears up the trails. Sometimes when we're really going stir-crazy for a ride and the footing isn't suitable, we practice our quiet, "finesse" skills - trail obstacle skills, a little bit of backing, sidepassing, turns on the forehand, etc. It's also a good time to team up a friend who has a horse who needs a little "leap frog" practice, etc. Those type skills don't require large expanses of good footing, so it makes it easier to find suitable spots that to find big enough areas to ride at speed. I never like to do TOO much lateral work or backing at any time, but heck, sometimes a 20-minute total session helps satisfies my need for a riding fix. I always have a long backlog of simple things I need to work on with my horses and winter weather is a good time to pull out that list and go to work on it. I know I have more young horses than most people do, but a lot of mature horses can benefit from an occasional refresher in the basics. Emily and I both took hunter lessons for several years, and there were times in the winter that we didn't even begin to think about jumping. Rarely was our reason because of ice though - more often it was because of mud. We found other riding things to do to occupy our time. Karen Thomas, NC No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.5/1228 - Release Date: 1/16/2008 9:01 AM
