Question for everyone.......

[truckersgirl]

Ok LJ friends! It's that time of year again. The time of year where the weather is crap and cold. So i am asking you all a question. Everyone has their own opinions, I am just curious what others think. Here we go

Comments

[buymeaclue]

I figure it gets too cold for me way, way sooner than it gets too cold for the horse. That said, I'm unlikely to do much in temps below about 10 deg F, which is about -12 C, if this interweb converter is telling me the truth? I may hop on and hack, but that's the point where I feel like the horse and I never get warmed up enough for a schooling session to be very worthwhile.

If I lived somewhere where it was routinely that cold (or colder!), I'd probably reevaluate. But for us, we get some of that every winter, but not so many days that it interrupts the schedule beyond, "Well, he could probably use a few days off, anyway." So that's my rule o' thumb.

ETA: Aside from the bathroom, we have no heat in our barn or indoor except what bodies generate. (Well, and there's a nifty little heating thing over where the instructor sits, but that doesn't help if you're riding!)

[truckersgirl]

Thanks! Good to know. Whats your normal winter temps like?

Very true about not getting warmed up enough to really do anything, usually I just do a light hack so that they are moving a bit.

lol At least your bathroom is heated :)

[skitty_kitty]

Our barn policy is no lessons at temps under 15F, so we're like . That said, I don't think light work would be an issue at colder temps, but I wouldn't do intensive dressage work because it's, for me, too cold to push muscles and lungs in, for both horses and riders.

But we also don't have to deal with the cold you guys do. It's usually only a couple of days in Jan. or Feb. that we have to cancel, normally.

[skitty_kitty]

'so we're like buymeaclue'

html fail ftw!

[skyhuntress]

well I rode on Saturday when it was like -28C with the windchill...but I got there at 9am and didn't turn him back out until 1pm, and he just chilled in a stall. (not because he was sweaty, but it gave his body a chance to recover)
and I'm supposed to have a lesson today at 2pm, but I think I'm going to cancel.
I think its ok if you have a long time afterwards (Enrique is clipped, so doesn't get that hot) but you need to let the lungs reacclimate.

Personally, for Alberta, I think anything with a windchill over about -27C is really pushing it if the horses are outside (if the horses are indoor horses, different story, because you can just leave them in)

[truckersgirl]

Ok great! I agree with everything you said!! I rode yesterday in -26 wind chill lightly but that's what got me wondering lol. Andy is soon to be clipped (we do every year) so that does help. I love how you have him chill to recover and acclimatize! It takes time in the winter. Your barn is heated right??

I WISH mine were indoor horses! then it would be no problem what so ever, but alas, they are in fields - and I have to WALK to the barn since they live next door, and usually against the wind on the way home lol!

It's the wind chill thing I'c curious on, darn AB weather and wind!! Did you SEE what it's supposed to be tomorrow and wednesday?!?!?!?!?!?

[celticravenwolf]

My lesson got canceled tonight at -20c. I went and rode anyway, and we actually did a solid hour of hard work. I love it because at this temperature he can work hard without breaking a sweat, and so long as you give them a nice gradual warm up and cool down they do pretty well. With an unclipped horse, working at -10c is actually harder, because then they'll sweat and you have to wait for them to dry off. It's also why I actually enjoy not having a heated arena.

I've rode down to -40 before, but at that temperature all we're doing is walking exercises, and more to encourage him to move around more than he'd be inclined to do on his own. Most of the time I call it at -30c.

So no matter how cold it is over New Year's, you're coming riding, haha!

[celticravenwolf]

To add to this - windchill does affect my decisions. -30c with no wind feels a lot better than -25c with a windchill to -30c! Since there was no wind tonight it felt gorgeous out (relatively speaking, that is!).

The colder it is, the longer the warm up/cool down, and the shorter the "hard" work session.

[truckersgirl]

Ya I think -20 will continue to be my limit, and I will debate when it comes to wind. My lesson with Shannon got cancelled for tonight cuz its jsut to damn cold.

Haha deal..... as long as it's not -40 lol