WINTER RIDING TIPS

If you come to the stables prepared, you’ll have a good time riding even on the coldest days.

1. Dress for the weather. Horseback riding can be a strenuous activity. While riding, you use your muscles to balance yourself and you can work up a sweat. In cold weather the sweat can cause you to get even colder. Dressing in layers is the key to horseback riding comfortably in the winter.
2. Warm up beforehand. Before you get in the saddle, do a few stretches, move around a little and get your blood flowing — you don’t want to feel stiff when you’re just getting on the saddle.
3. Drink your water. It’s easy to forget to drink water when it’s cold out, but staying hydrated is essential to keeping yourself warm. Horseback riding is still exercise, after all. You may even want to bring along a warm beverage to sip while you rest.
4. Be prepared to move a little slower. Sweating in the cold is just as harmful to horses as it is to humans. Horses also take a lot longer to cool down, and their thick coats stay wet with sweat far longer. Don’t over exert yourself or your horse when the temperatures are low.