Winter - I'm beginning to panic already

[Bertie]

As some of you might know I have recently taken on a new share, maybe been 3-months now, I've completely lost track :confused: Here's a bit of history: - she was a very unfit mare who had been out of work for the past 6-years and been very much a pasture ornament, pet and brood mare. At 13 this wasn't really the life for her and her owner decided she wanted to bring her back into work but doesn't ride herself - which is where I came in.

Her fitness levels improved quickly and soon was settling well into her new routine of being ridden approximately 5-times a week ranging from 45mins - 2hour. There have been periods when we haven't managed to ride as much as we'd both like due to weather, feet and time issues but to date it's not been too much of problem. However, last week I did not manage to ride at all until Saturday and then an unsuccessful half an hour in the school. During this time she'd been turned out in the field for at least 3-full days (not all week due to suspected early signs of lami :eek:)

Anyway, here's the problem the suspected lami went away and she's back on full turnout for nearly 12-hours a day and last night she was a nightmare to ride, really spooky, spinning over nothing, bolted (not really her fault forgave that) but generally on her toes the complete ride, normally we ride some sections on buckle end but last night no chance. In winter we have no turnout whatsoever, if I recall last year my old share was turned out approximately 5-times between end of Oct to beginning of April. My new mare is going to be unbearable, can't ride in week as too dark and no lights on new menage, only ride at weekends where I will do what I can but how can I stop her turning into tigger - I'm already having a loss of confidence in her and my abilities - HELP!!!

Sorry it's so long :(

[Big Ears]

the turn out is the real issue - most horses would go mental being banged up all winter, you can't blame them. is there any way she can be moved to a more suitable place where she can go out during the day?

we ask horses to live in conditions we would consider inhuman for people and wonder why they don't cope? Rosie would be totally off her trolley if she was in all the time, Molly would wreck the place. Even the donkeys get the hump if they are in for more than a couple of days.

if you can't get her to a more suitable regime, then lunging her before riding is the only thing I can think of but quite frankly she would have been better off as a field ornament than getting her fit and then frustrating her by not giving her the means to work off her energy.

Rosie is laminitic and we have made a starvation area for her which is a totally bare paddock into which we throw hay - she can pooter about and eat and be outdoors - it isn't ideal but it's the best we can do with her feet to give her more of a life. I appreciate that because we keep her at home we have the luxury of being able to do it and you can't do what you want at most yards, but is there any other place where you could get better conditions for her? A sharp uptight horse in winter full of energy is always going to be a difficult one to handle.

[coss]

some horses need regular work to keep them rideable. one of my horses is just like that (the other isn't) during the winter when i know i won't have as much time to ride (because of uni and the weather making the ground unrideable) i only do ground work with the horse that turns into tigger. it is very frustrating as i long to just get on and ride but if every ride i do during the winter is going to be a battle to try and remain calm them i don't see the point. my boy basically gets winter off and when i can start consistant work again i start to ride, i have a couple of days where its like getting know each other again but if i've lunged him/done groundwork where he's been exercised almost daily for 2 weeks then its not so hard. fortunately my mare is the same to ride whenever.
if you can afford to not ride during the winter (or when you know its going to be just weekends) then i would just stick to groundwork- bonding :( you would probably be able to do groundwork (lunging type exercise) on one day and ride the next, lunge first then ride - that often helps.

[Bertie]

Thanks for the advice, I can't move yards as she is a share and ultimately it;s not my decision. I was lucky last year in that my old share was more or less the same to ride whether she was turned out or not, at times she was a little sharper but regular rides at weekends, with big hills to trot and canter up helped to use up the excess energy.

Lunging might be an option, to use up some excess energy before riding out.

Thanks for the advice :)