Riding Through the snow.... safe or not?

[AppleJacks1988]

I live in western New york. Im sure quite a few people know how the snow is around here then. As of now I can still see some grass here and there.

But my question is, is it safe? I dont have an indoor arena and i hate to have my lovely mare just sit around all winter. But i couldnt ride in summer if the grass was wet and i figured snow was the same. But i wasnt to sure.

Has anyone ever gone riding in the snow? I think it would be so much fun. Everytime i want to I chicken out of it fearing something bad might happen.

And at what tempture do you think its to cold to ride? I know people say the grounds frozen lessons canceled. What do you look for and how do you know if its to cold?


thanks. xo ♥

[pedantic]

Here in the uk I ride whatever the weather if I am up to it, as my farrier said to me once after I asked him about road studs "he's got four ****** legs hasn't he" anyway I must admit I dont like slipping around on icy ground but sometimes it's unavoidable, just go steady, as far as snow goes the only thing that would bother me would be unseen potholes but wouldn't stop me riding.

[cvb]

I was in Sweden for 3 years and rode in the snow there - they get "proper" snow ;)

Some things to know:-

There is normally ice under the snow ! Or on roads etc where it is cleared. So you need to be prepared for ice as well as snow. In Sweden that means snow studs in the shoes.

The snow balls up in their feet. Remedy is to put flexible U's or pads in the shoes to flex and pop the snow back out. But you have to watch you don't get grit under the pad or it can bruise.

Once the snow is decently deep, you are riding "on" snow not on ice. This has some grip BUT is quite tiring for the horse, as they have to either drag through the snow, or lift over it. (My mare's theory was to canter everywhere :rolleyes: )

You can't see the surface underneath. In Sweden the snow goes even across bumps and lumps ... and ditches :eek: So be careful where you are going and only go at speed on ground you know REALLY well.

But its possibly the best fun you can have in public :D

[xXSundanceBayXx]

yes and no, most areas are perfectly safe, but you do sometimes have to be aware that you dont know what is under the snow and it could be dangerous (sharp objects etc) and stay away from icy bits.:)

[Greentchr]

This is only the second winter on horseback for me here in Idaho, but we rode most of the winter. a few things to keep in mind, though are the footing and the breathing. Snow is different in different areas. Here we tend to have heavy stuff that gets an icy crust if it warms up and then freezes again. That sort of weather can also put a coat of ice on that can be covered by the next snowfall. Meaning it can be slippery. If we ride on the road (a dirt rode that is plowed and well-traveled, but sanded well) I try to ride on the sides, away from the icy tire-areas. If it is looking scary, or if I slip myself while walking, I do not ride. I will walk the horse to a pasture and ride there where the snow is not packed down, or go over the hills where there is a lot of virgin snow. My horses slip on the snow, but they are good at catching themselves- they get lots of practice in the corrals! I do not ever go faster than a walk, however! I pull shoes off as soon as the ground freezes to avoid 'horse skating'. My farrier and I misjudged this year and we got a bad freeze with snow before he could get here, and both horses took falls on the ice. Noone around here that I know of uses studded shoes, they just pull them off. But, we are in a rural area where most people just use their horses for cattle roundup, hunting, and the occasional trail ride- not a lot of use in the winter (they think I am a bit wierd anyway).

The other thing to be aware of is if it gets below 0 (I do not know if you get that kind of cold there), as it is here right now (we have a high of 11 degrees F today :) ), it is hard on their lungs and so we do not ride. I was told to wait until it gets above 20 deg.F inorder to protect their lungs, although my instructor said that only applys to moving faster than a walk. If it hurts me to breathe outside, I generally do not ride. Be sure you pre-warm the bridle if it gets below freezing!

It is a lot of fun to ride in the winter. It has it's hazards as does everything (my horse slipped on ice last year in the middle of a spook and I went down hard). You just have to use good sense to have fun: if it is too cold, wait untill another day; If you are slipping, the horse will too. IF it is fun for you to be outside, your horse will probably have fun out there too!