Cold Weather - dos this effect your horses behaviour??

Bertie

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Nov 6, 2003
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I thought I would get a few peoples opinions and experiences here - At my riding school during the winter months when the horses are stabled with little to no turn out some of the horses get a little "highly strung" but last night my instructor put it down to the cold weather as a lot of the horses were absolutley nuts!!!!

Now not dangerous but skitty if you know what I mean, especially the one I was riding who can be highly strung but as long as you ride her calmly she's fine and never is off towards other horses and last night was very agressive (for her).

Have others experienced this or is just my RS??
 
Ed seems to be even more lazy if anything, have only schooled him for the past week due to the icy mornings. If I'd have taken him out for a hack then it would probably be a different story (He just hates schooling!) He doesn't have any restricted turnout though, he's out every day from 7am til 7pm whatever the weather.
 
mine are on restricted turnout, to save the field from becoming a mud bath and coz compacted snow in my pony's feet can trigger her laminitis. they are both a bit more bolshy than usual but soon settle if you give them a haynet! riding is a different matter, will see how toby behaves tomorrow :p
 
Mine tend to be more playful, bouncy, gallopy, generally tails in the air and up for it.

Pair of prancing nutcases at the moment!
 
It's good to know that it's not just my RS :) The horse both myself and another girl rode were so skitty that the rest of the ride all did a swap apart from us so we got left with nutters ;) ;) Not that I mind too much I was riding one of my favourites :)
 
The horses not being able to go out and run does make them very energetic once they can get out!

but being pent up isn't the only thing, the cold weather in general makes them all very frisky. in the fall right before winter expecailly they all get very frisky.
 
If you were out in the freezing air with half your coat shaved off you'd want to run around a bit more too:D

I think it does make a difference to them, don't know if the cold air has some sort of tickling effect on them, I've known freshly clipped horses to be especially lively for this reason. Combined with reduced or absent turnout you're always going to have a hotter horse:)
 
They definitley are more spirited to say the least and the bit cold weather last night didn't help :p but it all add to the enjoyment I think the only time that my horse really calmed down was when we did a counter canter as the circle was smaller so she couldn't race as easily :rolleyes:

Got to love the challenge tho :D
 
I know that Silver will be a little fresh when I go see him this afternoon.

He is only on half turnout at the moment, this is because of the snow and also because they are using this opportunity to rest the fields as much as possible because they are rapidly turning worse!

I last rode him Monday and that was the last time he was worked at all (haven't done any groundwork either). I wanted to go up in the week but the YO said the school was unusable and they are practically snowed in so it would be very difficult to get up there! :(

I'll probably be met with a grumpy face this afternoon because of course it's all my fault!

I have to say though, once I tack him up (whenever I can ride again) he'll probably be really lazy in the school...mainly coz he prefers to hack but also because he'll probably be a bit stiff. The YO wanted to clip him this year, me and my instructor said no - wanted to keep the freshness out of him...it works so far!! xxx
 
I'm pretty sure that the cold snap we're having at the moment definitely does affect them in a way,...but I think at a riding school,...the horses' can get so pi**ed off at this time of year because spring is just around the corner and their fed up of being stuck in the stable pretty much 24/7.... and I am speaking from experience. At this time of year I don't blame any riding school horses one bit for having a 'funny do'... they get no little or usually no turnout at all through the winter months... some schools just turning out in the indoor arenas for half an hour a week to let them kick their heels up and have a roll... but let's face,...it's not a patch on a field now is it???... which is really where they want to be!!..
 
Bebe seems to prefer cold weather in general as she's quite a warm horse and really suffers with the heat in summer. Once the weather starts to cool she's much more forward going and willing without being silly.

She's been quite full of herself this week though, but then it has been very cold so I can't say I blame her for wanting to get a shifty on to keep warm.
 
Captain and his mates are turned out every day but they are all bolshy and mardy. I took him out on a hack today and he spooked/bolted when some pheasants flew up out of ditch. Mind you he doesn't take alot to bring back so i didn't mind tto much. On the way back though it was snowing, driving sleet and hale. He rushed home. I had to keep asking him to steady as if he'd spooked I would of been eating dirt!! :eek:
 
Our guys are out 24/7 but they do go stoopid in the snow.
 
Yes it has effected my native breed. She has become a Thbred all soft and wimpish. In fact the ThBreds are more hardier than she is :eek:

Talk about acting up she is back to her be-nice headcollar. All will be explained in another thread
 
Okay guys, what temperature are you calling cold.

I'm still riding every week but our instructor calls it a day at -15 C .

So at -14 it gets alittle difficult to get the supple and to bend.... I find it difficult myself to bend at -14.

The only thing I also find is my horse starts to nap as we get closer to end of the indoor arena closer to the door , not wanting to go away from it . it can get to be a real pain.

Roll on the summer .. I promise I won't complain about the heat being +30 and all the flies and mosquitos.
 
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