We hate to mention the winter word in September (so instead we will disguise it with Autumn), but it is no secret that these seasons can be a challenging time for horse owners.
A turn in the weather, muddy horses and less daylight hours can made your hobby feel more of a chore.
But the amazing sunrises and autumn colours are so worth the early alarm clock to squeeze in those rides before work.
We can’t change the seasons, but we can help you prepare!
Plan your weeks
Plan your week ahead and allocate time to ride into your diary just as you would any other commitment. Even go as far as putting it on your calendar so that you can see the days you can ride and feel less guilty on the days that you can’t.
It’s important to be realistic with your time – if you know that you can only manage to ride three times a week then understand that it’s perfectly OK to scale back as long as you balance that with the expectation on your horse’s fitness levels when you do ride to help prevent any injuries.
Early mornings can be a great time to ride if you are tacked up and ready to go as soon as it gets light. This also means that it won’t fall to the bottom of your to-do list when other things crop up during your day. It also makes you feel good knowing you have that ticked off your list and have done something for yourself.
‘If you want something you will find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse’.
Make commitments
Whether it is a hack with friends, a clinic, a camp, or a competition – get some dates booked in for the rest of the year as knowing you have something coming up can help to keep us more motivated to ride on those days it is wet and cold!
There is an on-going debated with horse care professionals about over-rugging v’s allowing your horse to more natural in winter to encourage the shedding of any extra kg’s they may have gained in summer.
Whilst we wholeheartedly agree with having a solid weight management and maintenance strategy and that keeping horses naturally has huge health benefits, we also need to acknowledge the importance of balancing a busy life and being able to ride our horses.
The reality is that we don’t always have the time to wait for our horse to dry before we ride, and we are definitely not fans of putting tack on wet/muddy horses for comfort reasons, so compromise by choosing a lighter weight rug to keep the rain and mud off the saddle area whilst still allowing for some natural weight management.
Whilst on the subject of rugs, if you haven’t got your winter turnout rugs repaired and re-proofed – here is your reminder!
Using exercise rugs
On the subject of rugs – if you are riding in the rain and need to put a turnout rug back on then have a look at investing in an exercise rug to save time on drying once you have finished riding.
You can watch our video on exercise rugs here.
Time management
- If you find yourself time poor during the week then here are a few simple things to implement which can help make you more efficient.
- Think about what jobs you can do in the dark. Although not pleasant, jobs like poo picking, mucking out and filling haynets can all be done with a head torch.
- Make haynets for the rest of the week at the weekend.
- Skip out during the week and remove wet bedding and replenish any bedding at the weekend.
Bulk order hay, bedding and feed
Trekking to the local feed store is time consuming, if you are able to store additional feed and hay then try stocking up on a few week’s worth at a time. This also means you are less likely to run out if the weather takes a turn for the worse.
Save supplement tubs and buckets with lids
These can be really useful for making feeds in advance, or filling with water on those nights when it freezes.
Forward planning
Plan ahead and speak to your farrier, physio, or vet to make sure you’re ahead of the festive game and if you have any prescription drugs then make sure you know when your medicine review is due. Veterinary practices are not permitted under RCV rules to prescribe medicines continually without seeing the animal every six months.
Delegate
Not everyone is in a position to do this, but if you are in a position to explore assisted livery, using freelance grooms, or sharing roles with a friend can all help.
