| Tips For Winter Riding Warmth By Lauri Struve |
Brrr… It’s cold out there, but I still want to RIDE!
Just because the weather has turned cold, is no reason to let you or your horse get bored.
Winter can be a wonderful time to ride Missouri’s trails. Just think, no yellow jackets, no
horse flies, and the cobwebs are easier to spot.
There are a few more considerations when planning a winter ride than a warm season
outing. Proper clothing, for the rider is one of the first. Something to note, as women, our
hands and feet generally get colder before the guys. Not fair, but true, so make sure you
have the right gear to keep your extremities warm.
It’s important to dress appropriately for the season. There are needs to consider, freedom
of movement is one important factor, you want to be warm, but you do need to be able to
get ON your horse… so many bulky layers are not necessarily a good thing.
When I ride in the winter, and being involved in Search and Rescue it is likely to be a
LONG outing. I try to wear several light layers. I start with silk long underwear, these are
more expensive than cotton, but oh so worth it. The silk evaporates moisture better than
cotton, so if I do get overheated, I don’t have a damp layer next to my skin when I cool off.
Then I like a layer of cotton, either a long sleeve t-shirt or sweatshirt, depending. I also add
a flannel shirt.
On the bottom, I LOVE my fleece lined riding tights. Now, I know some of you true
cowboys are saying NO WAY, the next best thing then is to wear flannel lined blue jeans.
What I prefer about the tights is that I have freedom of movement, and the layers are again,
light.
I also have a pair of black windpants, also fleece lined. I love these things. I think they were
designed for cross country skiing, but they adapt to riding nicely.
To keep my feet warm, I generally wear two pair of socks, my usual cotton, and a pair of
wool socks. To wear double socks, it’s important to make sure your boots still fit. I have a
pair of snow boots that are narrow enough to fit in my stirrups, but you can also buy
oversized stirrups to accommodate winter footwear safely.
One piece of winter apparel I DO NOT leave the house without, well, there are two of
them actually, a hat, if you can keep your head warm, the rest of you will stay warmer. I
have two options that I like, an ear band that I wear with my helmet, and an old stocking
cap from when I was in 6th grade and there was a team called the Paullina Panthers.
Another option that I use when really cold is a fleece hood thingy… a balaclava, it covers
your face and neck, like a ski mask but not that tightly. Gloves are the other item to not
leave the house without. There is nothing worse than hands so cold you can’t move your
fingers.
I’m between gloves right now, but when they were new, I had a pair of On Course winter
riding gloves that kept my hands toasty. Unfortunately, they wore out after 4 years, and I
haven’t found another pair. It’s good to have gloves that are waterproof.
I think it’s good to take note from other winter sports, particularly skiing, and commandeer
the clothing for that sport for riding. The items are designed to keep the wearer warm, yet
not hinder mobility. You would have to pry my Carharts from my cold, dead hands, but it’s
not too easy to ride in them, because they are designed for warmth, not a good range of
motion.
There are a few things to take in the saddle bags as well, instead of ice water, pack a
thermos of coffee or cocoa, I remember snowmobiling as a kid, that was the best part, to
be super cold in the middle of no where and break out the cocoa to get warmed up for the
ride home. Also, you can find handy dandy disposable hand and foot warmers at most
outdoors stores, These are great. I have also seen winter stirrups advertised that have a
place for the foot warmers.
Now that we are ready to ride, we have some considerations for the horses. Try not to
overheat them. I recommend having a fleece cooler to throw over them after the ride, so
they can cool off without getting chilled. Another item I have seen, and tried to make my
own, unsuccessfully so far, is a quarter sheet that can wrap around the rider’s waist,
keeping her legs warm, and hangs down over the horse’s hind quarters, keeping some of his
heat in as well. These can also be found in waterproof material that will keep both dry.
If you’re planning to keep shoes on your horse for winter riding, talk with your farrier, there
are ways to keep snowballs from building up in their shoes. I used PAM or some other
cooking spray and that seemed to work pretty well. The best thing I’ve found though is easy
boots with the snow studs in them. That way the hoof gets a much needed rest from having
shoes nailed on, and your horse has a little more traction than he would barefoot. If you do
leave shoes on, discuss heels and toes or a no slip surface such as borium or driltek on the
shoes.
Horse and rider are now ready for the cold weather outing… Don’t forget to have your
trailer closed up or a blanket for your horses for the ride.
Now where to go?
The best recommendation I have is to research which equestrian trails in the state are open
year round, research where to park, your usual spot may get you stuck in snow, and find
out how icy it is. Snow is great fun to ride in, ice can be terrifying for horse and rider. Plan
your ride for about an hour, that is long enough for your horse to get needed exercise, and
for you to not get so cold you don’t want to ride again until spring.
You’ve read my advice for dressing warm for winter riding…. Now share what works for
YOU!
Just because the weather has turned cold, is no reason to let you or your horse get bored.
Winter can be a wonderful time to ride Missouri’s trails. Just think, no yellow jackets, no
horse flies, and the cobwebs are easier to spot.
There are a few more considerations when planning a winter ride than a warm season
outing. Proper clothing, for the rider is one of the first. Something to note, as women, our
hands and feet generally get colder before the guys. Not fair, but true, so make sure you
have the right gear to keep your extremities warm.
It’s important to dress appropriately for the season. There are needs to consider, freedom
of movement is one important factor, you want to be warm, but you do need to be able to
get ON your horse… so many bulky layers are not necessarily a good thing.
When I ride in the winter, and being involved in Search and Rescue it is likely to be a
LONG outing. I try to wear several light layers. I start with silk long underwear, these are
more expensive than cotton, but oh so worth it. The silk evaporates moisture better than
cotton, so if I do get overheated, I don’t have a damp layer next to my skin when I cool off.
Then I like a layer of cotton, either a long sleeve t-shirt or sweatshirt, depending. I also add
a flannel shirt.
On the bottom, I LOVE my fleece lined riding tights. Now, I know some of you true
cowboys are saying NO WAY, the next best thing then is to wear flannel lined blue jeans.
What I prefer about the tights is that I have freedom of movement, and the layers are again,
light.
I also have a pair of black windpants, also fleece lined. I love these things. I think they were
designed for cross country skiing, but they adapt to riding nicely.
To keep my feet warm, I generally wear two pair of socks, my usual cotton, and a pair of
wool socks. To wear double socks, it’s important to make sure your boots still fit. I have a
pair of snow boots that are narrow enough to fit in my stirrups, but you can also buy
oversized stirrups to accommodate winter footwear safely.
One piece of winter apparel I DO NOT leave the house without, well, there are two of
them actually, a hat, if you can keep your head warm, the rest of you will stay warmer. I
have two options that I like, an ear band that I wear with my helmet, and an old stocking
cap from when I was in 6th grade and there was a team called the Paullina Panthers.
Another option that I use when really cold is a fleece hood thingy… a balaclava, it covers
your face and neck, like a ski mask but not that tightly. Gloves are the other item to not
leave the house without. There is nothing worse than hands so cold you can’t move your
fingers.
I’m between gloves right now, but when they were new, I had a pair of On Course winter
riding gloves that kept my hands toasty. Unfortunately, they wore out after 4 years, and I
haven’t found another pair. It’s good to have gloves that are waterproof.
I think it’s good to take note from other winter sports, particularly skiing, and commandeer
the clothing for that sport for riding. The items are designed to keep the wearer warm, yet
not hinder mobility. You would have to pry my Carharts from my cold, dead hands, but it’s
not too easy to ride in them, because they are designed for warmth, not a good range of
motion.
There are a few things to take in the saddle bags as well, instead of ice water, pack a
thermos of coffee or cocoa, I remember snowmobiling as a kid, that was the best part, to
be super cold in the middle of no where and break out the cocoa to get warmed up for the
ride home. Also, you can find handy dandy disposable hand and foot warmers at most
outdoors stores, These are great. I have also seen winter stirrups advertised that have a
place for the foot warmers.
Now that we are ready to ride, we have some considerations for the horses. Try not to
overheat them. I recommend having a fleece cooler to throw over them after the ride, so
they can cool off without getting chilled. Another item I have seen, and tried to make my
own, unsuccessfully so far, is a quarter sheet that can wrap around the rider’s waist,
keeping her legs warm, and hangs down over the horse’s hind quarters, keeping some of his
heat in as well. These can also be found in waterproof material that will keep both dry.
If you’re planning to keep shoes on your horse for winter riding, talk with your farrier, there
are ways to keep snowballs from building up in their shoes. I used PAM or some other
cooking spray and that seemed to work pretty well. The best thing I’ve found though is easy
boots with the snow studs in them. That way the hoof gets a much needed rest from having
shoes nailed on, and your horse has a little more traction than he would barefoot. If you do
leave shoes on, discuss heels and toes or a no slip surface such as borium or driltek on the
shoes.
Horse and rider are now ready for the cold weather outing… Don’t forget to have your
trailer closed up or a blanket for your horses for the ride.
Now where to go?
The best recommendation I have is to research which equestrian trails in the state are open
year round, research where to park, your usual spot may get you stuck in snow, and find
out how icy it is. Snow is great fun to ride in, ice can be terrifying for horse and rider. Plan
your ride for about an hour, that is long enough for your horse to get needed exercise, and
for you to not get so cold you don’t want to ride again until spring.
You’ve read my advice for dressing warm for winter riding…. Now share what works for
YOU!
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