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How cold is to cold to ride....

5K views 29 replies 24 participants last post by  Skyhuntress 
#1 ·
I live in Minnesota and it can get really cold. I have heard from a few people that if it is less then 10 degrees that you should not ride because it is not good for the horse to be breathing in that really cold cold air. I have an indoor arena but it is not heated just a tin building. I am going to ask the B/O to put up a thermometer in it so I can see how cold it can get, but I am just wondering if anyone else knows if this is true or not?
Thanks
 
#2 ·
Goodness, my horses would be dead a million times over.
I have found nothing wrong with working horses in sub-zero temperatures. I usually don't want to ride in anything lower than -20*C now, but when I was younger I'd ride up to -40*C - I'd just bundle up!! All I had to ride in was a tin arena as well, no insulation or heating. We worked our horses hard, too.
Now I'm a wuss... haha!!
I would suggest using a quarter sheet during work and a cooler afterwards so the horse doesn't cool down too fast and catch a chill - and of course make sure they're pretty dry before you turn them out again.

..ahh fond memories of horse's sweat evaporating then falling back down on us as snow... haha
 
#3 ·
CRAZY NORTHERNORS!
:shock:
I'll be completely honest...I don't ride if it is below 30. Granted I'm in Tx and it rarely gets below 30 in the daytime:D

I've been told that horses don't start using calories to warm their bodies until temps are in the teens. So if you rode in colder than that make sure you're feeding enough for the "double duty" of the horses body. Other than that I don't see any problem with it.
 
#22 ·
CRAZY NORTHERNORS!
:shock:
I'll be completely honest...I don't ride if it is below 30. Granted I'm in Tx and it rarely gets below 30 in the daytime:D
Ha, I'm with you on that. I grew up in Texas and during school we wern't allowed to go outside if it got below 40. Now I live in upstate New York and I had to go to school even when it got down to -17. Holy crap talk about having the shock of your life. Not to mention all the snow here. Eep:shock: It only snowed once in the ten years I lived in Texas, it was less than half an inch and everyone flipped out. I even saved a snowball since it was my first snow, lol. Good times.
 
#4 ·
I have always been told not to ride under about 20*F and if you do be very careful not to work them too hard so they start sweating..And if they do be sure they are dry before you put them away.
I'm not sure though. When I do ride in the winter I just take it easy on them.
 
#6 ·
I'm a sissy in the cold so I'm really bad during the winter, but my thoughts are, if the ground is frozen, then I shouldn't ride......
 
#8 ·
I ride all the time in the cold and my horses have never been worse off because of it. In the winter, I don't ride them really hard anyway and not for very long because I am kinda a baby too. Anything below zero is too cold for me although my horses don't seem to mind. The only thing I watch out for is ice and ground that has been muddy and has frozen in the little spikes and peaks like a mountain range. I tend to avoid that because that can damage hooves. Other than that, I don't see anything wrong with it.
 
#9 ·
I ride all year-round, but if it's like under 20 or 20ishF I don't ride. Instead I'll groom or something. But on cold days (not as cold as 20ish) I always do a long warm-up & cool down; & not too heavy on the work.
 
#10 ·
:lol:Thanks all for responding, and to all you southerners!!!:lol: LOL. I use to live in Va. Beach so YEEHAW, thats great weather to ride in! :D
Hotreddun, you make me role on the floor!!lol:wink:
Poptart, ya that is kinda of my thoughts, I have always liked to go out to groom on those really cold days, but it does take alot longer to warm the horse up on the other days.:shock:
It is 22 degrees today, and feels really nice, but there is no wind. But I am sure we are going to have a cold one this year!
JDI and Rustic, you guys know exactly what I am talking about!! :wink:So as long as I am being a good horse mommy, other then that there is no reason not to ride. Thanks I was just worried about his health, breathing in the cold air since I had been told that it was not good for them.
Thanks again guys!
 
#11 ·
The only reasonI wouldn't ride in the cold is because I am too much of a wuss

It gets pretty cold here...-40 once. I would never go outside in that let alone ride but I have ridden in the -teens. I just do a long warm up and cool down and don't do anything difficult. Just bending and walking. Maybe a bit of a trot. I also have a really nice cooler I use on him and an indoor. It owuld be different if I had to ride outside
 
#12 ·
I've got riding in the middle of snow storms (I did just this past Saturday, actually)..when the temp. was well in the negatives, and my horse (who is in her 20s) has never had a problem with it. she is still [quite] fat and happy, despite our cold weather workouts. I don't work her very hard, though. Just so she's a little bit warm, occasionally she gets sort of damp, but I just cool her down VERY good and put a light sheet on her until she is totally dry. =)
 
#13 ·
First off, what part of MN are you from??? I too live in Northern Minnesota and it is cold more often than it is warm, the bugs are TERRIBLE when it is warm, so really no matter when you ride you are fighting SOMETHING!! :) Horses are MUCH more adapted to the weather than we are.

I do ride year 'round and find that riding bareback is the BEST with a long riding "cape" on to trap the heat of the horse. You stay warm and he stays warm. It is the best of both worlds!

The problem with the cold weather is making sure if your horse does sweat you pay attention to his ears (they freeze easily). If they are sweaty I would slow down or cool him off. No matter what the temp cooling down should be done, so ride like you always do, with a proper cool down. Just be prepared to have the cool down take longer, at least it will seem to, if you are not dressed for it!

Good luck!!
 
#15 ·
prbygenny- It does not hurt a horse to ride them during the winter. If you should be concerned about any issues it should concern body temp and thoroughly drying them before turn out because, as people have mentioned before, they can catch quite the chill from it (pneumonia usually). The least of your concerns should be about your horse breathing in cold air as they breathe it in whether or not you are riding them. They don't hold their breath when you leave them alone in the cold. I've always ridden my horses in the winter, I just always make sure to throw a cooler on them. My horses also get worked hard in the winter as I do sorting and barrels all winter long... and oddly enough nothing bad has ever happened.
 
#17 ·
Thanks again to all that replied. As I stated before this is just something that I had heard from some other riders here. I always spend time cooling and make sure my horse is completely cooled off and dry before butting him back out. I am such a freak about grooming and making sure everything is about him is just perfect before I leave him.
I am actually the little watch dog at the barn I board at also, my B/O knows that everytime I go out to the pasture that not only am I getting my boy but I am always on the look out for anything different in the pasture or with any of the other horses.
Thanks for your support guys!!
 
#19 ·
For outside horses, usually we won't pull them in to ride below about -25C. And if it's especially nasty we just leave them be.
For horses that come inside during the night, I'll basically ride no matter what the temperature. A colder arena means less sweat to dry off. If the roads are gross though I won't go out. And I won't go to ride during the day because a) I don't want to walk in the cold and catch my horse and b) I like to let him have as much turnout time as possible, and if I ride him he basically loses 2 hours because I have to make sure he is dry dry.
PS. It gets down to -40C not including windchill here. Crazy northerners is right. I would so much rather be in California, and seeing as my horse grows a summer coat for a winter coat he'd probably like it better too :P
 
#20 · (Edited)
i ride in very cold weather, all winter long. The thing is...if its VERY windy i wont ride...because that ruffles their fur so much its harder for them to keep warm. Or if its very damp outside, i might not want to ride. HOwever otherwise ive not heard anything bad about riding horses in the cold, as long as you are careful and care for them properly afterwards....you know, cooler, walking out, and all that

and im with anabel....bring on the nicer weather, hello cali
only thing would be the summer though, much too hot for me in cali =P lol
 
#23 ·
Okay, how long have you lived in MN? I have lived here my entire life, in which I have also owned (and ridden) my horses. It is no secret that it does get quite cold here, but that should not bother your horse in any real way. If you do have an indoor than more power to you, I know people that don't and still ride in the cold. If I were you I would be more concerned that I own a cooler to put on my horse before I would be worried about their lungs.
 
#24 ·
New, I haved lived in MN most of my life but have only owned my horse for 3 years. I know how to cool my horse down safely and how to make sure he is dry. I have 3 coolers a rain sheet heavy blanket and blanket liner. So all my bases are covered when it comes to that. I do ride with a quarter fleece sheet also. I just wondered if this was true or not. Like I said, I have been told this by a few horse people before. A few different trainers and a couple people that have been riding for longer then I. But at my new barn there are alot of people that do ride whenever. So I just wanted to know everyones thoughts on the matter . Thanks guys I will be sure and keep my horse safe and not worry to much about the temp.
 
#25 ·
I can not even imagine what it must be like to be in -20C temperature never mind riding in it,,,,, it probably only gets to -5C here in the dead of winter at night, So at the moment here in South Africa, yesterday it was about 32C thats 90F and the sweat was dropping down my face after 30mins of riding. ....... but i think i would trade the sun for a white christmas !!!!!! happy snow man making !!!
 
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