[barnprincess]

Does working in some high snow help muscle building ? I know working on the beach does because the sand is so deep. would snow have the same concept? We've got a little under 2 ft here its soft though. I was thinking about working the girls w/t in it a bit? didn't know if it was beneficial or not.

 

[justsambam08]

Working in snow is not beneficial. To start with, you can't see how deep the snow neccesarily goes until you step in it (say theres a hole or something in the ground, snow will fill that up first) so you put your horse at a higher risk for injury. Its also slippery and doesn't provide good traction.

Sand is used to provide resistance and traction. If you've ever run in the snow and run in the sand, you use two completely different sets of muscle groups.

 

[barnprincess]

i asked b.c some one on a different topic here said it was beneficial. I know my property and i know how deep it is i walked the whole yard this morning. its 3/4 the way to my knee. not over my tall boots that come about 1/2 - 1 inch below my knee i want to say.

 

[gypsygirl]

i think its helpful, walking in snow is a ton of work !

if you walk in it first and know theres no ice under there & know where/if there are holes, riding in snow is just fine.

you can also practice going in a perfect straight line in the snow because it is easy to see the hoof prints. walk about 50-100 steps then look back
& see how straight [or not straight !] you are

 

[kevinshorses]

IF you are talking about a sound horse then it certainly won't hurt them. It provides good resistance and the footing isn't too bad untill it gets packed and turns to ice. It works the exact same muscle groups as sand. I ride in snow alot and it works them pretty good. The only time I quit riding in the snow is when it gets really dense.

 

[barnprincess]

i dont like riding in it when it packs and freezes over. this is fresh so its soft and light still . thats why i asked =] thanks guys

 

[BlueJayWay]

For sure! We get ALOT of snow so the horses are very use to going up to their tummys in it. Sometimes they get hyper and excited with fresh snow and jump around in it like rabbits. It builds them up for sure.

 

[iridehorses]

When I lived in PA (where it actually snowed) we used to love riding in the snow. I always sprayed WD-40 on their hooves to help keep the snow from packing. I remember an all out gallop across the pasture in fresh, knee high snow and it was exhilarating. The gallop was so quiet and the footing felt like riding on a cloud. (I was a lot younger and dumber then - LOL) BTW we always used borium on their shoes in the winter.

As for your original question, I would imagine that it gives similar resistance as to riding on the beach.

 

[JB44]

IF you know the ground underneath and it's safe, riding in snow is a blast. and really good for working on circles. you can see where you just went, and you can see if your circles are really round. it's easy to work on perfect control making circles. and make the circles huge, not small. it can get slippery after lots of rounds, so you don't want tight circles.

just be sure no holes and no ice.

 

[Mercedes]

Yes, the 'drag' of the snow can be beneficial. But not for your horse.

 

[MacabreMikolaj]

Eh.

It will WORK your horse, but probably not in the ways you want unless you're riding Saddlebreds for a living. A horse can't move properly in 2'0" of snow, so it's ridiculous and cruel trying to ask them to drop their head and round up. They have to trot like a gaited horse just to get through the snow, and when they canter, they leap frog.

It's a good WORKOUT, but it's probably not going to work any muscles you actually want to be worked. Riding in much lower snow falls can probably be equated to sand, as in, six inches or less, but even then, you have to really watch the footing - the minute you create a track, they can have difficulty with footing as it ices up and creates hard ridges.

I ride all winter but I do not "work" my horses. We play around bareback, we're working on getting the youngsters some basics, but I would never "school" a horse in the snow.

And if you're considering, even for the briefest second, of taking your poor crippled old mare in 2'0" snow banks, I swear to god I will sic Rescue Ink on you.

 

[kmdstar]

I don't have much to offer on the riding in snow, I do it but only at a walk and trot usually.

I guess I'm just posting to pick a bone with the people that say "if you know where holes are" - you can NEVER know where EVERY hole is, doesn't seem like a big deal but after watching my mom's mare step in a hole while running up a hill and falling with my mom I just cringe everytime I hear someone say "oh I know where the holes are!" ...the people the that owned the property we were riding on said the same thing, guess what? They had no idea that hole was there.

Maybe I'm too paranoid but now I only walk in the snow unless I'm in the outdoor arena.

 

[MacabreMikolaj]

^

Where we ride, there are no holes. We stick almost exclusively to our own front yard and paddock, which is where we ride in summer and the ground is flat and free of any debris. We sometimes ride in the crop field across the road which also has no holes, we spend all fall riding in them after the crops are taken down.

I would not ride a horse in deep snow in an area I didn't know unless I had to. You never know where ditches or holes are and I have no interest in watching my horse drown in snow.

 

[Jillsmarine]

Does working in some high snow help muscle building ? I know working on the beach does because the sand is so deep. would snow have the same concept? We've got a little under 2 ft here its soft though. I was thinking about working the girls w/t in it a bit? didn't know if it was beneficial or not.

if you go to the Western Horseman mag website and type in "snow colts" it has a great article about how its a really good time to work your horse and all the things it will do for you

 

[sandy2u1]

I was thinking about working the girls w/t in it a bit? didn't know if it was beneficial or not.

By this quote, I'm assuming that you are also including Ginger. If you think think that nobody on this forum knows anything about horses or your horse, then it is your right to feel that way. For your horses sake, however, you really should heed the warnings, at least until you can get a professional veterinarian out to do a thorough examination. It's better safe than sorry. I think your intentions with this horse are good. She was in a whole lot worse shape when you got her as far as weight goes. Just look at it this way, even though you give her a brake from riding, doesn't mean your relationship and bonding time has to stop. IMO nothing is better for horse/human relationship than those many hours spent during grooming and quiet walks together (horse in hand).
As far as snow, I don't ride in it. I'm sure there are benefits, but I just feel that there are so many nice days to ride where I can see the ground and know that it's not slippery, that I feel no need to risk it.

​

 

[White Foot]

Alot of times it's snow on top and then there is a layer of ice underneath, which can be very, very, dangerous. But if you know for a fact that there is no ice and the snow is easy for the horse to pull his leg out of than go for it.

I live in NY, where we get feet upon feet of snow and I still ride in it, unless there is ice on the bottom. My horses have never been hurt by doing this. And I know many people who ride in the snow as well and have never had a problem. Other than it's cold.

 

[White Foot]

And as for the areas you don't know, we do it all the time, and nothing bad has happened to my two horses, or the twenty other horses I know of. The worst that has come out of it was we had to dig the snow out of our horses feet. I mean don't walk over a pond or a junk yard.

"And if you're considering, even for the briefest second, of taking your poor crippled old mare in 2'0" snow banks, I swear to god I will sic Rescue Ink on you."
I found this to be really offensive, rude, and not necessary. Are you going to call them on me because I ride my mare that is 20+, and has all sorts of health problems for a trail ride? Please do I would love to see what they say.

 

[Lis]

Whitefoot, the mare in question has been the subject of the thread called One Sided-Update and More. Read that then you'll understand why MacabreMikolaj said that. I imagine your mare is a lot healthier.

 

[barnprincess]

seriosly give it up already... go haunt some one else.\

and for the record, my mare is NOT crippled nor OLD... shes turning 18 that is not old for a horse these days... OLD is 25 + . My appendix passed at 37 1/2... he was retired at 21 because he actually showed his age. she dosent.

 

[kevinshorses]

seriosly give it up already... go haunt some one else.\

and for the record, my mare is NOT crippled nor OLD... shes turning 18 that is not old for a horse these days... OLD is 25 + . My appendix passed at 37 1/2... he was retired at 21 because he actually showed his age. she dosent.

Are you blind!!!!It ain't the years it's the miles. She is wore out. Use your eyes and not your ego.