# Winter Riding: breaking trails with snowmobiles?



## LesandLily (Oct 8, 2012)

I personally would not break trail with snowmobiles. They can pack down the snow, make it hard and icy as well as harder for the horses to walk in. I have found how well horses can move through snow and I would allow them to break trail on their own. We did do a winter photo workshop in four feet + of snow and we had to use a four wheel drive tractor to make crossings in the creeks where the snow was five to six feet deep. Other than that the horses handled the rest really well.

Cheers.
Les


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

Depends on your area. If you live where the snow mostly stays fluffy and temps don't get much above 20, it works great. If you're in a slightly warmer area where daytime melting happens, it can make for some slippery spots. I personally like the idea of having set tracks to ride in. I can see ice. I can't always guess where a hole might be in deeper snow.


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## Thunderspark (Oct 17, 2012)

we've ridden on trails that have been packed by snowmobiles, it's harder I found for my horse because it's hard on top and they break through.....


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## grullagirl (Apr 30, 2012)

Thanks for the advice....ill let the trails be...we will break trails with the horses


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

What's a snowmobile?


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Horses are going to break through either way. Basic physics. Each leg is approx 1000 pounds of pressure. The snow mobilers don't like horse on their trails as they pock up the trail


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## JaphyJaphy (Nov 15, 2012)

We ride on trails that are broken by snowmoblies (and moose, and dog teams) and the horses don't mind, but they also have no problem breaking trail themselves, provided the snow is powdery, and not crusty/icy/sharp. If you are familiar with the footing underneath the snow (and the conditions are safe), I'd say letting the horses break trail might be a better option.


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## Fulford15 (Oct 17, 2012)

Most of the trails where I am are all snowmobile trails, as their club owns them. The horses are aloud on them, but it's so cold here that a lot of them are very icy. We stick to the trails the horses, moose, and wolves have broken already, or if I know the footing is safe I will break my own trail. Just depends on your snow where you are, safe riding!


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## Annanoel (Mar 29, 2011)

I would never ride around / near snowmobiles here. They ride on the state trail we share with them during winter months but go VERY well over the speed limit. I'm talking between 60-100mph on them. It's so dangerous, I would never. Granted some areas might be better and depending on the snow's condition and whether it's melted or not. Here though I'll stick to riding the back 40.


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## Thunderspark (Oct 17, 2012)

it's not a trail that is used alot by snowmobiles that we have ridden on, but when the horses break through it is sharp and hard, so we prefer to stay off them....


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Thunderspark said:


> it's not a trail that is used alot by snowmobiles that we have ridden on, but when the horses break through it is sharp and hard, so we prefer to stay off them....


I put SMB's on my horses for trail riding in the winter.


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## Thunderspark (Oct 17, 2012)

mls said:


> I put SMB's on my horses for trail riding in the winter.


What are SMB's? LOL I'm just a blonde trail rider!


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## grullagirl (Apr 30, 2012)

Just to be clear....where we ride horses is NOT a snowmobile riding trail...i own snowmobiles and thought it might be good to break trail for the horses? Sorry if you all thought that i was actually riding horses through snowmobile trails...lol


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## tim62988 (Aug 30, 2012)

easiest way to find out if the horses like to use the snowmobile's trail or break their own.... do a couple loops in the pasture


as much as I would like to say, let them break their own, ours come to the barn every night for grain and they stick to the same snow packed path 

but as others stated type of snow & temps will also make a big difference of grippy or slippy snow


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

grullagirl said:


> Just to be clear....where we ride horses is NOT a snowmobile riding trail...i own snowmobiles and thought it might be good to break trail for the horses? Sorry if you all thought that i was actually riding horses through snowmobile trails...lol


That was our application too. Just using the snowmobile to make the paths. I would never ride where I had the chance of actually running into a machine moving 100 mph!


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## grullagirl (Apr 30, 2012)

Exactly!


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## grullagirl (Apr 30, 2012)

well we checked out one of our favorite riding areas yesterday.....it was all over run by snowmobiles! It is hard for the horses to walk on the tracks....Tanners hooves sunk through......my friends horses hooves were big enough they didnt sink down very much. We wont be going there too often!


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

Ditto not using the sled to break the trails, for all the reasons stated.

I never did when I lived on the OH/PA border; horses generally do a great job of plowing thru the snow as long as the rider is not intent on forcing them thru it at a fast pace

We pretty much stayed off the horse trails, with the snowmobiles, as much as we could.


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