# What Are You Wearing to Stay Warm on Trail Rides?



## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

I will ride in temps -15C, or 5F or milder in the winter. My family knows what I like for gifts, so I have probably the best winter riding gear available at tackstores. Insulated winter riding boots, riding gloves, which it has to be really cold for me to use cuz my hands sweat in them, insulated riding breeches, and cover that goes over my helmet and around my neck like a scarf, love that thing, and a winter ski jacket that I usually get from a sports store. The only thing that bothers me, is when I long trot back up the hill the wind blows in my eyes. But I remembered I had a pair of ski sunglasses I used to wear when skiing, so I use those, it also helps with the glare from the snow. Before they geared me all up, I used to wear whatever heavy clothes I had with long johns underneath, it was fine, but the proper gear, it makes it easier to ride.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

When I lived on the OH/PA border, I layered my upper half and wore No Nonsense panty hose under my jeans. That worked on both the horse and the snowmobile.

I can’t stand bulk and heavy, so for boots I went for bulk and wore my snowmobile boots on the worst part days.

For a coat, my snowmobile jacket was lightweight and oversized so I could layer up.

I snuck my son’s goose down ski jacket a time or two and liked that better than my snowmobile jacket for extra lightweight and super warm.

None of that stuff is cheap if you buy quality brands but they last forever (I still have both coats In like new condition) and I was able to use them for riding horse and snowmobiles


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## AragoASB (Jul 12, 2020)

I like to wear polypropaline or polyester fleece long underwear under my clothes in the winter. I found that is what fly fishermen use when standing in waders in cold streams. It is an artificial fiber that is stretchy and light like a second skin. You can get really expensive brands from LL Bean and REI and such places or cheaper (much cheaper) on Amazon. They come in light, medium and heavy weight. Those cotton waffle weave long underwears get cold and clammy and the wool ones itch.


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## Animalia (Nov 10, 2019)

I found 100% Alpaca socks keep my feet warm and DRY in the Winter. I found a pair that is not too thick. I use a sock liner under them and have tall (neoprene calf) English riding boots with sherpa fleece inside. They are still not very warm b/c they are synthetic, not leather, so in the real cold, i'll put those toe warmers in--the ones that look like teabags and stay hot for a few hours. 



I wear a thinnish base layer shirt made from polyester and spandex and then a Cuddle Ewe thermal fleece shirt over that and either a fleece zip jacket or a Winter coat I got just for riding (at Goodwill). It's such a process getting dressed for riding in the Winter. And since we have to drive 45-50 minutes to get to the barn, I usually get overheated in the car--so layering is essential. And then if we do anything after riding it's a real pain too. It took me a couple months to put together some good Winter riding clothes that would keep me warm, not be too bulky and not cost a fortune.  I also wear Winter Muck boots while getting ready, and then put my riding boots on right before getting on--unless it's above 30F.


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## redbadger (Nov 20, 2017)

I've always been taught two things: first, layers are your friend. Second, what's closest to your body matters. So avoid cotton, and stick with synthetic fabrics, silk, or wool. I wear smartwool socks - even when they get wet/sweaty/icky, they retain warmth and my feet don't get chilled. Long underwear, a top I can tuck in or one that has a long body. Duluth Trading's flannels are a fave - they have extra length ("plumber's butt fixed" is one of their slogans) and underarm gussets. A good scarf and/or a neck gaiter, plus a thin skullcap to fit under the helmet in particularly arduous conditions. I have a Navy-surplus peacoat that's my riding go-to, and the only thing I'd change is maybe have some gussets tailored in for easier arm movement (ah, one day).


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## MeditativeRider (Feb 5, 2019)

waresbear said:


> I will ride in temps -15C, or 5F or milder in the winter. My family knows what I like for gifts, so I have probably the best winter riding gear available at tackstores. Insulated winter riding boots, riding gloves, which it has to be really cold for me to use cuz my hands sweat in them,


Oh I wish my hands kept warm like yours! I have suffered from Raynauds since I was about 13 years old and I get cold hands very easily. I wear winter thermal riding gloves even up to about 20°C and my hands feel just perfect then. In our winter (about 5°C), they are not enough to keep my hands warm or warm them up again after they have gone all white and bloodless while I tack up. As soon as I touch something "cold" my hands get shut off from being supplied with blood. It also happens even if I feel stressed/anxious or angry.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

MeditativeRider said:


> Oh I wish my hands kept warm like yours! I have suffered from Raynauds since I was about 13 years old and I get cold hands very easily. I wear winter thermal riding gloves even up to about 20°C and my hands feel just perfect then. In our winter (about 5°C), they are not enough to keep my hands warm or warm them up again after they have gone all white and bloodless while I tack up. As soon as I touch something "cold" my hands get shut off from being supplied with blood. It also happens even if I feel stressed/anxious or angry.


These ones here, they say -10 but I have used them for -40 below, didn't even need pocket warmers.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

waresbear said:


> These ones here, they say -10 but I have used them for -40 below, didn't even need pocket warmers.
> View attachment 1016001


They say-10 but mine only are good to about +10. However they are the best I've found. I have never found warm gloves. Ski mittens are warmer but you can't do anything whatsoever in them (except, I suppose, ski).


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Okay Southern girls, go inside while I do the chores and and go for a ride. With my thick, hairy skin:rofl:
This picture was taken at -28 C, nope not cold.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

@waresbear, your face coverings are a reminder of why I retired further south, except I never had to dress like that to feed the horses, lollol

DH & I both have the SsG -10 gloves. He loves his and is in his second pair. My first pair is like new, in the dresser, lol

I have finally concluded I will always have to wear mittens - deerskin mittens - imported from Canada or brought home by one of my hunting friends My fingers don’t stay warm whe. They are separated. 

I do barn chores with those hand heaters in my dotted gloves on the bad winter days— which are not many in Middle Tennessee- which is why I moved my arthritic self down here, lol

I tip my hat to all of you in the frigid cold and I tip my hat to @weedlady for moving UP north to enjoy her retirement. That takes some grit


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## AragoASB (Jul 12, 2020)

-28C is -18.4 F NEGATIVE!


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

AragoASB said:


> -28C is -18.4 F NEGATIVE!


This past February, it got to -43 I think that's the same in Celsius as it is in Fahrenheit. That's when you got to dress up and move to generate heat. Yes it sucks!


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## Kaifyre (Jun 16, 2016)

Yeah, the first few years I moved up here I'd still be out riding even if it was 20, 30, 40 degrees below zero. 

Not anymore. It's just not fun at that point. The ground is frozen so you can't go for a nice lope, it hurts to breathe and I worry about damaging the horse's lungs with too much intensity, there's so much snow and ice it's quite treacherous to ride on most surfaces, and when your horse decides to be an a-hole you can't effectively work the stupid out of him, because then you're either risking your footing or you're getting him too hot under his heavy winter coat so that you have to walk him for FOUR HOURS before he's dry and you can put him away. Your leather is frozen and stiff, there's very little you can wear that will actually keep you warm, and if there's any wind whatsoever you're just going to be freezing, no exceptions. Not to mention, up here we only get about 6 hours of daylight during the winter and since I work on call, I'm not likely to be home and available for riding during that magic time.

No thank you. Nowadays I'll ride consistently up the end of the year and then I give Dreams a vacation until the ground and the weather are conducive to going faster than a walk. But during the intermediary times, when it's cold out but I'm still riding, I ride in heavy wool socks and insulated boots, sweatpants (over something like Under Armor), usually a long sleeved shirt under a sweatshirt under a jacket, a hat, and the warmest gloves I can find (but I can't ever seem to find any that are SUPER warm). Back when I used to ride in the horrendous cold, a fleece gator that covers your neck, mouth and nose was absolutely essential to keep from developing snotcicles. I never was able to discover a way to keep my eyelashes from freezing together, however. When it's very cold, or windy, I've got an insulated duster that works quite well for keeping my body and legs warm, but really if it's cold enough for me to wear that I generally don't ride. 

-- Kai


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

Feet: insulated muck boots or snow boots (I have stirrup cages so the sole isn't important)
Head: Back on Track skullcap under my helmet, then a fleece helmet cover that wraps over my ears and chin. Insulated parka hood over that.
Top half: long underwear top then cotton turtleneck then heavy wool sweater then heavy winter parka (L.L.Bean Baxter State; I have never been cold in it).
Bottom half: insulated riding tights then winter riding skirt (basically a sleeping bag for your legs) that covers my horse's butt and my legs down to my ankles. This is the ultimate -- with the skirt, my lower half is toasty and it is easier to keep the rest of me warm. 
Hands: glove liners then ten below riding gloves. This is my weak spot but once I'm mounted up my hands stay warm. 

It doesn't get anything like as cold in New England as it does on the northern prairie or the Rockies but it is a much damper cold. I can do about 10 degrees if it isn't windy. After that, just tacking up is such a difficult chore it doesn't seem worth it. All my trails have steep sections, there's a lot of thaw cycles that create horrible ice under the snow ... I stick to the flatter snowmobile roads that have already been packed down, and the plowed road, for the most part. I put titanium studs into my horse's boot soles. 

Last winter my horse was recovering from injuries and I barely rode until February but this year I hope to do better.


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## Rudytoot (Feb 14, 2020)

Those SSG -10 look like good gloves. Where do you get them? 
I really like to feel the reins in my hand and the glove I wear now will take that all away. I often have on leather gloves lined in sheepskin. They are so nice, but I want something thinner.

As much as I use my Muck boots with the cattle, I only get one years use from them before the neoprene begins to break loose from the rubber part of the boot above my ankles. One thing I have found that works nicely is to take a pair of scissors and cut the neoprene off of the top of the rubber, and it makes for a nice warm pair of rubber boots when the ground is just sticky, or dry and cold. 
It is time to re-order this years Muck boots as the rains will set in the last week of October here.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

The day of this photo it was around -25F and went up to about 
-10F. I was riding a borrowed horse and we had lots to do. The horse I was riding sometimes bucks out of sheer exuberance. He's a fun partner, but can catch you off guard.

I usually wear Sorrel pac boots. I gave up on Muck's years ago. They only lasted a season and I didn't think the quality was worth the money. My Sorrel's are warmer and the toe box a bit narrower. Even compared to the Muck's Brit Rider. 

But on this day I had a pair of men's Justin boots that I picked up second hand, leather and only $30. Many sizes too big. I had a couple pair of wool socks and a really large pair of battery-operated socks that I can turn on/off pretty easily. I didn't fire them up on this day. I think the constant going up and down draws, changing pressure in my feet helped with circulation. 

I often wear insulated bibs, but wanted my chaps in case my horse got to feeling really good and having fun. But, I did have insulated long underwear. 

That coat is the greatest in sub-zero temps. Down-filled. Even better than the down is the real coyote fur around the hood. I can close it to where I only have a small opening and that really keeps me warm. But since we were cleaning out a pasture of cattle that were missed during fall gather, I needed a wider visual field. 

I wear wool glove liners inside my ugly Cabela hunting gloves. The hunting gloves are normally enough, but if I have to open a metal gate or do some other thing requiring fine motor coordination of my hands when it's below zero, the liners offer some more protection. I've had frostbite on fingers and toes (and face) so am susceptible to getting miserable pretty quick when it's very cold.

I also wear a silk neckscarf. Keeps the chill off. 

I don't ride for fun at those temps. There has to be a very good reason. I this case the cattle would not have survived the winter in that pasture as there would be no water. 

I, too, am careful of the horses' lungs. Having one's lungs "frosted" is not pleasant and can be serious.

We did find all the cattle and a couple of the neighbor's, saving the neighbors time out there looking in their pastures.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

I will ride until it's about -20C as long as there isn't much wind. Colder than that, forget it. And even then, it's probably going to be a short ride. Too much snow here to go on trails in winter (it's normal for there to be about 4 feet of snow on the ground at any given time here). Hubby plows the snow out of the paddock so we can ride in there. 

I think most here have mentioned the important things. Layers, wool, a helmet cover with a flap to cover your cheeks, something on your neck, really, really warm socks, boots and gloves. But the one thing that makes my winter riding a lot more pleasant is my riding skirt. With it, my legs are never cold and I don't have to wear snow pants over my winter breeches (I still wear a top and bottom merino wool under layer). I highly recommend the investment. The skirts do not add bulk to your leg, so you ride normally, and your legs aren't slipping around the way they tend to do when you wear snow pants. The skirt covers your saddle too so it won't get wet riding in snow. They are incredibly comfortable and easy to put on. I have even worn mine to pick manure on really cold days because it is so cozy!

They apparently stopped making skirts for a few months, but the website says they're working on developing a new line. Worth watching!!! 
https://www.arctichorsegear.com/

Those -10 gloves don't cut it for me by the way. I have started to wear a liner glove under T-Max men's gloves I buy from Mark's Work Wearhouse. The liner is made by Back-on-track and has ceramic fibers (I have bad circulation) and the men's gloves are always thicker and warmer than ladies. It can sometimes be hard to find a size small, but when I can, I buy a couple of pairs. They are the warmest gloves I have ever found for winter riding.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

That's it, I am convinced I have bear hide skin!


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Me doing chores in -37C weather... I pull out all the stops for this. I have about three long duvet-filled coats with hoods (you can get them cheap used sometimes) just for the barn. Three pairs of mitts for shoveling hard frozen manure. I take off a layer sometimes inside the barn where it's slightly warmer. I have a whole area of my basement dedicated to prepping food for the horses and housing my winter barn wear.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

This will be the first winter I will have my horses at HOME. So I am hoping to do more winter riding! I bought a pair of actual winter riding boots so I am excited to test them out when it gets cold enough. I always use the Hot Hands Toe Warmers to keep my toes warm. I also always ride in mittens (when it's cold enough) as my fingers will not stay warm with gloves. The hubby bought me an electric jacket (milwaki brand) a few years ago for a Christmas present, so I layer with that when needed.


And I guess for me "cold" is when it gets below freezing. When it gets below 0*F, then it's probably got to be a pretty nice day (sunny, no wind) for me to go out. And of course, it always depends on the ice situation. If it's really icy out, then it's best not to ride at all (unless I want to haul to an indoor).


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## Rudytoot (Feb 14, 2020)

Everyone is giving so many good ideas. I live in the South, and we normally stay around 40-45*F in the wintertime. But, there are always those cold fronts that drop down from the North, and we once stayed around 0*F for a month. It was so cold to me as I had to put out hay to the cattle each day and break the water in the troughs because my husband was in the hospital. 

When I was younger, I rode in any temperature. I have Dystonia, and it makes my body not do well in cold weather. It gets worse the older I get. I have not always had it, but developed it when I had a bad head injury. So warm clothes make it much easier to be out in the cold.

I checked out the skirts site, and I will check back later to see what they have. 

I am going to check out the glove liners that some of you mentioned. I am going to go back over what all was mentioned and take notes; then start looking some of the things up. 

The season is changing now, and at night the temps are dropping lower. I do not have the heat on, and when I get up, it feels cold. It feels so good to put on something warm and turn the coffee pot on. That always helps to warm you up from the inside. 

I often think about how the seasons change each year. Funny how I think about we only have so many Springs and Winters in our life. They just seem to be clicking right by now.


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## nohiogal (May 9, 2019)

I wear a poncho that a friend of mine made. They are great and keep me warm while keeping my shoulders and arms free while riding.

She made these for several people and we finally convinced her to start selling them.


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