# Winter Riding: How cold is too cold to ride?



## Clementine (Sep 24, 2009)

My instructor won't teach or ride when it's less than 27 degrees (fahrenheit) out. So I was just wondering what the cut off temperature is for you, and why (too cold for you? Or too cold for the horse?) 

I would personally ride no matter how cold as long as it wasn't dangerous to the horse. For instance, I wouldn't ride for a long time and get them all super sweaty when it was literally freezing cold out.


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## Sketter (Aug 26, 2009)

Its to cold for the horse, when it gets really cold, its harder on the horses expecially with there lungs. I wont ride when its colder then -30 c because its too hard on my horse and well I can be a suck when it comes to the cold. But if it is fairly cold outside you should make sure to give your horse a long warm up and don't work them too hard (Keep it to flat work and not to much cantering)I always have a Quarter sheet on to keep there back warm also. 

Hope this helps


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

i dont work them if its under 10F


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## Rachelfailappraisal (Oct 26, 2009)

If you use a quarter sheet and cool them out I would say as long as it's above 27 degrees F its ok, but I agree with your trainers. There is no point in putting more wear and tear on a horse's lungs than you have to.


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## heyycutter (Sep 26, 2009)

ive always heard you shouldnt ride under 20 degrees farenheit


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## Bluelover (Aug 30, 2009)

I like to ride no lower then 15F. No hard work though just walking.


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

heyycutter said:


> ive always heard you shouldnt ride under 20 degrees farenheit


 
haha we would hardly get to ride ! my cut off for light jumping is about 15F. but its also what temperatures the horse is used to. obviously if the horse just moved up from FL i wouldnt do that


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

I ride in all weather. Sometimes out of necessity. I don't believe that it is ever too cold to ride. I have had to stop riding when the snow got too deep last winter but that is the only time I have stopped riding over the winter.


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## TwisterRush (Sep 8, 2009)

i get cold easily, so usually in the winter, if i think i think i'll freeze ( and i get cold FAST) than i wont go out. 
I dont ride to much in the winter and if i do, its not that cold out and i am comfortable with the weather and i onlyyyy do a short walking trail ride or light light work out


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## Deej (May 5, 2009)

Its not always the temps, that get me, But whats under the snow. Here in Wisconsin it gets soooo cold! But I do manage to get out fairly often. But Many times when I thought I could go for a short ride I found ice underneath the snow. So Ride , but be careful.


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## ThatNinjaHorse (Jul 26, 2009)

Sketter said:


> Its to cold for the horse, when it gets really cold, its harder on the horses expecially with there lungs. *I wont ride when its colder then -30 c* because its too hard on my horse and well I can be a suck when it comes to the cold. But if it is fairly cold outside you should make sure to give your horse a long warm up and don't work them too hard (Keep it to flat work and not to much cantering)I always have a Quarter sheet on to keep there back warm also.
> 
> Hope this helps


:shock:
You serious? did you mean farenheit? Cause 30C is getting kinda hot..:lol:


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

ThatNinjaHorse said:


> :shock:
> You serious? did you mean farenheit? Cause 30C is getting kinda hot..:lol:


That was MINUS 30 C = -22 F, which is a bit on the chilly side.


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## SmoothTrails (Oct 1, 2009)

I'm not a fan of the cole below about 15-20 F, but my horses will run and play all day in that weather so I wouldn't be scared to ride them. I mostly worry about too hot to ride


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

I fly to Canada to teach some clinics. Last winter I went in JANUARY. Man, it was cold. One morning it was 9 degrees F. We were in an indoor, but not heated. At least we were out of the heavy winds that were outside. The clinics went very well. Mostly flatwork until later in the day when things were a bit warmer. Lots of warm-up and lots of cool-down. We never worked so hard that the horse was drawing in masses of cold air into their lungs.

This year I will be there in mid December. Hope it's a bit warmer then!


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

I have ridden in some brutal temps, having been born and raised in Northern MN; I didn't do anything 'hard', but it was so cozy hopping on bareback and going for a nice slow jaunt. Cold doesn't necessarily bother me, but I don't usually ride when it is extremely windy AND cold.


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## RubaiyateBandit (Jan 25, 2009)

I usually stop riding once there's snow/ice on the ground. The hill/lane I live on is treacherous even for the best of 4WD vehicles, and since we don't have a barn and the horses' shelter consists of the woods and a open stock trailer, they always get snowballs built up in their hooves; I figure that I'll just let them be, and not put any undue pressure on them to perform. Myself, I'm generally unaffected by the cold; I have a higher body temp and used to work at a Ski resort, fixing the snow machines all winter, so it takes a lot more for me to get cold.
This winter, I'm planning to take Bandit and maybe Dante down to the local arena as much as possible, to work on their driving, though. I'm looking to find them some quarter sheets and trailer sheets, just as a precaution.


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

Well up here in the frigid North, we're used to getting temps down to -30C regularly from about December-February. We will usually have a cold snap for about 1-4 weeks where it can get down to -50C including wind chill.
My horse is blanketed during the day when he is turned out and lives in a heated barn overnight that is in the same building as the arena, so I ride all year round. 
When horses are on outdoor board and well blanketed with good access to hay and a shelter then generally we'll ride them if it's around -20C during the day. We won't ride them at night however, and we blow-dry them before turning them back out.
When they are outdoors and un blanketed, they usually get the winter off. We'll ride outside during the day without a saddle and won't get them sweaty occasionally.


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## MN Tigerstripes (Feb 20, 2009)

mom2pride said:


> I have ridden in some brutal temps, having been born and raised in Northern MN; *I didn't do anything 'hard', but it was so cozy hopping on bareback and going for a nice slow jaunt. *Cold doesn't necessarily bother me, but I don't usually ride when it is extremely windy AND cold.


Nothing like a furry warm horse when it's cold outside. I'm not as concerned about the cold as I am the ice under the snow. But, I take it easy when it's colder outside and give them a nice long cool down.


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## Sissimut-icehestar (Jan 20, 2008)

Like others, I'd say I wouldn't ride in about -30°C. We don't get that cold often though, thank all that is good for the Gulf stream


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

Humm...

"Dashing through the snow
In a one-horse open sleigh.
O'er the fields we go..."

So I guess it must be doable. Though I always did kind of wonder just how the horse managed it.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I have to agree with Kevin, mine get ridden and used in all temperatures (unless it is just too cold or hot for me to be out). During extreme temps, you do need to be more aware of how your horse is responding and how they seem to be feeling but most horses are hearty animals that can withstand much more than we humans think they can. However, I also agree with gypsygirl. I also depends on what the horse is used to. I wouldn't take a horse from SoCal where it has been in the 90's every day and ask him to do a full day's work here where it is 20 degrees and snowing.


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## xLaurenOscarx (Aug 11, 2009)

I ride no matter what... Im lucky enough to have an indoor arena were Oscar is stabled so I can just go in there and turn the heater on

If the indoor was being used and I HAD to go outside I'd ride with Oscars fleecey cooler rug untill he warmed up then I'd take it off and keep him moving He normally has a full clip by the time the winter comes so he wouldnt sweat so much outside


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

you also have to think about their lungs. if its too cold out their lungs can be damaged, its just like people running outside when its too cold. if its really cold out i try to give them lots of walk breaks & also use a quarter sheet to they dont sweat


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

gypsygirl said:


> if its too cold out their lungs can be damaged, its just like people running outside when its too cold.


Now that's something I never heard of, and I've always spent a lot of my time cross-country skiing (which is about the same exercise level as running) in the winters. Granted that it doesn't get really cold in these parts (the Sierra Nevada), but I've also skied & snowshoed in some pretty darn cold northeastern winters, with no problems.


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## anrz (Dec 21, 2008)

gypsygirl said:


> haha we would hardly get to ride ! my cut off for light jumping is about 15F. but its also what temperatures the horse is used to. obviously if the horse just moved up from FL i wouldnt do that


lol I agree. Wisconsin is NOT a warm state. If 20F was my cut-off, I might ride ten times in one winter or less since I can only ride in the evenings . I agree- it just depends on what the horse is used to.


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## dee (Jul 30, 2009)

Around here in Oklahoma, it really doesn't get all that cold very often in the winter. I would be more concerned about precipitation than temperature. We don't get much snow, but we do have incredible ice storms a few times a year. I sure wouldn't ride until the ice was gone. 

As for my horse's lungs - they are outside pretty much all the time and will often run themselves silly in the cold. I haven't had any problems with their lungs, yet!


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## Qtswede (Apr 16, 2009)

For me, I don't ride long enough when it's cold to get them to sweat. Aside from that, there is no temperature cut off, but if the wind is whippin - I'll quit even when it's in the 30's.


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## LolaGirl160 (Sep 12, 2009)

I live in Washington and it is usaully rainy here, but It has been getting colder. I am already using winter blankets and polos. It is normally about 60 degrees here, but it has dropped to about 40 45. I never ride if it is colder than 35-30 degreese and even then I give about a 20 min warmup. and I would never ride outside in weather colder than that. Sry I couldn't spell lol


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## Annaland13 (Oct 28, 2009)

20 degrees F


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## xoSonnyLove1234 (May 31, 2009)

for light jumping my cut off is 20F but for riding work out (nojumping) my cuttoff is about 10F


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

Just make sure you have heat lights in a warm area or some other way to dry a wet horse if you get the horse in a sweat on really cold days. If you can, clip. If you can't, make sure you have a way to dry them off. I had a mare go into BAD shivers when she sweated too much hunting. She went hypothermic and if we didn't have heat lamps, it could have been a bad day.


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

Allison Finch said:


> Just make sure you have heat lights in a warm area or some other way to dry a wet horse if you get the horse in a sweat on really cold days. If you can, clip. If you can't, make sure you have a way to dry them off. I had a mare go into BAD shivers when she sweated too much hunting. She went hypothermic and if we didn't have heat lamps, it could have been a bad day.


we have a barn hair dryer that works really well.


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## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

I usually don't ride in the winter time. If I do I only walk with a little trotting.


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## ThatNinjaHorse (Jul 26, 2009)

jamesqf said:


> That was MINUS 30 C = -22 F, which is a bit on the chilly side.


 oops apparently i cant read :lol:


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## MN Tigerstripes (Feb 20, 2009)

Hmmm... A hair dryer eh? I wonder how Soda would react to that one? I plan on riding a lot more this winter, so I'm thinking about ways to make it better for both of us. I already have a cooler..


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

MN Tigerstripes said:


> Hmmm... A hair dryer eh? I wonder how Soda would react to that one? I plan on riding a lot more this winter, so I'm thinking about ways to make it better for both of us. I already have a cooler..


most of the dont care about the noise or anything & actually like it a lot ! we also use it to warm up our bits & hands haha


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## MN Tigerstripes (Feb 20, 2009)

Well, I will have to add that to my list of training things for this winter!


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## flamingauburnmustang (Dec 25, 2008)

LOL. My mare just freaks out at the sight of a hairdryer.

For me I check and see how the horse is reacting to the weather. If the horse looks uncomfortable, then I won't ride. But then again, in South Africa it is more hot than it is cold...in winter the coldest it usually reaches in winter is maybe -8 degrees C. Most of the time it is no lower than -2 degrees C.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

MN Tigerstripes said:


> Well, I will have to add that to my list of training things for this winter!


Naw - for the amount of electricity a hair dryer uses - it's not worth it to dry a horse. (at least not the way we work our horses) Towel the horse down and throw on a cooler and stand them in front of some hay.

For warming the bit, we simply tuck the bridle in our jackets while we groom. No chance of burning the horses mouth.


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

mls said:


> Naw - for the amount of electricity a hair dryer uses - it's not worth it to dry a horse. (at least not the way we work our horses) Towel the horse down and throw on a cooler and stand them in front of some hay.
> 
> For warming the bit, we simply tuck the bridle in our jackets while we groom. No chance of burning the horses mouth.


i would rather use the hair dryer & turn my horse out dry then not. it definitely helps speed up the process =]


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## xAddictionx (Oct 30, 2009)

We have a heated indoor- so I ride during all weather. 
If we didn't I don't know what the cut off point would be- it's harshly cold here all winter! If I had a cut off point I probably wouldn't ride much at all.


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## chika1235 (Jan 1, 2009)

last winter i was out riding in the snow (which was 2-3 inches ,more than tn has ever gotten in a while)and it was 17 farinhieght.i only did slow trotting and walking.and whats a quarter sheet???


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

chika1235 said:


> last winter i was out riding in the snow (which was 2-3 inches ,more than tn has ever gotten in a while)and it was 17 farinhieght.i only did slow trotting and walking.and whats a quarter sheet???


its like a blanket that goes over their back & hindquarters under the saddle.


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

If I can see both my breath and my horses, we call it a day. It's usually around 20 degrees.


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