# Saddling in minus 20 degree Weather???



## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

It was minus 21 last night and is right at minus 20 right now. To put the horses out I bundle up in layers of clothes , a warm vest and a snow suit. For gloves I need to feel so I can only wear a lite pair of good fitting gloves. Even short expose to the weather like openning and closing the latches on the gate with gloves froze my hands. Cleaning stalls was fine but agian pushing the wheel barrow out , dumping it, going to the hay shed and bringing in a bale of hay again produced frozen hands. I can't wear heavy gloves since handling latches would be too difficult.
I ride at 10 all winter so in another 30 minutes I have to be off to saddle up.

How do you guys do it?? You need to use your fingers to undo the buckles on the blankets, saddle up, bridle, my case spurs straps to do.
I ride for about 2 1/2 hours in the deep snow so when I get back the horse is steaming, at least under the saddle. So it is again pull the saddle, watch the horse steam away , brush backwards to fluff the hair, reblanket and those blankets are really cold from sitting and put the horse back in the field. 
How do you do it?? Your hands would freeze even with light gloves needed for the buckles???
Do you guys honestly ride in that weather?? HOnestly??
I have missed only 1 Sunday since winter started and never never a Saturday, regardless of what mother nature throws at you and he got that Sunday off because I rode him every day of the week up to that day so I gave him the day off because of the driving snow and strong strong winds.
I even warm my saddle by keeping it beside the furnace where the leather dries out really good and I keep it well oiled so everything is soft.

So ladies how do you saddle up in this weather, outside in the snow and manage to keep your fingers in tack??????


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

Are you kidding! LOL!

It is -0 right now and I cancelled my lesson! LOL! The barn had lessons full today, and all were cancelled.

No way hosay! You wouldn't catch me out there riding in anything that cold.


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

MIEventer said:


> Are you kidding! LOL!
> 
> It is -0 right now and I cancelled my lesson! LOL! The barn had lessons full today, and all were cancelled.
> 
> No way hosay! You wouldn't catch me out there riding in anything that cold.


It is the same here, minus 19 and I am just finishing this post and head out. The barn is right at 30 degrees F, very comfortable and I will saddle in the warmth, put on my face mask, my warm hat, my warm gloves and swing aboard a nice comfortable sheep skin saddle and ride off into the woods for the next 2 1/2 horse and have a ball.
Weather honestly doesn't bother me, I can dress for it as long as I have a warm barn to saddle in I am fine.

I am off. Talk to you guys later.


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## qtrhrsecrazy (Aug 2, 2009)

I don't live where it's that cold... nor will I lol


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

I'll be checking in with this thread hoping someone has a solution to frozen fingers too! 

Never bothered me much years ago, but the past 5 years or so my fingertips will actually split due to the cold. With what I do for work, this is just not acceptable, so, yeah, waiting to hear any solutions. 

Typing right now with 2 split fingertips just from caring for my 2 horses. And that was wearing heavy insulated leather gloves.


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## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

I refuse to ride if it is under 20 degrees. I don't like working in it so I'm sure they don't either. my lungs burn when I work hard in the cold and so I'm sure it is uncomfortable for them


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

Riosdad- you are the toughest cookie I know of! I really admire you! I live in the mountains in Arizona, and it only get to about 10 F at the coldest, overnight. Sometimes the days are in the 20's but mostly it's warmer. I still don't have anyone who will ride with me! 

Actually, alot of the time I don't ride either, not because of the cold, but because I worry about the footing. It is either icy and slick on the dirt roads, or sucking mud that the horses don't like walking in. 

Sometimes I wonder if I am just being a wuss, but I really worry about them slipping and getting hurt. So if the footing is questionable, I don't ride. I just about have to ride the roads to get to the forest, so sticking to the snow isn't an option unless I can get over the snotty or icy roads. And if the roads are thawed, the forest is mud. 

What do you guys do about the footing in winter? Not worry about it? I can't help worrying about it. I figure if the horse gets seriously hurt, that could be the end of him or her, and I just don't want to take a chance. Any thoughts?


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## Plains Drifter (Aug 4, 2009)

trailhorserider said:


> Riosdad- you are the toughest cookie I know of! I really admire you! I live in the mountains in Arizona, and it only get to about 10 F at the coldest, overnight. Sometimes the days are in the 20's but mostly it's warmer. I still don't have anyone who will ride with me!
> 
> Actually, alot of the time I don't ride either, not because of the cold, but because I worry about the footing. It is either icy and slick on the dirt roads, or sucking mud that the horses don't like walking in.
> 
> ...


I'd love to see the answer to this one. Next year when I CAN ride in the snow, I'd love to, but I'd be worried to about footing as well.


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

Where I live is doesn't get cold enough to really snow and have the snow stay around for a while (and in the rare instances it does I don't get to see Lacey because the roads to her house are too dangerous). The coldest it's gotten this year was 19F with windchill making it colder, but no snow, and I didn't ride in it. I was planning on riding but Lacey seemed really unhappy about having her blanket off (really stiff, not wanting to really move etc) so I decided to just free lunge her and go home.

I don't think I would ride if the temperature was negative anything but maybe if I lived somewhere where I either had to ride in that or not do anything with horses, I'd get over it.

I'm impressed.


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

I hope you do not ride with a metal bit. It will freeze the corners of the horses mouths.


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

Just got in the house . It was gorgous out there. If you are dressed properly it is no problem. Actually I got hot and removed my heavy gloves and put on my thin skin tight plastic ones.
It is still about minus 12 or about 10 F but the sun is very strong. There are pockets where you feel the heat.
I do a normal 10 mile loop but today at the far side of the loop the snowmobile trails heading north beckoned to me so I took them up. We headed north for 3 or 4 miles and then turned around a headed home. Home is still 9 or 10 miles away so I thought I better get going.
Tomorrow I will run the same trail again but this time I will not turn around as quickly.
I find winter riding the best, cool running temperatures, no bugs, no crops and the snowmobile trails run for thousands of miles.
Dressed properly you can escape the cold.
Rio was getting a little wet, his breath coated his neck in white frost, very pretty. I don't worry about breathing in the cold. I use to worry but spend decades running in cold and you find it doesn't harm a horse.
I did have a wet boy when I got back but I brushed against the hair and then blanketed and put out with a fresh bale of hay for him to eat.

Regardless of the temperature, the weather we will once agian make the run tomorrow as we do every weekend.

I prefer to run alone, while company is nice it forces me to compromise.
A few weeks ago a yound girl, 15, tall , lean , a supposedly good rider asked me to take her for a run. I supplies the horse and saddle and showed her how to hold the reins, she is an English rider and we had a fantastic run. She just sad back, lots of loose rein and let her horse work. He would alternate between the lope and the trot depending on how he was keeping up to my boy. We cut 1 hour out of my normal run time just because she could ride and keep up. Any rider forces me to slow down, to compromise.
I am really hoping the cold keeps a lady friend who often runs with me Sundays home where she should be and I get to run the hard packed snowmobile trails alone.

It is gorgous out there. Sunglass day for sure


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

churumbeque said:


> I hope you do not ride with a metal bit. It will freeze the corners of the horses mouths.


 
He does and it won't.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

It doesn't get quite that cold here but i ride all winter. The best thing I have found is the wool gloves that are fingerless but have the mitten part that you can close over your fingers. When it is really cold I put a pair of light cotton gloves on first so my fingers are not totally exposed but I can still do what I need to.


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## Mickey4793 (Sep 24, 2009)

I buy thermal riding gloves, they're kind of bulky but not so much that I can't move my fingers, and to seal the deal I use those hand warmer things that you stick in your gloves and they heat up. They're awesome.
I do that with my toes too, along with 3 or 4 wool socks. 
I wear a pair of wool leggings, with a pair of fleece lined thermal riding breeches, and a warm pair of sweatpants over that.
I wear a long sleeve thermal shirt, a sweater, and my northface jacket, I only dress so lightly on top so I can move around easily, my upper body generally stays warm. I wear a hat until I ride.
I warm up my horses bit under some really warm water [then I dry it of course] or I blow it with the heat of a hair dryer. I don't like to ride to long in this weather because I lose feeling in my toes and such. I rode today it was 2 degrees out, I had to go into the lounge of the barn to switch from my bulky warm gloves to my thinner riding gloves, and to put my hair up.
I usually warm up very fast when me and my horse are working, and we have an indoor ring to prevent us from the elements. 
Just keep your chin up, spring will come eventually!


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

churumbeque said:


> I hope you do not ride with a metal bit. It will freeze the corners of the horses mouths.


Oh good grief, it will not. I've been riding in -40 degree winters since I was knee high to a grasshopper and a bit has never frozen to any mouth. The heat from the mouth does not provide any opportunity for freezing to occur. Maybe if you're stupid enough to slap a cold bit in without warming it up you may have problems, but otherwise, no.

To be honest? I deal with the freezing. For the most part, my fingers are nimble and my leather supple enough that I can get away with wearing little gloves just for tacking up if it's hovering around -20 with the windchill. Once it hits -40 and lower with the windchill, we essentially are forced to ride bareback. The leather freezes, you can't work with it, and even if you DO get your horse tacked up, it's a 10 minute ride because your legs are numb within minutes.

The cold, for the most part, honestly does not bother us. I very rarely get cold hands and feet to begin with - if I have to tack up a horse in bitter weather, I slip my gloves off for a minute, work quickly to get something done up, and then put my mitts back on for a minute. It sucks, but within a minute my fingers are warm and I'm ready to do something else up.


As far as footing in winter, you'd be amazed. Deep snow is quite possibly the BEST footing for horses. We avoid roads mostly, we don't shoe our horses so about mid-winter when the roads turn to solid ice, we stick to the front yard and the field. When you live as cold as we do, you only have to be careful about riding in deep snow when it's freezing cold - the top layer forms a crust that will cut your horses legs and allow fungus to develop. We actually form well laid paths in the front yard, so on cold days, we avoid the untouched parts of snow. Other then that, I feel 20x safer cantering a circle in a foot of snow in our front yard then I do cantering the same circle on slippery grass in summer. On the off chance they flounder in deep snow, you have a foot of cushioning to stop your fall!


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## xxBarry Godden (Jul 17, 2009)

There are a lot of reasons as to why it would have been better for me to have been born in either the US, Canada or Australiasia but the climate is not one of them. We had one winter spell over Christmas, but as of today, there is no sign of it. In the South, the 2010 rich green grass is already growing. We are promised another spell of cold weather but it should not last long.

DiDi is back out working - she's training to be a show jumper for the coming season. She seems to be loving it. 

If I lived out Rios way or over in Winnepeg with Mij, up in the snow, then I'd have to buy a very thick fur hat to protect my wrinkled bald pate. As for my dainty fingers - perish the thought. My Irish huzzy DiDi is used to wet winds 
and rain but she doesn't do snow.

I think I'll stay here. Sounds a trifle nippy over your part of the globe to me.

B G


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## Sonic (Jan 29, 2010)

Warm up the bit before you put it in her mouth, a cold bit is painful and it might be difficult to make her take a bit again.


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

We keep our metal bits in the house to keep them warm, as it's way to cold to warm them up with your hands properly. If by chance a bridle does get left outside, a few minutes on a heat vent in the house or running it under hot water and drying it properly also gets the job done quickly.


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## horsegirlmaddy (Dec 6, 2008)

Ah, wintertime! I tack up in the heated barn (not warm, per se, but warmer than outside!), keep the tack warm in the tack room for as long as possible, and wear insulated gloves whenever possible. I have found that there really aren't too many things that you can't do with gloves on. I even bridle with gloves, and I can get most of the buckles done up without having to remove my hand-warming-devices.

Also, when I ride outside in the winter, I ride bareback to keep toasty warm. It greatly improves your core strength and balance, and there is no way you can be riding bareback and get cold!


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

kevinshorses said:


> It doesn't get quite that cold here but i ride all winter. The best thing I have found is the wool gloves that are fingerless but have the mitten part that you can close over your fingers. When it is really cold I put a pair of light cotton gloves on first so my fingers are not totally exposed but I can still do what I need to.


Kevin those are exactly the gloves I ride in. I can peel the flap back and have my bare fingers or pull the flap over the fingers and be nice and toasty.. I am warm by nature so cold hands and feet don't really bother me. 
I also have a great hat, one the buckles under my chin like a helmet but it is only a hat and a weather suit material face shield.
I ride with heavy chaps and duck boots and my legs and feet are toasty. Also travelling at a good pace warms you up.


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## Tasia (Aug 17, 2009)

Jeez! a cold metal bit will not hurt your horse! stick your hand in your mouth its pretty warm!! Lack of commen sense I tell ya.
Anyways I don't ride if its colder than -15 and dropping. Otherwise I bundle up and suck it up! lol honestly I always have hot chocolate with me.


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## EPMhorse (Jun 14, 2009)

RiosDad,
You loose the greatest amount of warmth through your head in winter. I wear a balaclava (sometimes two) of some type to keep the heat in me. I use a larger helmet over the layers. It leaves more heat for the fingers. They come in both polypropylene and polartec. I have also tried a neoprene face mask, but it didn't seal the air in on the back of my neck.

I wear pantyhose under the polartec britches, under wind pants. You'll look lovely in pantyhose!!:lol: Seriously, they make men's polypropylene tights for skiers. Multiple thin layers are better than one heavy layer. Even if your feet aren't cold, less heat loss will keep your fingers warmer.

Try a chemical heat pack inside your gloves, over the back of your hand. Same for the toes. I don't own them, but the hunters use electric socks.

I find that I have to pull off the gloves to get the tack undone. That's the worst part. I don't have the luxury of a heated barn.


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

MacabreMikolaj said:


> To be honest? I deal with the freezing. For the most part, my fingers are nimble and my leather supple enough that I can get away with wearing little gloves just for tacking up if it's hovering around -20 with the windchill. Once it hits -40 and lower with the windchill, we essentially are forced to ride bareback. The leather freezes, you can't work with it, and even if you DO get your horse tacked up, it's a 10 minute ride because your legs are numb within minutes.
> 
> The cold, for the most part, honestly does not bother us. I very rarely get cold hands and feet to begin with - if I have to tack up a horse in bitter weather, I slip my gloves off for a minute, work quickly to get something done up, and then put my mitts back on for a minute. It sucks, but within a minute my fingers are warm and I'm ready to do something else up.


Compared to MacabreMikolaj I live in the tropics. While her and I live in Canada I am much further south and alot warmer. My son in law comes from Alberta and my daughter for the first time went home with him at christmas. She learned the true meaning of winter

MacabreMikolaj my hat is off to you for riding in that weather. I am tough but I don't know about riding in your extremes.


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

Barry Godden said:


> I think I'll stay here. Sounds a trifle nippy over your part of the globe to me.
> 
> B G


It is not pronounced NIPPY. We call it NIPPILEY:lol::lol:


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## Scoutrider (Jun 4, 2009)

Riosdad, I kneel in awe at your toleration of the cold. :lol:

I'm a wuss and a worrywart about winter riding, anything under 20 F is less than pleasant for me. By the time I get chores done, my fingers and toes are too numb to do much else. I don't have the luxury of a heated barn, either, only the heat that 2 horses, 8 cats, and a dozen chickens put off. We have terrible footing... the arena is a sheet of ice under slick snow. I worry about trail riding with much snow, since we have a major and recurrent groundhog problem, and the holes are hard enough to spot in the summer. Yes, I am a wimp. Yes, I chronically make excuses about riding in the winter. They say the first step to recovery is admitting the problem. :lol:

Gloves... My hands are tiny, so I end up buying children's size camo hunting gloves; the ones with the cutoff fingers and the pocket that covers like a mitten and velcro's back out of the way. Anything bigger than kid's sizes are more cumbersome than the cold is. If I need any dexterity at all, I lose the gloves, and when I'm done I stick each hand backward into the opposite cuff to warm them, and then put the gloves back on.

When I took regular lessons, they took place in an indoor arena where footing was not an issue, but they were canceled for anything under 20 F.


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

horsegirlmaddy said:


> Also, when I ride outside in the winter, I ride bareback to keep toasty warm. It greatly improves your core strength and balance, and there is no way you can be riding bareback and get cold!


Winter and the snowmobile trails are the time to travel fast and far. The trails are groomed, about 10 feet wide and perfect footing although they do get icey but I am properly shod for ice so I don't slow down for frozen ponds or anything.
I have run with the blanket on and just put the saddle over it but not very often. 
I do not walk alot, too cold and boring but I do travel with this young guy at a steady working trot. I don't beleive anyone could run with me bareback. NO ONE could keep a steady trot for a couple of hours or even a hour bareback, uphill , downhill, just a steady ground eating trot.


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

Tasia said:


> I always have hot chocolate with me.


 
Funny but when I come in out of the cold I eat ice cream, a bowl of cold ice cream.. When I was scuba diving and got really cold ice cream was what I craved?? Go figure??


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

Metal conducts cold. This why kids tongues get stuck to the playground in the winter.


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

Tasia said:


> Jeez! a cold metal bit will not hurt your horse! stick your hand in your mouth its pretty warm!! Lack of commen sense I tell ya.
> Anyways I don't ride if its colder than -15 and dropping. Otherwise I bundle up and suck it up! lol honestly I always have hot chocolate with me.


How about if you take a piece of metal that is -20 degrees and stick it in your warm mouth and report back how it went.


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

EPMhorse said:


> RiosDad,
> You loose the greatest amount of warmth through your head in winter. I wear a balaclava (sometimes two) of some type to keep the heat in me. I use a larger helmet over the layers. It leaves more heat for the fingers. They come in both polypropylene and polartec. I have also tried a neoprene face mask, but it didn't seal the air in on the back of my neck.
> 
> I wear pantyhose under the polartec britches, under wind pants. You'll look lovely in pantyhose!!:lol: Seriously, they make men's polypropylene tights for skiers. Multiple thin layers are better than one heavy layer. Even if your feet aren't cold, less heat loss will keep your fingers warmer.
> ...


 
I agree with the warm hat. I ride in what looks like a skin cap covering my head, my ears, my throat and it is really warm. I also wear a total rubber face shield, only my eyes are visible.
Chaps, heavy leather chaps over 3 layers of pants keep my legs toasty,

I have the dress down for any weather and seldom feel the cold.
The post was about those that tack up outside in the cold?? My barn is 30 or better even in this weather and that is where I tack up. In the warm barn so to speak. I put everything on before exiting the barn and again I am toasty and tomorrow I hope to make it alot longer then a 2 or 3 hour ride. I intend to head north until I am sick of riding and then swing south and home. Against my GPS I have found myself on my old guy making a 20-25 mile run over the trails. My young guy working at a easy working trot will cover 15 or so miles like today.
He is 4 and I don't want to stress him to much. I like him and hope to get 30 or 40,000 miles out of him. 
I do run a log book on all my horses as to distance , place and anything unusual. My old guy has over 30,000 miles in his log.


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

churumbeque said:


> How about if you take a piece of metal that is -20 degrees and stick it in your warm mouth and report back how it went.


When I was young and stupid, now I am old and stupid but when I was young I put my tongue on a steel bridge in the extreme cold.. It was not nice
I keep my bridle right next to the furnace and right by my coat so I don't forget it but it stays in the house when not on the horse.


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

Walkamile said:


> Typing right now with 2 split fingertips just from caring for my 2 horses. And that was wearing heavy insulated leather gloves.


 
I have the perfect solution to prevent split fingers. Honestly.
Every night I give my wife a foot message. I use oil and spend 1/2 hour on each foot while she watches TV. I light a nice fire every night and she lays back on the couch , I place a towel on my lap and one by one give each foot a good going over with oil.
It sure keeps my hands soft and crack free, plus pleases her.
Any points I can gain I will take


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## ScharmLily (Nov 23, 2009)

Honestly, I would not ride in that temperature...not because of me, but for my horse's sake. The air just doesn't have enough time to warm up before entering the lungs, which is harmful to both humans and horses. 

My riding instructor tried to saddle up one of her ponies on a really cold day once and the pony's body temperature plummeted and she almost had to call the vet out. And it was a little under 20 that day....the pony wasn't clipped either. I can not even imagine taking blankets off of horses on a minus 20 degree day and asking them to work. Their lungs hurt just like ours do (ever tried running on a really cold day? I have and it is very uncomfortable). On really cold days I just jump on my horse on top of his blanket. You can school a bit like this, and if the footing is good I'll do small stretches of trot and a little canter, but never enough to make them sweat or breathe hard.


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

trailhorserider said:


> What do you guys do about the footing in winter? Not worry about it? I can't help worrying about it. I figure if the horse gets seriously hurt, that could be the end of him or her, and I just don't want to take a chance. Any thoughts?


I have been a farrier for 24 years now and worked out a system for good footing on ice. I guarantee no one that I shoe will slip on the ice. I stand behind this, behind my shoing package. It doesn't work, you don't pay.
I also experiment with studs, packages and if it works for me then it will work for anyone.
All horses I shoe in the winter get 4 studded shoes and rim pads.
Glare skating rink ice will not bother them and I recommend on ice a nice sharp trot to sink the studs. You can hear the studs biting into the ice and the horse feels secure
My old guy sits back on his hind end in a lope and I wouldn't hesitate to lope him over/around a hockey rink. My young guy lopes too much on his front so I would hesitate loping him on the same rink but a sharp trot is no problem.
If something doesn't work I will find out quickly and none of my customers get it.
I have studs, press in pins, drill tec and borium and use a combination at times. it costs me pennies to put a stud in a shoe so I can afford to experiment.
No barefoot horse can run the trails I run and survive.


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

ScharmLily said:


> Honestly, I would not ride in that temperature...not because of me, but for my horse's sake. The air just doesn't have enough time to warm up before entering the lungs, which is harmful to both humans and horses.
> 
> .


I use to think the same thing so I called my vet. An older guy who I trusted. He in turn called the local hospital. We have a big animal teaching hospital in town. He called them a put the question to them.
He was told that the long trac will heat the air enough to not damage the horse so don't worry about it. I also live in amish country and those buggies are out every day and the horse sure are moving at a brisk pace no matter what.
I discovered endurance in 1989 and have been running hard and fast ever since and never harmed a horse. Yes I make them breath hard, I make them sweat but I also keep them moving.
As for saddling a horse in the cold I am a wuss and saddle in the warm barn.. Under extremes I just throw the saddle over the blanket and when the horse reallys starts to heat up I open the front and let it flap around his shoulders.
I don't worry about the horse and agian haven't hurt one yet. Whatever you do to a horse will not be harder on him then I am on mine and agian I have been doing it hard since 1989 when I won my first Best Condition.


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## Curly (Mar 21, 2007)

Who ever said putting a cold bit in a horses mouth is okay does not know much about horses. Have a little courtesy for your horse!

I put my head stall inside my coat when I get out to the barn before I even catch the horse. Its in there while I groom and saddle the horse. By the time I put it in its at body temp. I can't imagine putting a frozen bit in ones mouth-- cruel.


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

RiosDad said:


> I have the perfect solution to prevent split fingers. Honestly.
> Every night I give my wife a foot message. I use oil and spend 1/2 hour on each foot while she watches TV. I light a nice fire every night and she lays back on the couch , I place a towel on my lap and one by one give each foot a good going over with oil.
> It sure keeps my hands soft and crack free, plus pleases her.
> Any points I can gain I will take


LOL! Mrs. RiosDad is a lucky lady!

Will show Don this post immediately! Thanks. :lol:


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

My thought is even if it is warm when starting out it would still cunduct cold and transfer the heat away. I am sure it is warm inside the mouth but not at the edges where I have seen frostbite occur at much warmer than 20 below.


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

I used to think that it was harmful to a horse to be worked and breathing hard on those below zero days too. Like RiosDad, I spoke to my vet and was assured not to worry. Same reason as RD stated.

Interestingly enough , today cold as it was (below zero with wind chill too), Don and I took off on snowshoes and practically ran the trails. No problem breathing (and I do have sports induced asthma) and I was a sweaty mess at the end. If I could take it , I know my horses could easily do so. 

Remember too that by the sounds of it, RD's horses are truly in condition. Not like my to barn potatoes right now. If I took either out and ran them like RD does his, I'd be giving mine mouth to mouth! LOL!


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

churumbeque said:


> My thought is even if it is warm when starting out it would still cunduct cold and transfer the heat away. I am sure it is warm inside the mouth but not at the edges where I have seen frostbite occur at much warmer than 20 below.


 
NO healthy adult horse is going to get frostbite anywhere. A horses body temp is normally about 5 degrees warmer than ours and they have alot more blood. After a very short time in a horses mouth ALL parts of the bit will be too warm to induce frostbite.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

RiosDad said:


> I have the perfect solution to prevent split fingers. Honestly.
> Every night I give my wife a foot message. I use oil and spend 1/2 hour on each foot while she watches TV. I light a nice fire every night and she lays back on the couch , I place a towel on my lap and one by one give each foot a good going over with oil.
> It sure keeps my hands soft and crack free, plus pleases her.
> Any points I can gain I will take


That solves the mystery of how a woman could stay married to such a grouch!!!


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## vivache (Jun 14, 2009)

churumbeque said:


> My thought is even if it is warm when starting out it would still cunduct cold and transfer the heat away. I am sure it is warm inside the mouth but not at the edges where I have seen frostbite occur at much warmer than 20 below.


Now, maybe science has failed me.. but.. I do believe metal conducts HEAT, too.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

Everyone dips a toe into the pool of ignorance put there is no reason to dive in and go swimming.


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

kevinshorses said:


> That solves the mystery of how a woman could stay married to such a grouch!!!


Kevin we have been together for 45 years now and married for 42 and she is still the same warm affectionate woman I married.
Nearly every single Friday night we go out to eat. We try new restaurants every week. We go out at least 40 times a year or more. The only thing that interfers is holidays or family functions. Otherwise we have a standing date every Friday.

I do dishes, empty the garbage without being asked, vacuum and clean toilets every sunday morning. I love yard work, flower beds and my wife actually has to limit my projects. I love building.
She has me well trained
I respond to the lightest touch


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

That is a good recipe for a happy marriage. My wife says there is nothing sexier than a man doing dishes.


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

kevinshorses said:


> That is a good recipe for a happy marriage. My wife says there is nothing sexier than a man doing dishes.


Unless he's wearing chaps and spurs while doing so! :wink:


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## snoggle (Jun 13, 2009)

RiosDad said:


> Kevin we have been together for 45 years now and married for 42 and she is still the same warm affectionate woman I married.
> Nearly every single Friday night we go out to eat. We try new restaurants every week. We go out at least 40 times a year or more. The only thing that interfers is holidays or family functions. Otherwise we have a standing date every Friday.
> 
> I do dishes, empty the garbage without being asked, vacuum and clean toilets every sunday morning. I love yard work, flower beds and my wife actually has to limit my projects. I love building.
> ...


I'm so having you and Kevinshorses talk to my husband! He thinks we have a magical dish fairy that loads the dishwasher (and no I don't wear a fairy costume ;-) ).


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## specialdelivery (Jan 12, 2010)

I have been riding my horse at that temp for a bit now. I go snowmobiling quite often and have a pair of mitts that have thin gloves in them. In the mitt, if its really cold(-25 or colder) I put those hand warmers in. If my hands start really freezing after doing or undoing buckles, I just shove them back in the mitts and they are toasty warm in seconds. I have riden in my huge leather mitts, and aside from buckles I can do everything else in them. After a life time of looking like the michelin man clothing i have tricks that help me cope with big mitts and bulk


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## specialdelivery (Jan 12, 2010)

RiosDad said:


> Kevin we have been together for 45 years now and married for 42 and she is still the same warm affectionate woman I married.
> Nearly every single Friday night we go out to eat. We try new restaurants every week. We go out at least 40 times a year or more. The only thing that interfers is holidays or family functions. Otherwise we have a standing date every Friday.
> 
> I do dishes, empty the garbage without being asked, vacuum and clean toilets every sunday morning. I love yard work, flower beds and my wife actually has to limit my projects. I love building.
> ...


can you come teach my fiance????? PLEASE


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## BaliDoll (Sep 21, 2009)

This entire post just made me *very* thankful I moved from Colorado to California last year 

Noooooo thank you cold weather!!!!!


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

Walkamile said:


> Unless he's wearing chaps and spurs while doing so! :wink:


I take my chaps off at the barn but I have washed dishes with my spurs on!


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## Juniper (May 4, 2007)

Have you ever had any close calls with the snowmobiles? We have snowmobile trails around here but they are pretty narrow and sharp curves and they come flying around them. I am terrified to ride on them. Wow. You could certainly live in Montana. Tough as you are. I admit I cannot make myself ride once it is 10 degrees or colder, even though I love winter riding. There are gloves at the local ski store that are super supple and insulated and thin. I think they would be the cat's meow for riding, you could saddle up in them easily. But they are $50. So I will not be trying them anytime soon.


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

RiosDad said:


> ..................No barefoot horse can run the trails I run and survive.


Maybe that's my problem then, my guys are currently barefoot.

What about mud? Do you use studs for that or ??? Do you feel barefoot horses have decent traction in mud?

I used to shoe my guys, but never got very advanced to the part of doing studs, borium, etc. And then I had some health problems and decided it was easier to maintain them barefoot and just use boots if the footing was rocky.


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## Beau Baby (Oct 28, 2008)

That's dangerous! It is way to cold to be making them sweat and steam. -10 maybe -15 is the lowest i'll ride in and i do what you do. 2 hours in snow drifts and stuff. -30 is way to cold to be making a horse sweaty and steaming, especially if you don't have a warm barn to keep it in. Did you ever consider the health of your horse?I don't mean to be rude or anything but you need to consider how the cold affects their joints and lungs, especially working.


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## vivache (Jun 14, 2009)

Beau Baby- Are you in the US? I think he means -30C, not F. Still cold, but as the heat of the horse increases, the less cold they feel. That's why you move to get warm.  It's also stated that measures are taken to ensure that the horse dries.


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## Beau Baby (Oct 28, 2008)

I live in Canada so i am using celsius as well.


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

Good lord, how is it possible so many people can type and yet are completely illiterate? :roll:

*FROZEN BITS*
Not a single person here has said one single thing about putting a FROZEN bit in a horses mouth. Our bits are all kept inside, toasty warm. Putting a toasty bit in your horses mouth DOES NOT MAKE IT FREEZE. I have been riding in -40 winters for 24 **** years, trust me, I'd be aware if my bits were freezing. None of my horses hesitates for a second to take a bit in winter.

*RIDING IN THE COLD
*RiosDad rides his horses sweaty and HAS A BARN TO KEEP HIS BOY IN. Me and Shay-la do not have a barn, and therefore, NEVER MAKE OUR HORSES SWEAT. I see 80 year old men jogging down the roads in -20 temperatures - I'm pretty sure if their lungs are fine, so are your horses. Our horses regularly gallop around the pasture in bitter temps - they can tolerate an hour of light work in the front yard that doesn't involve heavy breathing or sweating.

Try actually reading the posts before making assumptions people.


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

BaliDoll said:


> This entire post just made me *very* thankful I moved from Colorado to California last year
> 
> Noooooo thank you cold weather!!!!!


But I don't have to worry about sliding in the ocean, mud slids or burning down.

Honestly I love the changing seasons. Riding in the leaves in the fall, running snowmobile trails in the winter and they can be the best time of all. Spring with everything blooming is gorgous.

No I hate extreme heat, especially all the time. Summer, July and August are the worst riding times for me

Give me my seasons, the change


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## xxBarry Godden (Jul 17, 2009)

Two stories:
I visited Ontario back in the early 1980s and stayed at a hotel near the airport in one of the winter months. I was booked into a meeting at another hotel which I could see clearly from entrance just a few hundred yards away. The doorman saw me, wearing a coat and a hat set off to walk over - he stopped me. 
"I'll get you a cab sir". 
"No thanks, I can walk that distance" - I replied
"I'll get you a cab sir" the doorman replied instantly but this time a little more forcibly.
I looked at him and he added - "You won't make it It is too cold".
I realised suddenly that I was freezing up from the inside as a result of breathing the cold air. I took the cab.
On my return he was still there - how he kept warm I'll never know.

My wife has relatives in Toronto - mostly Brits by birth. They never mention feeling cold. Strange.

Story 2
Like Riosdad I used to do a lot of scuba diving but in my case around the English coastline. There are numerous ship wrecks to visit in dark green but cold water. Eerie but absolutely fascinating. In April the sea water temperature is barely above 0.DegC but often the visibility is quite good by British standards. The club always started diving again after the winter layoff at Easter. The big risk was not so much running out of air, or getting caught up in something - the big risk was not being picked up by the boat. If you were left bobbing along on the surface your head was vulnerable to any wind. As you got colder so the brain slowed down and you steadily lost the feeling of your fingers and extremeties. Back in the boat we kept thermos flasks of beef soup and whisky. Magnificent stuff. I must have been mad.

My "HerInDoors" was often sitting in the boat holding the flask. Support crew I named her. And I never did massage her feet.

Barry G


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

snoggle said:


> I'm so having you and Kevinshorses talk to my husband! He thinks we have a magical dish fairy that loads the dishwasher (and no I don't wear a fairy costume ;-) ).





specialdelivery said:


> can you come teach my fiance????? PLEASE


I could teach both of your men but there are side effects.

Other woman's husbands will learn to hate you because you are ruining the male/female relationship. Their wives will also start to compare and complain.

ON your part, this is important, the most important part.
After 40 plus years of marriage you still kiss him the way you did when you were dating, still the warm soft giving kiss.
Next whenever he reaches for you you have to give yourself willingly?
On his part he must treat you at all times like you are on a date and he is trying to win points.
For both parties it is a win win situation.

Forgot you may never yell, never.
Take care of your man, treat him like every day is his last day on earth, buy him specials treats, make his favorite foods and NEVER NEVER cheat on him

Got to go. The wife is yelling at me to stop slacking and get back to vacuuming. My hour is fast approaching and I have certain chores to do before I get to leave LOL


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## qtrhrsecrazy (Aug 2, 2009)

RD I do believe you are a romantic lol! A good thing!

Where I live we don't have a reason for studs on shoes, but I have been told that studs dug in, to whatever ground surface, causes horses to wrench legs/fetlocks to easily trying to turn.. you have that problem?


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

Juniper said:


> Have you ever had any close calls with the snowmobiles? We have snowmobile trails around here but they are pretty narrow and sharp curves and they come flying around them. I am terrified to ride on them. Wow. You could certainly live in Montana. Tough as you are. I admit I cannot make myself ride once it is 10 degrees or colder, even though I love winter riding. *There are gloves at the local ski store that are super supple and insulated and thin. I think they would be the cat's meow for riding, you could saddle up in them easily.* But they are $50. So I will not be trying them anytime soon.


Juniper, you are BRILLIANT! Thank-you so much, I never even thought about ski gloves. Will be visiting one of the ski/outdoor stores in the area.

My poor cracked fingertips thank you as well! (very challenging to type with bandages on ones fingers) :lol:


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## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

best thin insulated gloves.... SSG's! They are absolutely amazing! And Cheap! you can leave them in your grooming bucket in the coldest of weather, but they will still keep your hands warm when you put them on. They have a reinforced rein space (between ring finger and pinky) that helps them not fall apart.

here are the ones I have, The SSG Winter Gripper gloves: SSG Winter Gripper Glove - Dover Saddlery.


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

Thanks Eventerdrew. At that price, definitely worth a try. I'll check my tack shop to see if they carry them, if not , I'll order a pair.

If they don't do the trick, than I can always check out the ski shop.


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

Juniper said:


> Have you ever had any close calls with the snowmobiles? We have snowmobile trails around here but they are pretty narrow and sharp curves and they come flying around them. I am terrified to ride on them. QUOTE]
> 
> Most of the trails are in open country. If a snowmobile comes along I just move off the trail. In the few narrow places I hear them coming and just side pass him off the trial and into the deeper snow. He is fine with them passing him as long as he has say 5 feet of clearance.
> I ran into only one today on my run. It is cold today, driving snow and damp


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

trailhorserider said:


> Maybe that's my problem then, my guys are currently barefoot.
> 
> What about mud? Do you use studs for that or ??? Do you feel barefoot horses have decent traction in mud?
> 
> .


For mud I would also run barefoot. I have had a part time farrier business for 24 years now so I had to learn to do borium studs and drill tec. From experience I learned how much and where to apply it for maximum traction.

Today I broke one of my own rules and loped my young guy over some pretty glare ice and he never had a problem. I got away with it but it could have also gone the other way and I loose a great guy.


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

Beau Baby said:


> That's dangerous! It is way to cold to be making them sweat and steam. -10 maybe -15 is the lowest i'll ride in and i do what you do. 2 hours in snow drifts and stuff. -30 is way to cold to be making a horse sweaty and steaming, especially if you don't have a warm barn to keep it in. Did you ever consider the health of your horse?I don't mean to be rude or anything but you need to consider how the cold affects their joints and lungs, especially working.


Beau I have been doing this for over 50 years and the last 25 have been devoted to endurance. Running in the cold is normal for me come winter. My old guy ran 17 years, ran hard without a single lame day , a single vet call other then the herd plan. I grew up on a horse farm and have been around them all my life. I know what I can get away with and what I can not.. As for the cold effecting their joints I feel that is more of a problem with pasture board. My guy spends his night in a warm barn.
I know what I can do and not do. Lungs have been discussed with the vet, with the teaching university in our town and lungs and cold are not a problem


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

qtrhrsecrazy said:


> RD I do believe you are a romantic lol! A good thing!
> 
> Where I live we don't have a reason for studs on shoes, but I have been told that studs dug in, to whatever ground surface, causes horses to wrench legs/fetlocks to easily trying to turn.. you have that problem?


 
I am definitely a romanitic and read 2 romance novels a week. I am a sucker for romance.

As for the studs I only run them for about 2 months in the extreme cold and ice and pull them as soon as the ice breaks up. I am a farrier part time so my guy gets immediate attention when the time is right.

I too don't want studs on too long but like today I traveled over alot of ice, glare ice a time and without the studs he wouldn't survive


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## Juniper (May 4, 2007)

I may have to try the Dover gloves. The benefit of the gloves from the ski store is they were waterproof. My hands can get wet when we are riding. Snow falls on your saddle and you brush it off or any number of other reasons. We don't have so much open riding areas. Lots of trees. I went to the ski store and asked for the most flexible, waterproof, thin, warm gloves. The ones I saw were actually for runners. Which did not make sense to me because your hands get warm when running. But yeesh, they were overpriced.
Our horses are never crabby about taking the bit in the winter. I can tell you our one black horse loves to be ridden in cold weather. My husband says he feels like the horse could go forever. He becomes a ground covering machine. He also runs and bucks and plays in the field for an hour at a time. I think warm weather is more of a stress as far as riding goes on the horses sometimes. Just my two bits.


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

I have very thin gloves from the dollar store that I wear underneath my warm hobo finger type gloves (they have the removable mitten top part? not sure how to describe it). I can do all my working like that and if I want to go on a long trail ride, I get everything sorted out then switch into heavy fingered working type gloves. It's kind of a pain, but it works. 

I haven't been riding in the cold lately though. I'm not trying to keep him in shape for any competition or anything right now so I'm just letting him be a fat happy horse for the moment.


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

Guys I will be logging off for a while. I have received 3 dimerit points for infractions on the forum. The word medication is not allow , it is considered a swear word. That and other things like my strong opinion is not desired
Anyway I am going away for a while.
I don't want to play the point game? YOu have 3 demerit points because you don't play nice.:lol::lol:
I am too old for those games.
See you down the road
RiosDad


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## lacyloo (Jul 1, 2008)

kevinshorses said:


> I take my chaps off at the barn but I have washed dishes with my spurs on!


I keep mine on 24/7 unless im in the treestand . Boy do I get some strange looks from city folks :wink:


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

RiosDad said:


> It was minus 21 last night and is right at minus 20 right now. To put the horses out I bundle up in layers of clothes , a warm vest and a snow suit. For gloves I need to feel so I can only wear a lite pair of good fitting gloves. Even short expose to the weather like openning and closing the latches on the gate with gloves froze my hands. Cleaning stalls was fine but agian pushing the wheel barrow out , dumping it, going to the hay shed and bringing in a bale of hay again produced frozen hands. I can't wear heavy gloves since handling latches would be too difficult.
> I ride at 10 all winter so in another 30 minutes I have to be off to saddle up.
> 
> How do you guys do it?? You need to use your fingers to undo the buckles on the blankets, saddle up, bridle, my case spurs straps to do.
> ...


No and no. I would never ride in that weather. What exactly are you actually expecting to accomplish if its that cold. The ground would be dangerously hard and no doubt slippery and to top things off, you are risking of causing build up of ice crystal in both yourself and your horse.

If you feel like going on a light hack, I wouldn't even bother tacking up. Dress warm and go for a casual walk bareback around your place, but I don't know why in the world you would EVER go out riding even bareback in weather that cold(and we get it all winter long, so I know).

Cheers


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## QHDragon (Mar 6, 2009)

I rode yesterday (live same area as MIE) and it wasn't that horrible, rode today as well. An indoor arena makes a HUGE difference. However I only have access to one on the weekends. During the week I have to groom outside (barn is full of hay), ride outside, etc. Usually can't feel my toes for a long time after I am done! 

I miss boarding at a place that has an indoor to use any time I would want. Oh well. 

The only thing is that you have to be extra careful about warming up and cooling off your horse, and if you are riding in snow make sure you know what is under it. Thankfully around me the snow is not too deep and I know where all the areas that usually collect water (aka ice) are and most of the ground is nice and flat.


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

My2Geldings said:


> No and no. I would never ride in that weather. What exactly are you actually expecting to accomplish if its that cold. The ground would be dangerously hard and no doubt slippery and to top things off, you are risking of causing build up of ice crystal in both yourself and your horse.
> 
> If you feel like going on a light hack, I wouldn't even bother tacking up. Dress warm and go for a casual walk bareback around your place, but I don't know why in the world you would EVER go out riding even bareback in weather that cold(and we get it all winter long, so I know).
> 
> Cheers


What the heck are we supposed to do? Stop riding for five months a year? :-| If horses can gallop around in a pasture and play for hours on end, how exactly is being worked in winter going to hurt them?


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

My2Geldings said:


> No and no. I would never ride in that weather. What exactly are you actually expecting to accomplish if its that cold. The ground would be dangerously hard and no doubt slippery and to top things off, you are risking of causing build up of ice crystal in both yourself and your horse.
> 
> Cheers


First, there are people in Alberta that use saddle horses and teams all winter long and these are the fittest healthiest horses you will ever see. They don't just ride for a light hack either. They haul loads of hay to cattle on sleighs and doctor sick cattle. The horses are shod similar to riosdad with borium spots or spikes for traction and are never blanketed or stalled.

Second, If you have ice crystals forming in your blood it has quit circulating and you are dead (or at least that apendage is). Before cars became the major forms of transportation the world did not shut down for the winter. Things went on just as they do now and very few people perished for it.


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## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

@MacabreMikolaj- my horses simply do not play in the pasture when it's freezing cold. haha! The ground is SO hard here in the mornings and late evenings that they really do not frolic much during the winter months. 

Today was beautiful. It was about 40 degrees, hallelujah! I rode both of my horses harder than I have in months because I'm very fearful of hurting their out of shape muscles in the cold. They were very relieved to have their blankets off for a couple of hours. My poor Uma has bad shoulder rubs from having her blanket on for so long. Tried a shoulder guard, made it worse


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

We have a 10 acre pasture, so almost the entire back remains light and fluffy because they're not trampling it all the time. It's nothing to pull up and see the entire herd going for a good hearty gallop "just because".


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## Tasia (Aug 17, 2009)

Haha fun thread! I wont bother with people who keep bringing up the bit thing.
FYI for the people who are talking about the frozen bit thing I didnt say I slam it in my horses mouth and ride I just put it in and let my horse suck on it.
Bye
Tasia


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## snoggle (Jun 13, 2009)

My2Geldings said:


> No and no. I would never ride in that weather. What exactly are you actually expecting to accomplish if its that cold. The ground would be dangerously hard and no doubt slippery and to top things off, you are risking of causing build up of ice crystal in both yourself and your horse.
> Cheers


Ice crystals in both yourself and your horse??? That is ridiculous. So are all of the concerns about "damaging the lungs" of people or horses with cold weather. Yes, there probably is a point where it would be dangerously cold, but unless you're riding in Antarctica, I think you don't need to worry about it too much. 

Did you never go sledding as a child? Or just play in the snow? I remember playing outside in the cold of winter, mom begging us to bundle up more, us ignoring her, and we all survived just fine. I'm utterly amazed at the wusses being raised these days. I'm not saying you have to enjoy the cold, but it isn't gonna kill you. 

Like many people said, there are plenty of horses in very cold climates who are used for work all winter long and they are fine. They're probably far healthier than my horses who are only ridden for pleasure a few days a week and less in the winter. I choose not to ride very much in the winter, but not because it is dangerous. It isn't going to hurt you or the horse to ride when it is cold, unless you don't dress yourself or shoe them appropriately.


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## nrhareiner (Jan 11, 2009)

eventerdrew said:


> I refuse to ride if it is under 20 degrees. I don't like working in it so I'm sure they don't either. my lungs burn when I work hard in the cold and so I'm sure it is uncomfortable for them


A horse should not really be worked lower then about 20 degrees F. If you look at all the Police departments who have mounted patrols they will not use the horses under that temp. It is not good for their lungs or really any part of their bodies.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

nrhareiner said:


> A horse should not really be worked lower then about 20 degrees F. If you look at all the Police departments who have mounted patrols they will not use the horses under that temp. It is not good for their lungs or really any part of their bodies.


 
The reason is because they were getting too many chipped teeth from frozen donuts. Just because the police do it doesn't make it right. I'm sure politics had way more to do with it than horsemanship did.


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## snoggle (Jun 13, 2009)

nrhareiner said:


> A horse should not really be worked lower then about 20 degrees F. If you look at all the Police departments who have mounted patrols they will not use the horses under that temp. It is not good for their lungs or really any part of their bodies.


Please, tell me exactly what this does to the lungs? Give me an actual diagnosis that is caused by breathing cold air.


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## nrhareiner (Jan 11, 2009)

Go out and run in temps below 20 degrees. The difference in temps between your body and the air needs to be warmed to with in a few degree of your bodies temps or it can and dose hurt your lungs. Just like taking your gloves off and your fingers get frost bit. Same thing happens to your lungs or the the horses lungs. However the damage done to the lung tissue can be more devastating. Once it is damaged it dose not come back. Horses have more distance to warm the air but in the end the results is the same.


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## Juniper (May 4, 2007)

Frozen donuts, that's a riot. 
You know, before cars, horses worked in Montana all winter long. I just read the best book about early Montana. And those horses went all day pulling heavy hay sleds, or packing people wherever they needed to go, in bitter cold and wind.


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

I don't have to worry about such frigid temps anymore, as I moved to AZ this fall. However, when I was in MN, I still rode quite often, but I resorted to bareback (usually), and bosal, or rope halter. If I did ride with saddle, I have 'most' everything down, to where I don't need to take off even fairly heavy gloves to do up the cinch, or breast straps. Bridle wise, I still usually ride bitless, even though I can manage those buckles too.


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## snoggle (Jun 13, 2009)

nrhareiner said:


> Go out and run in temps below 20 degrees. The difference in temps between your body and the air needs to be warmed to with in a few degree of your bodies temps or it can and dose hurt your lungs. Just like taking your gloves off and your fingers get frost bit. Same thing happens to your lungs or the the horses lungs. However the damage done to the lung tissue can be more devastating. Once it is damaged it dose not come back. Horses have more distance to warm the air but in the end the results is the same.


Sounds good. Too bad it has nothing to do with reality. 

You didn't list any actual illnesses caused by this. I've been a nurse for 6 years and before that I was a physiology and anatomy instructor for 5. I've never heard of any illnesses caused by breathing cold air while exercising. Your body is more than able to warm the air between your nose/mouth and your lungs. 

And I have gone running in temps below 20 degrees, as do many runners, all the time. Believe me, a runner is far healthier if they run in the cold than anyone sitting on their butts in front of the TV to stay warm. 

Oh, and by the way, you don't get frost bite the second you take your gloves off in temps below 20 degrees. It takes a bit more exposure than that. I've worked in the barn many times in temps lower than that and had to have my gloves off part of the time and I haven't gotten frost bitten yet.


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## nrhareiner (Jan 11, 2009)

snoggle said:


> Sounds good. Too bad it has nothing to do with reality.
> 
> You didn't list any actual illnesses caused by this. I've been a nurse for 6 years and before that I was a physiology and anatomy instructor for 5. I've never heard of any illnesses caused by breathing cold air while exercising. Your body is more than able to warm the air between your nose/mouth and your lungs.
> 
> ...


Never said that you will get frost bit the instant you take your gloves off. If you stay out long enough and do nothing to protect your skin you WILL get frost bit. I too work in the barn in the cold of winter with out a problem. However the fact remains if you are out in the cold and run or work to the point you are breathing in air that you can not warm efficiency it can cause problems. You may never notice them or you may. Here even when it is down close to 0 there is a lot of moisture in the air which makes it worse. 

I have a harder time breathing this time of year then I do in the summer. Why b/c I already have damage to my lungs and the cold causes problems. The bronchi gets cold makes it hard for the oxygen to pass. Believe me I have discussed this extensively with my pulmanoligest. You can do as you wish. I personally do not feel that I need to take my horses out and run them in this weather. Walking not a problem but not running and working them hard. Now I do go into in door arenas and work but the temps are a bit warmer. I also know a lot of trainers who will not work horses once it get into the teen in the barn.

Again it is up to you.


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## snoggle (Jun 13, 2009)

> Just like taking your gloves off and your fingers get frost bit.





> Never said that you will get frost bit the instant you take your gloves off.


​ 
Actually you did say that your fingers get frost bitten, "just taking your gloves off."

What you didn't say was an actual diagnosis caused by breathing cold air. This is because there isn't one. Your lungs don't get frost bitten.

Yes, you can get frost bitten (not frost bit, btw) if your skin is exposed for a significant amount of time. But that wasn't what was being discussed. The OP was talking about riding his horse, appropriately dressed, and the horse appropriately shod, in very cold weather. For a healthy horse and rider, used to this type of riding, it is completely safe.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

nrhareiner said:


> The difference in temps between your body and the air needs to be warmed to with in a few degree of your bodies temps or it can and dose hurt your lungs.


So wouldn't you have to quit riding when the temp got below 90 degrees?

I usually agree with you but I'm not buying this.


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

Speaking of frostbite, I think someone mentioned that horses can't get it. I really don't know about that, BUT I did see a mule once with very short ears!

I kind of did a double take- "that's a mule," "no it can't be, the ears are too short," "yes, that is a mule!" 

I finally decided it was obviously a mule, and it's ears were short and rounded at the tops, only maybe 1/2 the length they should be. I assumed he must have gotten frostbite and had come from some other state. (I'm in Arizona, and it gets cold, but not THAT cold!). 

Has anyone else seen a mule with dubbed ears? I assume that had to have been from frostbite. They did look pretty even though! :shock:

PS. RiosDad, if you are still reading this, I will miss seeing your posts!


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

THR, I have seen several horses and quite a few cattle with cropped ears from being frostbitten. Some of the cattle here even lose tails. Usually, it happens when they are born on a night that is very cold. Their ears/tail freeze while they are still wet and later fall off because their newborn bodies cannot properly combat the cold the way an older horse's can. Sometimes will cause some sensativity but not often.

I must say that you Canadians are much tougher than I am. If it is much colder than 10F, I don't like to ride but I can manage around 0 with no wind chill. Not cause I'm worried about the horse, but because I am a weenie LOL. Though it really doesn't get cold here compared to up in your area, horses here get used year around. Feedlots can't go for days without a mounted cowboy just cause it's cold, ranchers can't do all their work from the cab of a truck. I have had a real problem finding gloves and socks to keep me warm in the winter. My body stays warm between my long underwear and chaps but my feet and hands usually get cold quickly. I may end up investing in some of those electric socks, I like the way those sound . I am about to start training horses for a living and I can tell you that calling a customer and telling them that "I didn't ride your horse for 3 weeks because it was below 20 degrees" is not a legitimate excuse. If you can read a horse, then you will know how hard you can push them, regardless of temperature.

Agree with PP, we'll miss you RD.


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## qtrhrsecrazy (Aug 2, 2009)

All of this sounds like an acclimation issue.. horses/people not used to the extreme cold up north will not be able to tolorate it like those that live there.

On the same note, those up there couldn't come down South here in the summer and survive the heat like our horses/people do without heat strokes.

It's all about what you're used to


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## QHDragon (Mar 6, 2009)

My guy is missing the tip of his left ear due to frost bite apparently. I was just discussing this with my BO, we were trying to figure out how he had gotten frost bitten that time, but horses aren't just loosing ears on a daily basis because of the cold.


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## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

I know a dun QH, appropriately named Dunner, who has barely any ears at all due to severe frostbite as a foal. So, it's possible for them to get it.


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## Appy Luvr (Mar 16, 2009)

At the fall horse sale in SD there were LOTS of weanlings that came through with only partial ears or ears that were completely deformed on the tops. They looked awful!! We had a horrible spring last year and that is the results!
On the cold issue, you just do it! I ride quite often in below zero weather. Is it fun? NO! But hey, when stuff needs done on a ranch you do it whether it's fun or not! Haven't lost any fingers so far  I just bought myself some Under Armor, shirt, leggings, facemask, ect and I even got the gloves. It's great stuff, I can tell a real difference in how cold I get when I'm wearing it. The gloves are also thin enough to be able to do buckles and other stuff while still wearing them.


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## Appy Luvr (Mar 16, 2009)

Just finished reading back through the whole thread so now have more to ad!

Seriously people, if we were harming our horses by riding/working them in the winter, do you think we'd still be doing it?? My boy will turn 11 in the spring, I've been riding him for the past 9 YEARS and he has NEVER had a sick or off day in his life. He is a tough healthy ranch horse that has never worn a blanket and I could count on one hand the number of times he has been in the barn overnight. I work cattle, move cattle, ect and do lots of galloping with him in the winter and he often works up a sweat but he has never been harmed by any of it. His lungs are perfectly fine (he can still outrun any horse he's ever met  Oh and since no one else is brave enough to admit it, I'll be the first: I DO keep his bit in the barn(just a regular barn, no heat!) , he willingly takes it and he's never frostbit his mouth. 
SO, now you can blast me with posts on how cruel I am, lol  You know it WOULD be cruel to put a horse that isn't use to this environment out in it but for horses that are use to it, it's just a way of life for them.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

trailhorserider said:


> Speaking of frostbite, I think someone mentioned that horses can't get it. I really don't know about that, BUT I did see a mule once with very short ears!


I mentioned that a healthy horse was not likely going to get frostbite. Foals and horses that are old and sick are a different story. I have also seen calves and foals with frozen ears but I have never seen an adult animals ears or anything else freeze.


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## Juniper (May 4, 2007)

I admit it Appy Luvr. True confessions. I have been known to put a cold bit in my horse's mouth. Our horses put their heads down and open their mouths for the bit. We have never done anything in particular to get them to do this. They have never looked a bit (no pun intended) disturbed by the coldness. However, my brow band was too tight on my horse and he would make an awful face and lower his head and certainly look displeased when I put that bridle on. So they have their ways of letting you know. 
I admit also, I will miss Rios Dad's posts.


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## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

I have put a cold bit in my horse's mouth also, they have never had a problem with it at all. They have big mouths. The bits (french links for both) are relatively small compared to the size of their mouth. They have no trouble warming it up before I even mount up.


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## luvs2ride1979 (Nov 9, 2007)

I don't ride in below freezing temps. Thankfully, we don't that cold that often out here. I still go out and do barn chores of course, but I always wear my Heritage Winter Work gloves. My hands get HOT if it's above 35 degrees out, lol. They are the best winter investment I have made. I can still do up blankets and latches with them too, though it does take a bit more patience ;-).

:: Heritage Performance Riding Gloves ::

A friend of mine has their Extreme Winter Glove and says that it's even more "well fitting" than the work glove.

:: Heritage Performance Riding Gloves ::


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## luvs2ride1979 (Nov 9, 2007)

qtrhrsecrazy said:


> I don't live where it's that cold... nor will I lol


Exactly... I wouldn't move North of the mason-Dixon line, unless it's in California. I lived near Sacramento when I was a kid and it's quite nice there during the winter (normal rain w/some ice, no snow). I _might_ move to Northern Arkansas (I'm in Little Rock, Central, right now), or Kentucky, but that's is about as far north as I'll go, lol.


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## Appy Luvr (Mar 16, 2009)

kevinshorses said:


> I mentioned that a healthy horse was not likely going to get frostbite. Foals and horses that are old and sick are a different story. I have also seen calves and foals with frozen ears but I have never seen an adult animals ears or anything else freeze.


This is completely not normal but thought I'd add. A few years ago we had a horrible winter (get alot of those lately) and we were seeing healthy adult cattle loosing the ends of their ears, it was THAT cold!! :shock:


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## Padrona (Apr 13, 2009)

Well, for those of us who live in the frozen tundra, if you don't ride in really cold weather, you wouldn't ride at all for 5-6 months of the entire year. We go weeks at a time where it never gets above the teens. It was -16 below zero the other morning and it just felt "cold" but nothing unbearable or unthinkable. Many years we have multiple days of -27 below or thereabouts. The horses don't even seem to notice, or care. They do live in a barn though and are stalled 12 hrs. overnight and wear blankets during the day because that is too darned cold to expect my thin-haired Arabs and Appendix to fend off the cold. The exception is my wooly mammoth mare who grows enough hair for 19 horses, 3 apes, and a a siberian yak. She only wears a blanket when it is wet/windy/cold at the same time.

My horses are FAR happier and more energetic in -5 below zero than they are in 98 + 90% humidity! And folks who live in Florida get to ride in that god-forsaken heat and humidity most of the year! My horses would die if they had to work in that. When it hits 75, they're begging to get in the concrete barn and go in their stalls with fans where they sleep all day. At about 80-85 they have very little energy or drive at all. They're lazy, slow, and even act depressed if the humidity is high. 

Whatever you and your animals get used to is what you are CONDITIONED to. Yes, it would be cruel to take my frozen tundra yaks down to Florida and work their butts off in the wicked heat and humidity there. And likewise it would be cruel to take a horse conditioned to hot/humid Florida and go for a 10 mile run over the ice in -5 below zero.

So to the contrary, my horses end up "shelved" more through the months of July and August because it is way too darned hot, humidy, and buggy to even think about hard riding.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

Another thing to realize is that -20 on one side of the border is considerably warmer than -20 on the other side. When I originally read this post I thought no way anybody could ride in weather that cold. Then my brain kicked in and I did some math and it's not that bad.


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

Appy Luvr said:


> Just finished reading back through the whole thread so now have more to ad!
> 
> Seriously people, if we were harming our horses by riding/working them in the winter, do you think we'd still be doing it?? My boy will turn 11 in the spring, I've been riding him for the past 9 YEARS and he has NEVER had a sick or off day in his life. He is a tough healthy ranch horse that has never worn a blanket and I could count on one hand the number of times he has been in the barn overnight. I work cattle, move cattle, ect and do lots of galloping with him in the winter and he often works up a sweat but he has never been harmed by any of it. His lungs are perfectly fine (he can still outrun any horse he's ever met  Oh and since no one else is brave enough to admit it, I'll be the first: I DO keep his bit in the barn(just a regular barn, no heat!) , he willingly takes it and he's never frostbit his mouth.
> SO, now you can blast me with posts on how cruel I am, lol  You know it WOULD be cruel to put a horse that isn't use to this environment out in it but for horses that are use to it, it's just a way of life for them.


What you'll get from me is a big Thank-You for being honest and not giving an answer that is 'politically correct'!

This is what this forum is for me. A place to get answers and insights that may or may not be known or popular. 

Like you stated, your horses are acclimated to this way of life. They are not show horses, or barn potatoes (like my two right now, my fault not theirs), they are working horses. 

Appreciated your matter of fact and honest answer.


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

kevinshorses said:


> Another thing to realize is that -20 on one side of the border is considerably warmer than -20 on the other side. When I originally read this post I thought no way anybody could ride in weather that cold. Then my brain kicked in and I did some math and it's not that bad.


Very true! Parts of Florida were experiencing 30+ weather a bit ago. For them it was freezing, for us a heat wave. :wink:


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## snoggle (Jun 13, 2009)

^^I think he's referring to the difference of -20 degrees Celsius vs. -20 degrees Fahrenheit.


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## Padrona (Apr 13, 2009)

kevinshorses said:


> Another thing to realize is that -20 on one side of the border is considerably warmer than -20 on the other side. When I originally read this post I thought no way anybody could ride in weather that cold. Then my brain kicked in and I did some math and it's not that bad.


Yeah, but I'm south of the border (I'm not in Canada). So -10 or -20 to me, is F, not C. 

I've left skin on the gate latch before and the horses barely seem to notice the cold.

It just amounts to - what do you get accustomed and conditioned to. I personally find it unthinkable to ride in some of the weather they have down south in August, but the folks that are used to it have no problem. In fact, I start suffering when it's warmer than 70 degrees. I get miserable, crabby, and start yearning for winter again! When it hits 75, I'm downright ugly, cursing the heat. Most people think 70-75 is heaven. Sorry, but I can't imagine it. The perfect temperature to me is around 25-30 degrees (Farenheit!). :shock:


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## snoggle (Jun 13, 2009)

-20 degrees Celsius = -4 degrees Fahrenheit


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

snoggle said:


> ^^I think he's referring to the difference of -20 degrees Celsius vs. -20 degrees Fahrenheit.


Yup, I believe you're right! Good grief, if I keep this up I will be put 'in the home' in no time! :lol:

However, I do think what I said is valid too.


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## snoggle (Jun 13, 2009)

Walkamile said:


> Yup, I believe you're right! Good grief, if I keep this up I will be put 'in the home' in no time! :lol:
> 
> However, I do think what I said is valid too.


 
It is. I grew up in NW Pennsylvania where we got lake effect snow - lots of snow. I was used to it. Now in KY I complain about a few inches of snow. I've become a total wuss!


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

If it's any consolation, -20 in fahrenheit is still -28 celsius, and we ride in that all winter. It was -24 celsius when we went out this morning before the wind chill. We've actually had quite a warm winter, it's nothing for us to see (and ride in) -30 temps with a windchill into the -40's.

And for those keeping track, -30 is officially the same in both fahrenheit and celsius :lol:


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## qtrhrsecrazy (Aug 2, 2009)

> Originally Posted by *qtrhrsecrazy*
> _I don't live where it's that cold... nor will I lol_





luvs2ride1979 said:


> Exactly... I wouldn't move North of the mason-Dixon line, unless it's in California. I lived near Sacramento when I was a kid and it's quite nice there during the winter (normal rain w/some ice, no snow). I _might_ move to Northern Arkansas (I'm in Little Rock, Central, right now), or Kentucky, but that's is about as far north as I'll go, lol.


I've done southern Cali.. great weather. I did Kentucky last year, and was the first time in my entire life I'd dealt with 0 and below.. to cold there for me too lol. I'm also in LR .. small world!


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## qtrhrsecrazy (Aug 2, 2009)

Padrona said:


> Yeah, but I'm south of the border (I'm not in Canada). So -10 or -20 to me, is F, not C.
> 
> I've left skin on the gate latch before and the horses barely seem to notice the cold.
> 
> It just amounts to - what do you get accustomed and conditioned to. I personally find it unthinkable to ride in some of the weather they have down south in August, but the folks that are used to it have no problem. In fact, I start suffering when it's warmer than 70 degrees. I get miserable, crabby, and start yearning for winter again! When it hits 75, I'm downright ugly, cursing the heat. Most people think 70-75 is heaven. Sorry, but I can't imagine it. The perfect temperature to me is around 25-30 degrees (Farenheit!). :shock:


Yep.. this is just what I said a page or 2 ago - it's all in what you're acclimated to. 70-75 to me is Heaven. I do not like the cold. I do not like winter


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## qtrhrsecrazy (Aug 2, 2009)

MacabreMikolaj said:


> If it's any consolation, -20 in fahrenheit is still -28 celsius, and we ride in that all winter. It was -24 celsius when we went out this morning before the wind chill. We've actually had quite a warm winter, it's nothing for us to see (and ride in) -30 temps with a windchill into the -40's.
> 
> And for those keeping track, -30 is officially the same in both fahrenheit and celsius :lol:


Thats just TO **** cold!:shock: I'd die:lol:


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## lacyloo (Jul 1, 2008)

Walkamile said:


> Very true! Parts of Florida were experiencing 30+ weather a bit ago. For them it was freezing, for us a heat wave. :wink:


 I'm in north Florida and it was 14* :shock:
To **** cold for me !


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

It's actually ridiculously funny when you think about it. Everyone whines about the cold - and yet it's the HOT places that pose about 20x the risk as opposed to cold places. Maybe we're limited to what we do, but with proper care and common sense, no horse has ever died from being ridden in -30 temperatures.

However, ride a horse around long enough in +30 temperatures, and unless you're on one heckuva good conditioned Arabian, chances are your horse will overheat. You have way more problems with dehydration, and horses that won't drink. It's not such a big deal for daily rides, but for you competition riders, I don't envy you at ALL. You can bundle up in winter, and regardless of how cold it is, you can stay relatively warm. And if you get cold, you can go inside and warm up.

In summer? I freaking HIDE in the house. In +30 temps with a blazing sun, how on EARTH do you people keep cool at horse shows? How are you not absolutely miserable the entire time you're there from sweating so bad, and being so sticky?

My hat is off to anyone who lives in those disgusting climates. The hottest it ever gets here, is MAYBE in the +40's with the humidex (104F) and ironically, WE stop riding when it gets that hot. The horses stand in the pasture with their heads between their knees, covered in sweat! I'll take -40 any day thanks!!!!


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## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

Kansas gets the worst of both worlds. 100* summers and 0* winters. BLEH


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

> In summer? I freaking HIDE in the house. In +30 temps with a blazing sun, how on EARTH do you people keep cool at horse shows? How are you not absolutely miserable the entire time you're there from sweating so bad, and being so sticky?


We are absolutely miserable - Especially in jackets!


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## qtrhrsecrazy (Aug 2, 2009)

I'd much rather deal with the heat than extreme cold.. on my end of the spectrum, how do you people deal with that kind of cold.. last year I dealt with the coldest temps I've ever had the misfortune to deal with, and I couldn't breathe. I had to cover my face with something to even take a breath.

In the muggy heat it's simple... drink plenty of fluids and find shade with a breeze when needed. I don't like the 110 heat index days, but to me it sure beats 0 and below 0 weather any day


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## Appy Luvr (Mar 16, 2009)

I agree! I'd much rather ride in the cold than in the heat! I hate riding when it's 90 plus, YUCK!!! I don't know how you guys stand it!
It's 20F here right now and I just came in from Ice Skating  Perfect weather for it today!


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Wow, I wish it would stay in the 90's in the summer here. I think the hottest day we had last summer was around 117 (47C). I know that everyone says that humid heat is so much worse than dry heat but I don't agree. I would much rather be drenched than to walk outside and have my lungs turned to raisins. It gets so hot and try here in the summer that nosebleeds are pretty common and dehydration is a real risk even if you are only out for a little while because every breath just sucks the moisture out of your body and the sweat evaporates almost faster than it appears. I would take cold weather any day cause my philosophy is that you can always put more clothes on to stay warm but you can only take so many off to cool down. There are commonly days in the summer where I will take my shirt off and soak it in cold water before putting it on to go outside


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

Agreed smrobs. I went on a trail ride about two years ago and it was possibly the worst experience of my life. It was so dangerously hot, I doubt we should have even been riding. It was hovering around 100 degrees with the humidex and a blazing sun. Despite putting on sunscreen, I managed to burn myself within the first hour.

I spent the next four hours, desperately seeking any shade I could find. I swear I rode half that trail on the side of my saddle, just trying to get my back into the shade. I was in so much pain and agony, I couldn't even begin to enjoy the ride. I also cannot cope with the heat, so between being burnt to a crisp and drenched in sweat, I was sick to my stomach half the way. I finished off the water long before we hit a checkpoint to get more and they had to convince me to leave with them, LOL.

The last two miles, I was done. I spotted the campsite from a ridge, gave Zierra her head and just hung on for dear life. I am amazed I actually stayed conscious. As soon as me and Sonja hit the campsite, we dropped from our saddles, stripped down to our underwear and promptly took turns laying down under the big old time water pump and pumping gushing icy cold water over each other. I'm pretty sure we gave the cowboys a show.

I can't count how many similair experiences I've had because of heat. So far, even in the most bitter of temps, I've managed to avoid frostbite or any other sort of miserable pain associated with the cold. My body was NOT built to deal with heat - I absolutely hate summers here. Between the heat and the bugs, I think I'll take winter any day!


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I have figured out how to deal with the heat, though I still don't like it. I always have my cowboy hat on and anymore, I won't do short sleeves or tank tops. I stick with light colored long sleeved shirts, preferably lightweight cotton. I stay cooler like that than I do in shorts and tanks, plus I don't have to worry about showing up at home looking like a lobster.


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