Paddock Ponies Diaries

The winters here in Canada always come harsh and seem to sneak up right behind you. This year is no exception. The winter came taunting. Beautiful sunny days are only to be followed by blizzards and harsh Northern winds coursing the length of a couple days. After the snow settles and the winds have died, the sun comes out, and melts the snow away.

Of course, as any horse owner knows, when the snow melts it is not a pretty sight. In one word- MUD! Those clean happy horses frolicking in the snow and chilly temperatures come back in with muddy  coats, raw legs and matted manes and tails- all while they sink into the gooey mush of the paddocks.

I have quite a dislike for winter. I am by no means a cold weather person, but when I manage to build up enough confidence with my winter gear, I'll trudge through the foot high snow with water buckets in hand, sliding over icy patches, only to my despair. My clothing ends up wet and freezes solid- on a positive note, the ice creates a great wind-breaker! As much as I hate to admit it, even I know winter can be a valuable time to work with the horses.

It seems when equestrians are in the thick of the summer show season, so many little problems go unnoticed- minor stiffness, ground manners, or impatience among many others. I use the winter to go right back to the basics. When I do decide to hop on for a ride I always go bareback (only because my fingers go numb when I take them out of my gloves to do up the girth!), working on yields and transitions.

Since we have no indoor arena, our riding days are limited and extra caution is used so that no icy falls occur. I especially spend a lot of time on ground work. My horses are handled everyday, tied, and groomed. I use the chilly months to desensitive them to all the 'monsters' that they may face during  a show or while we're out hacking. In the summer, I take it further, jumping my Haffie over flapping tarps, pink blankets, and anything else deemed scary enough ( I always keep safety in mind- no unforgiving objects!). This work really pays off when they enter the ring. They are prepared to face whatever is thrown at them. Scary jumps? What are you talking about? Running children? Maybe they have food! Blowing bag! Now there's definitely carrots in that!

 When winter comes around, my horses enjoy the extra days off from riding. Any minor spinor compressions (unbelievably common in today's horse) can be rolled away, and they keep themselves fresh and in relatively good fitness as they spend much of their time pawing through the snow crust, playing and sprawling out across the snowy banks.

Winter may be a pressing time for the typical horse owner, but it also gives us a chance to kick back, relax and remember to let our horses be horses! Don't grudge, go out into the paddock and wrap your arms around your hairy friend, embrace what you have and remember warm weather is always just around the corner!