Well I had bad luck whacking my head then getting my knee done last year…so splurged for a Hunt subscription intending to get 2 fit an myself in condition for spring. Throw in the OTTB Challenge horse …Totally doomed myself to worst winter ever…this coming winter 2014/2015 I intend to visit a friend in Ocala for 2 weeks with horses ( she lives in horse community) and then go up to Aiken for an Adult Camp…got time to plan and save…just move on. This late spring stay level where I was and be happy. My horses don’t care…
Thankfully, I board somewhere with an indoor, so I can still ride. But between my work schedule and the weather, I’ve been averaging about a ride a week since late December :no: The horse’s fitness is definitely suffering for that, even though the farm is very good about getting them out as much as possible in the weather; when they go out, they mostly stand an eat! I’d been planning to start getting back out with the derby at Loch Moy in March, but I’m thinking I might hold off on that, and just head out to a dressage show or two first. Dressage has been about our only bright spot, since we’ve actually been able to work on that.
I am very glad I decided not to show this winter. With the weather, I don’t think I’d have gotten to do much of it anyway!
For my horses up north, while we have an indoor, the weather has been so bad, they haven’t even been able to get out to the indoor dressage or jumper shows we were planning.
I think all of the indoor shows around here have had to cancel. Maybe not because of bad weather on the day (but a couple have) but because roads were questionable on the day or the parking was snowed in or icy.
I’ll be glad when this winter is over. I’m also very glad this is the winter I stopped working in barns.
^YB, I would so NOT like having a job working in a barn or riding (which would be sparse) for a living. This winter has been brutal.
I have plowed my arena and hope that we can ride in it tomorrow afternoon. Our roads and driveways are clear so we can hack out.
It certainly is a lot harder when you are competing above Novice, but at the lowest levels if the horse has done it once or twice, I just do what I can and take it easy. I think the least prep I ever had was about 10 rides before a BN event. Not ideal, but I treated it as a schooling session and it was fine.
Ironically this has been one of the better winters for me in terms of being able to get and keep her fit. We’ve had a lot of snow, so the snowmobile trails are fantastic. We go out every weekend on them and built up to being out for 5-6 miles with lots of hills and cantering. And while we’ve had a lot of REALLY cold weather, it seems to let up on the weekends.
I haven’t made a circle in about 5 months, but she’s fit and strong and I think that will make the work easier when it’s time.
Our first outing will be Novice at the end of April and I fully expect that it will be 15 degrees with 3 feet of snow on my ring on opening day, but we’ll get there.
Lack of daylight is as much of a problem for me as the weather - I work fulltime and it’s dark when I’m home. That will change in 3 weeks!
I’m pretty sure I’m to blame for the hideous winter, it’s my first winter on my own farm.
Seriously, two weeks after we moved in last may we had a tropical storm (to test my horse management skills), so it only stands to reason that my first winter would be the heinous.
Sorry guys, my bad.
Aw, sweet, ACME, I can blame it on you! I figured it was my fault that I have been able to ride about…two times, since I’m attempting to build the farm (aka grass + carport, LOL). So naturally, unprecendented mud MUST develop so grading, movnig things, or silly desires like driving up the driveway are impossible.
But hey, it’s all on you, so dang it, stop it! 
I’ve gotten an email from one area show series I’ve attended in the past, where they’ve had to reschedule the same show, twice! Ugh.
We’re doing BN, but we really, really need to get out and school once before we go out, because both of us need the miles. At this rate, it’s going to be a while before that happens :no:
If folks want to school at Gordonsdale, I am all for going up there on the first day the footing is dry enough to not do damage. I have a barnful of babies that need to be introduced to xc, and I had planned to do that over the winter. I figure it will be March before we can get out, and I am aiming for the 1st of March or thereabouts.
I’d be happy to help those who want help…,
Ugh, this winter has SUCKED. Horse had the past year off due to airway surgery last May (and a subsequent follow-up surgery in November)… sucks having a perfectly sound horse who can’t breathe properly!
I’m also trapped in suburbia, and with an icy driveway and no trails, we’ve been relegated to staying on the farm. Horse has front snow pads in but hind shoes, so any work in the snow has been fruitless. (Have been able to get away being barefoot behind through the winter, but last year he decided he needed hind shoes to stay sound.)
Was hoping to go to Morven and do novice or training, but if this snow doesn’t melt by March 1st, we’re screwed. And I hate CDCTA’s event, plus I doubt my horse would be fit enough for those hills.
Wah. 
I had planned to take my new guy out this spring, and do an Intro level at the end of March, and a couple of baby HT’s in April and May. Not going to happen. Between weather and my more and more evil work schedule, plus throw in DH’s gelding’s skull fracture, no riding going on over here. So I’ll be lucky if we’re trail riding by April.
Chinese Year of the Horse???
More like Year of the Wine.
