I did a 20 degree hunt. I was fine but my question is, how cold can you run a horse in an open field? We had a small showing on the 20 degree day but I thought it was fine. Someone on FB posted their horse had a nose bleed standing in a field in 5 degree. Vet said it was the cold.
For me it’s not as much about the cold/temps but rather the footing. I really hate the sound of “pounding pavement” with the horse.
Healthy horses generally do not get nose bleeds from standing in a field, even in cold temperatures. I would suspect something else underlying.
I’ve comfortably hunted my horse in in low double digits; she’s young and fit.
In the 20’s, sunny and no wind is about my limit. Lower than that and it ceases to be fun.
I find the getting ready part more excruciating than the actual hunting part. No barn means getting ready in my driveway with ands freezing to buckles and a hot bucket of water. Below 20 degrees it isn’t worth the pain.
It is too cold to hunt when your tongue sticks to the horn.
Generally it is too cold for our hounds before it is too cold for me or my horses. Haven’t hunted since December and am starting to get grumpy! Pretty much no hunting below 20 degrees.
I don’t think I’ve been out since November :(. But more the footing than the cold. My guy is 21 so I am pretty careful with him.
I’ll go 15-20F. Much colder than that gets unpleasant. Also, I hunt my guy barefoot so I am pretty careful in that regard. Most of the time he’s fine, but this has been a terrible season. I gave up even thinking about it before Christmas. We’re pretty much out for the season at this point.
I’ve played snow polo down into the teens (F), and the horses were fine. As others have mentioned, it’s the cold and sharp snow/ice footing’s effects on the hounds that really puts a cold weather crimp on hunting.
I, personally, find 25F to be easier hunting than 35F with the accompanying slush, ice, and slimy-mud-layer-over-hard-ground that makes it really difficult for horses to keep up with the hounds.
[QUOTE=Bullet;7418731]
It is too cold to hunt when your tongue sticks to the horn.[/QUOTE]
Get a yew horn
http://www.woodworkersinstitute.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3358
[QUOTE=gumtree;7418294]
For me it’s not as much about the cold/temps but rather the footing. I really hate the sound of “pounding pavement” with the horse.[/QUOTE]
It can be the cold as well though. There were some horses that did damage to their lungs being worked in the cold (in an indoor). It was below 15 degrees though. I think it depends on the horse…but agree, the the crappy footing outside would probably stop me first. That’s where the footing down in parts of Aiken and Southern Pines was so lovely…even though it was colder temps (but not that cold), still not frozen ground like we have.
But right now, with an indoor, we do not work the horses when it is below 10 and if it is below 20, they may just get a light work.
[QUOTE=bornfreenowexpensive;7423635]
It can be the cold as well though. There were some horses that did damage to their lungs being worked in the cold (in an indoor). It was below 15 degrees though. I think it depends on the horse…but agree, the the crappy footing outside would probably stop me first. That’s where the footing down in parts of Aiken and Southern Pines was so lovely…even though it was colder temps (but not that cold), still not frozen ground like we have.
But right now, with an indoor, we do not work the horses when it is below 10 and if it is below 20, they may just get a light work.[/QUOTE]
There is the issue. I think my hunt doesn’t go under 20 degrees. I don’t want my horse breathing hard in 10 degrees.
Well, am pretty impressed with all of you.
[QUOTE=kcmel;7419260]
I don’t think I’ve been out since November :(. But more the footing than the cold. My guy is 21 so I am pretty careful with him.[/QUOTE]
Ditto. I have an older horse too and I am a fanatic about footing. I have hunted in the upper 20’s and wind but there was a nice snow covering so the horses could comfortably trot and canter . If the ground is rock hard or mud over frozen ground I don’t do any trot or canter work if hacking so I would not hunt in those conditions either.
[QUOTE=LookinSouth;7426306]
Ditto. I have an older horse too and I am a fanatic about footing. I have hunted in the upper 20’s and wind but there was a nice snow covering so the horses could comfortably trot and canter . If the ground is rock hard or mud over frozen ground I don’t do any trot or canter work if hacking so I would not hunt in those conditions either.[/QUOTE]
We are using medium screw in studs. Right now, anything past December is either frozen ground or mud over frozen ground.
I agree the footing is the most important crtieria and the footing is more a function of what the weather has been in the previous 48 hours (or longer) than the temperature at time of the hunt. If it just recently dropped from upper 30’s to low 20’s footing may be fine. Opposite happens too. Riders can bundle up.
[QUOTE=CindyCRNA;7428336]
We are using medium screw in studs. Right now, anything past December is either frozen ground or mud over frozen ground.[/QUOTE]
It is not so much slipping that concerns me but the pounding of old joints on unforgiving surfaces. Older horses don’t tolerate that kind of pounding and stay sound.
Wait, there is such thing as too cold? The only times we have ever called off due to weather was because of blinding snow (though usually we are okay) or fog…
The ‘conventional wisdom’ is you reach a point where it’s too cold for there to be decent scenting conditions. Which I think has been pretty well disproven. I’ve been out a few times when the daily high was 16 degrees -in Virginia on those occasions. And of course when you assume that it will be a slow hunting day because of poor conditions the hounds get to cookin’ and keep you warm! Footing can be an issue, I won’t jump coops with frozen pock marks from cows- but that’s where it’s good to have a horse that will jump wire, you can just pick a more decent spot anywhere along the fence line. But yes, consumer warning, don’t follow me, I’m not lost but I’m crazy… Belmont, in Nevada the sandy footing is a real plus, doesn’t freeze but I haven’t yet been w/Red Rock on a ‘ski goggle’ day.
