Has this winter really completely shredded your eventing schedule this year? I have to say I have really been spoiled over the last few winters in my area by being able to ride all winter long. Not so this year. Now I am facing barely a month before I would LIKE to start sending in entries and whooooooooaaaaaaa…we are so far behind in the training. Anyone else in the same place? What are you doing? How are you changing to fit into the new polar vortex paradigm? I am struggling with getting even the ring unthawed right now, let alone jump and gymnastic school!
Anyone else? My greenies aren’t going to be ready to compete until June at this rate. Sigh. Just a whine.
I cheated. I sent my young mare to a pro in a (slightly) warmer locale, so that I didn’t have to deal with another winter of trapped-in-the-indoor antics.
The bad thing is that she’s coming back this week, and I was not expecting there to still be two feet of snow on the ground or bitterly cold temps. Plus, I am now out of shape, and will be hauling my butt onto a fit, ready-to-go, high-energy youngin’. :lol:
The plan is to let her settle back in for a few days and then immediately get my butt in gear with lessons. Hopefully by April I’ll have gotten back in shape so that I can take her out.
Yes, this is truly the winter from hell. I moved 3 of my guys to my parents place 10 mintues away for the winter because they have an area, I still have 2 and a boarder at my place. It was worth it doing two barns because I would be able to work three of my guys all winter long…however because of the cold, wind and snow blow outs we have been having I have barely been able to ride! So frustrating. The last warm day flooded the arena (has never happened in 17 years of having it!) and now its frozen and can’t be dragged until it warms up a bit.
I am definitely whining!
I’m looking for some ideas too. My riding instructor told me about a Combined Test that I really want to go to March 30th. But I think I have ridden a handful of times all winter. No indoor at my place so even when working wasn’t an issue, weather was. But of course if the weather was rideable, I was heading into work.
Entries are due March 26th for the Combined Test if I could just get on my mare maybe a handful of times between now and then, I MIGHT consider it! This is assuming she and I remember anything! Plus my barn is hosting Wofford in late June!!! At this rate, I’ll never be ready!
I remember telling my Dressage trainer in September (maybe October), that my mare and I would spend the winter on Dressage and grid work. It promptly snowed nonstop a week or so after that…
It has been hit and miss (a whole lot of miss), since this Polar Vortex stuff started hitting 2/3rds of the US.
On the days when it was warm enough (above 25), I put on 4 or 5 layers and rode Tess bareback. Now that she has started shedding, I have to use my saddle or end up with fur coated inner thighs. 
I have been mostly lunging Piper in side reins, so that a friend, whose horse is on stall rest, can ride her.
When our huge amount of snow melted last week, our indoor partially flooded. It was usable, but difficult when there were others riding. At least, the indoor is an option.
It seems that we have a few decent days, then back to not being able to ride. I am frustrated, because Piper needs consistency. We are to be in the freezing rain zone on Sunday, with snow on top of it on Monday. 
I entered a CT with Tess, which is at the end of March. I entered BN at Spring Bay. Mary Fike just offered a Starter division at Spring Bay, for those who are just not ready. If I have to, I will drop down a level.
On a good note, with the slow snow melt, the farmers should have enough water to have a good hay growing season.
Don’t get me started!! Yeah–I think I will be ready for my first event, in the fall! I have been riding regularly through the Polar Vortex Part 1, 2, and now 3–but only because I board where they have an indoor. Not sure if I’m hardy or insane, because I have reached a new “low temp” standard for riding. I used to not ride when it was below 15. I think my horse would’ve had the last 3 weeks off if that was still my cut-off. Last night I rode because they didn’t turn the horses out. It was 6 when I got to the barn and 1 when I left. This morning it was -11. And next week (helloo—it’s March) it’s going to be in the low teens all week.
We have snow piles around the farm that are 16.2 hands tall :winkgrin: and they have had to plow the pastures so that the horses will go eat their hay piles. And then there is the RATS (Road Apple Traction System) that the barn has had to implement for for us to get from the parking lot to the barn on the glare ice that is the driveway.
We have done a couple jumping sessions where a few of us boarders set up jumps and “coached” (yelled at) each other. But there have been no jumping lessons at_all. We have done some dressage lessons and I am getting really good at my double quarter sheet technique. One quarter sheet goes under the saddle, one goes on top. After I and my horse are warmed up, the top quarter sheet comes off (bottom quarter sheet stays on for the rest of the ride).
How am I coping? I don’t look at the weather forecast anymore. Doesn’t really matter if it’s 8 or 13, the “feels like” temperature is always F-ing cold. 
Well, the other night (well below freezing) when I realized there was no way that I’d ever be ready in time for the event I had pegged as my first outing with at last one of the girls, I coped very maturely with a margarita and a cupcake.
Wind over the last few days dried the ring out some at least, so it was only a little frozen today. Hopefully, even though it is going to stay below freezing today, it’ll be fine to ride on this afternoon.
I’ve “picked” another event as my target, although I don’t think it is particularly suitable based on the omnibus (“for horses with some experience at this level”), I have decided I needed SOME sort of target. But at this rate, it will probably be July before we do anything… if we’re lucky.
so. I’m not coping. Perhaps I should start a different thread. But how does one cope and get fit/ready for the up coming season.
I have one younger horse who was solid in work up until November. He finished the season at novice. Then he got ehrlichia and then had a foot injury. He spent Nov and Dec hanging. Then it stayed cold. He’s been in light work on and off all winter. Now he’s on another 5 day break. This weekend I plan to lunge him because it will be in the single digits (sad but true) - next week it should climb into the double digits for a high, where I can do light work in the evening w/ single digit temps. If normal weather returns, do I have a shot at fairly getting him ready for a novice level event in May? How would you go about getting him fit and ready from where we are now (and definitely in a small indoor until at least ?april? due to the snow depth? (it’s almost completely covering my 4 foot fence in places :()
How do you cope in order to get ready?
Well it’s just all my fault! I paid my Hunting Subscription put Borium on 2 horses shoes clipped them…and took on an OTTB Challenge Horse for 120 …the Frozen Vortex Days of Hell. So cheer up as soon as I depart for Texas next week Spring will arrive…Look what happened to Aiken 24 hours after I left there…
My internal thermostat has reset itself and when it hits the high 20s I think it’s warm out. Most of the time.
I’m fortunate enough to have access to an indoor. Last night, I rode. It was not only cold, but windy.
Had a good ride, put the horse away, and got in my car. Yay, heated seats, I thought.
Turned on heat, convinced myself that I was warm.
Got home, had a little to eat, made a cup of tea. Got under the covers (flannel sheets, cotton blanket, and down comforter) and… proceeded to shiver violently for 10 minutes.
Weird.
I’m coping well, mostly, but the news that another storm is heading this way is making me so. Very. Tired.
I’m not coping!!! I haven’t ridden all week…granted that was mostly because of work but this morning it was because of cold. Last night, I was bringing in a young horse at night barns who stays in. His field is close to the barn (maybe 100 yards) and he was near the gate. I couldn’t find my gloves but I knew I wasn’t going to be out long. DAMN that was a mistake. My hands got SOOO cold. Totally numb. I’ve not had that happen before. Once I got him back into the barn, I had to go in the tack room and run hot water over my hands to get the feeling back in them so I could finish night barns.
I’m soooooo over this.
I’ve stopped fighting it. Since I got wind of the latest snowstorm that’s to hit us this weekend I’ve given up. I’m tired, I’m cold and I’m tired of being cold! :lol: Anything under thirty degrees and my joints ache (I’m only 26!) and Mr. Fuzzy gets cranky despite him being a furnace. He’s already shedding as well. He seems to be much happier when I wait for the days that are just slightly warmer where you can’t see our breath on the air.
I did pretty well most of the season since we had an indoor, and I’m still attending my lessons, but other than that I have boycotted going outside.
For the first time this winter, our after riding/before chores beer froze!! To my lips!!!
Now thats damn cold!!
I was on the greenie last night in the indoor…my old guy was showing signs of being stiff…and I lasted 25mins lol
I just keep reminding myself that it sometimes snows on May 24 weekend, so just a little bit longer…
I’m very frustrated. No indoor and the footing outside has made riding or lunging mostly impossible. I’ve not been in the saddle since sometime mid-January and he hasn’t had consistent work since late November. Another big storm is on its way this weekend and its bitter cold and windy today. I had hope to move up this season but now I don’t know…
I have an indoor but between me managing 19 horses for two months while my bm was out and the weather I have ridden a handful of times. I was averaging once a week with a few not at all weeks. The last two weeks she has been home and I’m up to a whopping 3 times this week. It dipped into the singles this week again and we have 14 possible inches of snow coming this weekend.
I have not jumped a single fence since November, my dressage is just as awful as it was in the fall, and there’s no way I’m going to make the March show. Heck, I can’t even get a lesson.
So much for moving up to a real level.
I am really losing my sense of humor. I have enjoyed some of the snowy weather. Love riding in the snow when it’s soft and fluffy. BUT, I have no indoor so when it’s cold and icy, like it is now, it’s just not happening.
I’m trying to catch up on work while the weather isn’t cooperating, but I am dreaming more and more of warmer climes. Of course, this year that was not a guarantee of riding weather!
Not coping, but don’t need to cope since I have no plans (well, I’m going to a little dressage show in a couple of weeks, but we’re not doing anything impressive. Just going on a field trip, really).
It it sucks and I’d like to ride because my leg DEFINITELY feels better the more in ride, but I don’t HAVE to ride in the frigid cold so I don’t.
well in my case the mare is coming back from injury, we only started cantering two weeks ago. I have been VERY good this winter in riding 3-5 times a week (usually 4) to keep the mare on schedule for rehab. I have been so cranky from this cold, I won’t elaborate…
There has really only been one day I got off my mare before she deposited me, which considering I can’t a)lunge b)circle c)she has limited movement in turnout (no running around) I think we are doing well.
I am a little disappointed her canter is so weak (but I remind myself shes not cantered since… August.) I am really hoping I get the go ahead to try and do a Leslie Law clinic late May, Lucinda Green clinic early June, and maybe! do a Novice mid May. I guess my point is, we will be further behind than we were last year, but I am hoping it won’t take long to get her fit. (this time last year we were definitely doing trot sets and “gallop” sets in the indoor. Right now we can trot/canter for 40 mins, which at the trot I feel like shes quite fit, but she is quite weak behind in the canter)
I got the vet’s ok to get back on my guy in the middle of January. But the weather has been so bad that I have decided to just keep hand walking until I can ride him consistently. So frustrating to know we are 6 weeks behind where we should be :mad:.
See I got lucky. I was planning not to be able to ride at all this winter. Last weekend I rode 5 sets!!! Doing nothing but walk/trot trail rides but still. That was awesome.
I yanked shoes and as my guys always live out, gave them more hay and make sure they’re warm. Do I miss riding? Not in this crap. We will all reconvene in April and see how much snow is on the ground then. LOL. In the meantime I am enjoying playing with the new puppy and watching the hierarchy challenges in my pony herd.
~Emily
