Hey all, my 3 years 4 month old cob x warmblood has been coming along really nicely so far with being ridden and hes really filled out fast, but unfortunately winters in the uk are muddy and wet, (how I wish I lived in America 😖) to the pasterns not knee deep or anything. I have no perfectly flat fields either and just the roads otherwise. Would it be unwise in your opinions to continue riding him at a gentle walk in these conditions? I’m worried il knock his confidence if he feels unbalanced in it with me on board. Though I do have a independent seat. Do you guys ride your youngsters in wet mud etc? Hes unshod, thank you 😘
lol! Only your winters are muddy and wet? I live in USA and joke that I can only ride my horse 2 months out of the year! The rest of the time, we are walking… In mud. I say use your best judgment, some horses are fine in mud others are not.
1 Like
?? 3 and 4 month old WB being ridden??
Mist horses cope with mud just fine as it is part of their environment.
1 Like
“Three AND four months old”? What does that even mean?
And no, I wouldn’t ride any horse sinking into mud “to the pasterns” at every step.
Is this even a serious post?
He is 40 months old.
2 Likes
He is 40 months old and yes he is ridden, for short periods and is quite happy about it 😊
2 Likes
Oh haha some parts look beautiful and sunny in the winter in the USA, good to know it’s not just us 😠thanks for your none judgemental reply
1 Like
Okay. Why not just call him a “four year old” then?
Anyway, no, I wouldn’t ride in mud that deep. That’s an injury waiting to happen, in my view, but if you and your horse are “quite happy” doing this, why even ask?
Yeesh.
1 Like
As he isn’t four. Hes 40 months. Also, we haven’t ridden in the mud yet, we rode up until recently the last few weeks- when the weather/footing was good. So before I do, I was just looking for some opinions/experiences. If replying upsets you, why bother?.
3 Likes
Good point.
3 Likes
Thank you
3 Likes
There is a reason we used to lightly start horses in their third year, then give them the winter to relax again, before coming back into work as a 4 year old.
1 Like
Oh yes he will be getting lots of time off 😊 to take it all in/mature. Unfortunately we are talking 4 to 5 months of slush, which is longer than I’d like.
1 Like
I am so glad that I left the months of mud and yuk…but I traded it for the Canadian Prairies, mud season is usually short and messy, then we get into the deep freeze, most things have moved indoors already, and we are sliding towards the -20’s and 30’s, praying for a very long shallow slide. on the other hand I guess our friends in Florida are just starting to look forward to riding as it cools off some 🤣
Ahh the Canadian Prairies sound amazing for trail riding?😊
1 Like
I took it to mean the horse was three years, 4 months old.
9 Likes
Can you ride on the road?
Me too, I didn’t think it was that difficult to interpret.
If it isn’t slippery and he isn’t worried about it then short rides at the walk are probably fine. Just keep in mind that the muscles will fatigue more quickly. You don’t want to overwork him an have him end up sore or mentally sour.
If you have a friend with a road safe horse, and a quiet road to ride on, than it might be a good time to introduce him to some short hacks with a buddy.
I wouldn’t worry too much about giving him the winter off. You can still work on things that will make him a solid citizen. Get him used to clippers, mane pulling. braiding, loading. Instill a solid “WHOA” from the ground. You’ll appreciate this when you lose a boot in the mud and don’t want to let go of the lead rope or get pulled into the mud :lol:
2 Likes
There are two likely problems with riding in mud.
The first is an injury from slipping, which is most likely when working at speed in shallow mud.
The second is that working in deep mud tires the muscles much more quickly. And when muscles are tired, tendon and ligament injuries are much more likely.
So slow, short rides in even deep mud should be safe ,even if not much fun.
In New England, the alternate name for “spring” is “mud season”. And here in Virginia, the winter footing is often frozen, churned up mud, which really isn’t safe at any speed.
1 Like
Like most of the rest of you, I thought it was obvious that it meant “Three (years) and four months”.
2 Likes
