So, while we have not had snow here yet, one of my dreams is to trail ride in the snow. I have seen so many videos of people doing this in the farther nothern states, so maybe this winter we will get some snow here.
My horse is barefoot and I have easyboot gloves - can I ride him barefoot in the snow - or does he need the trail boots -or something else?
What do people do for riding in snow?
My two are barefoot right now and we have snow on the ground-they are fine and it is fantastic good fun to snow ride (I am not raising a swat, not doing hard workouts.) Had to ride Christmas Day and New Yearâs, just cause. (Theyâre responsive bitless, too, so no cold bits.) Go ride, it will be wonderful.
My snow-riding recommendation is to wear a longer coat, because going through snow-covered trees in a coat that only reaches your waist will make you squeal like a girl when you lean forward to duck through some trees and a bunch of snow goes down the back of your pantsâŠ
My two are barefoot right now and we have snow on the ground-they are fine and it is fantastic good fun to snow ride (I am not raising a swat, not doing hard workouts.) Had to ride Christmas Day and New Yearâs, just cause. (Theyâre responsive bitless, too, so no cold bits.) Go ride, it will be wonderful.
My snow-riding recommendation is to wear a longer coat, because going through snow-covered trees in a coat that only reaches your waist will make you squeal like a girl when you lean forward to duck through some trees and a bunch of snow goes down the back of your pantsâŠ
Battle Creek Hunt Club rides out Sept-April so riding through snow (and every other kind of weather) is something we DO! I ride my horse without shoes and seem to have less trouble than those who shoe (even with pads) as snow does not collect in his hooves. But do watch the ice --you can tell thereâs an icy patch if the snow is really smooth with no grass sticking out --even the horses with studs and borium have trouble with ice. My horse wonât go on ice (heâs from ND and knows whatâs dangerous) --he just stops and we find away around. Good cold riding tips from Lisa Preston . . .may I add wear a shirt/coat/jacket that covers your wrists --seems like thatâs the first place I feel the cold --but then I expect to have cold toes and wear winter boots and toe warmers; my gloves are also winter gloves with hand warmers. I wear an electric heated vest and a polar fleece stocktie --and a helmet hoodie. But if you are only going out once or twice, scarf and ear muffs will do.
As far as cold bits --the only time I personally ever had an issue with a bit in the cold was at -6 --the bit did frost in the horseâs mouth â on the sides --but his tongue and cheeks did not stick to it (like putting your tongue on a flagpole). I use a fleece pad so a cold saddle isnât much to worry about --but suggestion --if you can, warm your saddle up in your car before you put it on your horse --I donât know if it makes a difference to my horse, but it makes a difference to my butt!
Enjoy --itâs like riding in a Christmas Card!
<a href=âhttp://s236.photobucket.com/user/foxgloveweeks/media/PC190189.jpg.htmlâ target="_blank"><img src=âhttp://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff31/foxgloveweeks/PC190189.jpgâ border=â0â alt=" photo PC190189.jpg"/></a>
Agree keeping yourself warm is important.
But sitting on a 100F horse is warming in itself. :yes:
Barefoot for the horse is fine, in fact snow is less likely (not impossible but less) to ball up in unshod feet.
If you do get a chance to ride in DEEP snow - like up to horseâs chest - keep in mind horse is working HARD to get through this.
Plenty of walking & standing breaks to check breathing. If his sides are heaving you are working him too hard.
One of my favorite Winter memories is riding in a group with horses still in their blankets, bareback & seeing my then-novice rider husband cantering with a huge grin on his face. 
Battle Creek Hunt Club rides out Sept-April so riding through snow (and every other kind of weather) is something we DO! I ride my horse without shoes and seem to have less trouble than those who shoe (even with pads) as snow does not collect in his hooves. But do watch the ice --you can tell thereâs an icy patch if the snow is really smooth with no grass sticking out --even the horses with studs and borium have trouble with ice. My horse wonât go on ice (heâs from ND and knows whatâs dangerous) --he just stops and we find away around. Good cold riding tips from Lisa Preston . . .may I add wear a shirt/coat/jacket that covers your wrists --seems like thatâs the first place I feel the cold --but then I expect to have cold toes and wear winter boots and toe warmers; my gloves are also winter gloves with hand warmers. I wear an electric heated vest and a polar fleece stocktie --and a helmet hoodie. But if you are only going out once or twice, scarf and ear muffs will do.
As far as cold bits --the only time I personally ever had an issue with a bit in the cold was at -6 --the bit did frost in the horseâs mouth â on the sides --but his tongue and cheeks did not stick to it (like putting your tongue on a flagpole). I use a fleece pad so a cold saddle isnât much to worry about --but suggestion --if you can, warm your saddle up in your car before you put it on your horse --I donât know if it makes a difference to my horse, but it makes a difference to my butt!
Enjoy --itâs like riding in a Christmas Card!
<a href=âhttp://s236.photobucket.com/user/foxgloveweeks/media/PC190189.jpg.htmlâ target="_blank"><img src=âhttp://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff31/foxgloveweeks/PC190189.jpgâ border=â0â alt=" photo PC190189.jpg"/></a>
The best snow to ride in and have FUN 
is obviously brand new fresh snow that hasnât frozen up hard on top and/or has not been rained on and frozen.
Go barefoot for sure. Think âwild horsesâ. They handle snow beautifully.
And most importantly: know your terrain. Ditches, logs, farm implements etc. can get covered over by deep snow and you wonât see them â the world will look flat and falsely safe. So best to check your trails/ riding area beforehand so you wonât come upon any hidden, dangerous surprises.
Enjoy!
The MOST dangerous thing about riding in the snow is that you donât know whatâs under the snow!!!
If you stick to bridle trails or known areas then that risk is reduced but is is not zero. A beer bottle under that snow can do real damage when it gets stepped on and broken.
This doesnât mean âdonât ride in the snow.â It does mean âunderstand the hazards of riding when you canât determine the quality of the footing.â
G.
And donât assume that creeks are frozen because thereâs 2â of snow on the ground. I made that mistake yesterday. My poor gelding didnât know what to do when the ice started to crack. We both froze for a minute. Very scary.
I keep my horses barefoot generally and just make a point to avoid slippery footing. Roads and well used trails become hard packed and icy, so I keep to the side when possible to ride in the deeper snow or wait for fresh snow. Just make sure thereâs enough snow to cover the ice underneath. A fine dusting of snow on ice can be very deceiving and dangerous!
including a layer of ice. Important to know what the previous weather conditions have been. There could have been a layer of snow that got rained on and frozen under the fluffy part.
I am up in Canada and the area I live in has received an enormous amount of snow this year. My horse has corks and poppers in but you will be fine barefoot. The snow is up to my horseâs knees so he gets an excellent workout just walking for 20-30 minutes in it. It is great for muscle building as they are forced to pick up their legs. My recommendation would be to stick to trails you know well. It can be dangerous as you donât know whatâs underneath the snow and I also find that in the winter, it is easier to get lost. I do have a terrible sense of direction but I just find that with the snow, my surroundings look less familiar. Fortunately itâs easier to follow your tracks back to safety! If you are going through snow covered trees, wear a long coat or full chaps. Your thighs will thank you.
Last week I went for a ride and found a forest service road that was untouched. Since I knew it was packed gravel underneath, I felt comfortable going for a canter. And it was awesome. Everything else in the world was quiet except for us cantering along with the snow flying behind.
Unfortunately it is back to -35C this week!:eek:
I am up in Canada and the area I live in has received an enormous amount of snow this year. My horse has corks and poppers in but you will be fine barefoot. The snow is up to my horseâs knees so he gets an excellent workout just walking for 20-30 minutes in it. It is great for muscle building as they are forced to pick up their legs. My recommendation would be to stick to trails you know well. It can be dangerous as you donât know whatâs underneath the snow and I also find that in the winter, it is easier to get lost. I do have a terrible sense of direction but I just find that with the snow, my surroundings look less familiar. Fortunately itâs easier to follow your tracks back to safety! If you are going through snow covered trees, wear a long coat or full chaps. Your thighs will thank you.
Last week I went for a ride and found a forest service road that was untouched. Since I knew it was packed gravel underneath, I felt comfortable going for a canter. And it was awesome. Everything else in the world was quiet except for us cantering along with the snow flying behind.
Unfortunately it is back to -35C this week!:eek:
Only bone broken in 30 years of riding occurred when a barefoot POA, very sure-footed and hardy guy, slipped on ice under snow in upstate NY. It was deep snow, we were just walking, I was bareback, and we turned, not sharp, and down we went. Pony was 33 years old but in great shape, thanks to light work (I was 16). I was terrified he was hurt, but he was fine! My leg was fine, but my shoulder hit the frozen ground and cracked a rib!
I will still ride in snow, happily, but Iâm always wary of ice above or below snow, and of course any other unseen footing dangers.
As others have said, know your territory!
We know our trails very well, especially where the water runs (certain spots on certain hills) that will be very unsafe when frozen and covered in snow.
I prefer to walk in the snow, but if itâs a known area, a small canter is OK.
Be careful for snow drifts! I remember riding as a kid, one girl was cantering her horse and they hit a 4â drift- the horse did a front somersault. I have been scared of anything more than a walk if I canât see the snow well enough for drifts.
All good points from everyone! We might get 3-4 inches this weekend so I might try to ride around the farm - however temps will be around zero - so we will see if I really ride this time! Here in Ky - we get lots of ice and wet snow - so I will have to really choose the right snow to ride in, the possibility of ice underneath will be an issue.
[QUOTE=Bobuddy;8997308]
All good points from everyone! We might get 3-4 inches this weekend so I might try to ride around the farm - however temps will be around zero - so we will see if I really ride this time! Here in Ky - we get lots of ice and wet snow - so I will have to really choose the right snow to ride in, the possibility of ice underneath will be an issue.[/QUOTE]
I grew up in No. IL (and MI and WI) and the deep, winter cold in those places means ice can be strong enough to drive on. But in the South East we donât get the deep cold that makes for strong ice.
Even on known trails there are risks to moving too fast. A known trail can have a obstruction, such as a log, on it that is of recent origin and now covered by snow.
During the Age of Horsepower horses were used all winter long as human survival depended on them. But working horses move slowly and good horsemen knew of the risks they were taking. I wonder how many horses and riders got injured in those days doing stuff they ought not to have been doing?
G.
Snowy rides are the best! The horses canât get up to mischief as they are working harder than normal.
That said, be careful not to overwork/oversweat your horse. Itâs hard plowing through snow and they can get get tired way faster. Take it easy and enjoy!
The first snowfall is generally the safest ride. As long as you have been paying attention and know where your puddles (now ice) are, you can be quite confident the footing is good. Once you get some warming and more freezing temps then you need to be more cautious.
A heavy, wet snow makes for good riding, and will stick to ice and make things safer in general.
I got my first horse in October and nothing was going to stop me riding (no indoor, and we often didnât see the ground for four to five months of the year). I learned, taught by my 20+ year old trail horse. There is nothing like going for a gallop in the snow, or even just walking through the woods.
When I was younger and rode in the snow, weâd spray Pam on the bottom of their hooves to keep the snow off
I have liked to ride my Morgans bareback in the winter. (Iâm on my third. ) Itâs like riding a warm, comfy sofa through the snow. None wore shoes.
Right now, I have access to known trails on the BOâs property, and I have, recently, rode along the roads nearby. I know the streets-less-traveled-by-cars, but my gelding isnât bothered by vehicular traffic, no matter how noisy. A strange mailbox, however⊠;):lol: I AM careful about possible slick spots, but the ride is worth it.
Some of my co-boarders have asked if I worry about falling off, but I tell them that if it happens, the deep snow will make a nice cushion. :winkgrin:
I make sure I have very warm gloves, hat (and a helmet on top of that!), and bootsâthose extremities can get quite cold! Luckily, the trails I ride on have little ride-blocking trees laden with snow. Well, I should correct thatâthe last 1/16 to 1/8 of a mile DOES, so I have had a face full of snow planted on me. But itâs worth it.
With my first Morgan 40 years ago, when I was young and stupid, I even have a picture of me jumping her through 1â-2â snow.
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