Staying conditioned over the winter

[SnicklefritzG]

My event horse loves going out on the trails. In fact, we get our best results when we’ve been out on the trails for a hack or two the week prior to an event.

I’d like to do some competitive trail or competitive distance rides, but it looks like I’ll have to wait until next year as the season in my area is pretty much over for that sort of thing.

How are people staying conditioned over the winter? My horse is very fit, so right now doing 10-12 miles for him is nothing. He can do that one day, show the next and bring home some nice ribbons and good scores.

I’d like to be able to go out and do some long slow distance rides, but most of the trail systems in my area have very limited hours during deer hunting season. For example, the two trail systems I normally use only allow riding during the hours of 11am-2pm. during that time hunters are not supposed to be doing anything, but a few of my friends have had issues with some not respecting this. Furthermore, no one typically goes out during the shotgun portion of the season.

So the reality is that I might only be able to get out once a month to do a decent long trail ride somewhere, taking into account the fact that I don’t go out alone, so I have to coordinate going on the trails with someone.

Is there something I can do at home to stay conditioned? I have about 30-40 acres to ride on, mostly through and around paddocks at the barn, and there’s a big field I can ride in that’s probably about a 0.4 mile loop.

Edited to add: I thought about Foxhunting over the winter just to have something fun to do outside the ring, but the local hunt goes out on days when I’m either out of town or can’t get off work to do during the day.

[pdq]

I personally didn’t do any kind of conditioning rides during the winter as I foxhunted my former endurance horse for years which meant we rolled right from endurance rides into foxhunting without a break. Plus the uncertainty of winter weather just made any adherence to a schedule nearly impossible. With my two new LD prospects I won’t start working them until the spring. They get to hang out during the winter, just eating, sleeping, and socializing.

Fact is - winter is a great time for letting your horse take a “vacation”, rest, and recoup. Horses, unlike humans, seriously don’t lose much at all in the way of fitness with the two to three months off, especially is you ride lightly periodically. If you do ride out in the winter, remember that hoof boots are a great help for dealing with snowy terrain.

Come late February, however, conditioning for the endurance season needs to begin in earnest - for both you AND your horse. For my guys the clippers are employed, winter coats removed, and we hit the trail at least 3x a week, gradually putting in longer and longer miles, moving from mostly walk to mostly trot, based on the Heart Rate monitor’s recordings as to how their hearts are dealing with the gradual increase in distance and faster gaits. By end of March we are climbing the mountains. Come April we take the 25 mile ride up over the Blue Ridge mountain to the Shenandoah River and back to judge our fitness. By then we are more than ready for the first LD’s of the season. By Fall we are ready to move up to endurance miles (the 50’s - if I’m inspired)

[rhinestone_cowgirl]

I have to trailer out to get to any decent trails which isn’t always fun in the winter. I also only have a few fields to ride around at home so to make it more fun and interesting, I took up skijorring. I also keep up my regular jumping and dressage lessons. I wore my GPS watch in a few lessons and I usually average about 6 miles or so per lesson.

[brightskyfarm]

Riding during hunting season can be tricky – I have a road-trail system, one wth nice wide berms – I practiced over the non-hunting season so we can just move along now (and keep warm) – In many of the (pa) state forests – tis multi-use and the mountain roads are (usually) pretty safe to ride on – Michaux State Forest – Gettysburg Park, Valley Forge Park have NO hunting – Im sure with some serious research you’ll find there are alternative riding areas for you too. Foxhunting is a great idea --!! (you know to just contact a Hunt Sec and ask for a guest//capping day). Where are you located?

[Simbalism]

Most of the parks here in Va have no hunting. I’m lucky that the farm where I board has some woods and wide grassy areas around all the pastures. Directly across the street is a large horse farm(no hunting) and neighbors on one side run a golden retriever breeding kennel( no hunting). The back of the farm butts up to the interstate and the only place there is hunting near us is a property near the back corner of the farm. It is very narrow where it adjoins the farm and no woods. The property widens out as it goes away from the farm and has some woods, so the hunters tend to go away from the farm. We don’t go to any of the state forests to ride this time of year because of hunting. We do go mid day on Sundays on a cross country ride from the farm. We wear blaze orange and keep to the fields. Most of the farms we ride on are horse farms, so usually no hunting. The only farm that does allow hunting is where we used to board and she only lets one guy hunt there. He is used to having riders about so is careful.

[KIloBright]

Well, we ride in the mountain during hunting season, and in fact, hubby hunts on horse back.
Deer season is open here, and The dangerous hunters are the ‘road’ hunters. Still, I don’t let it keep me from riding
Why not either use studded boots or borium smeared shoes, if the sides of your roads are icy, and put some miles on that way. Boring, but safe , until hunting season is over.
All of my horses ride out alone, and if I had to wait for someone to ride with, I would not get many rides in!