What is the coldest you normally ride in??

Hey COTHers,

Given the horribly cold winter we are all having I was wondering what your cut off limit normally is for how cold you ride in. I used to say I wouldn’t ride much below 20 degrees but this winter 20 degrees has been a heat wave. My guy is hand walking and some in saddle walking right now so it hasn’t effected us greatly but I was just curious what others say. Some boarders in my barn will pull their horses out from standing in the cold paddocks all day, throw a quarter sheet on, mount and by the first long wall are trotting in draw reins. It makes me sick to my stomach but they haven’t had any horrible side effects yet.

Thanks and stay warm!

I’m in Canada. It’s cold. I still ride.

My personal preference is to stay away when it is lower than -10 (air temperature, not windchill). So that would be about 14 fahrenheit. In that range, I get on, cooler is on the horse and I. We may mosey along for a little bit, once we’re moving cooler is off and we are working (i.e. trot and go!). I do not do a lot of walk breaks without the cooler because its too cold!!

If I feel like my lungs are being raped by the air, I don’t ride. What temperature that is depends on my mood for the day.

Well, I’ll start by saying that where I board we have an indoor arena. So, the outside temps may be colder than in a closed up arena (where the “feels like” temperature isn’t as much of a factor). There’s about 15" of snow outside and it’s just too deep for riding (for about the last 6 weeks now).

Before this winter, my cut-off used to be around 12 degrees F. This year, we got so accustomed to the cold that a few times I left the barn after riding, got in my car, and saw that the temps were 4 (or something similar). So I guess my cut-off standard has been lowered this year (or my brain was partially frozen).

However, when I do ride, I spend a lot of time walking before I pick up the trot. On really cold days, I don’t canter much. I have read that a slow warm up is important for your horse in cold weather. But I do admit that it’s harder for the rider to stay warm at the walk! I do use a quarter sheet on my horses–and I sometimes use 2 (and take one off after my warm up). Neither of my horses are clipped–but they are blanketed and don’t have much coat.

There are a few boarders that don’t ride at all in the winter, but most of us do. Some of the riders don’t ride when it’s under 15 F. Most of the lessons will be canceled if it’s below below 10 F (whereas last winter they would get canceled when it was below 15). :slight_smile:

Lots of threads on this across all the forums:

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?426896-How-cold-is-too-cold&highlight=temperature+ride

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?289722-Do-you-have-a-temp-cutoff&highlight=coldest+ride

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?283498-Cold-weather-Temp-cutoff&highlight=coldest+ride

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?425079-Lesson-policy-for-very-cold-weather&highlight=temperature+ride

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?419093-Hacking-out-conditioning-in-winter&highlight=temperature+ride

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?282098-What-temperature-is-your-barn-indoor-in-winter&highlight=coldest+ride

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?391257-Coldest-temp-you-ve-ridden-in

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?428546-How-cold-can-you-hunt&highlight=temperature

Inside, down to about 12 degrees F. Outside, more like 20, and higher if it’s windy.

I looked this up a while ago. I read that 20 degrees and under can cause a bit of lung damage and inflammation. It takes about a week for this to fully go away. Now that doesn’t mean awful damage. Just a little bit, and if you ride consecutively on days that are under 20, probably more damage. I don’t ride under 20 just because I don’t want to make my horse’s lungs uncomfortable. A good groom is just as nice. With the winter we’ve had, this means I’ve ridden maybe 15 times since December-ish. Not great for my horse who I started in early November, but we have all spring before hopefully going to a few shows this summer. Done with winter :mad:

Single digits are my cutoff. High single digits and no wind chill and we will probably walk or hack, but no serious work below 10.

My Virginia blood is thin. I’ll ride in the low 20s but only if I have to! As in, last year the week leading up to a clinic was “brutal” (quotes because compared to this year that week was downright balmy!). Normally, it was just too damn cold to pull of my thin blooded horse’s rugs, but I knew we’d work hard on the weekend, so I rode him. Quick and easy. Mostly just enough to stretch his legs and keep him remembering he was broke.

I’m a wimp. So is my horse.

http://www.thehorse.com/articles/15067/cold-air-and-lung-health

Some good information here from a reputable source.

Thanks for all the replies! It sounds like everyone is a little braver this year. I have heard that there are a lot of horses in this area that are getting pneumonia from people working too hard in the cold.

Sorry Catchmeifyoucan. I saw a different post in the horse care forum and it just got me thinking!

No worries - just wanted to give you more ammo! We have a heated barn, so I don’t worry. Horses are in when it is really icy, which seems to be every time it is really cold. Otherwise, we kick them out with their blankets on.

I won’t ride when its colder than -18C (0F), but I have definitely ridden through to that temp. I tend to stay away when it colder than -15C (5F), and if I do ride in that temperature range, I am pretty careful about what I ask my horse to do, and I ensure that he warms up and cools out properly and slowly.

Honestly, I think my horse plays much harder outside with his buddies at -20C than I ever make him work on those colder days. He takes halter tag seriously!

I should add that if it’s below 20, I usually ride bareback, and don’t work the mare hard… lots of walking, lots of “precision” work, some trotting for short periods, and I try the canter in each direction (am still getting the hang of bareback canter!)

Usually 12F or so is my cutoff. Our indoor always has a big door open so it’s usually not that much warmer inside than outside. It usually offers some protection from the wind though so I will ride inside at much colder temps than I will hack out. I won’t hack out if it’s below 25F, or if the wind is bad.

I don’t like to ride if it’s 25F or below. I know, I’m a wimp. Once in a while if I’m DESPERATE for saddle time, I’ll go for a w/t ride on my youngster with a quarter sheet and my heavy winter coat. Other than that, I don’t bother. I don’t think he really minds, but I do.

I’ve grown less tolerant of the cold as this winter has dragged on–25F a month ago was a heat wave, and when it’s 25F now I have to question whether or not I want to ride for a good long while. I have a bad case of the winter blahs and just don’t feel like doing anything unless it’s sunny and warm.

-25 to -28 degrees Celsius. so I guess about -15 F

My horse is used to these temperatures and other than frosty whiskers and nostrils he is fine. Daily highs can be -20 C for weeks at a time. People here run and bike outside in the winter to easily -30C.

Probably -20 C, or whenever I can’t breathe easily. Depends on the windchill (although the barn I’m at has an arena, it can be drafty), humidity, etc. The colder it is, the longer and more thorough of a warmup I do, and I will do less canter work. It’s not fun riding in the extreme cold, but the ponies often stay in if it’s been very cold/icy, so I want to make sure my mare gets a ride to stretch her legs and get work off some energy. Listen to yourself and your horse - if it hurts to breathe, back off! I’ve definitely ridden in worse temps this winter than previously, but I still have days where I just don’t feel up to it! (Yesterday, for example :lol: )

No turnout in this weather, so I try to do something every day. On the day it was 4F in the indoor, I just hand walked. In the 12-15 F range, I generally get on and walk for 20 minutes, then do about 10 minutes of easy trot and canter. In the 20’s, its a pretty normal day.

And from Texas:

I use to not ride if it was below 32F. I’ve gotten wimpy this winter though and it’s now more like no riding if it’s 40F or below. Thankfully we haven’t had a ton of that and are back to more typical 60s here. Pony typically works anytime it’s between 40-105F.

-15F? You guys are seriously tough.