Menu

Stay in Touch
Sign up for ENews
Subscribe Now

Unlimited access >

Menu

What to do in cold weather

Hunting
#1

So yesterday it didn’t get above 19 deg. F here. My husband and I went to a museum and then I actually sewed myself two stock ties. Walmart has some cotton plaids that are small print, sort of like tattersall for $2 a yard. I bought 1/2 a yard so the stock ties cost me $1 each to make.

They’ve cancelled hunting today due to the cold. Right now the thermometer says 6 degrees. I think I’m now going to stitch up a colored collar for one of my more casual Beagling coats just for fun.

Anyone ever try making a stock tie out of white polar fleece for cold weather?

I’d never made a stock tie before. I just traced one of the ones I wear and added 5/8" for a seam. It was pretty easy.

#2

It’s -4 here, and I’ll see you later on when we go basseting! Yay!

I’ve made stock ties a lot too, and polar fleece should be just as easy. If you have a serger it’s really simple.

Wolf Creek canceled as well; if it’s below 25 then they don’t go out. Our MFH is afraid the hounds’ pads will get cut up. I would be concerned about hauling Buddy in a stock trailer in that cold of weather.

My morning will be spent out in the barn. I need to trim my Shire’s feet desperately. His scratches were so bad that I couldn’t touch his lower legs. They seem to be calming down, and his feet are just terribly overgrown. He was actually limping a bit this week, so I MUST trim today no matter what. Just hope that trimming takes away the limp - ACK! I do NOT need a lame horse!

Thank goodness for power tools; I’m sure I’ll have to take off at least 2" from his heel. Wish I could stay inside and sew instead!

#3

18 degrees, up from 16 this morning. Nasty wind, though. Very nasty. 20-30mph. :no:

Foxhunting cancelled so…we’re going basseting!! :smiley: I already have out my stunning go-to-the-opera floor length Gucci dark sable mink coat with matching ear muffs (Christmas present from hubby last year :)) , my smart wool socks, silk underwear, and new fur lined gloves (Christmas present from hubby this year :D), plus the smoked salmon and crackers for afterwards.

I will be ready… AND…toasty warm!

Wonder if JSwan will be out?

I’m spending the morning working on designing/fitting a full-saddle Marino fleece seat cover for my new endurance saddle. Soft plush for my rear to snuggle into every other stride. Ahhhh! :wink:

#4

Ways to keep warm

For over 20 years I HAD to work out in the cold, galloping and racing in the winter months can be brutal. Trust me there is no worse feeling than being chilled to the bone. My winter riding gear consisted of foot warmers in my boots, and one of those heat wraps (back and body) and neoprene gloves, and ski goggles, I found this was the best way to keep warm and toasty.

These things worked even when the temps droped below 20 degree with single digit wind chills. Nothing worse than galloping along doing 35 -40 miles per hour with the freezing wind whipping in your face, freezing your eye lashes shut… :no:

WWW.CMMBarnbrats.com

#5

Hey GTD, have you checked out the fleece seat covers from Sportack? They are made by Shear Comfort and they are just divine. Really well made and incredibly comfortable. Save yourself some work!

#6

Yeah, I have. And I was debating getting one but… then I got a sweet deal of a thick Merino sheepskin saddle pad for only $20 at one of my local tack stores. They were selling at a 90% discount because they were just a bit too small for most of the modern saddles. Placed over the saddle, they make the most beaut-a-licious full length seat saver! Can’t beat that with a stick! Just have to move the velcro straps, lengthen one or two, and add one or two more to keep it from shifting when put in place. :yes:

Equus34 - OUCH! OUCH OUCH OUCH OUCH OUCH OUCH!! You are one TOUGH gal!

#7

GTD, if you haven’t seen them “in person”, let me give you a hint why I like them so much. You stitch two lengths of heavy duty elastic to the underside of the pad that fits in the saddle gullet. Then you stitch some velcro to both sides of the other end of the elastic. At the rear of the saddle pad, you stitch two pieces of the other part of the velcro so that you run the elastic under the gullet of the saddle and catch it with the velcro, and then you catch it with the second piece of velcro on top of the elastic piece.

Not sure that made any sense, but what you’ve got is elastic running under the gullet from the pommel to the cantle and that sucker won’t shift for a 50-miler. I’ve never seen any other saddle pad that fastened that way. They just depend on elastic under the stirrup bar flaps and elastic around the cantle.

#8

I bought 1/3 yard of white polar fleece at Walmart and use it for a hunting scarf. We’re allowed on to use either white or black scarves on the cold days. The edges don’t fray so I didn’t even stitch them. :wink:

#9

[QUOTE=Equus34;2949985]
For over 20 years I HAD to work out in the cold, galloping and racing in the winter months can be brutal. Trust me there is no worse feeling than being chilled to the bone. My winter riding gear consisted of foot warmers in my boots, and one of those heat wraps (back and body) and neoprene gloves, and ski goggles, I found this was the best way to keep warm and toasty.

These things worked even when the temps droped below 20 degree with single digit wind chills. Nothing worse than galloping along doing 35 -40 miles per hour with the freezing wind whipping in your face, freezing your eye lashes shut… :no:

WWW.CMMBarnbrats.com[/QUOTE]
\

I galloped for 25 yrs…and rode races for a winter in Boston…:no:

I never used foot warmers, or a heat wrap type thing… I just jumped from horse to horse… I did use ski goggles and neoprene glove (once they invented them…:winkgrin:)

I thank God on the mornings when it’s freezing that I am in my warm toasty bed, and not on the back of a TB at 6 a.m…

Our hunt was cancelled this morning… but I did spend some time in the barn… putting an extra blanket on my poor fully clipped foxhunter.

#10

OMG! GTD!!

:winkgrin::lol: GTD!! I was hunting w/Ashland yesterday and talked to you and we didn’t even know who we are!!! I talked with you about your gorgeous coat and talked to you about how Canadians wear real fur coats skiing!?? Remember?!! It was me!!! I was the woman with the Michelin Man black coat? Blue knit cap? We talked at the breakfast too. My hubby made the split pea soup?!! I didn’t realize it was you until we were leaving and you had just gotten in your car and I saw the license plate which has your farm name on it and VOILA I realized you were a fellow COTHer!!! How cool is this!!? We gotta stop wearing disguises! Need like a tattoo or something!! :lol:

Anyway, with a couple of inches of snow on the ground and temps in the low 20’s; I didn’t think the scenting was good at all. Lotsa rabbits but they couldn’t hold a sustained run/line. The wind didn’t help. And I swear the rabbits KNEW the scent wasn’t holding as they just kinda loped along; no zipping here & there like normal. No way would I have foxhunted. Infact I went in a bit early as a cold has me down right now. Nice to see MOC folks out! 90 mins was long enough! I had lots of views too. It was worth going just for the breakfast ay!???

Hows this everyone!? Members brought 4 different pots of soup as it was a potluck breakfast and all 4 were made by our MEN members! Gotta love a hunting man who cooks!!! :wink: Funny to see them standing around chatting about cooking and how they seasoned/made their soups!! :smiley:

But no, hunting in the cold is NOT fun…unless the food afterwards makes it worth it!! :winkgrin:

Oh and JSwan wasn’t out…SHE’s a total weanie!! Or…incredibly intelligent!

#11

I’ll tell you what else she is! A VERY talented artist, and her work is just incredible.

Her foxhunting scenes are perfect, and I’m amazed at how much detail she can squeeze into a tiny scene on a glass. I bought a few mugs for myself, and also some for Christmas gifts for friends.

She can paint anything on anything, and my next project for her is a foxhunting scene around a hurricane lampshade. I highly recommend her work! It’s beautiful and she can paint from photos, too.

#12

Of course!!! Yes – I remember you!!!:yes:

I was so hoping to see JS – figured if I spotted her, she’d lead me to other COTHers. She is a weanie – you can tell her so from me! :lol: If we’re going to be out there with our feet in the snow with temps in the teens, freezing our toes off – while we watch those darling hounds snuffling and running around in the snow looking for wabbits – so should she!

I feel bad for the poor hounds – they did try so hard to find something, anything – including that ground bird they were starting to chase when Ron whipped them off - remember early in the hunt? The two kids with Ron – Delaney and Grant (both wonderful kids I know well from foxhunting) – told me they had 4 views!! And the whips right and left were getting views as well. I just kept missing them by a fraction of a second. :no: But the snow didn’t allow even the tinest bit of scent to hold and those hounds just searched and searched in vain.

However, the company was delightful, as was the “tailgate” afterwards in that gorgeous manor house! Next time I’m going to have to indulge in your hubby’s special split-pea soup – he was discussing how he had made it, and it made my mouth water even tho I was already hopelessly full. There were just too many good things to eat, and I’m trying so hard to not indulge too much … what with endurance season fast approaching and the need to be a “skinny Minnie” by April 1st

If the bad weather holds, my foxhunting buddy Jamie and I will probably be coming out again. This was just too much fun to miss.

I’ll also wear the Gucci full length sable mink coat again – just so you can recognize me! :winkgrin:

#13

Your too kind

Barb, thanks for the kuddos, I appreciate it. You are one of my best customers, and you always come up with such inventive things for me to try my artistic talent on. You know me always up for a challenge. :winkgrin:

WWW.CMMBarnbrats.com

#14

Winter Racing in Boston

Acertainsmile, a fellow female jockey and I had the bug together and she started up in Boston. When ever we would have one of those cold nasty racing days she would proceed to tell us that “you aint seen nothing til you rode in boston during the winter.”

You are one tough cookie to have ridden in Boston in the winter, I heard their winters were brutal. I never used the foot warmers in my racing boots, just in my morning galloping boots. They just didn’t feel right in my jock boots. So I just suffered with frozen toes in those tiny pattent leather boots. You know what I’m talking about don’t you.:lol:

WWW.CMMBarnbrats.com

#15

So you stole Ron for the weekend

GTD. I heard you stole Ron for the weekend. Foxhunting was cancelled here in Missouri due to the cold so he certainly didn’t miss anything here. We did take the Three Creek Bassets out and I actually viewed for a change. Big cottontail that wasn’t in much of a hurry. We had a couple of short bursts but nothing too exciting.

The weather kept most away though as we only had the huntsman, three whips and two in the field. It was below 20 deg. F.

#16

Oh crap - I missed meeting gothedistance! I’m so sorry - but we spent all day Saturday helping a friend out, and Sunday we had to make up for lost time (didn’t expect to be gone all day Saturday).

I can’t imagine scenting was good - but I bet everyone had fun anyway.

Let me know when you’ll be out and I’ll make a point of showing up - with my flask!

I’m also sorry I missed Ron - but I’m glad he got to come back and see everyone.

#17

[QUOTE=Equus34;2952339]
Acertainsmile, a fellow female jockey and I had the bug together and she started up in Boston. When ever we would have one of those cold nasty racing days she would proceed to tell us that “you aint seen nothing til you rode in boston during the winter.”

You are one tough cookie to have ridden in Boston in the winter, I heard their winters were brutal. I never used the foot warmers in my racing boots, just in my morning galloping boots. They just didn’t feel right in my jock boots. So I just suffered with frozen toes in those tiny pattent leather boots. You know what I’m talking about don’t you.:lol:

WWW.CMMBarnbrats.com[/QUOTE]

Oh boy do I know what your talking about…it’s a wonder I have any feeling in my toes at this point in time! I use to refer to jock boots as “slippers”…:winkgrin:

The wind whipping off the ocean at Suffolk is something I will never forget! The other colder than cold place I have been was the Meadowlands…Thank God TB racing ends in December there!

I was all up for hunting (sort of) on Sunday…heck, by 11 am it was kind of warm… well, sort of.

By the way, I saw your work and it is georgous! I am making a list of what I need and will contact you!

#18

Oh, no – I didn’t steal Ron. I promise!! My foxhunting buddy stole him. He’s her houseguest for the weekend – they’ve been friends for about forever and she was glad to see him back in VA, even if for just a short period of time. I only knew him briefly through her when we were all foxhunting together, and then he moved west.:slight_smile:

I’m hoping we can foxhunt this coming Sunday – the forecast isn’t too awful. As long as the ground is OK, and it’s not sleeting, I’ll be out. Won’t be wearing my fur, though. I’ll save that for the basseting! And I will let you know, JS, when we’ll be coming out with Ashland again. :smiley:

Equus34 - OUCH!OUCH!OUCH!OUCH!OUCH! again!! Your frozen toes stories just make mine hurt!! I think next time I’m out with the bassets I’ll have those footwarmer things in my boots, under the foot pad. I’m still miffed that two pairs of SmartWool socks struggled to keep my tooties warm in those godforsaken (non-thermal) Beene boots – next time I will bring out the big guns with the chemical warmers. I had only a silk blouse on under my fur (and silk underwear under my corderoy pants) and I was warmer than a freshly popped bagel while others around me were dressed in multiple layers… and still cold! Hmmm. Maybe all I really need is a pair of mink boots… If those bassets found my coat exciting, imagine what they’d think of my boots! :lol:

#19

Fur boots!!??!!!

GTD! Just make sure they aren’t rabbit fur boots! :lol::winkgrin: Now THAT’S a mental picture for ya!! A basset pack chasing GTD all over the countryside…bet you’d be skinny minnie BEFORE April! :smiley: So like…what’s the proper holler when you view a skinny mink coated lady running from covert to covert being chased by a basset pack in full cry??? Mink Ho? Tally coat? Ware crazy lady??? Wha!!! Could be exciting for those low scenting dayss…yea I’m warming up to the idea!!
Great Meadows this Sunday 2pm if anyone wants to join us!! :wink: in regular clothes…lotsa wabbits there.

#20

One time I went out to walk hounds in frigid cold weather with snow on the ground. I had a scarve on that I had bought in Sweden that had little fur pom poms on the end. Apparently they were fox fur as I was very popular with the foxhounds that day.

When I went Basseting Sunday one of the other Basseters brought his JR bitch in heat to try to meet up with one of the other Basseters that had a male. He brought her out of the car on a leash straight toward the Basset pack. Boy did that raise a ruckus! He of course had to pick her up and take her back to the car but that definitely falls into the category of “what was he thinking?”. Took a little while to get the Bassets interested in bunnies after that.

Get your Digital Subscription here - only $29.99 / year

Subscribe here
See gift options

Sign up to our monthly newsletter!

By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.

Copyright © 2023 The Chronicle of the Horse