01/20/2025
Embracing this winter wonderland over here at Flicker Polo Ponies ❄️❄️❄️ I get so many questions about riding in the snow, so here are are a couple ways I keep my ponies safe and exercised all year round! In the winter, all horses either go barefoot or get snow pads and small studs for traction to go with their regular shoes. We adjust the duration and intensity of each ride to accommodate the footing and temperature on a day to day basis. Colder temps mean longer warmups and cool downs, and maybe a fleece cooler before getting turned back out. Deep snow is more of a workout, and may require a shorter ride, as it requires your horse to pick their feet up higher than normal (which is a phenomenal way to build topline, yay! Our favorite thing here at Flicker Polo Ponies!). Snowy rides are not the time to work on speed & hard stops, but they can be a wonderful time to work on balance, softness of cues, lateral work, and smooth transitions. Thanks to all my wonderful friends & students for braving the cold, and as always, I'm so appreciative of the wonderful for plowing a riding track around the field to make life easier!