12/08/2024
❄️🐴 Why It's Essential to Help Your Riders Dress for Cold Weather
….. ‼️ and an easy email template (for you to personalize) to send to your riders! ‼️
There’s nothing worse than a rider who’s cold and uncomfortable. A cold, tense rider simply isn’t in an optimal state for learning or riding.
While you probably know how to dress for the barn in colder temperatures, have you communicated this to your riders and their families?
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard riders step out of the car and say, “It’s colder here than it was at home!”
When riders aren’t properly prepared for cold weather, both their physical and emotional states are impacted:
The Physical Toll of Being Cold
Cold muscles are stiff and less responsive, reducing flexibility and coordination. This affects safety and performance in the saddle:
🥶 Numb fingers struggle to feel and hold the reins.
🥶 Rigid hips create bouncing riders with braced legs.
🥶 Stiff shoulders and elbows can cause pulling on the horse’s face.
Additionally, as the body works harder to stay warm, riders tire out more quickly, leading to reduced focus and endurance.
The Emotional Impact of the Cold
When the body is focused on staying warm, it diverts energy away from mental and physical tasks. Riders may struggle with processing, retaining information, and even demonstrating skills they are normally good at. Emotionally, being cold can lead to frustration and irritability. Think about how you feel when you’re chilled to the bone—short-fused and more focused on warming up than anything else.
Preparation Matters
The easiest solution..... Have riders come prepared to the barn for the weather. As an instructor, you should educate your riders (and their families) about how to dress appropriately for winter lessons. It may sound simple, but many people don’t spend as much time outside these days and may not know how to dress for extended exposure to the cold.
So other than having your rider dress for the weather, what things can you do in lessons minimize some of the effects from the cold weather.
☃️ Ride in sunny areas
☃️ Ride in areas out of the wind
☃️ Minimize the idol time in lessons and focus on quality over quantity
☃️ Encourage ways to get their body moving and elevate their heart rate without sweating prior to their lesson.
👇 🥶 If you actually read this, drop a comment below with the lowest temperature you have experienced at your barn !!
‼️ Get Your Free Winter Prep Resources! ‼️
In the comments, you’ll find a signup link. Enter your email, and I’ll send you a PDF of the infographic and a template you can use to quickly email your riders and their families to better prepare them for winter lessons.
Let’s keep everyone warm, focused, and ready to ride this winter!
