01/06/2015
I think I'd wimp out before riding in temps that might be at risk to the horse, but good to know just the same.
Some (dressage) training advise for cold temperatures:
Air temperature and inhalation:
In an indoor, when there is no real wind (other than made by us riding…) there is no real risk of damaging airways with cold air…unless temps drop blow –15 F. I would not canter full speed for a long time, but who does that in an indoor?
Outside I would not canter or trot into the wind when temperatures are below 10 F
Temperature and muscle action:
When temperatures drop below 15 F, muscles tend to take longer to warm up. Especially stretching muscles will take time, and a longer walk to warm up than normal, like 10-15 minutes is advisable. Do a lot of stretching exercises in walk so the muscle tissue will stretch at low speed with less risk to strain (or even rupture).
Work in trot for 10-15 minutes, again stretching and plenty of work on circles to get a good cardiovascular work out and generate some heat in the body to make muscles more supple. After this longer warm up with stretching you can start to do canter, again longer and deeper to have the muscles adapt and stretch.
Now the horse is ready for any work, but I would still be careful with exercises that require a lot of collection like canter pirouettes, maybe make them a bit larger than normal, and be very careful with extended trot and canter.
Cool down for 10-15 minutes so breathing pattern is normal.
Before work you can warm up the muscles a bit, like with heat lamps (solarium, better BEFORE work than after). Realize that walk with a quarter sheet to warm the horse up quicker just warms the hind end, not the muscles in upper arm, upper leg en neck and shoulder!
When you have to walk from indoor arena to barn, realize your horse has a lot of internal heat developed during work, so a quarter sheet or a blanket is not really necessary….
