Too cold to ride? Nope!
If anything is as hot button as the blanketing debate in the horse community, it is temperature. When is it too cold to ride?
We are experiencing colder than normal temperatures here in PA, but I am here to tell you it is NOT too cold to ride, even if you have no indoor and your outdoor ring is covered in snow. Temperature should always be a factor when deciding what you do with your horse, bit "too cold" is a bit extreme here. There are many, many exercises you can do without ever breaking the walk!
Here you can see me riding my personal mustang, Pocket, in a snow covered outdoor with temperatures hovering right around 13°F with a real feel of 2°F. We worked on head set, neck reining, and basic maneuvers without ever doing more than walking for about 20 minutes. When we were done, she was still perfectly healthy, I picked the snow from her hooves, and she went back out with her friends in the same condition from which I collected her.
Go play with your horse and have some fun with it!
The Horse World Expo is still several months away, but prep work begins early starting with some desensitizing! I have big plans for the breed row demo next year 🇺🇲
The potato... I mean Oslo... went back to work today! 🥔🙊
I firmly believe it is important for young horses to be in a consistent training routine long before they are ready to start under saddle. I typically aim for two days per week, about half an hour or less for each session. This routine allows for growth of both the mind and body to start a solid foundation without straining either one. Your future self will thank you as your tiny, cute weanling grows into a full-sized horse with wonderful manners.
These sessions are especially important for Oslo who is an intact c**t that will eventually become a breeding stud as well as my riding/driving horse. Today's lesson was on softness and stretching!
Little Kayce is a 3yo mustang prepping for his first ride this week! He spent his first two weeks learning about softness and moving off pressure. This week we ride!
Ground Work - Figure Eight
This is a fun exercise for horses of all ages, but I particularly love it for my young ones before they are started under saddle.
By doing a figure eight through the cones, horses learn how to move, or "send," off of pressure which later translates to a go forward cue under saddle. It also helps them with shoulder control, yielding the front end and crossing their front feet over each other. This cross over is the foundation for side passing, half passing, roll backs, and so much more! Shoulder control is a key element to success under saddle.
This exercise also helps nervous horses learn to "switch eyes" as they go around. The two halves of a horse's brain can often have trouble communicating with each other. Have you ever been in a situation where your horse trots past an object fine one direction, but as soon as you go the other way they suddenly spook? It's a miscommunication between the sides of the brain! This exercise helps a horse see things from both eyes and bridges the gap in the mind!
Shown below is Oslo learning the maneuver for the first time today with my working student, Kait (also learning for the first time).
It was HOT today 🥵
Even at 8am the temperatures were miserably high so we ventured out of the ring to check fences and the horses in the back pastures. Come along with me for a solo ride around the farm with Joey!
I really don't understand why this fantastic gelding is still available
Morning calisthenics with Mr. Normandy. Allowing horses to stretch themselves out while riding is incredibly important, especially in the young ones who are still growing and developing (Mr. Normandy is 3 years old).
This stretching helps with overall wellness and strength in the neck, shoulders, back, and haunches and increases relaxation of the mind and body.
Does your horse struggle with this kind of movement? Shoot me a message! I have training spots available in the coming weeks.
Circus or training facility? Sometimes, the difference is very slim! 🎪
Joey is a saint while we test all the ways he is bombproof! He is still available!
❗️Lower level lesson horse or solid trail mount alert❗️
Joey
15hh, mid teens grade appaloosa gelding
Joey is a wonderful grade appaloosa gelding that was pulled from auction several years ago by his current owner. I personally (re)started Joey under saddle in 2022 and since then he has been his owner's steady trail mount riding out both alone and in a group. Unfortunately Joey is not fitting in well with his owner's herd dynamics (mixed herd with no way to separate) and therefore she must sadly part with him.
Joey is an easy-going packer type with no buck/rear/kick/bolt and very minimal spook. He has safely tolerated all of my shenanigans and I am comfortable marketing him as advanced beginner friendly (and also capable of leadline). Joey does require some minor maintence--routine body work due to his confirmation--but is otherwise an easy keeper that is fat on air and barefoot.
Joey is priced at 💲3️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ firm. I am happy to discuss his maintence with seriously interested buyers. More videos are available upon request!
(Don't judge my Around the World skills; I have not done this since I was a child!)
