Snow doesn’t have to be the end of your ability to ride. If you know the footing under the snow and ice isn’t and issue then it can be fun to ride.
I grew up in Maine and I remember riding when the snow was belly deep on my pony. My mom would often break the trail with her horse first. Our favorite place to ride was in a big field where we knew the footing. The snow was untouched and we would make paths and play games.
This is a video of a recent ride that we took in the snow. We were in New Mexico and the footing under the snow was sandy. We also had a guide that knew the trails well.
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Of course! That’s the best part of winter!
Well I live in Manitoba Canada so about 7 months of my riding is done in the snow!
At this time I don’t have time to ride. I go to school full time and work, all the while taking care of three young boys. My husband has a job where it keeps him away from home a lot. But I used to ride in the snow and plan to again when I’m done with college!
I so want a horse with Newt’s personality!
The scenery reminds me of Bev Doolittle paint horse art. Hide and Seek.
I did not get to ride much when I was in college since I went out of state. When I would come home to ND for Christmas vacation, I would put on my dad’s insulated coveralls and go for moonlit rides. When we had a full moon, it was beautiful. Being able to ride at night allowed me to ride if I had to do something during the day. It was so beautiful that my dad started doing it too. If my mare felt like bucking, we would ride down in the coulees and the deep snow would take the edge off of her. I loved it and miss it.
I am 69 and live in NW PA and have ridden outdoors 724 of the last 821 Sundays. When it is cold and snowy I ride with a bareback pad. I set myself a goal of riding 1,000 Sundays by age 80 plus I just feel so much better when I ride. I ride other days too but keep track of number of Sundays. 18 inches of snow today but it was 45 degrees. I put boots on my horses front feet for riding in snow.
When it snowed in Portland they closed the schools. So I rode the bus out to the end of the line then walked a couple miles in the snow to where I boarded my horse. Couldn’t go to school but I could ride. This was in the 60’s when I was a teen ager. Good memories. I love it when you ride the trails. The country is so pretty. I still ride every day but take it easier now.
Beautiful video! I live in New England and ride in the snow- as long as it is not crusty and the trail heads are clear.
I’m an older rider and no longer canter down the snowy trails the way I did in my youth (or even a few years ago). I’m always joking about what a wimp I’ve become, but with age comes awareness of the things that can go wrong such as a patch of ice covered by snow. I am cautious. I expect my horse to take care of me and it is my responsibility to take care of him!
But there is nothing like the silence of winter woods broken by the soft rhythm of hoof beats.
We rode a bit today even thought it was 18 F. There is at least 3 feet of snow on the ground and more coming!
In 60 years of riding, I have never ridden in the snow. Can’t see me starting now. But the big guy, 18hh Hanoverian, called Gimme A Dream lives to run, roll and eat in the snow. The mares follow his tracks when they venture out.
I really enjoyed my ride with you and Jesse in the snow of New Mexico. Firstly I never realized New Mexico got snow, dumb Canadian. However I do ride when the footing is safe, sometimes the winter rides are some of the best. Now that I’m a senior citizen, I’m a woose and prefer those warmer days.
Happy Trails, love your blog!
We don’t really ride in the snow, but we let the horses play in it. They love it!
Yes Stacey!! I live here in yer home state of Maine and snow is belly deep and riding has been fun! Its a workout for them seeing they didn’t get much riding in the beginning all we got was ice but now its all fluffy white snow and so much fun!
We are in our sixties and only ride in the snow if the weather is good…this year started off with a great deal of ice under everything, bitterly cold and sometimes lots of wind… so we decided to give the horses a few months off. We don’t do heavy duty riding anyway, a max of three hours, much of which is walking, so it doesn’t take a great deal of time to get them in shape when spring comes.