Are you a winter warrior or a winter worrier? Make life easier with Daisy Smith’s help and embrace the off-season ready to hit the ground running again come spring
Our expert
Daisy Smith is a confidence coach, presenter and writer. She writes award-winning blog, How Very Horsey, runs regular rider confidence courses and is an ambassador for Intelligent Horsemanship.
Going into the winter can be a bleak prospect – the cold, clipping and battle against mud… even in the best of years, it can feel a big ask to see it through until spring. But with this year’s summer such a write-off for many of us (and with the world in slight disarray), it’s likely you may not be riding the usual end-of-season high that makes the chillier months feel more bearable.
However, winter doesn’t need to be a survival exercise – all you need is a little mindset shake-up to set you back on the right track. By taking just a few practical steps and giving yourself a hand where you might need it most, you’re sure to give your motivation levels a much-needed boost.
Winter is coming
It’s inevitable – Jack Frost is on his way and, though his official arrival date may be 21 December, we all know that the months from October–March can blur into one dark, damp bundle. Unless you have something to aim for, from scoping out a new ride location to earning points towards a qualification, it can be the toughest time to be a horse owner. The best way to stay on track? Set yourself some goals. But the worst thing you could do? Aim for unachievable goalposts that do more to overwhelm you than motivate you.
It’s not the time to think about repainting all the stables, power-hosing miles of tarmac or renovating every jump wing you have in the arena. While all of these things might make your time at the yard more enjoyable, be realistic. Consider the winter elements and think about tackling tasks that require a smaller output but still boast big gains. A morning rearranging the feed room to make it easier to work in, perhaps? Or, spend a couple of hours sorting through your tack so things are easier to find?
A question to ask yourself, then – what will make life easier? Could you upgrade…
• your equipment? There are incredible products for the winter available, including heated rug racks, heat lamps and hot horse showers. If you’re on a more limited budget, buying an extra heater in the tack room, fixing the hosepipe or getting some extra hoof picks and buckets can help, too
• your environment? Is there anything you can move or change to kickstart your productivity? Sometimes the biggest battle is the muddy entrances to fields, turning getting your horse in from the field into an endurance battle or slipand- slide. What could you do now to minimise this? There are clever plastic grid systems for gateways but again, if budgets don’t stretch that far, some hardcore or an electric fence set-up making the entrance moveable could prove invaluable
• your clothing? Alfred Wainwright famously said, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.” It’s well and truly wellie weather, so don’t waste time trudging around in leather boots and chaps that’ll only get demolished. Be ready with the warm waterproofs, decent socks, gloves and a hat, and why not embrace your inner OAP by investing in some thermals? If there’s one thing we know about winter, it’s that it’ll be cold and wet, so there’s no excuse not to be prepared