Winter Survival Tips

Some of these are equestrian specific.. others count for everyone!

Be Prepared

It is a bit late for this now and I’m regretting it. Must do better next year!

Have your rugs clean and planned out (I failed on this front. I haven’t got a no fill rug with a neck and that’s what I want now!)

Establish A Routine

This has been a godsend for me.

Come rain or shine, Monday nights and Friday nights have been my concrete riding nights (bar one or two where I was poorly or had other commitments) and then weekend riding fits around everything else.  Three/four rides a week isn’t as good as I want but it is as much as I can manage.

Wrap Up

It is an obvious one but so important.  Cold and wet weather has always and will always affect my leg so I’ve become a bit of an expert on this.

Footwear – My neoprene Le Chameau changed my life last winter.  They are warm, comfy and the mud doesn’t seem to clump on the bottoms.

Thermals – I’ve got some old Helly Hansen thermal leggings which are so helpful in the winter.

Waterproof trousers – I have Mark Todd waterproofs for proper cold weather which are like wearing duvets on your legs – my top recommendation for snow!  I have thin Horseware ones and Ornella Prosperi for normal days!

Coats – This winter I am rocking my Mark Todd coat, with a fleecy inside and a high collar it has been keeping me properly toasty.  If I’m hacking out though I wear my high vis.

Headgear – I have bobble hats and headbands galore but this winter I think I might have to invest in some earwarmers for my hat.

Go Alternative

If your outdoor activity is restricted, try something else – yoga for example, reading a good book (I’ll be reviewing Charlotte Dujardin’s ‘The Girl On The Dancing Horse’ soon) or check out Can’t Ride, Can Horse for more ideas.

Accept

Accept the mud, accept the darkness, bide your time because it will be over and before we know it we will be complaining about the heat and the flies!

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