Winter Horse Riding Tips: Safer Hacking, Warmer Riders and Happier Horses

1. Treat ice, frost and hard ground with respect

A lane that was merely wet at afternoon stables can be glassy by morning. Puddles freeze, shaded tracks hold ice long after the sun reaches the fields, and churned gateways can set into an unforgiving collection of ruts.

Walk the yard before deciding what sort of work is sensible. Think particularly about bridges, slopes, road crossings, concrete, gateways and anywhere water tends to collect. Hard, uneven ground can also be uncomfortable for horses with soundness concerns even when it is not visibly slippery.

There is no prize for completing the route you imagined over breakfast. Choose a safer track, school at a suitable pace, do groundwork or give the horse a day off. The most experienced winter riders are often the quickest to say, “Not today.”

2. Layer up without turning yourself into a duvet

Several light layers usually work better than one heroic coat. Start with a breathable base, add insulation and finish with a fitted wind- or water-resistant outer layer. You should still be able to bend your elbows, move your shoulders and sit without fabric bunching around the saddle.

• Hands: warm riding gloves still need to give you a reliable feel on the reins.
• Feet: use riding footwear with the right heel and a shape compatible with your stirrups.
• Head: keep wearing a correctly fitted riding helmet; do not squeeze bulky hats underneath it.
• Visibility: fluorescent and reflective kit helps other road users recognise horse and rider earlier in dull weather.

Check the sunset time, not just the clock. Winter light disappears surprisingly quickly behind hills, woodland and heavy cloud.

3. Give cold muscles a civilised beginning

A horse coming out of a stable on a cold morning should not be asked for its most athletic work at the gate. Begin with purposeful walking and allow time for the back and limbs to loosen. The right warm-up depends on the horse, its age, fitness, turnout and what you plan to do.

Pay attention to what is underfoot and to how the horse feels. Unusual stiffness, unevenness or reluctance is information, not an invitation to “push through”. Ask your vet or another suitable professional when something does not feel right.

The same applies at the end. Cool down, check for unusual sweating or rubs, remove wet tack and manage rugs according to the individual horse rather than habit.

4. Rug the horse in front of you—not the calendar

A clipped competition horse in a stable and a hardy native living out with shelter do not need the same wardrobe. Rugging depends on coat, clipping, age, body condition, shelter, workload and the actual combination of rain, wind and temperature.

More rug is not automatically more care. Check for heat, dampness, rubbing, slipped straps and pressure points. Keep forage appropriate to the horse’s management plan and make sure water remains available during freezing weather; troughs and buckets need checking, not assuming.

5. Do not ask one sunny Sunday to repair three quiet weeks

Short days and saturated ground can make a consistent programme difficult. The temptation is to do very little, then seize a bright weekend for a long, demanding ride. Fitness does not work that way.

Use the facilities and conditions you genuinely have: sensible schooling, groundwork, polework, lessons and suitable hacks can all contribute. After a break, rebuild duration and intensity gradually. A lightly exercised leisure horse and an established competition horse should not be following the same winter plan.

Variety is useful, but judgement is better. If the arena is deep, the roads are icy or the wind is turning a normally sensible horse inside out, adapt again.

6. Make a winter hack easy to find—and easy to abandon

Tell someone where you are going, carry a charged phone securely and choose a route that suits both the conditions and the horse. On roads, use conspicuous kit and favour quieter routes. In mist or heavy rain, remember that being visible to yourself is not the same as being visible to a driver.

Turn back before a deteriorating ride becomes an anecdote told in the tack room for all the wrong reasons. Sensible winter hacking is not timid; it is how you get home keen to ride again.

For more route-minded reading, visit our guide to hacking and trail-riding people, or explore the wider horse riders community.

A quick winter riding checklist

• Check the local forecast, ground and sunset time.
• Choose a route with safe footing and a realistic return time.
• Wear a fitted helmet, suitable boots, layers and visible kit.
• Warm the horse up and cool it down gradually.
• Check rugs, water, forage, feet, skin and tack after the ride.
• Change the plan without guilt when conditions are wrong.

Winter rewards preparation with some of the quietest, loveliest riding of the year. It also introduces a wonderfully efficient compatibility test: anyone who understands why you checked the water trough before replying to a message is already speaking the right language.