Deep Freeze and Sunshine 🌞
As is often the case in winter, when the sun shines the temperatures plummet. When I woke up on Friday morning to the radio announcer warning of -30 degrees celsius, I knew it was going to be rough but bright.
These are the days when old people are warned to stay inside, and children/teenagers are reminded to wear winter coats (and socks, and mittens, and hats ... all the things that make you look uncool). It was definitely frostbite weather.
I had not had a proper ride in a while, but I did not want to dilly dally at the barn and risk losing my motivation for the trail. We had a few extra inches of snow, and the groomers had worked on the trails the evening before. It was promising to be amazing footing.
I dressed in layers, with foot warmers in my boots, and tacked up quickly. We were on the trail in minutes, battling the cold wind blowing across the first field. Yikes! We booted down to the main trail with Q marching like his ass was on fire. I was a little nervous that he might need to trot off some excess energy before we got to canter. Sure enough, he had lots of spare energy and struggled to keep his trot under control. So we practiced transitions within the trot instead. It was a brisk forty minute ride, mostly trotting.
The trails were as promised. Amazing footing, like a beautiful white highway. (Can you hear the snow crunch and squeak on the video?) Being a weekday, I did not see another soul. Just me, my favorite partner, and the quiet of a bright crisp day in the woods.
Im anxious to get back out there and work on our canter. Tomorrow should be another beautiful and slightly warmer day with a forecast of -15 degrees celsius.
These are the days when old people are warned to stay inside, and children/teenagers are reminded to wear winter coats (and socks, and mittens, and hats ... all the things that make you look uncool). It was definitely frostbite weather.
I had not had a proper ride in a while, but I did not want to dilly dally at the barn and risk losing my motivation for the trail. We had a few extra inches of snow, and the groomers had worked on the trails the evening before. It was promising to be amazing footing.
I dressed in layers, with foot warmers in my boots, and tacked up quickly. We were on the trail in minutes, battling the cold wind blowing across the first field. Yikes! We booted down to the main trail with Q marching like his ass was on fire. I was a little nervous that he might need to trot off some excess energy before we got to canter. Sure enough, he had lots of spare energy and struggled to keep his trot under control. So we practiced transitions within the trot instead. It was a brisk forty minute ride, mostly trotting.
The trails were as promised. Amazing footing, like a beautiful white highway. (Can you hear the snow crunch and squeak on the video?) Being a weekday, I did not see another soul. Just me, my favorite partner, and the quiet of a bright crisp day in the woods.
Im anxious to get back out there and work on our canter. Tomorrow should be another beautiful and slightly warmer day with a forecast of -15 degrees celsius.
Sounds perfect. Do you have a riding skirt? That would keep you toasty warm. I’ve thought about it but I don’t ride enough in winter.
ReplyDeleteMy experience riding in the cold days of winter (-10 to -20) is that my thighs very rarely get cold. As they are big muscle groups, often solicited for riding, they tend to stay moderately warm. The bigger issue for me are my extremities (particularly my toes) and my face.
DeleteI generally walk the first and last 10 minutes, and try to trot most of the distance in between. The faster speed keeps my heart rate up, and I rarely get cold ... even in my toes.
When footing is atrocious, and we are condemned to walk, I go for shorter rides when it is very cold because I know my body can not heat up fast enough to keep my extremities from turning into blocks of ice. That is when a riding skirt might come in handy. But my toes would still fall off before my thighs started to shiver. ;-)
Around here, riding skirts are a bit like quarter sheets. More of a fashion accessory then a real cold winter tool.
I'm gold just reading about this, but boy is it beautiful!
ReplyDelete