[Appsolute]

And snuck another short ride in last night before we got more rain!

Should get off work early today (would LOVE to ride in some light!), but - I am hoping its not too drenched / slippery to ride. WILL ride thurs - sunday weather permitting (really trying to keep miss mare in shape this winter! Worked hard at getting her fit this year).

I also forgot to grab some breeches on the way out the door this morning. Will have to tuck my dress slacks into my half chaps - but it won't be the first time I looked so cool!

[Janet]

I skipped Monday because I had to go grocery shopping, and make the pastry for the Thanksgiving mince pie.

Rode Tuesday night. Only half a moon but it was enough. I worked on some things from the weekend clinic- especially trying NOT to drop my left shoulder. By about half way through the ride, there was a muscle in my upper back that was starting to get uncomfortable. Overnight it actually started to hurt, and it is still there. So I must have been unconsiously protecting something. Somehow I need to break through it.

Unless they send us home REALLY early today, I am not going to try to ride tonight- I need to bake the pie.

I will try to ride on Thursday before we head to my sister's at noon, and on Friday. I have lessons on Sat and Sun.

[Janet]

What is everyone's cut-off for riding temps?

It really depends. Is it damp and miserable and dark? or is it dry and bright? Even at the same nominal temperature, it makes a difference. Also whether or not there is a wind, what the footing is like, and whether I am riding in the day or in the dark.

[BeaSting]

Rode today. Just 15 minutes in the indoor trotting. Hard to do anything but hug the rail since most afternoons/evenings people are jumping and my mare doesn't jump. Weather was sunny, no wind, so we hacked outside for 20 minutes.

As far as my cut-off temp - It doesn't matter what the temperature is if it's dry, sunny and wind-free and my toes aren't froze.

Will ride tomorrow. I'll be in New York Fri thru Sun., but took an extra day off on Monday so I can decompress and ride before going back to work.

[SarahandSam]

I usually have 15 as my cut-off, but if it's below that for a couple days I'll at least hop on and do some w/t no-stirrups stuff or something that's easy on my horse but makes me work harder.

I really should have ridden today because it was so nice, but I've been cleaning/grocery shopping/baking/school work all day. Hoping to fit in a quick ride tomorrow morning since it's supposed to be equally nice--50s and sunny.

[Acertainsmile]

Schooled sale horse in the ring, worked on transitions, leg yields, jumped a few jumps. Rewarded him (and myself) with a nice quiet hack down to the river. It was such a beautiful day!

I have someone coming to try him on Friday, and he will have the day off tomorrow, hopefully he will be nice and quiet for the test ride!

[Brigit]

Oh I so know the feeling! When it's dark out and cold, it's so much nicer just to tuck in the house and curl up in a blanket.
My tricks to riding is to not sit down at all when I get home from work. Usually I eat after I'm done at the barn too. Get home, change into a pair of long underwear & winter breeches, some wool socks & warm boots and off I go. I find once I'm there and doing stuff, I warm up & actually end up peeling off some layers, especially once I'm riding. If I sit down when I get home or think too much about it, then I'll talk myself out of riding. I've also got a friend that I ride with and we try to motivate each other to ride.
Last night it was about -14 Celcius outside, snowing hard and we had a great ride inside! I actually find that on the nights that I don't ride and just sit at home, I get a chill because I'm sitting around not doing much. Keep on motoring and you stay warm!

[superD]

Well I went to ride on Tuesday night after work and my green bean was lame . On Wednesdays my trainer rides him and she reported he was still lame I really hope he didn't reinjure his tendon.

I will go out Friday or Saturday and check him again.

I really do not need 2 pasture puffs.......

[pony4me]

Rode this afternoon, and horse was great! Beautiful warm, sunny day. DH went along just in case no one else was at the barn and horse decided to be spunky.

[PrimoAmor]

Well. I went to the chiro on Wednesday. He said my L5 vertebrae is out. He did an adjustment and said I probably shouldn't ride for a few weeks. I told him I had to, that I would rest for two days over Thanksgiving but that with a green TB I would have more issues not riding then I would riding.

Free jumped him on Wednesday night and boy my back was a wreak! I was glad I didn't ride. P.S. my horse can FLY! Holy cow. Didn't ride Thursday like promised.

Today I really didn't want to ride but I did. It's been since Sunday since I last rode. I was worried Piper might be fresh and was really cautious of my back. He lunged fine and I hopped on. Walking felt great on my back and I worked on our disengaging the hind end. I hesitantly picked up the posting trot and OWW! Even just lightly meeting the saddle was painful. Piper seemed to know I wasn't doing well and trotted softly for a lap both directions before I realized I had to stop. Then... I have to dismount... That was also quite painful.

Pretty bummed now. I can't get back to the chiro till Wed. I guess I will be lunging and walking for awhile.

[pony4me]

Cold, windy 9:30am lesson this morning. Too cold to ride outside because there was lots of frozen water puddling in the outdoor ring. Bratty lesson pony did not want to be caught, so I had to get help. After we got on, and we all warmed up, it was fun. How many more weeks until spring???

[Appsolute]

Got a few days of sun which dried out the fields enough for some hill work. Spent yesterday in the hills.

Rode Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, plan on a jumping school today, and a hack out in the hills tomorrow.

[superD]

Well I went out to the barn to day to see if my boy was sound yet. He was sound on the lounge but I think I will give him another week just to be sure.

So instead of riding I decided to body clip him for the second time this season. To say he was not pleased is an understatement but he was perfect as he is always.

My wonderful farrier will be putting the bar shoes back on him since we think he needs them for a little extra support for that tendon.

[SarahandSam]

I missed all the beautiful weather Wednesday and Thursday because I had too much crap to do before Thanksgiving, but dragged myself out in the wind and cold yesterday and had a nice ride. Today the barn owner's daughter rode him over fences for me, so I give myself half credit for at least getting out there again. (: Tomorrow he gets off, but I have a jumping lesson on a lesson horse... then I need to get myself out there to ride either Monday or Tuesday before our lesson together on Wednesday. Fortunately we have a new trainer coming in that I can ride with to give me some motivation this winter!

[horsenuttyme]

I'm such a weenie in the cold weather but I reduced my excuses by getting new cold weather gear. Kerrits wind pro tights, Ariat Bromont boots, silk long johns, smart wool socks, and Roeckl winter gloves. It paid off today. 9am lesson. Sunny but cold. It was really fun. And I stayed outside all day. Moved my horse home, got him settled and bush hogged the fields. My face is still kind of stiff but I will enjoy my adult beverage and ignore it.

[Trevelyan96]

The weather was so perfect Thurdsay and yesterday and I did NOT ride. I did tack him up yesterday, but some evil genius (Mr. Trevelyan) thought it would be a good idea to let Inky out in the back pasture while I rode Rico out front. I had a squealing, bucking, farting idiot in the back pasture and a rearing, striking SOB in hand. Getting on would have been a suicidal.

I was so PO'd at both myself and them, I put Inky back in his stall and lunged Rico until he was practically begging to sit in my lap.
Then Inky was a perfect angel loading up and going to the trainer with DD last night for his first lesson in over a month. Guess he got it all out of his system earlier in the day.

I don't care how cold it is tomorrow, I WILL ride.

[superD]

Went out to the barn yesterday to take a stroll on my younger guy when my old man must have decided that being retired is boring and so he coliced.

Spent the day hand walking the old man and waiting for the vet. Turned out he was just really cold and once he warmed up was back to his normal self. Who would have known he needs more blankets than my other boy who is body clipped???

[Bedazzle]

Had a decent ride on the mare this morning. It was chilly, but I warmed up quickly and had a pleasant ride.

[BeaSting]

Rode today. Perfect weather = 50-55 degrees, full on sun and no wind. Had the freshly dragged outdoor to myself - walked figures - circles and serpentines. Very pleased coming around on our tracks to see how perfectly circular our circles were. Afterwards, joined by another rider for a hack out to the road and back. I usually hack solo, so it was pleasant having a companion today.

[hundredacres]

I rode 4 times last week and my goal was 5 for this week: M,W,F, Sa, Su......so far I screwed up as I got home and was freezing so I just didn't go out. Now it's dark and time to feed .