Taking a Survey: Got Riding Weather Yet?
Here's what it takes to make a horse gal happy--a little bit of sun, and dirt dry enough to ride on!Yesterday, I was able to leave the house, walk up the barn, saddle a horse, and ride in our outdoor arena for the first time this year. Yippee! Still can't venture very far out onto the ground that surrounds our place, because it's still too spongy out on that deep Palouse topsoil.
But you know how it is with us horse-o-holics. We'll take any bit of improvement we can get.
What about you--got riding weather yet?
posted by Juli Thorson @ 3:49 PM
20 comments
20 Comments:
finally here in south eastern wisconsin. Rode friday & saturday. ground is still soft - had to be carefull and was windy, but so worth it.
Here in Mississippi, we rode most of the day Saturday, rained all afternoon on Sunday, so it is too muddy to ride this afternoon but hopefully will ride tomorrow.
Been riding here in Nebraska -- got 50 hours in already and I don't have an indoor arena! We started hitting the trails by the river in late January - pretty everytime we saw a day over 45 degrees. After the time changed, been trying to get a little time on them in the outdoor arena. Not many hours early on, but getting better. Now the weather is so sporatic ... nice one day, rain or snow the next and then we get the lovely wind to top it all off! Seems spring is taking a LONG time!
Up here in Saskatchewan we've been riding outside for a few weeks. Little to no snow then and now offically able to ride without coats (Carhartts, whatever your cold weather riding clothing is)
Our footing situation is completely the opposite. We've been riding in the ditches because the snow is gone (except in a few scattered places) and the top of the ground is soft but there is a layer of frost underneath that is keeping the ground from being too squishy. The arena is a big mud hole right now though.
These first few rides with just a hoodie and t-shirt feel SO good!
The WAHSET team has been riding indoors rain or shine (Washington High School Equestrian Team) so we have been out. To wet still to ride around the property. The team just had their last meet in Tumwater WA Easter weekend and the Washington State meet is the weekend of May 15 in Pasco WA.
High School Equestrian Teams would be a great story for the
magazine!!
It has been a wonderful experience, and something besides
4-H and open and breed shows, or even HS rodeo. Our daughter graduates this year, so this is her last year.
Here in Arizona we are getting to the end of our good riding weather. The heat will hit within the next month, and riding will be best done at 5 am or after dark.
Reb
Heck yeah! I got sunburned again Saturday. There are really not that many non-riding winter days. This week, though, we're expecting some welcome rain. As much as I'd like to ride, I'll take every bit of the rain. I'm having to board the Boyz for at least another month to get some grass going.
Looks beautiful where you are...! Love the spring flowers in the background photo.
I'm in eastern Ontario (Canada). Our snow left in early March, which is rare. I was riding outside in mid-March without a coat and we were able to go out for a couple spins around the hay fields because there was still frost in the ground... Those first few rides outside are so sweet! :-)
Thankfully we live in an area of gravel and dirt roads. The downside is the pasture is still under water. The horses made it thru winter home until 2 weeks ago when one horse sunk to his belly in mud. He is OK but I wasn't after that. They are at my trainer/friend's farm for the next month. Ride-YOU BETCHA!
Yes...some days. In the high desert of Flagstaff...some days are spring, others winter and a few just so windy the horses get squirrely. Just gotta pay attention and ride when the weather gods smile. Chores can wait!
No since we got back from AZ. The roads and are are just mush - you know what a mess those little horseprints make in that. Also it is a damp cold because we still have snow. We could ride in the indoor arena but would have to shuffle horses around and it is just too cold for me. I am a diva.
I am waiting for those nice warm days.
It snowed here Easter morning but didn't last long. Most of our trails still have 6 to 8" of rotten snow on them. We've ridden a couple of times but stay on the roads. The ground is still frozen more than 8" down so we have lots of standing water, slush and mud.
It's almost always riding weather down here :)
hey Juli, isthat "sister" in the back ground?
Love your yellow Jonquils/daffodils.
Enjoy your rides, you might get some more ride time in by this weekend.....
Well, nothing's blooming here yet in southern Ontario.
The corral at the farm, which is clay soil, (gah, yuck) is dry in some places so we rode over the weekend (yay!).
The pasture field is off limits though, and will be for another month or so. The new grass hasn't even started yet.
I've been riding at "work" throughout the winter, but the riding ring there is sand and drains much better. All the frost is out of the ground! Soon I'm hoping it'll be reliable weather at least; it's been like a yo-yo for over a month. I don't even need it to be warm, just so I know which coat to wear!
I'm still waiting for that day , maybe next week for me!
Katmom,
The canned-ham trailer in the photo background belongs to Shelley #654, who also keeps her horse here.
We are taking her trailer, and mine, down on the Salmon, by Riggins, for the weekend. Gotta practice our fly casting, first girlfriends trailer outing of the year--woohoo!
Ha! Still snow in Nova Scotia, at least in our area, 15 min in either direction and the grass is starting to grow!
Almost...
Hey ya'll: where I live right now it is cool and crisp in the mornings when I feed my horse before work and then when I am free it is either hot or too windy! How is that for desert life? I don't know, but I want to go riding: oooooh, how I long to go ridin'. Any horse-loving gal knows what I'm saying!! Love to ya'll from California (and you thought it was always sunny here, huh?)
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