It’s -20°C. Get Off My Back.

Hello.

Roxy here.

I would like to discuss something that apparently needs to be discussed because humans see -20°C on the thermometer and think:

"Hmm. Maybe I should ride today."

No.

You should not.

You should go inside, make coffee, put on ridiculous fuzzy socks and leave me alone with my hay.

I am a horse. I grow an entire winter coat specifically because I live outside and nature knew you people would eventually build houses with furnaces and abandon the rest of us.

I am actually pretty good at dealing with cold weather.

But standing around eating hay in -20°C and exercising with a human strapped to my back in -20°C are two very different things.

Horses Handle Cold Better Than You Think

Healthy horses that are acclimated to winter can tolerate surprisingly cold temperatures, especially when they have:

• A good winter coat

• Shelter from wind and precipitation

• Plenty of forage

• Access to unfrozen water

• Good body condition

My winter coat isn't decorative.

Those fluffy hairs trap a layer of warm air close to my skin, basically creating my own built-in insulated jacket.

And eating hay helps too.

Fermentation of forage in my digestive system produces heat, which is why you'll often find horses happily standing at the hay feeder while humans are outside questioning every decision that led them there.

So the problem isn't necessarily that your horse is cold.

The problem is what happens when you decide we need to WORK.

Cold Air and Exercise Aren't Best Friends

When I'm standing around quietly, I'm breathing normally.

Start trotting and loping me around and suddenly I'm pulling much larger amounts of freezing, dry air into my respiratory system.

Very cold, dry air can irritate the airways, particularly during harder exercise.

So while your horse may look perfectly comfortable hanging out in the paddock at -20°C, that doesn't automatically mean it's a brilliant day for cardio.

Think:

Cold horse eating hay = probably quite happy.

Cold horse doing wind sprints = considerably less impressed.

"But My Arena Is Heated!"

Wonderful.

Humans have defeated winter.

Except you haven't.

A warm indoor arena certainly makes riding more pleasant, and it removes some of the problems associated with exercising directly in extremely cold air.

But there's something else to think about:

Your horse still has to go from the cold barn or outdoors, into the warm arena, exercise, and then eventually go back into the cold.

That's where things can get tricky.

Cold → Warm → Cold

Imagine I'm standing comfortably outside at -20°C wearing my magnificent winter yak costume.

Then you bring me into a warm arena.

My body starts warming up.

Then we exercise.

Now I'm producing even more heat.

And unlike you, I can't unzip my winter coat and hang it over the arena fence.

So I sweat.

That thick winter coat that worked beautifully outside can now hold moisture close to my skin.

Then the ride ends.

Eventually I have to go back outside.

Into -20°C.

Wet.

This is not the clever loophole humans seem to think it is.

The temperature change itself isn't necessarily the villain. Horses can move between environments. The bigger concern is how much heat and moisture we've produced while exercising and whether I've properly cooled and dried before returning to extreme cold.

The Warm Arena Can Fool You

This is probably one of the easiest mistakes to make.

Inside the arena, everybody feels comfortable.

You're warm.

I'm warm.

The footing is lovely.

So we ride harder.

And because we're comfortable, you may not realize just how sweaty I've become underneath my winter coat until you pull the saddle off.

Now my neck is damp.

My chest is damp.

My girth area is wet.

Maybe I'm sweaty underneath my saddle pad.

And outside it's still -20°C.

Excellent planning, Susan.

Now we live here.

Cooling Out Becomes Really Important

If your horse gets sweaty during a winter ride, don't finish your last lap, toss them outside and assume they'll sort themselves out.

Give them time to cool down gradually.

Walk.

Let their breathing return to normal.

Remove wet tack and saddle pads.

Use a cooler if appropriate.

Allow the coat to dry.

Depending on how hairy and sweaty the horse is, this can take considerably longer than you expect.

You want the horse comfortable and reasonably dry before returning them to severe cold, particularly if there's wind.

Because a fluffy dry winter coat is excellent insulation.

A wet, flattened winter coat?

Much less impressive.

There's Also the Respiratory Side

There's another reason I don't love the heated-arena loophole.

Moving between very cold, dry outdoor air and warmer indoor air means the respiratory system is dealing with very different environments.

And indoor arenas aren't automatically respiratory paradise either.

Dust, footing particles, hay dust and poor ventilation can all affect air quality.

Add exercise, when I'm breathing much more deeply, and suddenly the fact that the arena is warm doesn't necessarily mean the air is ideal.

A well-ventilated indoor arena with good footing is obviously preferable to a dusty enclosed box of horse fog.

Again:

Warm does not automatically mean healthy.

Muscles Prefer a Proper Warm-Up

Cold weather can also mean stiffer muscles and joints.

Which should not be shocking considering humans over 35 make noises getting off the couch.

If I've just come in from extreme cold, give my body some time to get moving before asking for harder work.

Walk.

Then walk some more.

Gradually introduce bending and bigger movements.

Then trot.

You don't need to drag me out of -20°C and immediately ask for athletic greatness.

Older horses, arthritic horses and horses that are already prone to stiffness deserve even more consideration.

Sometimes the best winter workout is simply movement.

Nothing dramatic needs to happen.

And Can We Talk About the Ground?

Because apparently nobody invited the ground to this discussion.

At -20°C, outdoor footing can become HARD.

Frozen arenas, icy patches, packed snow and uneven frozen ground can increase the risk of slipping or taking one awkward step.

Even if the temperature itself isn't the deciding factor, the footing might be.

If the ground feels like concrete with a light dusting of betrayal on top, perhaps today isn't the day to work on speed.

Wind Matters Too

There is a big difference between:

-20°C, sunny and calm

and

-20°C with a screaming prairie wind trying to remove everyone's face.

Wind can increase heat loss, particularly if a horse is wet.

So don't just stare at the temperature.

Look at the whole situation.

Wind. Snow. Ice. Footing. Your horse's age. Fitness. Coat. Health. Whether your arena is heated. How sweaty your horse is likely to become. And whether you have enough time to cool them out properly afterward.

There isn't one magical number where every horse suddenly receives an email saying:

RIDING CANCELLED.

But once we're down around -20°C, especially with wind, there are enough factors involved that it's worth asking whether today's ride is really necessary.

Spoiler:

It probably isn't.

What Can You Do Instead?

If you're desperate to spend time with your horse, you have options that don't involve turning us into frozen equestrian athletes.

Give us a good grooming.

Do some very light groundwork if the footing is safe.

Practice yielding, backing or simple handling exercises.

Go for a quiet hand walk.

Do stretches.

Check blankets.

Clean tack.

Organize that tack room you've been pretending isn't a disaster.

Or here's a revolutionary idea:

Just hang out with your horse.

Bring me something delicious.

Scratch the itchy spot.

Tell me I'm beautiful.

Go home.

Missing One Ride Will Not Destroy Our Training

This seems to be the hardest concept for humans.

Your horse will not forget everything because you didn't ride for three days during a cold snap.

I will not wake up thinking:

"Who is this woman? What is a saddle? I've never seen a barrel before."

Rest days happen.

Weather happens.

Winter happens.

Good horsemanship isn't proving how tough you are by riding regardless of conditions.

And having access to a heated arena doesn't mean every winter day automatically becomes a riding day either.

Sometimes good horsemanship is looking at the thermometer, looking at your horse and deciding:

Not today.

There will be warmer days.

The arena will still exist.

Your horse will still know how to horse.

And I'll be perfectly content spending the afternoon performing my preferred winter exercise:

Standing beside a round bale and eating continuously.

You're welcome.

– Roxy 🐴