don't believe the hype: too cold to ride?

Winter's come to Maryland and is hunkering down for an extended stay. Any hopes we had of another mild season are gone - jumping in the outdoor arena in a long sleeved tee seems highly unlikely this January. Sadness.

But. Ya know. Them's the breaks, right? As with anything with horses, we work with the circumstances and resources we have and do the best we can.

So I'd like to take a moment to discuss in greater detail my own personal thoughts on riding in extreme cold conditions, with reference to the research and published opinions of folks who know better than I do.

First off? This is basically a judgement free zone. If one look at the forecast temperature of 15F has you saying "Oh Hell No" to heading out to the barn.... That's cool. No judgement here.

goofy charlie, loose and wild!! i pulled his tack so he could roll in the soft footing if so inclined...

If a real feel of 1* likewise strips you of any motivation to expose your fingers to tinkering with fussy clips, snaps or buckles.... Yea. I get that.

Or, from another perspective, if you don't have access to an indoor or all-weather footing and can't bear the thought of hacking out in the windchill or risking hauling out on potentially icy roads... Well. You might be onto something there haha.

My point is, nothing about any of this is intended to guilt trip anybody or call you out for not being inclined to ride in cold weather.

However, if you're hearing, "I do not ride in extreme cold bc it's been scientifically proven to be detrimental to the health and well-being of horses" ... Well. I'd argue that's an oversimplified and misleading interpretation of the known research.

It's not an either/or, yes/no situation. We as riders can take practical steps to protect ourselves and our horses from extreme elements while still enjoying meaningful saddle time. If the only thing stopping you from busting out those extra thick long johns in 20* weather is concern that you'll harm your horse by riding, have no fear! You still have options!!

we had been practicing center line turns and halts and i just hopped right off after the last one and pulled the saddle and bridle. and he just..... stood there.

So let's dig into this a little bit more, shall we?

What does the science say? Some research found that negative effects can be measured in the respiratory system up to 48 hours after exercise in temperatures of 23F. The full synopsis of existing literature by Yates Equine Veterinary Services is very informative (thanks Jen of Cob Jockey for the heads up!).

What does this mean? Well. Let's parse out the detail bc definitions and semantics matter in science.

Particularly, how to define "exercise"? The methodology available from one study took measurements after exercising the horses for 5 minutes canter at 6.8-9.5 meters/sec.

Guys. That's equivalent to running a 2000-2850m cross country course at 400-570mpm. It's a LOT of cantering. Idk about you, but I doubt the average rider does that often.

(Notably: known literature and existing research are limited. We don't know how the thresholds change as temperatures rise and drop. The above link does not compare the measured negative effects to similar scenarios in warmer temperatures. Meaning, is the respiratory system similarly taxed from a 2000m run in warm weather as it is cold? How different are the effects?)

I've only come close to those distances in competitions, and possibly conditioning rides (tho someone's high intensity dressage ride could maybe get there too). Considering the fields are currently frozen and cantering for 5 minutes straight in our 20x40m indoor sounds like torture, it's a pretty safe bet that I'm not doing either right now.

Your mileage may vary, naturally, and perhaps 2000m straight of canter is a standard feature of your rides. Which.... well. More power to ya haha. But let's be real... most of us aren't hitting that threshold every ride.

The study also measured effects of 5 minutes trotting (4 m/s) and 5 minutes walking (1.8 m/s), but notably Dr Yates does not conclude that trot should be avoided at low temperatures - rather she decides only to avoid cantering and jumping at temps below 20F. The inference is that 5 minutes trotting doesn't constitute the level of exercise required to produce measurable negative effects in the horse.

yep, still hasn't moved lol. standing right where i left him.

So. The study found a lot of cantering all at once produced a measurable negative effect in the horse's respiratory system. We can infer from Dr Yates' recommendations that walking and trotting did not produce similar effects.

It does not logically follow from the research that lesser variations or durations of canter would produce the same measurable negative effects. Annecdote: Ask me to jog a 5K distance in 30 minutes and my lungs will feel very differently vs if I did it over 2 hours.

These details matter when reputable publications go on the record claiming science says: "If it’s under 20-23 degrees, it’s advisable to walk only to avoid damaging your horse’s respiratory tract." That advice is not supported by the linked research.

It's like they just saw "5 min of canter" and were too lazy to do the math, figuring, 'eh yea so probably no canter at all' without considering the average rider isn't exercising racehorses.

ok he moved a little bit to sniff jump standards

A noteworthy counterpoint is the positive effect of light exercise. For instance, Charlie is a high mileage horse who physically needs help to feel his best. The whole "motion is lotion" thing. He can't just sit in a field for a week then come out and get around comfortably and well. Hell, it took weeks for him to feel normal again after his stall rest this fall.

He gets creaky. LOTS of horses do. They don't move around much on their own when the ground is cold and choppy. Careful, purposeful schooling rides help keep them limber instead of stiffening up from the bad ground and cold weather. Riders can do their horses a favor by exercising them, and anyone inclined to do so shouldn't be scared off by oversimplified sound bytes.

mostly tho, he just stood there. no amount of scratching around in the dirt could convince him to roll. oh well, i tried!

Other considerations in understanding the findings from the studies linked above: The conclusions center on damage to the respiratory system after heavy sustained work (ie, cantering the length of an xc course). Aerobic type work, right? Heavy deep breathing, high heart rate.

But what about a different type of work? More focused on building muscle strength and suppleness? Is Charlie breathing heavily after two or three canter transitions in a row? After drilling into lateral work at the walk and trot? No, not generally. But are his muscles tingling? Hopefully!

Just because a ride includes w-t-c and ground poles or cavalleti doesn't mean it's gotta be a cardio-heavy type ride. All of those activities can center on anaerobic type exercises too - by thinking about short-lasting, high-intensity activities where the body relies on energy sources stored in the muscles vs relying on oxygen from breathing (like typical cardio). I think of these types of rides as "weight lifting" for the horse.

random aside: shirts with thumb holes make the perfect pockets for those Grabber hand warmer sachets!

The bottom line, as with anything with horses, is that we must be thoughtful and considerate of the work we ask of these animals. Walking breaks and thorough warm ups / cool downs are always a good idea.

BUT. Again: My interpretation is that I have options to safely school my horse in very cold weather. Canter sets are out. Running cross country is also off the table. But a run of the mill schooling ride? A couple low jumps or simple grid? Maybe some skijoring?? We're probably fine.

Why do I care, in particular? Well. Basically, I just want to ride my horse. And the suggestion that I'm doing so at the expense of my horse's health and well-being bothers me. The authoritative "Only Walk Below 20F" is an oversimplification of the science. It sounds like, "If you do X,Y,Z your horse will go lame and die!!!" while ignoring the reality of horses everywhere across the globe.

The science here, for the record, seems fine, tho incomplete. But some interpretations of the science? Lazy and misleading. Like, if you personally choose to avoid any activity with any likelihood at all of risking your horse's respiratory health... that's cool, nobody here is gonna judge you for being careful or warn you off the slippery slope. We all draw our own lines in the sand with horses. Just don't confuse a personal opinion with scientific fact, ya know?

when all else fails tho, coffee and bailey's is there to keep ya warm!

Ultimately, for me, right now, I just want to ride my horse. And I feel pretty confident in my riding choices promoting a healthy baseline condition in the horse while sustaining his level of schooling. It works for us, ya know?

If you don't feel like riding in cold weather, that's totally cool - no judgement. Your horse will probably be fine too. They're pretty versatile animals who generally do just fine in a huge variety of conditions anyway. If you wanna go riding tho? Go for it!

These are just my own thoughts, ideas, rationalizations, and general reasonings behind how and why I ride in cold weather. If I wanna ride? I ride! If I don't wanna, I don't! The horse is usually fine either way. What do you think?