Safe to ride?

[megnum]

Horses are kept on a bridleway so no lanes, we have a good covering of snow for us, 4-5inches. Would you ride? If so would you be happy to walk? trot? canter through a field?

[jill]

Nope. Not unless you can find a 100% guaranteed way of 1. stopping snow balling in their feet and 2. working out what hazards lie under the snow.

[Mellymoo]

Agree with Jill - I've fallen down several holes just walking the dog, wouldn't dare risk the horse!

[ladyndibs]

Definitely not, there are too many hidden dangers.

[megnum]

Thought not, its a cycle path so no hidden dangers but fair enough, just wanted peoples opinions as know some people do and some people don't x

[Deleted]

Last year I rode out when the snow was fresh and no one had walked on it so I could see the contours of the ground and stuck to tracks I knew well. Talin isn't shod so the snow falls out of his hooves on every second step. (walking only)

This year I haven't as others got out there first and once it's been walked on you can't see the lumps and bumps underneath it.

[nich]

Nope. Teenager at our yard got on her horse this morning so Daddy could take cute picture of her riding in the snow. No saddle, just sat on her rug. Horse lost its back legs within 10 paces. Luckily she slid off on to her feet. I can understand that virgin snow might be ok, but I wouldn't risk it. Take your horse for a walk in hand, I've had some lovely times and pics doing that in the snow.

[jill]

Someone I know has posted on Facebook that they went for a ride in the snow. Trotting (!!!) down the road, both horses lost their footing and ended up in a heap. I just hope the lesson has been learned by them.

[hammie]

Depends...

Yesterday I rode in the fields. They were frozen solid, and some areas had ruts, but I could see the ruts and avoid them or let him pick his way through. Some tracks were fine and others (not on my route luckily) had sheet ice.

Today however we had a layer of snow over everything. You couldn't see where the solid ruts were underneath the snow, nor the ice, so I didn't think it was either fair on the ponies or safe to take them out. The outdoor schools were OK though, so we went in there, avoiding the end where I knew there were frozen puddles and lumps under the snow.

We had two ponies, one barefoot and one shod. The shod one soon got balls of ice in his front feet, despite putting vaseline in first, so I gave up and took him back in. The barefoot one was fine.

[Dragonmaster]

I have ridden in the snow a few years ago, and cantered up our fields and along a grass verge that I canter along when no snow. It was huge fun.
It was soft fresh snow and I knew what was under it.
I would do it again on a sunny snowy day - but NOT if icy.
My horses are barefoot. We never have an issue with slipping on tarmac or snow, only on ice which I would not ride on.


Here we are January 2010

[KoLaTo]

We've been out today, trotted up well gritted main road, jogged down the lane, into the bridle path, trotted down one way, across the road, into another path and belted up it to the top, haired through the woods and back jogging down the lanes.

Shoe less no problems and know the paths and footings like the back of my hand so not worried about cantering around. Know exactly where the rutted parts are so careful over those.

Will have a play in the grass arena tomorrow as nothings been on it since the summer so it's nice and flat with no ruts.

Wouldn't go anywhere that i don't know though.

[arabiangem]

The issue for me is snow balling in the front shoes. If I could stop that, then yes I would.

[june]

We often ride in snow but only on a track we have round one of our fields where I know there are no hidden holes. Our horses are barefoot so we don't have an issue with the snow balling in their feet. We haven't ridden in the snow this time because the ground is too hard underneath and the snow is not deep enough to give enough cushioning.

[antares]

I've only ever ridden in my own fields that I know like the back of my hand. Wouldn't risk hacking