Would you be riding on frozen ground? Just a rant…

[amandaxx1]

I sometimes think Im going mad you know. Me and my friend (the one who is nervous) planned to ride on Sunday morning. I said to her Saturday afternoon that I didn’t think we would be able to go if it froze over night, and she said then that we could dodge round any ice. I don’t do “dodging round ice”, if it’s icy I don’t ride. But I left it at that.

So next morning (yesterday) I got to the yard and it was frozen solid, -3 degrees. We ride through woods which are quite muddy in places, all the mud on the yard was white over and frozen solid into peaks.

Now, each to their own, but as far as Im concerned, an arthritic horse shouldn’t be ridden on frozen, solid ground like this. And it was slippy in places. We know the paths well and I knew for a fact they would be lethal in the woods. I just don’t think it’s worth having a lame horse for the sake of an hour hack – just wait until the weather is better!!! So I wandered up the track just to double check the path and it was too dangerous to ride – icy in places, and very hard ground. In fact, no one on my yard rode out yesterday, so it wasn’t just us arthritic horse owners that opted out of hacking.

Just to add my friend’s horse is almost 20 and is a light hack due to bone spavin in both hocks.

Im not knocking anyone else riding when the ground is frozen – I don’t as my horse has arthritis and it isn’t suitable for him as far as im concerned. But I’m very surprised at my friend. She still wanted to go and was a bit “off” with me when I told her I didn’t think it was suitable so would leave it for today. The problem is that she is so nervous she wont hack on her own, wont hack with anyone else on the yard (only me), no one else can come with us and we can only stay in the bottom part of the wood – so away from the road. It is getting me down to be honest, and this really annoyed me yesterday because it’s almost as if Im her only chance of riding out and I end up feeling guilty if we don’t go!

It’s becoming a bit of a problem to be honest. Im not really looking for a solution to this, just wanted to get it off my chest!!

[CityLights]

i dont like to ride on unlevel frozen solid ground becasue they can trrip up and slip etc but even if its smooth then it can be icy and slippery, i dont mind if its frozen but if you stood on it it would give or crack a little or you can kick a bit of surface up etc casue if you can do it then the horse will easily break it

[lil_legs]

Nope I don't ride if it is frozen either, and I don't have an arthritic horse! I just don't see the point.

[lincolnlady]

i never ride when its icey or forsty as last year dan put his foot thru ice and cut his leg open took 4 months to heal!! xx

[Welly]

Ice, snow - whatever - I just don't and never will ride in it as you just never know whats beneath it - too risky imo xx

[fairyfeet]

Nope, not worth it the risks are too high. I've had people say to my face that I'm just scared, yes, I am, of injuring my horse. My horse is worth far more to me than an hours ride thank you.

[eeek]

I've always ridden in the snow and frost, but adjust the pace accordingly. I wouldn't be galloping over rock-solid frozen ground or trotting down a lane that may have ice patches.

I think your friend's neediness is the issue and not the condition of the ground. You ride in whatever ground you think is suitable for you and your horse and nobody should be pressurising you if you don't feel the conditions are right. I would find this woman a MAJOR problem if I was in your situation. I have always been of the opinion that friendship is absolutely NOT about forcing your friends to do things they don't want to do, simply because you are too pathetic to do them on your own.

Some people have funny ideas about friendship. I have been pretty much physically restrained by 'friends' who didn't want me to leave a club and go home on my own (even though I was perfectly capable of doing so in safety) because it would be spoiling the night for everybody else. How the hell is this spoiling the night for everybody else???!!! If everybody else is having such a good time, why is it so essential that I stick around? I have never been able to understand it. Usually I used to find a way of getting chucked out of the club or of escaping unnoticed. But sometimes everybody used to follow me, clamouring about what a party pooper I am and how they don't want to leave the club yet. No matter how many times you explain 'NOBODY has got to leave the club', they still follow you and then resent it.

Friends are not herds of sheep manacled together. Discuss.

[Elliebellie]

I think a lot depends on the terrain and the individual horse. I must admit I rode both mornings this weekend but we stuck to relatively smooth (unrutted) paths and at a walk with just short trots where possible but no, with an arthritic horse I think you did the most sensible thing. xx

[Spockky boy]

Depends really, if it is frosty outside I stick to walking on the grass/fields or areas I know which are even enough to be ridden on. Likewise in the snow I stuck to the concrete path because I knew it was even enough, with no potholes, but again in walk only. If the riding was uneven, covered in ice with potholes I wouldn't ride though.

[Loz]

I rode Roulette both days over the weekend but on Saturday it was in the school once it had defrosted and on Sunday it was in the afternoon when the sun had got rid of most the ice and I only went on tracks that I know well.

There was a girl jumping her pony at my friends yard on Saturday morning when the school was absolutly solid! Both me and my friend were in a total state of shock. There were no prints being made by the ponys feet so in my opinion she shouldn't have been jumping. It was just ridiculous.

[Loony]

I don't ride when it's frozen either, it's not worth the risk. I HATE walking on slippy paths so I won't make Bailey do it with a 10 stone girl on top!!

Our lessons were cancelled this weekend because the school was frozen and it's too unlevel to ride on it.

But then we heard someone from another yard used our school in the morning to lunge her horse... And I was thinking, what?!

Stick to your guns Amanda. If she's that desperate to ride she'll have to suck it up and ride with someone else xx

[amandaxx1]

Glad to see we all seem to be of the same opinion!!!

Your right Liz, she relies on me heavily and it's becoming a bit of a problem. There used to be 3 of us that would ride together and that wasnt so bad as sometimes her and another woman would go together and I would go with someone else/ another group. But the other friend sold her horse and gave up horses altogether, so now it's just us 2.

She has her horse on full liverly and only comes up at weekends, so every Sunday afternoon she pins me down to arrange a hack the following weekend!! Im going to try and arrange to go out with someone else and offer her the chance to come along, see what she says. I have to pick and choose who I ride with as the notorious yard "speed demons" arnt suitable companions for Bertie, but there are loads who I can still go with. And I would love to get out on my own but she just assumes I would eb going with her all the time.

It's an odd situation xx

[Ambers Mum]

I think a lot depends on the terrain and the individual horse. I must admit I rode both mornings this weekend but we stuck to relatively smooth (unrutted) paths and at a walk with just short trots where possible but no, with an arthritic horse I think you did the most sensible thing. xx

I agree with this. We rode yesterday in the riding paddock, wouldn't go out in it but we did some light work just because I knew I was going to be busy today and tomorrow and wouldn't get to ride. I wouldnt ride the arthritics though and they were just groomed and turned out a little while I mucked out.

[Catg]

Well I think she is being rather ungrateful and shortsighted seeing as your warned her the day before!

I think you did completely the right thing and unfortunately for her, her fear is not your burden to carry. You have done what you can for her and now it's time to regain some balance. I too would arrange to ride with others and invite her along.

I'm sure if you're getting bored with it then Bertie will be too, riding out with others will get him working a bit harder, rather than ambling along the same short route every week; it can't be helping with his weight loss xx

[amandaxx1]

Its not *too* much of a bother at the moment Cat as Bertie has been a woolly mammoth for ages and I haven’t been taking him out for more than about an hour as he sweats like crazy, and we do different routes in those woods so it isn’t always the same way.

But Im having him clipped at the weekend so would like to start crossing the road and going into the other woods from then!! And obviously I hack a lot in summer after work etc.

She is looking for another horse so things might be better then, she can’t carry on like this x

[zoeee]

I agree with the others, I think you definitely did the right thing - and it's not like you let her down last minute, you warned her the day beforehand and surely she can understand why you wouldn't want to ride in those conditions. It sounds to me like she's relying on you far too much and I think that she needs to let you breathe a bit! It's nice that you ride with her and she should appreciate that but she should also realise that you might want a bit of freedom now and again, and maybe try and ride with others, even if it's you she prefers. It's your fun-time as well as hers!
Definitely try going somewhere else with other riders next time, and do as you said and offer her the option to come with so that she doesn't feel left out. I too don't ride in frosty/icey conditions as to me it's just not worth the risk, ours aren't arthritic but it's so easy for a horse to slip over and really hurt itself. I did ride at the weekend because madam goes nuts if she's not exercised daily, but i waited til midday when the frost had gone a bit and rode gently in the menage, and the sunday i took her for a walk round the fields - and stuck to walk (despite her many attempts to go bouncing off across the fields!) xx

[Catg]

Oh well that's good then. At least she is doing something about it. x

[My Crazy Clan]

Your lucky if I hack out if its been raining as I fear we will slip on the wet concrete! saying that I never go faster then walk on grass if its wet or duey! No way would I ride if it was icy! just not worth the risk.

[amandaco]

i rode on sat and sunday
our arena was ok after the sun had been on it, although i did keep it to walk and trot and put hoof boots with gel pads in for kaya as she is sensitive to hard ground....
on sat we hacked out and it was frosty but not icy
defo wouldnt hack even in walk on uneven hard ground like you describe... all too easy for them to pull a tendon or something....

[clippi]

I hack out in all weathers, ice, snow, rain etc. BUT I do know the routes well and I change the pace accordingly. You did the right thing for Bertie

[ilovedonny<3]

I try to hack out in frosty weather as the school takes weeks to thaw because it doesn't get the sun much. But Donny is young so can cope but we stick to a walk and trot basis. If it's a touch icy I get my mum to walk with me so she can let me know if any patches are a no go zone. You definately did the right thing x

[amandaxx1]

See if we could hack on fields I wouldnt worry if they were soft and obviously not slippy, but the surface is just not suitable when frozen xx

[Cancara]

Apart from anything else can you imagine COMING OFF AND LANDING on this ground!? Ouch!!