Cold Weather CaRe

Follow these Pony Club tips to ride and enjoy your horse all winter long.

- CONNIE JEHLIK

Winter is a little different for everyone, depending on the weather where you live. Each horse's situation is dif ferent, too, so you need to factor in a lot of things to take the best possible care of your pony this winter.

Riding All Winter

If you are planning to ride through the fall and winter months, it's a whole different ballgame from riding in the summer. Here are some points to keep in mind.

1. A Place to Ride: Do you have a place to ride when it's cold, such as an indoor arena or an area outside that has good footing? Winter weather can make outdoor footing hard, icy, or uneven, and puddles of water or mud can make it slippery.

2. Blanketing: Many horses do just fine with their own fuzzy winter coat to keep them warm, but horses that have been body clipped (see pg.16) will need to be blanketed. Horses that are thin, older, in poor health, or that don't grow a thick coat may also benefit from blanketing.

Blankets come in both stable and turnout versions, and in different weights (levels of warmth). Your horse may need several different blankets, including lightweight, medium weight, and possibly a heavyweight. Always keep a close eye on the weather.

The best practice is to remove your horse's blanket daily to make sure it has not caused any rubs or sores and does not need any repairs. This is also a great time to brush your horse's coat, then readjust the fit of the blanket before putting it back on or changing to a different weight if he is too hot or cold.