Beat the February Horse Blahs

Winters in Canada can be very long and arduous for the horse owner. If you don't have a riding arena the snow and the cold can really limit the quality and quantity of your rides. Don't get me wrong I love riding on those nice sunny winter days with a fresh powder on the ground but those days are far and few between here in southern Ontario. Most days we are dealing with deep snow, icy conditions, very cold weather or just a very bleak cloudy day.

I'll stop there before I depress everyone reading. Here are ways to help the horse starved rider make it through February without going completely mad.

I like to take this time to start to plan my activities for the summer, a quick cruise of the internet can help me plan out the horse shows tack sales and charity rides and clinics I will attend in the coming months. You will be amazed how quickly your calendar will be filled with horsey events and it gives you something to look forward too.

This is a great time of year to go over my tack and check for any repairs that need to be made. You might as well have it fixed now, better to have it and not need then need it and not have it.

Nows the time to clean out the tack room and get rid of those old unwanted items. Kijiji, eBay or tack auctions are great places to get rid of these items and give you some extra cash to go and buy something else.

February is a great time to start to get back in shape for the riding season, do some stretching lift, light weights or a bit of yoga, remember riding is a physical activity the better shape you are in the better off you will be able to ride.

February is also a good time to set some riding goals. Maybe you want to learn to rope or teach your horse to spin or improve your jumping. Whatever it is now is the time to lay out the plan to achieve this. No horse or person is ever too old or too smart to learn something new; besides it keeps things interesting for you and your horse.

If you can't get away for a 2 month riding vacation in Argentina why not pick up a horse training video, you will be amazed at the selection and different training philosophies out there. One may hold the secret to the break through training method you have been looking for.

Hope this helps, remember only 6 weeks until spring.

Thanks

Steve Wawryk