From the Archives: How to Dress for Riding in a Minnesota Winter Wonderland

If anyone reading this actually knows me, they will know that I am a freeze baby. I am cold all the time, and wear more layers than any person has any right to. BUT I did survive last winter (may I remind you, the -35 degree "feels like" and the wind so cold you couldn't have your face uncovered) with all of my fingers and toes. For a minute there it was tense, but with some thought and new winter boots, I SURVIVED!

 

Much cold when riding outside on a "nice" day.

Here's how I did it:

Baselayer: 

I start with Cuddle Dud long john bottoms, or, if it's legit freezing, I bump up to my Columbia Omniheat baselayer (Omniheat is the best. Seriously.) with coolmax base layer socks to hold them down. I also usually rock a Cuddle Dud top, or, again, the Omniheat (mine is a mens, but #YOLO) should it be legitimately too cold to function. The Cuddle duds are wicking, warm and the 360 degree stretch gives you a great range of motion, and they're pretty affordable, too!

Mid layer:

I add a fleece layer next; usually a Columbia zip up fleece and Kerrits Sit Tight and Warm breeches. I am a Kerrits ambassador, yes, but I sincerely LOVE these breeches (and the discounts Kerrits gives me ;) ). I walked out of the barn, bracing myself, the first time I wore them, for the wind to blow through them and steal every iota of body heat from my lower extremities. And I felt... nothing. Windpro fleece blocks the wind, and the seat is super sticky which is wonderful when it's freezing and muscles don't work. Over the breeches, I usually wear REI mereno wool hiking socks (they come in different weights, but I prefer to go for the warm ones!) or Smartwool knee highs, which were a gift last year. I love them, and they have Koi on them and they're just so cool.

Outer layer:

My riding jacket is my old college jacket - a Columbia interchange with a windbreaker layer and inside, a puffer type jacket with omni heat. As you can tell, Columbia has worked out really well for me - if I don't wear the omni heat jacket, I have another Columbia that is oversized that I wear when I need to be active and have room to move. If you have a jacket you like, maybe try an Omniheat vest. which is also one of my favorite layers.

For boots, I have my new Ariat Brossard boots (link to my review post), which I put toe warmers in. The thinsulate lined foot and leg are the winning factor with me - between them, and the wicking coolmax socks, my feet stay warm and most importantly DRY should I cold sweat or overheat. Dry feet are warm feet, remember that. I bought mine through Amazon Prime and paid 150$ for them (just watch the prices - a deal will come along!!).

For gloves, I'm at a bit of a loss. I really like my SSG ProShow winter gloves, which are again fully lined with thinsulate. They're flexible and I can actually do buckles and ride in them without feeling like I can't feel the reins or function. They are not amazingly warm, but they hold their own, especially because I don't have to pull them off every two seconds to do a buckle or use my fingers. Otherwise, if it's dry, I will double up on the $1 cheapo gloves from Target or where ever - I tend to go crazy buying them up when they clearance out in the spring, and I get to indulge my love of crazy colors in the process. Two layers of them blocks the wind better, and you can strip off the top pair should they get wet and your bottom layer might still survive.

I also sometimes throw on a neck gaiter, especially if the wind is super cold. I pull it up over my face when I'm outside. When I rode outside full time many-a-year ago, I'd ride with a full balaclava on under my helmet. And while you look like a ninja, your face is warmer and your snot doesn't freeze to your face. It's the little things, right?

I have Helmet ear muffs in my helmet and they actually work great - when I'm not mounted I wear an omni heat hat, and it is legitimately worth it's weight in gold, plus more. The minute you put it on it goes to work reflecting your heat back at you and keeping you warm.

Seriously, I'm obsessed with Omniheat - some of it is pricey, but you can find it at Columbia outlets or online (Sierra Trading Post FTW) for pretty reasonable prices. And it's worth it. So, so worth it.

Stay warm, my friends. 

A Comparative Winter Glove Review

Stolen from my other blog, here are my thoughts on winter gloves:

It's that time of year again: the time to freeze your fingers taking off your gloves every three seconds because you can't function with them on.

I own a depressing collection of winter riding gloves, but my collection is your gain! Here's what I think of them:

Dublin Thinsulate Everyday Fleece Riding gloves: 

Fleece exterior, thinsulate lining, synthetic "sure grip" palm and finger protection. Cinch velcro closures at wrist.

These gloves are great for above freezing riding, but the fleece exterior is less than waterproof and windproof, and is a major downside during shedding season. They are warm and don't seem to have extraordinarily long fingers as some gloves do.

Finger Use Rating: 3/5, relatively dexterous but not waterproof, windproof or shedding proof.

SSG 10 Below Waterproof Glove:

Ribbed exterior and cuff, grippy palm with riding reinforcements and a thinsulate/fleece lining. Listed as Waterproof, I was unable to test that as one glove arrived with a hole in it (missed stitching). My gloves also have wrist hangers so you can feel like Ralphie in "A Christmas Story" with your gloves on strings.

These gloves were too bulky for me to do much in - they were okay for activities like throwing hay or other manual labor, but were too thick for me to easily use snaps, buckles or other finer tasks.

Finger Use Rating: 1.5/5, one step above mittens.

Heritage Extreme Winter Gloves:

These gloves are similar to the SSG 10 Below with their ribbed exterior and knitted cuff to hold out drafts. They also feature a cell phone friendly index and thumb in addition to the thinsulate and fleece lining and waterproof protection. I like these a little better than the SSGs, though I can't put my finger (nuk nuk nuk) on why that is. These gloves also have a super cool pocket on the back to hold a hand warmer - which is great, as those buggers can burn you if put directly on skin!

Like the 10 Below's, I found these gloves to be too bulky for riding - I really hate feeling like my reins are floating in my hands between layers of fabric, and dislike feeling like I have to keep a death grip on them to have any sort of feel. These are probably perfect for western riders who neck rein or for trail riding, but aren't good for arena, dressage or jumping work.

Finger Use Rating: 1.5/5, one step above mittens.


Mountain Horse Trail Winter Glove:

I think these are the ones I have, at least. I know they're Mountain Horse, and are very similar to ski gloves you'd find in a sports store. Mine have the Ralphie-style wrist strings like the SSG 10 Below gloves, and a similar knitted cuff. Microfiber-esque exterior, and a fleece/possibly loft lining means that they aren't particularly waterproof.

These gloves were heavy - I wouldn't consider doing anything but the most basic, no dexterity needed chores in them, and riding was completely out of the question for me in these. With waterproof options on the market, I'd skip these.

Finger Use Rating: 1/5, one step above mittens AND not waterproof.

SSG Fleece Lined Winter Gripper Gloves:

These were a super cheap whim purchase, and would be great for people riding in a heated or well insulated indoor - just a bit warmer than one's standard riding gloves, these are basic and have a cozy fleece lining. My pair were SUBSTANTIALLY too large and grew annoying because of it, and have since moved on to use by my mom who has bigger hands and longer fingers. Not waterproof or windproof, these are not appropriate for chores - and wouldn't hold up, anyways.

Finger Use Rating: 5/5, in the correct size, these gloves would be no different than a summer riding glove in my opinion.

SSG Pro Show Winter Glove:

These gloves are leather with a pinched back and feature stretchy lycra material between the fingers, giving them a good close fit. They have a knit cuff to prevent wrist drafts and are thinsulate lined. These gloves are a great balance between warmth and dexterity but do fail out on the colder days, especially if it's windy. They are not bulky and I can do bridle buckles up with no issue.  With the addition of the Ovations below, these gloves will be my gloves for temps around freezing and a little below.

Finger Use Rating: 4/5 - these are not summer gloves, but they have very low bulk and do keep your fingers quite warm.


Ovation Syntac Thinsulate Winter Glove

These gloves are my newest purchase, and I'm pretty excited about them. They are a bit heavier than the Pro Shows, but are still nice and grippy and pretty darn low bulk. The exterior is grippy and stays pretty clean. The thinsulate lining appears to be augmented with a soft fleecy lining. As of right now, I'm pretty thrilled with this find, and intend them to be my gloves for the colder temps. I rode in them on a 35 degree day in our unheated, uninsulated indoor and found them to be almost too warm which was a lovely surprise!

Finger Use Rating: 3.5/5 - these are not summer gloves, but they have relatively low bulk and do keep your fingers quite warm.

Birthday Week = Not so birthday ride

Monday of last week, BB jumped the things in the outdoor on her freshly trimmed toes. 

Wednesday, BB got natural horsemanship-ed and ridden in a western saddle (and yes, I thought she looked ridiculous) and apparently didn't get worked all that hard (though her brain was definitely working).

Thursday was my birthday, and with it came a number of wonderful presents from my fiance, including my heart-eyes-emoji I can't wait to wear it new show coat. Take a look at this sexual thing via google images stolen photo:

S/O to the girl on Ebay who was selling it supa cheap to I could actually ask for it without feeling totally guilty. Along with my fantastic fiance gift, I also got (among other gifts) a new show pad for the BB for dressage. I need to coat it in Scotchguard before it gets anywhere near a horse, but it's very pretty and will look very slick in the ring next year!

Meanwhile, I celebrated my birthday and hung out with some friends and suddenly it was Sunday, raining, and I wasn't wild about riding... except I probably really needed to. 

I was right.

I retrieved my muddy horse out of her muddy pit of a turn out, and she ground worked fantastically, submitting and chewing and focusing. And at the walk, she was really quite rid-able. The trot and canter, though, were a giant hot mess. There was persistent spooking at the human door and about a 4 stride area each direction where I actually got her to focus on me, and not on something else. I tried cantering until she was tired, but that doesn't really work when there are other people in the arena (especially when these people stare at you like you're wildly galloping. Bails was spooking in control, on our own end of the arena, and was jamming along like it felt good to run, she wasn't bucking or being wild... but whatever). Next we tried leg yeilds and transitions, to mixed effects. I picked up my whip. I actually used my whip. We tried half halts, leg yields towards the scary doors and downward transitions to walk or trot past the scary things. I got progressively more frustrated because she was just being stupid.

I don't know if she finally hit fatigue and the game stopped being fun, or I'd finally beaten her into submission (because for a while there, I was popping her on the ass every time she spooked with my whip) or if the period she spend staring out the window into the future lounge - construction area place actually helped settle her fears, or if putting my stirrups down 5 holes and wrapping my legs around her barrel actually made her relax (I didn't realize I was tense until I put the stirrups down. So much for the AP saddle!) but I finally got decent work.  

And by decent work I mean I got relatively un-braced, brain-in-the-brainpan trot and canter transitions (both ways, up and down) and actually felt like my horse was being obedient and not totally forgetting I was on her back. She got tons of praise, had to re-work the end section of our ride again since she came to a lovely downward and then spooked when someone clanged open the door, and was done. She was totally steamed and I'm honestly looking forward to the colder weather because I'm over sweaty stinky horses and am going to clip her if it doesn't drop 20 degrees. 

I feel like this winter is going to be ten steps forward, 20 steps back - she keeps making fantastic progress and then she has a bad day, or a bad week, or whatever, and I go back to halfway hating her because it's SO HARD to act like a normal horse and keep her kimchee together. 

Dear horse, plz let me know when u learn to horse.

Kthanksbai.

Hi, My Name Is Ow.

Riding has continued along the status quo - we've had a freakish warmup to the 40's lately, and I was lucky enough to get out of the indoor on Saturday and yesterday to ride outside.

Saturday:

It was quiet Saturday morning even though I was late-ish due to feed buying and grocery shopping. More about the feed later. I got the B tacked up and we headed to the indoor since it was windy. Approximately 5 minutes of herp-derp spooking because the idiots constructing the lounge addition onto the arena (which is still a wood skeleton of a building) already cut the wall open in places, which rattles terribly in the wind, we went outside after all. 

I set up "The Mercedes" which is a Y shaped jump exercise I found on facebook. Bailey enjoyed spooking at me and the jump standards and the poles while staring at the people who were unloading two new horses into a quarantine pen. We got some good jumping in - only one knock down the whole ride, and the horse was bold, too forward and actually took a few longer spots despite having long feet that kept picking up snowballs. I was thankful for my running martingale, because doofus was feeling good in a "I fling my face in your face" kind of way a la last year: 

Super cute, no? She finally settled and was good, and I quit while I was ahead, though she wasn't even remotely sweaty. I tried using a flash strap to make a Ralph Hill style kineton-thing to try and get a half halt or some brakes, but that just made the head flinging and steering issues so much worse, so once I pulled that crap off of her and got her to a place I was happy with, we were done. I should have stopped and swapped her over to a waterford or something, but I just rode through it wishing Christmas or my birthday would get here faster (I have it on good authority I'm getting a slow twist dee ring for one of those) so I had more brakes in my arsenal. 

 I then got on and roaded the Fox for about 15-20 minutes and then did some arena work for another 15 or so. I can tell she hasn't been out in too long just from that ride; she kept trying to turn around and go home when I was messing with my girth, and while it took her some time, she finally got back to business and into the swing of things after a rough few minutes. 

Roading Foxie is the best - she cruises along with about 6 gears of canter/gallop and once she got back into the routine (it took her about 10 minutes) she found her usual roading trot back, which is this stretched out, nose poking out mega trot. She trucks along like the beast she is, and it's lovely. I actually got her sweaty, though we spend the majority of our last 20 minutes under saddle walking. She was totally coated in gravel road spray from galloping, but was very happy with herself when we were done.

Monday:

The girls got their feet done, so I automatically tossed Fox back out in the pasture without lunging her or anything. Bailey wasn't so lucky...

The riding instructor at the barn stole the straight bottom of my Y excercise so we had a V instead - I had an inkling to road the B after a few good jumps, but she totally ruined that plan after doing about 10 minutes of relatively ok flatwork. Someone spooked up a huge amount of Canadian Geese who were honking and circling for what felt like FOREVER while Bailey quietly and ridiculously lost her mind over, and over, and over. She had done great ground work before our ride, and while her work pre-spook wasn't spectacular (someone is getting whiny and lays on the bit between "I AM OUTSIDE AND I FEEL GOOD" moments of head flinging joy) the spook itself was ridiculous. I couldn't get her to loosen or relax her neck, I hardly could get her attention, and she wanted to passage. Or bolt. Or stop and stare. But walking or trotting was TOO MUCH. When I finally got some semblance of steering back and kinda-sorta had brakes I started jumping her, wondering if jumps would make her focus. We jumped and circled and changed direction a billion times, and she was still looking out of the arena and blowing me off every opportunity she had. I didn't have a half halt, I couldn't turn her shoulders easily and I certainly couldn't get her to fix her freaking lead while she obnoxiously cantered around on two different leads.

So I made her gallop for like 10 whole minutes. 

The majority of the time she was bent out and being a total asshole, but then she got tired, and I made her keep going and suddenly she was straight and carrying herself and actually acting like a horse. Normally I would quit, because she was acting pathetic and tired and was puffing and stretching.

But I made her jump some more, and it was lovely. We didn't have the snow factor this time, but with the V instead of the Y I was able to play with a tight little roll back and was mostly able to keep the impulsion, while also throwing her at jumps crooked and on angles and she never could anticipate where I was going to send her, but she was a good little muffin and went out and did work. She did have a tendency to land on her right lead (the lead towards the geese flying field area) over the smaller of the two jumps, but in general she was half halting, coming back to me, and was actually looking for me to set her up and tell her where to jump from. I wasn't really trying to play with the spot or go for long or short, I just kind of worked with what I was getting since most of my consciousness was taken up by how much my ass and thighs are not in shape for this sort of crap at all, much less two rides in a row.

But by the end, the red horse was tired, and while she stopped and wanted to look at the indoor when we walked past, I could just kick her forward vs. having to worry about her twanging herself into the fence, or otherwise freaking out. 

So I'll take it. 

Other quick news: the girls are trying out a new feed - Purina Equine Senior Active. My current mix (Ultiumx Strategy Healthy Edge) is 12% protein and 10% fat, and the new feed is 14% protein and 10% fat with the same calorie per lb value and nearly the same NSC, but without me having to hand scoop 200 lbs into their cans every 22 days. I'm hoping it agrees with them, and that the protein doesn't make Bailey hotter. I'm not too worried about Fox - she looks spectacular right now since Drew has been lunging her back into a topline, and I'm hoping the extra protein helps give Bails the muscle definition I'm looking for.

We also got a second tack trunk, since I was getting REALLY REALLY tired of playing tack trunk tetris every ride trying to fit crap into it, while still having to store a lot of stuff in my car. Second tack trunk is AWESOME and I am so happy I spent the money (technically, I replaced my show trunk and demoted the show trunk to barn duty). I can now fit coolers/quarter sheets in and actually find things in my trunks - and I probably have room to spare for an extra bridle or two so I can have brake options for the B. Note to self - get the waterford out of the trailer and onto a bridle!

I already have Foxie's lunging bridle (sans reins and noseband) which is a Dr. Bristol Boucher, but the last time I used that it didn't do much for Bails and I. The waterford was too much for her last year (though we will be trying it again) and thus, I'm hoping that the slow twist D will give me a bit of extra steering and brakes without her being too reactive/over stimulated like she gets with a curb chain/pelham, faux kineton or, I am guessing, a pair of sliding gag cheeks. Bailey is a much trickier animal to bit than Foxie - Fox was easy! It probably helped that I had trainers loaning me bits at that point, but hopefully I won't have to buy too many to find what I am looking for. 

Anyhoo, I am going to go and bemoan my hips, thighs, knees and butt which are all currently too sore for words. 

It's been a Week

It has, it has. 

I didn't ride on Wednesday evening; I made pie and cheesecake instead for Thanksgiving. I then got up and was going to go ride, but lost motivation and ended up watching a movie. 

Thanksgiving was uneventful, but the long weekend was nice. I rode on Friday, and then Sunday, and am planning a trip out again tonight. We've been continuing the routine of groundwork - bridle - ride and things aren't awful. The B has been putting out some good work after some initial time being stressed and worried and not focused. I've been shamelessly using Foxie when Drew is lunging her - we go in circles around the lungers and Bailey feeds off her energy... or I do... or she's distracted by horse on a lunge line and is better behaved. 

Sunday was a particularly nice day - I swapped to riding in Foxie's new Philippe Fontaine Deauville since I feel like an idiot two-pointing in my dressage saddle (and it needs to be cleaned and conditioned). I like the balance more for the work I'm doing, and like the security of the double block. It's not as perfectly balanced as my Vision, but it's also lighter and more appropriate for flatwork because my leg isn't so far out in front of me. While the groundwork started out kind of rough, as did the riding, she came around and rallied really nicely to do some real work. We did some flying changes (jumping a cone because Bailey can't change her lead without a catalyst) and I really feel like the change is there, and really nice - she just can't figure out that I'm asking her to change the hind as well as the front. It's an ongoing project - in the mean time, she still has a nice simple change, even if I dislike the idea of doing simples in the show jumping ring. 

We put the girls in their medium weights with the neck covers on Friday, and I was happy with the timing - it was chilly and then it snowed early yesterday morning and was still kind of going this morning - it makes me happy to know the girls are warm and dry in their good coats. Bailey may not care, but Foxie certainly does. 

We also got our Farmily photos back with the girls - I'll post some more later, but here's a favorite (despite BB being a turd): 

Hopefully she makes up for making that face with more good work and fewer mental meltdowns!

Note: I actually resisted horse-related Black Friday / Cyber Monday deals - I got myself a knee brace, and there is horse stuff on my Christmas list, but I didn't buy them anything yet! They're getting a HUGE amount of cookies and peppermints from their Dad, so I need to come up with a few small things to get them for their stockings (in part because 5 lb bags of peppermints don't come close to fitting in them). 

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