You may have noticed that my posts lately have been less about riding and more about indoor things. We're firmly in the not-entirely-voluntary break I was talking about earlier. Between record cold, record early snowfall, the indoor arena being booked for a clinic I'm not riding in all this weekend, and Thanksgiving travel, Connor's only getting a few rides over the next week or two.
 |
| Riding? Please! |
I like this time of year for him. He stays in light work, we stay in lessons so we don't forget basic concepts like straightness, but it's still a break. And last year, he came out of his break better than ever, at least where Dressage is concerned.
 |
| Only one person in my house is happy about this weather. |
Who else is on a total or partial break right now?
I'm also on a not-reall-voluntary break, as well as a my-riding-will-be-really-sporadic-for-the-next-few-months lesson schedule. We don't have immediate access to an indoor (we have to trailer over) and if our winter in NJ is half as bad as last year's was with the sh*t ton of snow we got, it'll probably turn into more of an actual break. Your last picture is really pretty!
ReplyDeleteProps to you for doing it without an indoor! Thanks!
DeleteI wish that it was time for a break, but there doesn't seem to be one coming anytime soon. In some ways, I miss having a real winter.
ReplyDeleteI didn't think about that. That's a good point. Do you give breaks in the summer, or more or less train year round?
DeleteI'm on a voluntary break. I go out and check on Houston but I was/ am pretty burnt out and the cold is a great excuse for a break. With holidays and an international Christmas coming up there would be a lot of breaks in there anyways so in giving us a pass.
ReplyDeleteStay warm!
Ooooh international Christmas! Where at, if you don't mind me asking? If you ever travel to central Italy, I have a horse hookup for you.
DeleteI feel like every winter we kind of take a break... Even though I have access to an indoor, the cold/holidays make it slightly harder to ride every day. Not a bad thing though :)
ReplyDeleteI am pretty much right there with you.
DeleteI'm on a forced break right now too -- due to soundness and weather :-(
ReplyDeleteOh no, boo to the soundness part. :(
DeleteFor us it's just a season of 'less stress' and I think the horses enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteYep, I think that's a really good way to look at it. Less stress!
DeleteI'm pathetic because I can't stand the cold, so we haven't done much riding this week. However, hopefully it will pick back up. Our break season is usually July-August because it's just bloody hot to ride. Winter, we ride if it's not raining.
ReplyDeleteYeah, riding in the rain only works in the summer.
DeleteI'm on break until Courage moves. The weather is just impossible and the roads are dangerous. Wheeee.
ReplyDeleteHow soon is that? Unless it's a secret. I was wondering that after reading your post.
DeleteI was on a break last week - weather in the single-digits and snow makes for not fun riding! But we're back up into the 40s and 50s so Gavin is getting his canter on ;) Thanks for the tips by the way. I found that by prepping him, prepping him, prepping him in the trot (aka making his trot really nice) he pops right into the canter. I only had to hold him back from running off once in my Tuesday ride. Sometimes I forget to really ride when I'm on his back!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad! I'm with you on the forgetting-to-ride thing. That was one of the best pieces of advice Cathy has given me: good trot = good canter transition.
DeleteI'm on a partial break due to 'real life' things and only getting in three or four rides a week (Sounds not bad, but with 2 horses it's pretty low key). The sliver lining is that I agree, the horses always come back better after a break :)
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! I don't know if it's mental, physical or both but it really seems to help.
DeleteI more or less train year round but I try to spend two months a year doing something totally unrelated to their jobs or staying in verryyy light work (I'm thinking walk hacks for a month - thank goodness for working students). I think the let down is good physically for them because it allows them to heal so many microfractures and tears that aren't noticeable but compound overtime.
ReplyDeleteI sort of miss snow which is odd... I thought I'd spend years here in Cali before missing snow.
It can be good to have a break. This is going to be Simon's story for a few weeks after the show this weekend. Stay warm!
ReplyDeleteIt's a toss-up for me - it's too cold to ride (or at least feels that way) but when I do get out to the barn, I love it. Though I underestimate how much my body needs that mental/emotional/physical break. I think getting older too, I realize that while I can continue to drill during the winter, I can also rest a bit too. I would love to head into spring with our skill set expanded but I don't have to make myself miserable to get there.
ReplyDeleteWe did get a nice 2 hour long trail ride in on Saturday at the local hunt club - some jumping, gallop work, and hills. I haven't abandoned riding/training, just giving myself sometime to recover from the shock of winter!
So... semi-break?
I've never really taken a break other then when I've been prego lol. If Henry wasn't in a stall I might think about a break but I feel bad not getting him out to move around :(
ReplyDeleteinvoluntary break due to frozen arena and no indoor options except on the weekends via trailer... boo ! at least Connor still looks super cute :)
ReplyDeleteI will be taking a very tiny break at the end of December. by that I mean like 3 rides off so its not that big of a deal lol
ReplyDeleteWe're in a sort-of break because I'm a weather wimp and it's wet out (finally!!), so we likely won't do anything productive til end of next week. Assuming there is enough non-muddy trail for a ride, that is...
ReplyDeletepolar vortex here...meeee
ReplyDelete