I have been looking through some of my old blogs and finding them relevant to repeat- here is one from 2014!
Charlotte, North Carolina has had a particularly cold winter this year. I have been amazed in the lack of clothes our young horseback riders have shown up to lessons wearing. Quality lesson programs have a horsemanship session (grooming, tacking, cleaning, etc) as well as a riding session with their lessons. This requires the children to be out in the elements for up to 2 hours. They need to be prepared. Here is what I have learned and recommend after 15 years of teaching and watching small children shiver in the cold.
LAYER, LAYER, LAYER!!! For the upper body – under Armour, though expensive, does a great job as a base layer. It helps block the wind and hold in warmth. If you break a sweat it dries quick and keeps you from getting a chill. Turtleneck shirts or sweaters keep the cold air off the skin. Not only can it be windy but you also create your own wind while riding. These poor children end up with red chapped skin. Fleece jackets are a great layer for providing warmth but they do not block the cold air. A shell jacket, ideally waterproof, is a much better option. It also amazes me how unprepared many students are for wet weather. The back of my car looks like a closet – options for all weather because weather changes minute to minute and what is happening in town can be different in Waxhaw. Down vests are also great to keep the body warm while leaving the arms free for movement.
For the lower half – many riding apparel companies offer winter riding pants that are thicker and have wind reducing qualities. Tights are a good layer to have under pants as well. Tall wool socks are great. They keep your feet warm and cover the whole bottom half of the leg. Many of my riders show up in ankle socks with their paddock boots. Not only do they provide no warmth but also no protection. The riders push their heels down for balance and the boot creates a rub on the front of the leg.
GLOVES – Grooming and riding are hands on activities so there is no time to put cold chapped hands into pockets. It is very important that the gloves are designed for horseback riding. The rider must be able to hold the reins and make adjustments. Ski gloves are too think and do not allow the rider to close their fingers tight around the reins. Woven gloves are too slick so the reins slide and they provide no protection against the wind. There are equestrian brands that line leather gloves with fleece for warmth and allow the rider to function as well.
HATS – Body heat escapes through the head. Cover it!!! Wool hats should be worn from the second your child steps out of the car. It will keep them toasty while grooming and can then be replaced by the riding helmet. Helmets need to fit snug so I do not recommend trying to fit the wool hat under the helmet.
Hand warmers can be added to gloves as well as foot warmers to boots. Scarves are good because they can come up and cover the lower half of the face. Horseback riding is a year round sport and requires the rider to practice and compete in all kinds of weather. Be prepared. The key in winter is to never get cold. Again – layer, layer, layer. If you get hot you can always take something off. Once you get a chill it is very hard to get warm.
If your child has a true passion for the sport the cold will not deter them from riding. But, as an instructor, it is hard to watch them shiver and shake. Please send your children to the farm with plenty of options to stay warm and dry. Let’s keep them riding and smiling!!