Riding on snow: is it safe

We may have hoped that spring was just around the corner, but some of us in the UK, we have recently found ourselves having to negotiate snowy weather, so H&H investigates whether it’s safe to ride on snow

It may look deep and crisp and even — but is riding on snow snow really safe? It’s a dilemma facing many owners whose horses become stable-bound when temperatures plummet.

At Jeremy Scott’s yard, high up on the outskirts of Exmoor National Park, the pointers and racehorses keep exercising through the white stuff — in certain conditions

• Snow

We may have hoped that spring was just around the corner, but some of us in the UK, we have recently found ourselves having to negotiate snowy weather, so H&H investigates whether it’s safe to ride on snow

It may look deep and crisp and even — but is riding on snow snow really safe? It’s a dilemma facing many owners whose horses become stable-bound when temperatures plummet.

At Jeremy Scott’s yard, high up on the outskirts of Exmoor National Park, the pointers and racehorses keep exercising through the white stuff — in certain conditions.

“It depends on the type of snow,” says trainer Camilla Scott. “Some snow balls up in the horses’ feet, but the soft, powdery stuff we ride on falls back out again, so we don’t have to put anything in their hooves. We ride across fields where we know the ground is good