How can I keep my horse fit over winter?

possible to groom your horse as much as you would like. In these situations full neck covers can be an excellent way of reducing the amount of caked on mud you will be greeted with! However you must not avoid thoroughly checking your horse over for any wounds swellings or areas of discomfort. Legs should be cleaned daily and dried thoroughly to check for swellings or signs of mud fever. Any lameness or infections will stop you from being able to ride your horse so it is best if they can be treated early to minimise disruption to your fitness plan and to prevent your horse from suffering.
Diet
If you need to reduce your horses exercise due to injury time constraints or poor weather dont forget to reduce their feed intake too. Forage should always be available but it is advisable to reduce the amount of concentrates in accordance with workload. Consult your vet or nutritionist for advice on reducing feed for workload for your individual horse.
Rider care
Look after yourself too! There are few things more miserable than trying to care for or exercise your horse with freezing fingers and toes. Wrap up warm invest in some thermal boots gloves and layers.
Try to meet up with friends or local horse people for a ride. Friends are a great motivation when the winter nights are drawing in or when your bed is far too appealing in the dark mornings. If you are concerned that you will struggle with time consider getting a sharer or hiring a professional rider to help you to exercise or care for your horse. Having a consistent exercise program in place will help to improve fitness more quickly.
In summary preparation is key to maintaining fitness over the winter months. Be realistic in your goals. If you do not have access to all weather arenas make as much use of hacking as possible. Above all try to enjoy these months as much as possible spring will come eventually! If you have any concerns about how well your horse will cope over the winter please dont hesitate to contact your vet for tailored advice.