Embracing Winter with Your Horse
Uncategorized
Jan 18, 2025
Winter often feels like a hurdle in the horse world. The cold, wet days, limited daylight, and storms rolling in can easily steal our enthusiasm and derail our plans. I've heard a lot of it lately:
• "I haven't been able to do anything with my horse."
• "It's too cold and wet."
• "The snow and storms are endless.
Believe me, I get it. I live on a farm and have horses too. And after hearing a chorus of these sentiments from students during my day, I thought, If I had a dollar for every person lamenting winter's impact on their horse life, I'd be buying my horse a new blanket right now!
But then I remembered the card sitting on my dresser, and it reminded me of something important:
"Love where you are now."
It's easy to focus on what winter takes away, but what if we reframed it? Winter offers us unique opportunities that no other season does:
• Slower Pace, Deeper Connection
Spend more time bonding with your horse through groundwork, grooming, or simply being present. These quieter moments build trust and deepen your relationship.
Shorter rides or indoor sessions (maybe R+) are perfect for refining basics—something that often gets overlooked in busier seasons.
• Celebrate the Small Wins
Even a five-minute session working on one thing can feel like a triumph! Winter teaches us to appreciate progress, no matter how small.
We can always benefit from some therapeutic tack cleaning, trunk organizing, or boot and tack repairs too.
We can even take a break from our norm of "getting stuff done with our horses and trying to make progress" to do something for ourselves that will fill our cup and allow us to be able to give more to our horses later when the weather is more suitable.
• Considering sending your horse for continuing education/offsite Training?
Winter is a great time for your horse to experience refining current skills and learning new ones in warmer temps such as the southeastern US, plus it can give you a break from severe weather chores too.
There's so much value in taking time to rest and/or reflect without having to be DOING something all the time, despite popular culture and our own to do lists.
Winter doesn’t have to be the enemy of your horse life—it can be a time to winter well. Instead of fighting the season, consider finding ways to gently embrace it. Adjust your goals, give yourself grace, and love where you are now.
And who knows? Maybe winter will end up being your horse’s favorite season because it means more of you.
What’s one way you’re embracing winter with your horse this season? Share your ideas—I’d love to hear and learn from you and I know others will be inspired! 
(PS If you're interested in a new way of wintering well with your horse this season, consider Compassionate Horse Click 's online community, course or online lessons to help you stay motivated and inspired or contact Melissa about options for live training for your horse!)