Now I'm not one for getting cold and wet, and these days I'm very much a fair weather rider, (so this whole post is probably very hypocritical for me) but I thought I'd mention some of my top things that can make the winter just that little bit easier!
1)A good pair of boots!
Now this sounds soooo obvious but I know myself that if you're out in the cold and wet all day, wellies just don't cut it. They offer you no real warmth, your feet often sweat in them which then makes you even colder and they're often uncomfortable.
This year as a birthday present, I got a pair of "Muds".
They're the most comfortable muck type boots I've ever owned. I have found them so good and for boots that I wear everyday (averaging between 25k-30k steps a day!) they have held up incredibly well! They're not the cheapest (around £50) but they're also not so cheap that they fall apart after a week! 10/10!
2)Full Chaps
At Christmas last year I got a pair of Rambo Full Chaps, which have been an absolute game changer. I have always had waterproofs and thermal trousers, but they're not often the easiest to ride in and the amount of trousers I've split trying to ride in them..let alone the fact they can make things a bit slippery in the saddle!
Full chaps are ideal for riding in, keeping toasty warm and dry, whilst not restricting your bum! I really do love mine and I wear them at every given opportunity when the weather turns. I do wish they had a pocket but then that's what coat pockets are for! Fully recommend!
3) Wax Trench Coat
Now i'm sure they have a better name than this but I always refer to them as a Trench coat. Yes you end up looking like something out of Harry Potter but (especially if you don't have the above mentioned Full Chaps) they keep you dry from head to toe. I have a cheap Robinsons one and it is brilliant over my usual coat (which even new isn't waterproof!), it's never leaked and has leg straps to keep it wrapped round your leg. Great for riding in too. They're not often the warmest but they are often roomy enough you can wear a coat underneath.
4)A "Buff"
This is effectively a scarf, but a bit better. I have had a Buff for years and they're brilliant, you can wear them just round your neck as you would a scarf or you can pull up over your face to keep your nose and cheeks warm, you can wear it as a head band, have it across your face then twist it and pull it up the back of your head to keep your head and ears warm too (perfect under a hat!)! There are so many variations and they now offer different types. You can get so many different colours and designs so you could even make sure you match your horse. We know how much everyone loves matchy mathcy, why not take it to the next level!
5) Gloves
Now another obvious one, but I'm not talking about a pair of riding gloves, I'm talking about a decent pair of "yard work" gloves so you don't end up ruining your good riding gloves whilst mucking out (we've all been there!) When we were rebuilding our stables, we were spending a lot of time working in cold weather and your hands suffer first. We needed sturdy but flexible gloves and these were the absolute best. In fact I even rode in them at times. It's difficult to find them now, but anything similar is good for your "winter box".
Another tip if you're really struggling with cold hands, is to wear a pair of the disposable gloves underneath your usual gloves. I try not to do this too often as I don't like to create too much waste, (you can get recyclable ones) but for those really cold days, it's the perfect combination!
Do you have any winter tips? What items could you not go through the winter without? Let us know what we missed!
I'll do a "horse addition" soon.
PS - sorry it's been so long between blogs, as the world knows, a lot has happened since March! Hopefully back for regular blogs !