Horse people are typically made from hardy stock, but that doesn’t negate the need for equestrian wellness—especially during winter. Self-care should always be paramount, but during the winter, a little extra zhuzh can be helpful to your physical and mental well-being.

Photo by MW Creative Photography

As a longtime horsewoman and wellness advocate, I understand the well-being needs of equestrians. The winter months can be challenging: taking care of horses in cold weather involves additional chores, like blanketing, filling hay nets, keeping water troughs from freezing, et cetera. This, combined with less riding time, can take its toll.

The following tips will help you feel your best this winter, both mentally and physically.

Stay Warm

Keeping your core temperature up and keeping bones, joints, muscles, and ligaments warm is essential to feeling energized and maintaining immune health and range of motion; being cold depletes these things.

Don’t skimp on winter wear at the barn or during cold-weather rides. Most equestrians have a robust, all-season wardrobe, but from time to time it’s helpful to give your winter attire a little upgrade. Perhaps it’s time for a new pair of waterproof or fleece-lined boots, or maybe to invest in some insulated coveralls.

Using inexpensive boot and glove warmers is one of my favorite ways to keep my feet and hands from becoming uncomfortably cold. I’m also an advocate of base layers (long johns, thermals, and the like), and I’m a big fan of legwarmers!

It’s hard to beat the time-tested warmth of wool, whether it be thick wool socks or a heavy wool sweater. Top all that off with some waterproof gear, and you’re good to go! For those who get chilled easily or live in cold climates, heated vests and gloves are a nice option.

Finally, don’t forget to top off with a scarf, gaiters, and hat. With all the advanced winter gear, fabrics, and styles, you can find something to keep you cozy while enhancing your functional equestrian winter wardrobe.

Outdoor Time

Most horse owners don’t have the option to stay indoors all day, and that’s a good thing. Though it may not be as appealing to be outside in winter, there are benefits. Being in nature can have a grounding effect, plus sunshine and vitamin D are essential for mood and immune health.

If you’re feeling challenged by doing winter horse tasks, try shifting your attitude to be more appreciative of the added exercise, movement, and time in nature. Try reframing any complaining to, “Wow, I get to do this!”

One of my winter disciplines is to walk to my barn (½-mile round trip), regardless of the weather. Not only does this add more steps to my day, but I always relish the beauty along the way, whether it’s animal prints in the snow, the quiet, or a hawk flying above. And I’m always greeted with nickers from my horse, which warms my heart in any weather.

Pampering and Self-Care

On another note about keeping warm, hot winter baths are my go-to. A jetted tub or hot tub is even better, if available. It’s a great way to raise your core temperature, plus feel a little pampered.

A popular trend is installing a home sauna to heat up and detox, or perhaps take advantage of one at your local gym. Some people find the warmth and brightness of light boxes helpful in combating seasonal affective disorder.

I’m also a fan of hot teas. I call winter “tea season”—there are so many delicious, warming flavors, and it’s always fun to try new ones. (Some of my faves are Egyptian licorice, ginger, and elderberry.) Drinking a warm beverage from your favorite mug adds to the experience; you can even make it part of your self-care ritual.

Drinking a warm beverage, such as herbal tea, can become a great part of your self-care ritual. Photo by fizkes/Adobe Stock

Stretching

Nobody enjoys raking, carrying buckets, or pushing a wheelbarrow and tweaking a cold muscle. But if you don’t have the option to farm out your chores, you also can’t afford downtime with an injury or strain.

Taking even just a few minutes for some warm-up stretches before heading out into the cold can make a big difference—not only for comfort, but for safety as well. Stretching a cold muscle is like trying to stretch a piece of gum that’s been in the freezer: it’s not too pliable and easily snaps and breaks.

Taking even just a few minutes for some warm-up stretches before heading out into the cold can make a big difference—not only for comfort, but for safety as well. Photo by shurkin_son/Adobe Stock

Additionally, if you’re stiff when riding, you restrict your horse’s movement. You’ll have a better-moving horse if you’re warmed up and moving optimally. Since you warm up your horse at the beginning of a riding or training session, don’t forget to warm yourself up, too!

A few overall body stretches can go a long way. You don’t have to be a yoga expert to include some gentle stretching into your daily routine. By incorporating deep breathing and mindfulness into your stretches, you’ll glean the added benefits of being more centered, calm, and focused, which your horse will also appreciate.

Hydration

Winter is a common time to become dehydrated—a large factor in poor equestrian wellness in the winter. With the cooler weather, you can feel less inclined to drink water since you’re not feeling overheated. Adding a slice of citrus or cucumber adds interest as well as some healthy properties.

Being in a heated house or office can be very drying and dehydrating. Proper hydration is essential to feeling well and reducing brain fog, fatigue, and headaches, as well as promoting a better functioning immune system. Grab that favorite water bottle, keep it full, and keep sipping throughout the day, even when you think you’re not thirsty.

Eat for the Season

Nutrition experts suggest that our diets should change with the seasons. Warmer, hardier, higher-calorie meals can go a long way in sustaining energy, which can often get depleted trying to stay warm.

Energy and immune health can be supported by nourishing your body through a proper diet, and perhaps by adding immune-building supplements for an extra boost.

Continue Learning

Winter is an excellent time to learn new skills. Whether it’s an instructional book, an online fitness class, a virtual clinic, or perhaps an interesting podcast, you can stay on top of your game even when you’re not in the saddle as much. Not only is learning new skills helpful, but continued learning keeps us mentally engaged and plugged in.

Whether it’s an online class, virtual clinic, or perhaps an interesting podcast, you can stay on top of your game even when you’re not in the saddle as much. Photo by Pixel-Shot/Adobe Stock

In addition to these suggestions, getting good sleep and reducing stress are also part of self-care. The bottom line is to stay committed to wellness, as a lot falls under that umbrella.

Sometimes when you’re feeling sluggish or unmotivated during the winter, you have to dig deeper to stay proactive, but I believe you’ll find it’s a worthwhile investment. Come spring, you’ll need less of a tune-up. Work with what you have, do what you can, and stay engaged, warm, healthy and well.

Further Reading

◆ Winter Fitness Tips for Equestrians
◆ Improve Your Riding Through Your Everyday Life
◆ Core Strength for Equestrians

This article about equestrian winter wellness appeared in the November/December 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Equestrian Winter Wellness appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Our sometimes overactive and easily distracted minds can rob us of precious moments and quality time. The good news is that there are tools and techniques to help pump the brakes on that runaway freight train of thoughts and improve the quality of presence with your horse and in your daily life.

Dropping mental distractions allows us to simply share space and be present. Photo by Cathy Woods

What is the Monkey Mind?

In mindfulness practice, we’ve affectionately labeled the busy mind as the “monkey mind.” Though monkeys are quite cute, they tend to be full of constant, exuberant energy, jumping from one thing to the next. When your mind leaps around like a monkey, you can end up feeling unfocused and exhausted.

When dealing with horses, not only can the monkey mind be annoying, but it can also be quite an energy drain as we overthink and overuse it. Sadly, in our ever-faster-moving world with the constant need to multi-task, we’ve trained our minds to dart around from one thing to the next without pause, which fragments our energy. Dwelling on the past or projecting into the future causes us to miss the present moment, which is where life is happening.

When the mind is all over the place, it can be hard to complete a task, whether at your desk or with horses. In addition to this leading to fatigue, a restless mental state can lead to poor decision-making and could even cause safety issues. It’s in your and your horse’s best interest to make prudent, clear decisions.

Being Present

There’s a lot of talk in horsemanship about collecting your horse, but what about collecting yourself and your thoughts? Since we transmit energy and horses read energy, they often mirror us; when you’re not “present,” neither is your horse. It’s not uncommon for him to become scattered and distracted if you are.

Here’s how this might look on a trail ride: you’re riding your horse and an unrelated, random thought pops into your mind. For example, “What am I going to cook for dinner?”

This takes you completely out of the moment.  Your horse senses this and takes advantage of the opportunity by grabbing a bite of grass, stumbling on a rock, or pinning his ears at the horse next to him.

When you collect your mind, your horse becomes more present as well, and you help him focus his mind and energy too, ultimately making you a better team.

How to Improve Mental Focus

Training the mental muscle is no different than developing other muscles; it takes practice and commitment.

Here are a few practical and easy-to-apply exercises:

1. Become an observer of the mind: Collect your mind, at least somewhat, before meeting up with your horse. You can do this by simply focusing on your breathing for five minutes before going to the barn. This calms your mind. Each time your mind wanders from the breath (and it does!), notice that, and gently direct your mind back to your breath.

2. The count: This simple but beneficial exercise can train your mind to focus on one-pointedness for longer and longer periods.

Close your eyes and slowly count to 10, solely focusing on the number in your mind’s eye (nothing else but that number). Notice—without judgment—how far you get before your mind wanders from the number or a random thought trickles in.

With practice, you’ll be able to get further along before your mind drifts, increasing your ability to focus longer.

3. Use breath and bodily sensations: When you notice yourself coming out of the moment while working with your horse or while riding, tune in to your breathing and your bodily sensations. This helps ground you in the present.

I often say, “Thank the mind for its (many) opinions and come back to the breath and the body!” The breath and the bodily sensations are tools that you always have right in your back pocket that you can use any time you feel scattered.

4. Widen your gaze: We’re often so task-oriented or running on autopilot that we miss what’s happening within us and around us. Simply stand still, look around, and detect all that you can. Notice the details, see the sights, hear the sounds, smell the smells. Getting present is a way to slow down the mental chatter and come into the now.

When the mind chatter slows, there’s just breath, bodily sensation, and the present moment. Then you can partner with your horse in a better way, stepping into his non-verbal world to connect. Photo by Cathy Woods

5. Breathe with your horse: Before jumping right into training or riding, take a moment to breathe with your horse. This gives you both a moment to slow down and set a focused tone.

Place your hand near your horse’s nostrils, on his side, or on his chest, and see if you can sync up your breaths to a slow, steady rhythm. This is calming for both horse and human.

6. Take a mini-meditation: We don’t always have the time or the headspace for a languid meditation session, but a mini-meditation can be just as effective.

Before mounting up or before training, take a moment to be still, come into the present, and deliberately gather your mind and your energy. You and your horse will notice the positive difference this pause makes.

Horse and rider stop for a pause and a mini-meditation before entering the arena. Photo by Cathy Woods

Note: Some of the above exercises can be done again once you’ve mounted up and as you see fit.

Other Suggestions for Harnessing Your Monkey Mind

If the above exercises are helping but you feel you could use even more support, consider the following ideas.

1. Practice when the waters are calm. The more time you hone the skill of mindfulness on the meditation cushion or yoga mat, the more likely your success will be when trying to slow the monkey mind in daily life, which then becomes second nature when you are around or working with horses.

2. Consider working with a coach. We work with coaches to achieve other fitness, training, and life goals, so why not for our mental goals as well? A meditation leader can be a good resource when wanting to learn the skill of gathering or collecting the mind.

A group of riders meet up on retreat at Flathead Lake Lodge in Montana with Body, Mind, Equine leader Cathy Woods, taking a few moments to collect their minds before a trail ride. Photo by Cathy Woods

3. Use a program specifically designed for equestrians’ mental needs. For this exact reason, I produced a course with HorseClass called “In the Moment.” This series of short, concise visualizations and exercises can easily be downloaded to your device and can help level up your mental game at the barn, in the show ring, or on the trail.

Key Takeaway

Don’t be too hard on yourself. Our mental focus varies on different days and for different reasons, depending on how much rest we’ve had, what we’ve eaten, what else is going on in our lives, et cetera. In many cases, we’ve conditioned the mind to be busy and overloaded.

Breathing with horses at a Cathy Woods Yoga retreat is one of the Body, Mind, Equine activities used to calm and connect horse and rider. Photo by Cathy Woods

Remember, unlearning an unfavorable behavior can take longer than learning one, so be gentle with your mind. Not only will you feel better and more focused, but your equine partner will also appreciate you learning to harness that monkey mind!

This article about harnessing your monkey mind and being more mindfully present with your horse appeared in the January/February 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Harness Your Monkey Mind: Be More Mindfully Present Around Horses appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Body, Mind, Equine retreat participant at C Lazy U Ranch in Granby, Colo., experiencing connection. Photo by C Lazy U Ranch

The start of a new year is the perfect time to reassess our wellness regimens as equestrians, as well as determine how we’d like our horsemanship to look in the new year. It can be easy to buy into the media-driven version of what fitness, wellness, and horsemanship should look like, but it’s important and enriching to create your own experience by listening to your inner voice.

Make Your Equestrian Wellness & Fitness Plan Own

Many things fall under the umbrella of wellness and horsemanship; this looks different for each of us and it transforms as we move into different phases.

It’s natural and wise to modify both as you and your horse change. Gauging and adjusting needs and lifestyle to your current situation is a tool for living well and staying healthy and happy.

As a long-time yogini (woman dedicated to yogic practices and tradition) and horsewoman, I’ve always looked at my horsemanship and wellness as interconnected; the two reflect each other. We can’t expect our horses to be the only ones to stay physically, mentally, and emotionally sound, yet not work on ourselves. We are better for our equines when we are wholly healthy.

Breathing with horses at Cathy Woods’ Body, Mind, Equine clinic. Photo by Carol Engan Borrelli

As my horses and I have grown older, the ways we partner have changed and so have our wellness practices. What kept me fit at age 20 is different than what I now require in my mid-50s. Long gone are the days of staying up late and eating whatever I wanted; I’ve modified my fitness routine and have also redefined how I spend time with my horses.

Long gone are also the days of arduous backcountry trail rides and pack trips. We’ve modified to short, easy retirement rides and lots of quality time at the barn. Often, we spend languid grooming sessions and omit riding altogether.

Time for Change

Just because we did something for some time does not mean we have to do it forever. A wise person does not cling to what once was; this is an important life lesson if we are to live the flow of grace. Change is the one thing we can count on!

Maybe you used to be a jogger but now walking feels better. Or you may have been a hard-core weight trainer, but currently find yoga more suitable. In your horsemanship, it’s perfectly fine to have once been a competitive eventer, but you’ve discovered that liberty work or another discipline is more fitting.

It’s all about dialing in to inner knowing, becoming clear on what’s in your best interest and for the good of your horse. Often when we don’t, it’s counterproductive; it can be easier to get injured or to injure your horse, or make mistakes based on poor judgment, basing our choices on what we used to do.

Author Cathy Woods getting still, dialing in, reflecting and getting clear. Photo by Kortney Kinkaid – Harlequin Photography

It’s important to pay attention when it’s time to modify. Perhaps your horse is showing physical signs of being unable to work in the manner he used to, or you’re both no longer enjoying riding as you once did—it could be that it’s become too physically, mentally, or emotionally challenging. These and other signals can be indicators that an adjustment is in order.

Rather than viewing change as a loss, reframe the idea from something negative into something exciting and interesting, identifying new pathways forward. It can be pleasant, liberating, and empowering to personalize your wellness and your horsemanship.

How to Get Started

◆ Spend some quiet time and honestly reflect on what you want and need to be doing at this time. Analyze if you’re participating in certain types of wellness and/or equestrian activities because you enjoy them and they work for you, or if it’s due to peer pressure or keeping up with the latest trend.

◆ Determine what works for you now. It can be helpful to write a list or journal about how you’d like your wellness regime and your time with horses to look.

◆ Identify practical and proactive steps to achieve your new goals.

◆ Be realistic and don’t set the bar too high or get attached to expectations, but rather move enthusiastically toward your goals with a gracious attitude of acceptance.

◆ Find a support network of others with similar interests.

◆ Take your first steps in this new direction. Begin by researching or dipping a toe into these new waters to see what you think.

Try Something New

Maybe you no longer wish to or are unable to ride but you still enjoy owning horses. Open up to new and fulfilling ways to partner with your horse, such as mindful grooming sessions or in-hand work.

It’s not only about the ride—doing and non-doing are equally as important. Photo by Carol Engan Borrelli

If the season has come that you no longer own horses but still enjoy being around them, you can volunteer at a local rescue or explore the field of equine-assisted therapy.

Maybe you’ve always wanted to try yoga, but you’re not quite ready to jump into an in-person class, so you dabble with some online sessions first.

Personal Equestrian Fitness & Wellness Plan

Create a three-column list: Body, Mind & Spirit. Under each column, list activities that support how to best care for each aspect of your being, and do at least one from each column every day.

Here’s a sample list:

Taking care of the horse’s body and mind is not so different from taking care of the your own body and mind; it’s all about fine-tuning and adapting. It’s OK to permit yourself to adjust, otherwise you’ll be going against the current. Remember this quote/metaphor: “Ride your horse in the direction he’s going.”

There’s no endgame to personal growth or horsemanship. Here’s to curating your own experience to thrive in the new year!

This article about equestrian wellness and fitness appeared in the January/February 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Your Equestrian Wellness & Fitness Journey appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.