07/01/2026
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🐴 Should you exercise horses in extreme cold?
Light to moderate exercise is often fine for healthy, well-conditioned horses, even in cold weather. However, extreme cold changes the equation. Risks include:
• airway irritation from breathing very cold, dry air
• slipping and soft-tissue injury on frozen or icy footing
• cold-stiffened muscles and joints
• dehydration (yes, in winter!)
• snow/ice balls in hooves
As a general guideline, the colder it gets below freezing - especially with wind - the more you should reduce intensity and duration. If conditions are severe, skipping the ride is often the safest choice.
When in doubt, err on the side of caution. You can always make up the ride; you can’t undo an injury.
🌡️ Factors that should influence your decision
Temperature and wind chill
Wind chill significantly increases cold stress. A still –10°C is very different from –10°C with strong wind. Severe wind chill raises the risk.
Footing
• frozen ruts
• deep, heavy snow
• icy packed snow that forms hoof “snowballs”
Unsafe footing is one of the biggest winter injury risks.
Your horse’s condition
• age (very young or old horses are higher risk)
• fitness level
• pre-existing respiratory or joint disease
• coat length (clipped vs unclipped)
• acclimation to cold
Type and intensity of work
High-intensity work increases cold air intake and sweating, both problematic in extreme cold. Heavy sweat on a cold day can lead to dangerous chilling during cool-down.
Facilities available
• indoor arena vs outdoor only
• windbreaks or shelter
• heated or at least unfrozen water available for drinking
Indoor footing and reduced wind exposure greatly reduce risk.
🚫 When it’s usually best to skip riding
• wind chill is dangerously low
• footing is icy or deeply frozen
• your horse is sweating heavily even at low effort
• your horse has a respiratory illness or cough
• you cannot thoroughly dry them after exercise
• you cannot safely cool them down before returning to turnout or stable
“Skip it today” is often the smartest horsemanship choice.
If you must exercise – take precautions
Warm up slowly and thoroughly
• 10–20 minutes of walk
• gradual trot transitions
• allow muscles and joints to loosen
Cold, tight muscles are injury-prone.
• Consider quarter sheets for clipped horses
Avoid hard breathing work
Keep intensity low to moderate to minimise large volumes of icy air rushing into lungs.
Watch sweat carefully
• use breathable coolers (wool or fleece)
• avoid heavy, prolonged sweating
• plan extra cool-down time
Cool down completely
Walk until:
• breathing normalises
• chest feels dry
• coat is mostly dry under cooler
Never turn out or stable a horse who is still wet and hot in the extreme cold.
Hydration and forage
Horses drink less in winter, offer:
• lukewarm water if possible
• salt or electrolytes (if appropriate)
• ample hay (internal heat source)
Post-work rugging
For clipped or thin horses:
• swap coolers to dry rugs once fully dry
• avoid over-rugging sweaty horses
🐴 The bottom line
You can exercise horses in cold weather, but extreme cold calls for discretion. Consider temperature, wind, footing, your horse’s health and fitness, and the type of work planned. When you do ride, keep it lighter, and stay longer in warm-up and cool-down.
Your horse won’t lose fitness from a few missed winter rides - but an injury or respiratory flare-up could linger for months.
