Centered in the Saddle

Okay, I’ve been a bit of a whiney baby about winter arriving here in Wisconsin. In my defense, it was a very abrupt arrival. We had weeks of temperatures in the mid- to high-40s, then BOOM, last weekend a snowstorm dumped at least 6 inches on us. And the next day temperatures plummeted…and kept on plummeting until yesterday, when our high temperature was four. That’s right: from 40 to 4 in less than a week. Ouch.

So instead of continuing to whine, I’m going to attempt to come up with 10 great things about riding in the winter.

10 Best Things about Winter Riding

1. Fuzzy ponies. They’re too stinking cute.

2. Sleigh rides. I love seeing the horse-and-carriages in the city at this time of year, all decked out in their holiday finest.

3. Snowy trail rides. Or, you know, galloping across a field of snow.

4. Sled games. Not that I would ever consent to be pulled on a sled behind a horse. Nope. Not ever.

5. No mud. It sort of makes up for the unending cold.

6. No flies or bugs of any kind. A definite perk.

7. It’s a magical winter wonderland. Everything looks prettier under freshly fallen snow. It’s like living in a gosh darn snowglobe.

8. Fleece lined breeches might be my favorite article of clothing ever. I would wear them everywhere if I thought I could get away with it.

9. Ads like this one. I’m not crying. You’re crying.

10. Christmas decorations and spirit. I always loved decorating the horses’ stalls when I was growing up. And I just love the holiday season in general.

What are your favorite things about winter?