Frost and Focus: The Winter Philosophy

I HAVE A CONFESSION: I AM NOT a winter person. As someone who has traveled back and forth to Wellington, Florida, over the past 15 winters, I am so thankful it’s an option. I crave the sun in a way that keeps my motivation and creativity flowing. But not everybody has the ability to relocate, and before I started coming to Florida, I developed a hardened winter mindset: one that only your true passion keeps you persistent and consistent in the unforgiving landscape. Winter doesn’t have to be about barrenness, but it is about resilience. It’s when the visible growth of summer and autumn slows, allowing energy to be directed inward to roots, systems, and preparation for the spring to come. Winter is a time to slow down, fortify routines, deepen mastery, and find fulfillment in purpose and preparation. So, how does this translate to barn life?

For horses, routine reduces anxiety and builds trust. But, an unchanging routine can lead to boredom, disengagement, and a sense of being on autopilot with no goal in sight. This is where a lot of riders and lesson programs see disengagement in lessons or a lack of motivation. How do we navigate and combat the winter lull? A reliable, warm stable is non-negotiable. It’s the little things right? Maybe you have access to a heated indoor or a heated barn. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that feeling of riding with frozen toes, but when you love something this much, what’s a little frostbite? That’s maybe slightly dramatic, but it could happen, depending on how long you are out in the element. Which brings me to my first recommendation for mindful practices during winter.

You need the right clothes. I know this sounds redundant and elementary, but it took until my 20s to have the money for the right wardrobe. What is in my ideal winter closet? I’m talking Under Armour, Patagonia under-shirts, LAYERS, warm alpaca insoles for my boots, face/ helmet sherpas, winter breeches, winter riding and working gloves.

You MUST keep your hands and feet dry. It is not worth wet, frozen socks and feet to own cheap footwear. Do yourself a favor and invest in waterproof boots. Dublin and Dubarry are two of my favorites because I prefer taller boots when I’m working in the barn. Keep your body comfortable and all of a sudden, your mentality becomes clearer.

Make sure you frequently give yourself time out of the elements. If you have to work or ride all day in the cold, make sure that you’re taking breaks where you can thoroughly warm up, replenish fluids, and take something warm to eat before heading back outside. Staying hydrated is a huge deal, especially in the cold. So if you’re like me, drinking a coffee or hot chocolate feels like a little treat. Often I keep a personal coffee machine at the barn. It’s the little creature comforts that you look forward to! Make sure you create small but impactful goals for you and your horse when under saddle. Find and concentrate on repetitive exercises for honing personal skills while freeing up mental energy for more difficult rides. Instead of just doing 20 minutes of walk/trot/canter just to get it over with, pick a lateral movement and practice feel, or do transition work to lighten your aids. And we all know about no stirrup or lunge lessons! So grab a barn friend or trainer and ask them for a lunge lesson.

As someone who constantly reads, researches and attends clinics or seminars, I find it important to seek micro-learning opportunities. Whether I’m mucking out stalls or dragging hay to the fields, or any of those types of redundant tasks, I use it as a backdrop for podcasts, audiobooks, or mental practice of a new skill. Some of my clearest epiphanies have come from mucking stalls.

I used to think redundancy was my enemy, but it is because I wasn’t using my resources wisely. Use the winter months, especially because it gets darker earlier and it’s too cold to be outside and enjoying adventures, to create a vision board for the larger “why.” Imagine the new year, a full summer of shows or events, waiting for you. Take this time to imagine where you want to be and what your goals for your horse and yourself look like. Maybe you would even like to try something new and book a horse riding vacation in another country, or working at a dude ranch.

Finally, one of my best pieces of advice is that you do not always have to ride. Some of my best memories with my horses were letting them loose in the indoor safely and just watching them. Or being with them. I have been very lucky where my horses have always been truly connected to me, so I used athletic balls to pique their interest. I never had to worry too much about them tearing around and hurting themselves.

The partnership has always been the center of my love of horses. I cultivate that relationship with them from an early age which includes lots of horsemanship and groundwork training. I cannot stress enough how much I worked on the ground in the winter with my horses and how much farther I got in the summer in my riding.

Now that I’m fortunate to live in year-round warmth, I carry that winter-forged mindset with me. It taught me that resilience is built in the quiet season. By conserving our energy and intentionally strengthening our foundations, in our systems, our skills, and our relationships with our horses, we don’t just survive winter. We set the stage for a more vibrant, confident spring season.