Welcome!

Hi to all
My name is Magda and I am Polish. I am here in South Africa for five and a half years now and it is here on the other side of the World (this is what I always thought about SA) that my dream came true. Three years ago I finally got my own horse. Her name is Rollercoaster and she is the most precious thing in the World.
Even though SA is a great place to be and this is where my dream came true I do miss Poland and real, snowy winters. Because riding in the snow can be a real fun.
Our horses never used to wear blankets and stables hadn’t been heated either. Even in temperatures –20 C horses used to be turned out most of the day (days are short), and it seemed that they loved it, because they always fussed about going back to the stables in the evening.
Because of such low temperatures all horses developed nice, tick, warm fur. They all looked like fluffy teddy bears. It wasn’t so nice when spring came and they started to change their coats. It always took forever to brush it out.
As far as riding in snow is concerned it is completely different than riding on normal surfaces. As a rider you had to be very, very careful what you were asking your horse for. Most of the time one was limited to walking and trotting only, because you never new what was hidden under the white, soft snow that covered absolutely everything. (One good thing about snow was that the landing was always soft) On a well-known ground nice, slow canters were allowed.
After the ride we had to make sure that the horse was warmed down properly, and in the stable we had to rub them dry with straw (they sweat under the saddle even in winter). And brush them thoroughly to stimulate the circulation.
The only places that I have ever got cold were my nose, toes and fingers. The layer of clothes and the heat of the horse kept the rest warm. That is why I have always preferred to ride bare back during winter months.
As you all probably know, we riders are ready to sacrifice a lot to spend at least a short while on a horse’s back, so even if you got a little cold, it never was a good enough reason to gave up riding.
It is very difficult to put in words the magic of the ride through the forest on a nice, sunny winter day. Maybe one day you can try it on your own.