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​Mental Skills, Confidence Building, Motivation, Horse Life Tips, Chevy's Adventure Stories and more for Gritty Cowgirls (and Cowboys!).
Photo by Lynn Raguse

Are You and Your Horse Ready for Winter Riding?

11/23/2022

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Wondering when is it too cold to ride? 
Winter has arrived here in WI. My horses are fluffy with their winter hair, there is snow on the ground, and a chill in the air. 

Some riders pack up their riding tack, and turn their horses out for the winter. 

Others get gritty. They have big horse dreams, and they know if they want to achieve them, they need to at a minimum keep their horse legged up over the winter. 

Yet the second most common reason I hear from riders as to why they don't go out and work with their horse over the winter is that they get too cold. And much of the time this is because they do not have the right gear! After all, there is no such thing as bad weather, just improper clothing!

To help you be prepared for riding in cold, snowy weather, I've put together this list of the products I use to stay warm while riding in the winter in Wisconsin. As an Amazon Associate, these are affiliate links and I do earn from qualifying purchases.

For your Feet

A good pair of boots that are warm yet can fit into a stirrup and have a heel are hard to find. My husband bought me a pair of Kenetrek Cowgirl Insulated Pac boots a few years ago, and they quickly have become my favorite winter riding boots!

Also necessary is a boot dryer. Having a dry pair of boots everyday keeps your feet warmer! I really like this PEET boot dryer because it also has the gloves attachment. 

And of course, good socks! I borrowed a pair of Minus 33 wool socks from my husband. They are warm without being bulky. 

for your head

A good hat to keep your head warm is key! 
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I really like my TrailHeads hat. It has a ponytail hole in the back, the traditional baseball hat brim, and fleece fold down ear flaps. On super cold days, I put a beanie on over top of it. 

I bought my husband a Stormy Kromer Trapper hat last year. He wears it all the time in the winter, and says it is really warm.  

It can be hard to keep your ears warm when wearing a helmet, and trying to wear a winter hat under a riding helmet isn't safe as it affects the proper fit. I bought this helmet cover years ago, it stretches over the helmet, with fleece ear flaps that velcro under your chin. 

For Your Hands

Honestly, I still haven't found the perfect winter riding glove that is warm and allows precise finger movement for handling reins. These are what I use. On cold days I keep a packet of hot hands in my pocket to warm up my fingers. 

under layers

I love my Hot Chilis base layers!

For Your Horse

Sometimes our horses get sweaty during winter rides.

Having a cooler on hand to make sure your horse is completely dry before you turn them out so they don't catch a chill is necessary.

On really cold and windy days I'll use a quarter sheet to keep my horse warmer while we ride. 

Coat Defense Powder also works to help absorb moisture and dry your horse quicker if your horse gets sweaty. 
What are some of your favorite cold weather must have items? I'd love to hear from you-please share in the comments!
P.S. For those of you who are curious, the most common reason for not getting out and riding in the winter is a lack of motivation. It is hard to psych yourself up to going out and working with your horse when the weather is crummy! If you want some motivation, inspiration, and accountability to keep riding over the winter, then my get gritty winter horsemanship challenge is for you!


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How Full Is Your Cup?

7/6/2022

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​Self-care has been a buzzword for awhile. If you've been introduced to this concept, you've probably also heard about taking time to do activities that "refill your cup."

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The Warm Up Pen

4/2/2022

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​Oh, the pressure of the warm up pen!
It is so easy to get off track when we see what our competition is doing with their horses.
Are they spinning faster? Loping more collected? Stopping harder? Oh look, they are flexing and bending their horse, maybe I should do that!
If we do not have a set warm up plan of our own, if we do not stay focused on our plan, it is easy to caught up in trying the “win in the warm up pen.” And doing things different or asking for more in the warm up is not going to help you and your horse perform at your best!
So if you feel pressure in the warm up pen, pause.
Take a deep breath.
Stick to what you do on a normal day to warm up your horse.
You can’t win in the warm up pen, but you certainly can lose there!
Get Gritty,
Chevy
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Procrastination

3/27/2022

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​Procrastination is defined as "delaying or postponing something."

We generally procrastinate and delay doing something that we know we need to do.

When it comes to our horsemanship, the root cause of the procrastination often comes down to fear.

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Grit & Gratitude (Both are essential for horsemanship, and life, success!)

11/25/2021

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What do grit and gratitude have to do with each other?

Isn't grit all about sticking to your goals, doing the work that has to be done, and persevering through the tough times?

And isn't gratitude about showing thankfulness, appreciation and reflecting on what you have now?

Well, yes.

So, how do the two connect?

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Married with Horses

10/22/2020

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“Oh Chevy, you don’t understand. Your husband is a horseman. He gets the horse thing, and supports your riding.”

This comment from a client recently had my head spinning.

Mostly because she was right. I do have trouble relating to partners that don’t “get” the horse thing.

My husband rides, and he is pretty punchy. He likes his horses hot, and he likes to ride fast. Confidence is not an issue for him! He understands the amount of time, blood, sweat, tears, and $$ it takes to make a good, safe horse. While he doesn’t show, he understands it and gets that it is important to me.

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Chevy and #RanchHorseBreezy's Great Buffalo Adventure, Part 5: YOLO

10/22/2020

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French Creek Horse Camp-the view from my campsite.
​I awoke on Saturday morning feeling sad. Today was the day that I would need to pack up my little camp, load Breezy, and head back home.

The past three days had been wonderful. I had met some really cool people, ridden along the beautiful French Creek Trail, felt the rumble and heard the thunder as I galloped alongside a herd of buffalo, and ridden in the dark on a rescue mission.

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Chevy and #RanchHorseBreezy's Great Buffalo Adventure, Part 4: Maps Should Have Scales

10/22/2020

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The Roundup was amazing. (Read Part 3 for the Roundup story if you haven’t already.) Breezy and I made our way back to the French Creek Horse Camp after the Roundup and relaxed for awhile.

At about 2:30, my camp neighbors (the Sherriff’s Posse members from Colorado) asked if I wanted to join them for a short trail ride along French Creek. They had pulled out a trail map, and guessed that we could take a relaxing ride on the French Creek Trail Loop. Scott, the cowboy poet and amazing campfire cook, was staying back at camp and making pork chops and biscuits, and told us to be back by 7 for supper.

So Allan, John, Andrea and I saddled up and off we went.

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Chevy and #RanchHorseBreezy's Great Buffalo Adventure, Part 3: The Buffalo Roundup!

10/22/2020

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​I woke up every hour that night, checking the time in a panic, worried that I had overslept and missed the Roundup. At 4:51 am, I got out of my sleeping bag, too excited to sleep. I made coffee, fed Breezy his morning hay and grain, and headed to the camp shower house for a quick shower. I got dressed in a new shirt and my favorite wrangler jeans. Even though my stomach was full of butterflies, I made myself eat some reheated pancakes.

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Chevy & #RanchHorseBreezy’s Great Buffalo Adventure, Part 2: Orientation Day

10/22/2020

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I woke up Thursday morning feeling excited. Today was the Buffalo Roundup Riders Orientation Day!

As I sat drinking my coffee, watching a mama bighorn sheep and her baby run around, I thought about how blessed I was to be here today. I also thought about all of the work that Breezy and I have done over the past few years to make this possible.

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