 Mark Ward, owner of the Windy Ridge Ranch in Woodbury, Minnesota, formed the Windy Ridge Riders Horse Club in 1982 to provide fun activities for his riding students. The club now includes former riding students with their own horses and is open to local horse enthusiasts, whether or not they ride at Windy Ridge Ranch. Annual activities include weekend horse camping trips, fun shows, riding in the Saint Paul Winter Carnival parades, a fall barn dance, and more. Members also have access to the club library of horse books and videos.
Happy trails! --The Windy Ridge Riders.
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Wet Horses in the Winter
It is important to carefully evaulate the horse's coat condition before sending a wet horse out into the cold. Here's how...
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Winter Boots
During a September lesson at the WRR someone's boot got stuck in the stirrup when the horse spooked and the rider fell off. The horse pulled away, dragged the rider a few feet, and then fortunately the english stirrup leather separated from the saddle (as it was designed to do) -- otherwise it could have been a serious accident!
Reminder: make sure your stirrups are wide enough to handle your warm winter boots. Test by putting your foot all the way through the stirrup and then withdraw it as quickly as possible. If your boot sticks to the stirrup, install a larger stirrup.
Some boots just aren't meant for riding. If you can't find a stirrup that allows a quick release for your big bad boot, find a safer boot for riding.
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Emergency Dismount
Learn and practice the emergency dismount. Then, the next time your horse gets excited, it will help you relax and handle the horse with confidence because you know that in case you do fall, you have a chance of landing on your feet and rolling to safety (instead of crashing out of control). To gain control over emergency dismounts, practice jumping off and landing feet first, facing forward, and sometimes practice rolling over your shoulder to simulate what your body might have to do to avoid injury from a fast paced fall. Read the note from a WRR student who is glad she learned how to do the emergency dismount......
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