#TeamBETTALIFE® Winter Top Tips

It’s safe to say January has been a bit of a drag, but with the lure of Spring and hopefully the resumption of shows just around the corner, we hope these tips will help you through the final push of winter!

There’s 8 weeks until Spring officially starts, so here are our 8 top tips:

Look after yourself and keep yourself warm! Invest in good waterproofs, a good long coat and thermal layers. Our snoods are proving a valuable addition to the equestrian wardrobe. Annie Ho loves pulling her snood up over her ears before she puts her hat on to ride! Off the horse, a good wooly hat is always a good idea to stop heat escaping through your head.

Add warm water to your horses bucket to take the chill off. Dehydration is a risk in winter, making their water slightly less cold will encourage them to drink. Alternatively try sloppy feeds or mashes to encourage hydration.
Over the winter some horses may naturally drop weight and condition. PharmaPlast supports muscle development and topline. It’s sugar free and non-heating, which is hugely beneficial when horses may be naturally sharper in the cold weather!
Horse routine is so important, remember to make any changes gradually so to not unbalance their sensitive digestive system. PharmaTRAC can help to maintain an optimal digestive environment when changes are made; #TeamBETTALIFE® rider Lauren Painter loves the support it offers her horses when she can’t turn out due to weather conditions.
It’s important to allow extra time to warm up and cool down when the weather is cold. Horses may also benefit from the additional joint support PharmaQuin provides to help them through the times they are stabled more. #TeamBETTALIFE® Rider Pip Blain loves using the winter to focus on her training. Pip says, “having goals really helps with motivation when its freezing cold, blowing a gale or pouring with rain,” (or all 3 at once!).
If you’re lucky enough to have warm water and a solarium, they definitely make winter easier, especially if you own a grey! The solarium is great for helping with warm up and cool down and fantastic if you’ve had to bath.
In your horse’s paddocks, fence off particularly slippery and muddy bits of their field if possible to prevent injury.
Prepare for the ice. #TeamBETTALIFE® Rider Paige Wright uses pig lamps over the taps to stop them freezing, and suggests making a ‘muck heap path’ on top of any ice or snow to allow horses to safely cross any slippery areas!

Take a look at Lauren Painter’s winter must haves below!