If winter cuts down on your riding time, try exploring these winter equestrian activities to get your horse fix.Photo by Daniel JohnsonTable of ContentsToggleRead Horse-Related BooksExplore New SkillsLearn More About Your HorseStudy for CertificationStay in ShapeMake Plans for Warmer MonthsGet OrganizedSet a BudgetTackle Repairs & DIY ProjectsGo Horse ShoppingGet CraftyVolunteer Your TimePerks of Trying Winter Equestrian ActivitiesYou start every winter with the best of intentions. This year, Im going to keep riding all winter, no matter how bad the weather gets!Youre a tough equestrian, right? Youre not going to let a little snow (wind/sleet/ice) stop you from spending time in the saddle.But then deep winter sets in, and you struggle to simply keep up with the regular daily barn chores, along with the myriad of winter-centric tasks (shoveling, de-icing, shoveling, then some more shoveling). Throw in some winter weather advisories and what seems like two hours of daylight per day, and its no wonder that you ultimately decide that spending some downtime indoors sounds like a pretty good idea.Winter downtime is one thing, but you also dont want to go stir crazy. And horses are your thingyou want to learn, grow, explorewithout freezing for hours on end outdoors.The good news is theres so much more to the equestrian lifestyle than time in the saddle, and winter is a great time to invest your energy into activities that will make a positive impact on your involvement with horses. The following are a few ideas to get you started.Read Horse-Related BooksWe always tell ourselves were going to make time to read and then we dont.Its easy to pile up a TBR pile a mile high during fair weather, so now is the time to enjoy some horsey fiction and learn from some great horsemanship manuals. Photo by Daniel JohnsonThis winter, make it happen. Set aside some of your downtime to explore an assortment of horse-related books, both fiction and nonfiction. Revisit childhood favorites and enjoy them with a new perspective. Explore new subjects that interest youmaybe training young horses, equine nutrition, or the history of your favorite breed. Check out vintage horse books. Try some biographies of pillars of the industry. Read old breed association yearbooks. Catch up on your pile of magazines.Youll learn a lot, and youll have the satisfaction of making a dent in your TBR (to be read) pile. If you dont have a TBR pile, get in the habit of keeping a list during the fair-weather months on your phones notepad app. When a book strikes your fancy but you dont have time to read it, just jot down the title.Explore New SkillsQuiet winter weekends are a great time to explore new skills. Have you always loved taking photos but wish you understood the nuances of equine photography? Do you wish your horse show videos werent so shaky and choppy? Maybe you daydream about creating beautiful artwork or sculptures of your horse.Now is the time to learn a new skill, such as photography. By next spring, youll be snapping beautiful photos of your horse. Photo by Paulette JohnsonDaydreaming is great, but you can take action by pursuing your ambitions: sign up for some art or photography classes, find a mentor who can give you some guidance, and practice, practice, practice! Youll be surprised at how quickly you can make progress when you carve out regular time to pursue your passions.Learn More About Your HorseYou love your horse and all of his endearing habits and mannerismsbut this winter, why not learn as much as you can about him?Start with his pedigree, if available, and begin researching his ancestors. Look for photos, gather info, and find out more about your horses background.Learn the basics of equine coat color genetics and discover how your horse came to be the color he is, as well as how and why he inherited his white markings (or lack thereof).You can also explore breed registry resources to learn all you can about the history of your horses breed, or send off a DNA test if your horses ancestry is unknown.Study for CertificationDo you have long-held ambitions that youve always wanted to pursue? Winter is the perfect time to take the first steps.Check out educational courses and programs, then find out what it takes to become certified in the field youre interested in, whether its judging, training, instructing, horsemanship, equine appraisal, massage, or another related area. Fulfilling all of the requirements for certification can take a long time (in some cases years), but you can take advantage of the winter months to get the ball rolling. The time will pass either way, so you might as well be making progress toward your goal!Stay in ShapeWhen its cold, chances are youre craving comfort foods. Of course, comfort foods get most of their comfort from the gazillion calories they contain. And when you combine that with decreased activity levels during the winter, the result leaves you in something less than tip-top physical shape.But it doesnt have to be that waystaying in shape during the winter not only feels great, but it also gives you an advantage when the weather improves and you can get back in the saddle on a regular basis.Your specific method of staying in shape will depend on your individual circumstances, but might include walking, swimming, yoga, visits to the gym, et cetera.Make Plans for Warmer MonthsTheres no better time to make plans than during the winter. Evaluate the upcoming year and begin to set goals and plans.Which horse shows will you attend? Can you pencil in some weekends for trail rides? Add in dates of clinics, horse expos, breed association meetings, and local club events so its all on the calendar from the start of the year. Then determine the training goals you want to accomplish with your horse this year. What farm improvements would you like to make? Are there any important purchases you need to consider this year? Start tackling the logistics now, while things are quieter and less chaotic than in the summer.Get OrganizedWintertime is the ideal season to work on getting organized. Who wants to deep-clean a tack trunk in the middle of a crazy show season? Or sort a box with 43 nylon halters when its 98 degrees?Use the quiet time and the cooler working conditions to make some cleaning headway in your tack collection, show clothes, and trailer. You can get organized slowly, at your own pace, without the rush-rush-rush of the summer schedule on your mind.Set a BudgetJust kidding. Budgets are for New Years resolutions!Tackle Repairs & DIY ProjectsFeeling handy? Its time to work on some of those long-overdue repair projects youve been avoiding.From little things like repairing tack, fixing buttons on shirts, and replacing laces in paddock bootsall the way up to bigger DIY projects like repainting jump standards, building window boxes, replacing the flooring in the bathroom at the barnyou can tackle these projects during the winter months and feel relaxed and ready to roll when spring arrives.Go Horse ShoppingBuying a new horse is a surefire way to have fun this winter and make the most of the seasonal downtime, right? Of course, even if youre not in the market for a new horse, it never hurts to browse some listings or watch a few YouTube videos of horses for sale.Window shopping can be almost as much fun as actual shopping, plus its a lot less expensive.Get CraftyWhy not put your crafting skills to good use? Maybe youve always wanted to make a ribbon quilt with your keepsake show ribbons.Or maybe you love to crochetwhy not start making crocheted ponies for the kids in your life or to give as prizes at next summers horse shows?Crafting takes a bit of time to learn and execute, but its well worth the end results. Photo by Karenkh/Adobe StockVolunteer Your TimeBreed associations and local horse clubs are almost always in need of volunteers to help with events, to serve on committees, and to handle the details of various programs. Your assistance will be gratefully received, and youll have the satisfaction of being a vital asset to these organizations.Perks of Trying Winter Equestrian ActivitiesAfter youve put the winter months to good use, youll be more than ready to greet the coming spring from the vantage point of the saddle. But youll also have the satisfaction of knowing that you put your time to good use even on the coldest, windiest, and snowiest of winter days.This article about winter equestrian activities with less time for riding appeared in the November/December 2023 issue of Horse Illustratedmagazine.Click here to subscribe!The post Winter Equestrian Activities: How to Spend Your Time with Less Riding appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.