Winter Woes Survival Guide

Freezing temps and stormy days keep us inside, and what better way to spend a day (or more) than giving your tack room a new lease on life? With storage bags, boxes, hooks, and hangers, every tack room or feed room can be the space that makes an equestrian sigh in relief. Whether it's wrangling wraps, putting away pads, or taming your tack-cleaning kit, we've got organizational remedies for everyone.

Just because you're stuck inside doesn't mean the learning has to stop. Winter weather gives a great opportunity to brush up on, or increase, your knowledge of old and new topics. No matter your interest there's a how-to guide for you, even if it's how to shop for your next piece of tack! Our Learning Center covers it all, with great advice and input from our sponsored riders and guides that come straight from the horse's mouth.

What could be more fun than baking for the holidays? Baking for your horse, of course! This homemade horse treat recipe developed by Gallagher's Water is a great way to stay busy when stuck inside and a sneaky way to keep your horse hydrated in colder months. If baking isn't your jam, we've got a full selection of tasty treats that will have your horses saying yay instead of nay!

Clean tack is happy tack, happy tack makes happy horses, and happy horses make happy humans! Leather tack cracks when it's not taken care of and makes it more prone to breaking, creating dangerous situations. There's no better time than wintertime to sit down with a barn buddy, watch a movie, and clean some tack! Not sure how to get the best clean? Here are some pro tips to help you out:

No horse is too hairy, and no mule is too muddy! The time for intense grooming sessions has come. Wary riders have no fear, with super shedding tools and heroic hoof picks at the ready, winter weather stands no chance. We have clippers and curries for all types of riders and equines. Not sure how to tackle the tundra? Check out our Winter Grooming Guide to find out how grooming practices can best serve you.

Do you know what's worse than an emergency? An emergency that you're not prepared for. Having a pre-packed emergency kit can save you valuable time and help to stay collected in intense moments. Kits should have all the essentials as well as individual items that are unique to you and your horses, like medication. Not sure what needs to go in your kit? Check out our guide to emergency preparedness and get packing!

Riders are well versed in bringing horses back into work, but what about our own bodies? Having downtime is great and rejuvenating, but how great would it feel to stay riding-ready? Take a moment to stretch it out and stay flexible, so when you do return to riding you can focus on getting your equine back in shape! Read about our favorite exercises for riders not riding, which can all be done from the comfort of your living room.

Winter is the time to plan and prepare. Setting goals is a great way to stay motivated in the more stagnant parts of the year. These could be goals related to skill improvement, competition readiness, or even improving your communication with your horse. Having one or many goals provides useful guidance at a time when it is easier to just sit out. Need inspiration for upcoming plans? Read what our sponsored riders have to say about staying motivated or pique your interest with one of the other topics in our learning center!

What better way to spend a night in than curled up next to a cozy candle, sipping your favorite beverage out of a top-notch tumbler, planning your next show-stopping outfit, or picking that next "gift to myself" piece of tack? We have determined that nothing is better. Whether you shop by season or by color, alone or with friends, new pieces are waiting to be discovered! Not ready to buy? Make your dream wishlist and share it with everyone you know. On your mark, get set, shop!