It's official.
There's snow on the ground.
Water buckets have ice around the edges.
Horses are big and furry instead of smooth and silky.
It's time for longjohns and hotties!
I have purchased (though some advice from a student - Thanks Bev!) a great big pack of "Hotties" from Costco. If you haven't heard of Hotties, they make hand warmers and adhesive foot warmers for cold weather. The adhesive foot warmers work great for riding and being in the barn when you stick them right to your sock inside your boots. The hand warmers keep fingers warm, and usually you can get by with just one if you remember to switch them back and forth from hand to hand.
If you are interested in trying them, I will have them available for students for $2.00 each (to cover my costs).
Also, several places in London sell thermal underwear and cold weather gear. I have found great success in buying mine from Mountain Equipment Co-op (thanks to another student who does winter hiking and camping for this referral!). The store is located in Toronto, but you can order items online and I believe shipping is free until December 4th.
The thermal underwear, tops and bottoms are FANTASTIC. I don't know how I lived without them. When I was at the store, I was lucky enough to meet a sales representative who rides horses and knew exactly what I needed. I use the Polartec medium-heavy weight thermals. They have stood up to wear and tear for me and kept me warm when I'm standing in the arena in the middle of winter. I also purchased boot liners and glove liners which make a huge difference. This year I bought a helmet liner. I would recommend for most students to buy a helmet cover (available at Greenhawk). They are warmer and cover the helmet as well as your ears and cheeks. The liner I chose because when I ride I often ride hard enough that I sweat. The liner has a moisture wicking fabric over the skull, and warm fleecey patches for my ears.
The website is www.mec.ca if you are interested in exploring these suggestions further. Hope you find these helpful, and please remember the barn is always colder than you think it's going to be so DRESS WARMLY, riding isn't much fun when your fingers are frozen and you can't feel your feet.
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2 comments:
Hi Lindsay,
I am thinking about getting a helmet cover for Jordan for Christmas, and a helmet. What size would you recommend for her??
Hi Liz,
Before you purchase one, let's check to see which one of mine fits her the best. I would imagine she would be a youth large or medium but there are some adult helmets that come with adjustable band on the inside that seem to work really well. That way she can grow into her helmet a little, rather than having to replace it every year AND she can choose whether she wants to wear a hat underneath in the winter, rather than the helmet cover.
I'll set out the helmets for you to try on Thursday, see you then!
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