I often get asked about the winters in Colorado and how I'm adjusting ~
all I can say is I just haven't skipped a beat!
Training in Colorado during the winter has not stopped anymore than training in Garner Valley stopped during inclement weather. This is my passion - something that I look so forward to doing - so it really isn't that difficult or something that I even consider to be work. In these pictures, I am working a couple of youngsters that I have started - we are dragging tarps thru the snow which present an entirely different sound and desensitizing to carrying flags
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I am on 24 acres and along the back of my property runs a wonderful stream all year long that also presents incredible training circumstances. I've had these youngster crossing the stream which doesn't seem like much but, when you add snow covering the rocks in the stream, a thin layer of ice they have to break through as well as trudging thru snow up to their hocks along the bank that they have to maneuver - its an incredible obstacle.
There is also a gate just past the stream that opens up to the National Forest so we have hills to climb and descend, deadfall to jump or simply step over, brush to do serpentines around, and natural obstacles such as deer jumping out of the brush in front of us. And as if this wasn't enough we have full year round access to a lit, heated, enclosed arena at a facility where Craig Cameron's Extreme Cowboy Race was held last year. This arena offers an entirely different aspect of training - a completely new environment that offers different sounds - exposure to other riders and horses – we just could not ask for a more complete training regime.
Here is my training partner Rick working Kit - a young horse we have started with probably less than 20 rides - this is going out our back pasture - she is working through snow and learning how to cross the year round stream that runs along the back of the property - She is doing great.
We also have access year round to an enclosed lit and heated arena for the days where the snow storms drive most people in. The arena provides an entirely different environment to train young horses in - so we have natural and man made conditions to choose from.
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