Seven things to do during April showers
As I look out the window today, I start counting the hours since the rain started. I think we are going on hour 30+ now? I don’t need to flash back to the photo above to know how much we hate riding in the cold rain. Bentley, tell me how you really feel!
Now I cannot complain, we did get several days of warm sunshine already and I took advantage of prime riding - trying to keep it low key so as not to overburden my horses after a winter off. Now I am sitting here and TV just doesn’t seem appealing anymore. It’s really a good thing they don’t release many good shows this time of year. I have that brain itch telling me to start prepping for ride season, but I am still not particularly enthused to ride on days like today. What to do, what to do?
So I put out a social media post asking what riders are doing during the April showers to pass the time and to ensure they have May flowers. Here are some of the ideas that I came up with to do right now, and some of the first responders’ comments.
1) Tack - clean it, check it, repair it, get it fitted., inventory it. This is the perfect time of year to go over your tack. First off make sure its safe and give it a clean. If you have already been riding chances are your horse has already shed and sweat all over it. Give it a good clean and check it over for potential repairs and then GO GET IT REPAIRED! Don’t wait for it to be a real problem. This is also a great opportunity to have a saddle fitter out. Get it done now and you will be able to enjoy more miles when the sun is shining. Lastly, go through everything you have. Tack swaps are coming up for this exact reason. What have you not used in 2 years? Sell it. What are you missing from your kit that you need to go after your goals this year? Put it on a list and look for it at the tack swaps. Check your saddlebags, first aid kits and grooming kits for things that have been used up or expired and restock.
2) Get checked over properly - this goes for both you and your horse. Have a vet and or bodyworker come out and do a full assessment. Be open about your goals and expectations for the year and they can help guide you to specific conditioning and stretch exercises to improve your horses’ posture before increasing the workload. If you don’t have anyone nearby, Ashley has a low cost horse posture assessment that can be done online and includes suggested exercises. Same goes with the human athlete - get your vet work done! Visit a sports therapist/physiotherapist to help assess potential weaknesses and help correct these before adding intensity. Sarah also offers an initial assessment as part of the custom workout programs she offers to help tailor your training and better utilize your time in the gym.
3) Clean your house or barn or trailer - I get it, we would rather do horsey stuff, but if you are stuck in the house or barn anyway you might as well clean it. Then when the weather is gorgeous and you would REALLY rather be riding, you can be. Take the time to organize your indoor spaces to make things easier to find, AND get in the habit of putting things away once you have dedicated the spot for them. This will actually save you so much time and stress down the road. Just like with your tack and your bodies, look for things that need repairing or replacing as you go through and clean.
4) Meal prep - It’s a little chilly out, so turn on that oven! This is a great time to pre-make healthy meals that you can enjoy for the next few months. I use these bento boxes to make meals and freeze them. When I have a day when I want to rush out to the barn instead of cook, I just pull out one of my meals and a fork and voila! I have lunch or dinner! Of course, that assumes you have a microwave at the barn. But even if you dont take it to go, its still handy when you are either out all day and tempted to stop for fast food on the way home or when you need to eat quick between work and the barn because you are chasing daylight with your rides or you are running late for a lesson. This will also save you money for all those vet bills lol!
5) Hit the gym - It’s dry in there, no mud from wall to wall! Timing is perfect right now to get some last minute gains before show or ride season. Plus you don’t have to dedicate a ton of time to it, just fill in the gaps on those rainy days. If you need a little guidance and accountability we have some follow along programs to get you started. Most of these are 3 days a week and you can see a week ahead and behind you. So you can adjust your routine based on the weather. Ride in the sunshine, and do your 3 days on the rainy bits. Your horse will also thank you for the days off where you focus on your fitness. 4 weeks may not seem like a ton of time to gain muscle or improve body condition, but it does help to fire your central nervous system and re-learn some movement patterns which will get you those newbie gains. Trust me, a little goes a long way!
6) Learn something new - Want to learn more skills to improve your riding and horsemanship? There are so many free and low cost online courses and seminars that can help you get there. If you are an AERC member, they have some great webinars about endurance riding. available free to their membership. Equine Guelph has some 12 week certificate programs and they are a very reputable educator. I even did a series of webinars and discussions early in the pandemic that now live in the FitRider Library. I also enjoy reading blogs and if you are an endurance rider, I really enjoy reading The Sweaty Equestrian. If you love what you see here you will love her too! Practice things like vet checks with your horse or your grooming skills that can be done within the comfort of the barn aisle or run in shed.
7) Plan your calendar - This is arguably the most fun of all because we get to dream about all the exciting things we could do this year. This year is a little different for me as I have committed to NOT compete in endurance this season (though I may break this in October… stay tuned for a few exciting announcements). So my calendar is open to opportunities, all the things I used to say no to in favour of comptition. So right many of my weekends now look triple booked with options and there is a long list of camping destinations that I can fill in any blanks with. If you are planning on being competitive this year, this is a great time to look at the season as a whole and set up conditioning goals and rest periods around your event dates. If you are training for something big like the Mongol Derby or your first endurance event and you want to feel what certain paces and mileage feel like on finished endurance horses, I did just update my available bootcamp dates. So if you need help filling your calendar, well I am here to help that way lol!
So that is what I was able to come up with. What do you do on rainy April days? Comment below because I want some more ideas too!