• Saturday-What'sUP March 7 - 07:07 pm

Not being a horse owner myself, I don't know this for sure, but I would guess that during a Keweenaw winter, you aren't out there horseback riding as much as you would be in the warmer weather. So when the sun was shining and the wind had stopped blowing for a day, Halli Lindley and her daughter bundled up against the winter chill in the air and went for a ride.

I love the shadows that the sun created while they were riding along, especially in the first photo, as it gives the illusion that there's another horse and rider right alongside Halli's daughter. All four pictures show what looks to be a quiet and peaceful ride, too, with not a car in sight. What a great way to spend a mother/daughter day!

Pictures I can totally relate to! Winter horseback riding has many advantages...no bugs, no sun burning, no tiring early in the ride...makes for a happy horse, happy horse makes for happy rider!

Great riding ~ no saddle!:) Sweet photos.

When I was about 8, I tried bareback riding ~ mounted on one side and slid off the other.:<

Great pictures!!

This is strictly a guess but would I be correct in assuming that horses feet can withstand a lot of cold? Do they ever get cold feet? I suppose if they stood in freezing water for a long time they would.

...and do they ever wear booties, like sled dogs do, or snow shoes?
Nice pix!

I love these warm photos, even though it must have
been cold, they warm my heart :)

We never worried too much about horses getting cold feet. In the good old days when racing trotters and pacers on the ice was popular as was done on Torch and Portage lakes, they used to use screw-in ice calks on the horseshoes. They were much like a sharp track cleat humans used. In the '60s & '70s when my Dad and I trained horses we would put spots of a hard metal like stellite or borite on the shoes. This would give a grip in ice without the hazards of the long sharp calks. Booties like dogs, no.

Lovely pics.