There was a time when I shunned all my mom’s attempts to get me to put on a coat. “It’s very cold out there Oscar,” she would say, “You’ll catch death!”

Tough guy me! I don’t remember ever getting sick because I didn’t wear a heavy enough coat or any kind of coat, but I do remember being very cold when I walked in.

As I got older, I could feel the cold more and I started wearing coats and then heavier coats. I learned that it was not as cool as I thought to become macho. Fortunately, all the forays without a coat were close to the house, so I could run inside if the cold got to my bones.

But when you’re riding trails, there’s nowhere to go if you’re too cold, and if you decide you need help, you may be short on some time and distance.

Here are my hard-earned lessons offered as tips for anyone planning to ride a horse in cold weather. Or anyone who just carries the trash can to the end of the road.

Dress in layers. Start with thermal long johns as a base and build from there. You can always remove a layer or two. (I thought long johns were nerdy until I realized Helen didn’t know she was wearing them and my teeth didn’t chatter as much.) Use the reds only if you want us all to know about it.

Cover your head and ears. You lose most of your body heat through your dome. Wear insulating gloves with textured palms and fingers. I remember the first time I wore a real hat, with ear flaps, how much
I felt warmer.

Try a scarf, wrapped around your neck and over your mouth. Yeah, straight out of the Christmas Story Movie they show every year, Randy lay there like a slug. But he still had his scarf.

It should make sense that if it’s so cold you have to dress like Randy and you can’t move your arms, maybe your horse won’t like the ride very much either, especially if you’re the type to pull horseshoes in September.

Don’t ride a horse barefoot. And if you ride in the snow or around the ice, you’ll need to check and pick up your helmets every 30 minutes (it can be a bit difficult to dismount in all that gear).

Take your time. Cold air is more exhausting for you and your horse. And winter is not a time for endurance tests. If you see any signs that your horse is tiring, stop to rest (in a place protected from the wind, if possible).

Leave the drink at the camp. A thermos of hot coffee is a better warmer and doesn’t compromise your thinking.

Here’s my big thing:

If it doesn’t work, come back. Being a die-hard just isn’t cool, neither for you nor for your trusty steed. There is no need to push and hurt yourself or your horse. Some days are better for riding than others. If it doesn’t work, come back.

Good rule of thumb: If you have to put on so many layers for a walk that you risk freezing your private parts due to the time it takes to take them off so you can relieve yourself in the woods,
maybe you should wait for another day.

Uncle Oscar has been around horses his entire life since his start in Southwest Missouri. His home philosophy and his safety tips have kept me out of trouble more than once.