It’s wet, it’s persistently muddy, your horse is permanently filthy, and you have forgotten what it’s like to be warm. In the run up to the winter equinox you could almost blink and miss the daylight hours, that is if they are worth seeing given the persistent low cloud and the pervading gloom………. but all is not lost. We’ve dug deep and discovered five things to love about winter.

Read on to bring some cheer to your winter misery.

You can eat more:

All that extra mucking out, heaving bags of feed in and out of the car and carting bales of bedding across the yard is burning extra calories. So, go on, have that big fat slice of chocolate cake and be guilt free. You know you deserve it.

You can spend quality time with your horse:

The dark nights may preclude you from riding but instead you can spend an hour with your horse in the stable, where it’s warm and dry. You can use the time for extra grooming – your horse will appreciate some time without a rug on while you scratch all his itchy bits. You could also do some carrot stretches and gently habituate him to anything he’s not confident with such as rustling plastic bags, having his feet picked up or getting used to the clippers.

You can bask in winter sunshine:

The fact that winter sunshine is a rarity makes it all the more pleasurable when it actually does appear and because it’s low in the sky you can really feel the glow. Couple the sunshine with a still, clear frosty morning and you have the perfect conditions for an uplifting winter ride.

You don’t have to worry about flies:

Quite simply there are no flies in winter. Nicer for your horse and nicer for you.

You can indulge in longer evenings cosied up at home:

With your horse safely tucked up in his stable and all the yard jobs done you can go home and enjoy a longer evening. Get your domestic chores out of the way in good time and then you can put your feet up in front of the fire and watch your favourite horsey movie.