Winter Show Season is upon us!

Winter is upon us in Chicagoland and it is a great time to get out and head to a horse show!

Winter brings its own set of challenges for horse showing. The biggest is the unknown of the weather. Snow, ice and very cold temps can all come into play and need to be paid attention to. Our horses safety is number one priority for all of us! However with careful planning, paying attention to details and with using good common sense we can easily overcome these challenges and get out to show.

Horse showing in the winter is a great way to get out of the barn, see somewhere different, alleviate winter blues and boredom. After all, nothing adds excitement to your home riding routine than when you are preparing yourself and your horse for a horse show.

There is another great advantage to horse showing in Chicago in the winter, the shows are generally a bit smaller and it can be a great environment to take a new horse to a nice easy show or perhaps to try a new class or a to see how a higher level works for you. Winter shows in Chicago are generally in a more controlled environment in a nice indoor arena that both horse and rider can quickly adjust to. There are a variety of shows to choose from! Both A and B IHJA shows, NIHJA shows as well as some very well organized open shows. There really is something for every level and every budget.

Not sure where or when horse shows are going on in the area? You can easily check the calendar at www.chicagoequestrian.com for a listing of shows and other special events happening in the area.

Be sure to also check out the 'links' page at the bottom left side for a great set of links to associations, horse show managements, and other great resources.