My plans this winter, and I live in the mountains too, is to modify my idea of "training" to include things already mentioned, like basic ground manners, commands, STAND!! Especially the last one. I would like my mares able to listen to the command stand no matter the circumstance, or if I am in eyesight or ear shot. I want to teach them basically to ground tie like my stock horses used to do. I feel this may improve my spring driving training by leaps and bounds, even though they have a fairly good stand now. I went out for a drive yesterday down our road and some spots were slightly icy, so I turned around and drove around our property a bit. This is my biggest issue with winter: ice. I hope to continue to ground drive quite a bit though.
Skijoring is high on my list to attempt this year with my older mare. I purchased a steel singletree that weighs 2 pounds, and with a climbing harness on me, and a quick release trailer tie between me and horse, I think I have a system. My husband plows a path around our pasture, so this will be my playground for this, for now anyway.
I am also working on plans for a skid sled, or stoneboat, for my mares. I have been ground driving them as a team, with just their heads hooked and long lines on either side (it's primitive, I know, but it's working) and driving them around the property. I eventually want to drive them as a team, so this little "exercise" in team work is something I hope to do all winter. With the stoneboat I hope to haul firewood to the house, give my daughter rides, and just get them some exercise. Maybe even haul some snow around to clear the end of driveway or something. Winter calls for creativity.
For fun for the girls, I save crab apples off our tree that we don't use and store in the back of the barn. Just for something for them to do, I toss a few into the snow around the pasture and they love going to look for them. Kinda have to teach them at first, but then they see me throwing and they go right after them. Takes them a long time to dig up the treasure!! Just some enrichment.....
Katie