#Hack1000miles Inspirational advice to keep you hacking this winter, come rain, come snow

How do you motivate yourself to keep hacking in winter, come rain or snow? Endurance rider Caroline Cowley passes on some handy hints

IF ANYONE’S GOING to know about staying motivated to hack in the winter, it’s an endurance rider. And we’ve tracked one down in the form of Caroline Cowley, fresh from the World Equestrian Games. Caroline has agreed to share her secrets to getting in the saddle every day, whatever the weather. “At the moment, my horse HS Bellini (stable name El Nino) is on holiday after flying back from America in September,” says Caroline. “But he’s only got another week or so to kick up his heels and then it’s back to work.” Once in work again, it’s full steam ahead as they’ve a 120-mile ride to complete in March. “I can’t let bad weather or lethargy on my part get in the way. El Nino has to be fit, which means riding as often as I would in summer.” One of the things we all suffer with during the darker months is time — or lack of it. “I make every second of a hack count,” says Caroline. “I do a lot of my schooling on a hack. Funnily enough, many people think endurance horses don’t need schooling, but they have to be as supple, forward and balanced as any other competition horse.” Caroline also makes use of local hills. “This means I can do a full workout and cover a lot of distance in less time, as the work is more strenuous,” she explains. She has her own take on the weather, too. “Billy Connolly once said: ‘There’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing,’ and I use this as my mantra now. I also think of the weather as beautiful, whatever it’s doing. I ride head to toe in waterproof and windproof kit and El Nino wears a waterproof with fleece lining exercise sheet, then neither of us are fussed by whatever is thrown at us.”