Anyone else lost their motivation in this continual rain

[NinjaPony]

It's funny, this is my first winter with my connie out of action. Usually winter is good for us, he prefers colder weather and I can press on with our training. I have to say, that despite missing riding, if there was ever a winter to be out of work, this one takes the biscuit!
My real concern is having to bring him back into walk work next week to see if his meds are working-trying to do 'gentle' walk work in the pouring rain is really not my idea of fun. Takes as much effort to get him out for a walk as for a proper ride, and no way of burning off any excess energy!! Still, I'll try not to complain, given how much I've complained about the lack of riding!

 

[doodle]

Up until last week i was motivated. This week i have hardly ridden, it is just so cold. Robin is deperate for some fast work but everything is so sodden thats impossible. He gets bored and then spooky and silly if in the arena so been avoiding that.

 

[oldie48]

I've had a real stop/start few months for various reasons. Rose had a week off recently but I managed to get her started again and she had a 6 day working week followed by a day off on Sunday. I took her away for an overnight training session Mon'/Tues, schooled wednesday and hacked her today and have got things booked for tomorrow and Saturday. However, I've got a lot on next week, so I am just trying not to beat myself up if I can't ride. Rose is the type that keeps pretty fit and isn't too silly if she has a day or two off but she's no fan of being out if it's wet and windy!

 

[Surbie]

I am still managing 4-5 times per week, even if it's short. Today was 30 mins in the school at 7.30am just before the heavens opened. Tomorrow will be a long, sedate hack out to get him stretching and out of the bog masquerading as a field. I am hoping to just keep him ticking over till Spring.

 

[monkeymad]

I work nights, so can ride in the mornings. Having a dry and clean(ish) horse - she is stabled overnight - makes the task much easier. I dont like the rain but unless it is lashing down I will ride in it.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I'm another who is totally de-motivated; all my animals are hating this weather - the dogs won't go out in it, I have to drag them out and I hate doing that! Plus I've got Guinea Fowls and they, being equatorial birds, hate it! Cats are struggling, and last but not least the horses are really cranky too; bringing in from the field the other day my "project" mare nearly pulled me over in her eagerness to get in for her feed. They're obviously just as sick of it as everyone else is.

I've got my horses at home, and we're on the Devon clay here, so it holds water like a sponge and then goes all gooey and horrible, it really doesn't drain at all well.

As for riding...... IF there was a gap where it wasn't either raining OR blowing a hooley, or both at the same time, then I'd try to get out if only for a quick ten minutes trot round the block, but there doesn't seem to be any time when I'm at home to take that opportunity! I don't have a school here (about the only time when I've craved a lovely indoor school, bliss!).

The only thing that keeps me going right now is the fact that as from round about the middle of next week, it actually starts getting lighter in the evenings..... tho' the mornings will take a little while longer.

 

[Finlib]

Glad I'm not alone! We are lucky lots of foggage and sandy well drained land as well as the indoor school make life easy.Using the indoor school for the dogs to play in as well a bit of dog agility. Roll on spring!

 

[dogatemysalad]

My horses arent the snowflakes, I am ?

I will nearly always wait for a better day. Been doing a LOT of waiting for seven months now ??☹

TBH, ycbm, if mine were stabled inside a large barn like yours are, I'd probably wait for nice weather too. I'm only motivated to get mine out because he can't tolerate our boggy fields for more than the morning and I hate the big lad standing in a stable for hours on end.

 

[Micky]

Huge gusts of wind, rain and thick fog, no school, miserable horse, peat bog filled fields, the joy of winter, I prob won’t ride now till spring, I’m motivated to ride twice a week (lots of steep hills no flat, horse with arthritis) but the weather isn’t conducive

 

[mini-eventer]

Im always on it minimum 4 times a week.... My horse has lost a shoe and i haven't even contacted the farrier I've got a lot going on (as have most people this time of year)

I can easily justify that i cant ride due to missing shoe....

 

[hobo]

Today is better for riding but as they had a duvet day yesterday I think they will enjoy a full day out in the field more instead. We have been on holiday and I spent a lot of money keeping her in work while we were away but I have struggled since we got back. It is the wettest autumn for a very long time and is terrible for my riding mojo.

 

[Fransurrey]

The only thing that keeps me going right now is the fact that as from round about the middle of next week, it actually starts getting lighter in the evenings..... tho' the mornings will take a little while longer.

Winter solstice is normally the 21st Dec. I've got a bottle of prosecco, ready. I get more excited about that than I do about Christmas!

 

[Chianti]

I'm trying to keep my pony busy to get some weight off him. I've got a sharer who rides at the weekend. One of the yard owners schools him for me once a week - giving him the occasional jump. That leaves me four days - I ride 2 or 3 days and lunge/long rein the others. Unless it's really tipping down I try to do something with him - even if it's just walking out in hand. I've bought him one of those rugs they can wear when being lunged so if it's light rain he can still do some work. Only having to do four days makes it much easier to cope with.

 

[scats]

Fair weather rider here and I’m not ashamed to admit it!
Seriously though, I can cope with a bit of drizzle and wind, but what we’ve had this week has been alsolutely horrific. It’s been pretty much none stop storms- 50mph winds and non stop battering rain. Fields have gone from being pretty dry to looking like lakes because the ground just can’t cope with how quickly it’s come down. Riding has gone on hold til better weather arrives!

 

[Muddywellies]

I'm struggling too. Work has been very full on so I haven't managed to ride before work like I usually do. But even if work wasn't so busy, I'm just so fed up with the wind and rain and am not inspired to ride in it. AND I've had a horrible bug which just won't clear up so I'm getting very breathless in the cold. And then I feel guilty that I'm a lightweight and should be more dedicated as we dressage but not very well so how am I ever going to improve if I wimp out because work is busy/weather horrible/lungs don't work etc etc.

 

[milliepops]

The dark scuppers me more than the weather tbh.
I've really missed having my established horse in work this winter, she's rehabbing an injury so I'm super motivated as I want her back to fitness by the spring. We start trotting next week.

Can't wait for the winter solstice and the beginning of the end

 

[Tihamandturkey]

Managed an hour this morning with a friend - walk trot & good canter on our all weather 3 furlong round gallop - put a smile on my face & a spring in my step (lots of springs in Madam's too ?)

Timed it well for once - only got slightly soaked - small price to pay ?

 

[Bonnie Allie]

Different problem but same frustration. No rain just non stop smoke in Sydney from the 130 fires burning in NSW.

Asthma is through the roof. 20 times the level of pollution considered safe. Can’t ride as it too dangerous for horses to be exercised in these conditions.

Photos from my office overlooking Sydney harbour on a normal day vs now

 

[cauda equina]

God, how awful
Wind, rain and mud don't seem so bad after all

 

[Tiddlypom]

Oh goodness, Bonnie Allie, that is dreadful. Is there any end to the dry spell in sight?

 

[Finlib]

Gosh that smoke is dreadful can the horses cope out in the fields? It must be awful for anyone human or animal with lung problems.

 

[hobo]

That does not look or sound good Bonnie. I am sure we would all love to send you our rain to put the fire out hope it settles soon.

 

[milliepops]

yes seeing the pics of the fires does put it all into perspective a bit.

Had this thread in mind as I pulled up at the show today in torrential rain.
It was daylight so I stuck to my "the dark is worse than the wet" and we went out and got a soaking

 

[HashRouge]

I'm actually really enjoying riding, but then I can't ride during the week at all as I don't finish till 6pm and have no lights. So maybe I enjoy it more because I feel less pressure? I go out both weekend days if I can and now I'm on Christmas holidays I'll ride every day depending on the weather. Just did a short one this morning but share horse was very jolly and it was a nice bright morning. I'm also thanking the lord for my new yard - not only do I have stables so can bring in if needed, but also the field drains so much better than where I was last year, and is much bigger. My two retired horses are very happy!

 

[milliepops]

I'm actually really enjoying riding, but then I can't ride during the week at all as I don't finish till 6pm and have no lights. So maybe I enjoy it more because I feel less pressure?

I think the pressure is the thing that makes it miserable tbh. I'm always racing out of work (and have to start before dawn to allow me to finish early enough) and then trying to get 2 done before it's pitch black is stressful. Mine get little turnout time so if I don't exercise them they spend a lot of time in their boxes and it's just more difficult the next time i'm in the saddle as they are so fresh

I used to like riding one before and one after work, but now they go out at 7 or 7.30 and so I can't ride before then as it's only just getting light - and i don't want to eat into their turnout time as everything comes in by 11. Today I took one to a show in the morning, so the other had to stay in, and so neither will get to go out today :/

 

[HashRouge]

I think the pressure is the thing that makes it miserable tbh. I'm always racing out of work (and have to start before dawn to allow me to finish early enough) and then trying to get 2 done before it's pitch black is stressful. Mine get little turnout time so if I don't exercise them they spend a lot of time in their boxes and it's just more difficult the next time i'm in the saddle as they are so fresh

I used to like riding one before and one after work, but now they go out at 7 or 7.30 and so I can't ride before then as it's only just getting light - and i don't want to eat into their turnout time as everything comes in by 11. Today I took one to a show in the morning, so the other had to stay in, and so neither will get to go out today :/

Yes that sounds stressful! I'm lucky because the one I ride is a share horse, so I don't have to ride if I don't want to, plus we just hack so it doesn't matter if we just do a quick 20 min hack round the block. Plus he and both my oldies live out, so again, no pressure during the week.

I do look back fondly on being in high school, when I would be at the yard by 4pm and didn't have any other responsibilities! It was so easy to keep a horse fit through winter!

 

[milliepops]

I do look back fondly on being in high school, when I would be at the yard by 4pm and didn't have any other responsibilities! It was so easy to keep a horse fit through winter!

Oh yes!
In another life I had them at home which took a huge amount of the stress out of it all. even if they only had half a day out in the field at least I could choose which half! Ho hum, it's a nice problem to have really

 

[Muddywellies]

Different problem but same frustration. No rain just non stop smoke in Sydney from the 130 fires burning in NSW.

Asthma is through the roof. 20 times the level of pollution considered safe. Can’t ride as it too dangerous for horses to be exercised in these conditions.

Photos from my office overlooking Sydney harbour on a normal day vs now

Omg. Massive reality check here. Stay safe :-(

 

[oldie48]

I rode today and it was bl...y freezing so I was well wrapped up, trouble was that as soon as I'd done a bit I was just too hot! Rose was great though, I think she prefers colder weather although she did have a quarter sheet on. I do use the epiony heat pad on her and put the saddle pad on the aga so I'm not putting cold tack on her, which I think she appreciates. So this week she has been ridden for 6 days, so Sunday is her day off (and mine).

 

[ElectricChampagne]

The solstice has been and hopefully it will start to pick up from here!!!