Fair Weather Riders

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mickey

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Do you exercise your horse in all weathers?

If not, what weather do you duck out of?

I know some people that wont ride if it's windy, wont ride if it's wet. For me, I say get on with it. A horse should have to go in all weathers or the minute you are competing and it starts blowing a gale or raining, what will your horse do?!
 
Yes am normally in the get on with it camp, but really couldn't be a**ed this morning...rain felt really icy and I felt really wimpy!
 
I don't ride when it is high winds and rain - sod that for a game of soldiers, it is not enjoyable for me or my horse! It is peeing down here ATM, I won't ride in this, in fact I haven't even ventured out of the house yet!
 
Normally I would ride out in most weathers.
Today however is freezing cold, heavy rain and winds. Im buggered if im taking off all my horses warm rugs to get them cold and wet for the sake of 30 minutes of going round in circles.
I cant turn them out cos the fields are sodden.
I will go and ride later if the rain dies down, but if not, they can stay in all day warm dry and with plenty of hay.
They looked slightly smug for not being out in the rain today!
 
i tried riding today (in the school as ive just moved there & no-one was hacking out) but he just wasnt listening & relaxing into what i was trying to ask, we rairely compete so that isnt a concern of mine but if it wasnt this windy i would of made him get on with it!
 
I dont like riding in the drenching rain, and ellie hates it too, so we tend to avoid it! Its no fun if you're both ducking your head away from the deluge all the time! Dont like riding in strong winds either, as there are even more 'ghosts' in hedges/grass/trees than normal....

That said, the weather never used to put us off competing! I can remember jumping one day on seriously wet ground; I was lucky to be first in ring in the first class, but two horses slipped and fell in the practice ring! We went home after that, I have to say!
 
I dont ride in the rain unless Its in an indoor!

If its chucking it down and the show/comp is out side I wont go!

Most of the shows I go to are indoor. I live in Manchester and it always seems to rain here so I will mainly compete at Myerscough, Osbaldeston etc...
 
The only time I don't ride because of weather is if the ground is icy/slippy. Occasionally if it's very hot. I waited so long for my girl a bit of weather isn't going to put me off.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I don't ride when it is high winds and rain - sod that for a game of soldiers, it is not enjoyable for me or my horse! It is peeing down here ATM, I won't ride in this, in fact I haven't even ventured out of the house yet!

[/ QUOTE ]

Echo that if gales or very heavy winds I won't as well it just not fun and horses are my hobby so would hope that both me and horse might enjoy ourselves. Don't mind gettign wet though i just prefer if its not heavy enough to be stinging my face and leaving bruises!

And high winds in my opinion are just dangerous as you can get all sorts of debris flying about!!
 
I've only ridden a couple of times this week. It's been so windy, our school has lots of flappy tarpaulin covered things around it & my horse can be a bit of a drama ueen about these things. He doesn't have to be fit for anything & I ride for pleasure - where's the fun in riding a spooky ID in very strong winds & feeling a successful ride was staying in control rather than getting the work I want? I'd rather spend the time playing with him in the stable, we both enjoy that.
 
I now dont ride if it is chucking it down or if it is howling with wind as the horses dont enjoy it and are jumping all over the places from all those thing oin the hedges that are waiting to eat them.
When i look back to my younger years i would ride in all weathers, and come home blue and stiff, nah too old for that now i am over 30
 
I am not fair weather rider and go out in most weathers. But if i'm not in the mood I won't go, after all its supposed to enjoyable.
Having said that I won't ride my youngster when its blowing a gale or peeing with rain. I really don't want to give her the oppotunity to be silly. So at the moment she is getting ridden once a week at the most. Bloody weather!!!
 
I'm riding this year from a field and field shelter. we have matting and field guard but are already in thick mud. Add trying to tack up in the rain with nowhere to put anything and a four year old and... I think we'll wait until tomorrow. Absolutely no point in trying to school in a rain and gales and hacking just has them trying to turn their backsides away from the wind.

I am OK riding in cold or drizzle and once I'm on will keep going but it's torrential out there at the min and I even got up at 7.30 to try and avoid the worst of the weather.

having said that my OH has PROMISED to come out with me tomorrow whatever the weather so they'll get ridden at least once over the weekend.

Am off for a fortnight in 10 days so will hopefully get them out a bit more then.

Have given up trying to compete so far this winter though.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I don't ride when it is high winds and rain - sod that for a game of soldiers, it is not enjoyable for me or my horse! It is peeing down here ATM, I won't ride in this, in fact I haven't even ventured out of the house yet!

[/ QUOTE ]

Snap, also it ruins my tack.
 
Totally agree!
I wouldn't enjoy it, my horse wouldn't enjoy it, our school is flooded and I don't fancy taking my chances on the road with spray and poor visability. I have chucked him out for a few hours but will be bringing him in soon.
 
I'm with you Hullabaloo - I do feel bad that I haven't ridden since Tuesday but the school is flooded and I don't want to knock his confidence
(5 yo) by hacking him out alone. He's out in the field for a few hours so at least he's getting a good leg stretch. I am envious of all those people with indoor schools!
 
If it was down to my daughter she would be out exercising but she is ill and it is down to me today and I have to go to work later so its turnout with warm rugs on .They would rather stay in but their legs will fill so a couple of hours out for them.
It is bad visability for drivers today so rather hazardous anyway to go on the road
 
I think i'm a bit odd tbh- i really dont like riding in summer!!! I hate all the flies, sweaty fat horse...its just not that nice. I love however riding when its cold, though i think maybe thats cause i have the benefit of an indoor school though...
Saying that though, i have hacked out in high freezing winds (on the side of a hill!) but i dont think i'll be doing that anytime soon again. I have very sensitive ears
frown.gif
 
I dont ride in bad weather. Why bother? its not enjoyable and my horse gets tense. It just causes me more problems in the long run.
If im competing and the weather turns my horse just gets on with it.
 
Friend and I boxed up this am and went to an indoor school.
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I do ride in the rain though -but hacking, not schooling as it can be very unproductive in heavy rain and I also have a young hoss who will pratt about at any given excuse!
 
Sometimes I will, sometimes I won't. If I am preparing for a competition and the horse needs to be kept fit then I will ride out in foul weather, same goes if I have a lesson booked. However, if it is just a case of hacking for pleasure, then I give it a miss when the weather is awful.
 
I have just got back from riding both of mine on a hack as to wet to ride in fields, in the pouring rain and wind.
We met everything, plastic bags, brollys, buses, boxes and buckets and rubbish from a skip blowing about. But if I didn't take them out when will they get ridden? What with the weather we have and for the past few weeks and still to come
 
I wanted to go out for a hack with my friend this afternoon but it is blowing a gale and raining heavily so no way are we going out. I am going up later for a quick schooling session in the indoor arena. Like a lot of others have said, I ride for fun, I don't compete so I don't feel the need to go out in bad weather. I hate cleaning wet tack too.
 
It is foul here, was windy earlier but it is still chucking it down, we were to go to a competition this morning but could not be bothered, still have to ride the 3 that are in work but we are lucky to benefit from an indoor school so they will all get ridden in there so as to get them out of their stables.

The only time we do not ride is if it is icy
 
I'll ride outside in most weathers but certainly not torrential rain and/or gales or ice. No fun in that! Luckily we do have the use of a small indoor arena so can use that altho sometimes the weather puts me off even doing that!!!
 
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