Fair weather riders?

I've gone out when it's been hailing several times... Not something I would recommend if you have a sensitive horse. One time I ended up having to shelter under some trees until it stopped because the ice was the size of ping pong balls and it hurt! Most of the time it's been accidental - that one time I exercised poor judgement.

Rain I don't mind. It's awful afterwards when you're soaked through... But at the time I don't notice. Except of course when it's so heavy you can't actually open your eyes to see. I remember one time getting caught in a storm and ending up galloping with my eyes shut.

I much prefer to ride in the sun... Who doesn't? And I don't blame people who avoid wet weather. Riding is supposed to be fun after all. As long as the horse still gets time out and doesn't end up stabled constantly as a result, I see no issue with being a "fair weather rider".
 
I am still battling mould / stiff bits on my tack and boots from getting utterly drenched the other weekend. (and yes I have oiled everything!) Not one part of human or horse came back dry. We had thunder, lightning, flooded bridleways with rivers running down themI had puddles in the bottom of my boots and was less than thrilled to find that no I could not head straight home for a warm bath as my car was now stuck at the yard due to floodwater and I ended up rummaging around for a slightly mucky spare fleece, putting a pair on waterproof trousers on bare, damp legs (I do NOT reccomend this btw!) and layering up with waterproof coats and my wellies to wade through the flood water to meet the lift home I had hastily arranged whilst carrying my wet clothes in a bag. All the stuff I couldn't carry I stupidly left in the car overnight. It took 2 days for the windows to demist and it's only since I've used it to pick up some feed that its stopped stinking of damp horse!

I am thinking of becoming a fair-weather rider now! (missing my previous yards indoor arena right about now!)
 
I happily ride in light rain but I try to avoid riding in torrential rain. IME the horse doesn't particularly enjoy it either and as we both take so long to get warm and dry again, it's rarely really worth it. In winter I try to avoid the rain where I can because mine live out so if we get wet it takes a while to dry him off enough to rug him. As with most things in life, each to their own.
 
The umbrella in a gale is a little hard to manage and hail on the plastic hat makes i deafer. I use a mounting raft in times of flood and himself has a knotted hanky when the sun peeps through. I find a blast on the tuba now and then avoids collision in fog and a 10,00000 watt all round helmet top light ideal for night hacks. Hope this helps.
 
I've always had horses that live out so exercising them hasn't really been an issue. I'm happy enough to ride out in drizzle but no way am I up for getting drenched just for the "fun" of it!!!!
 
im most definately a fair weather rider.
I hack out when i feel like it and other than that my horse stands in the field with his mates enjoying the easy life.
In my teens i worked on a hunter yard and exercised three or four horses a day , rain snow hail..whatever.
Im nearly 50 now and do what i want when i want.
 
Once upon a time I would ride in any weather. These days I'm a fully paid up member of the fair weather brigade.
However I still get caught out. Earlier this year I went out in full sunshine, returned in the worst hail storm I've seen in years. Of course the minute the horses set hoof on the yard the sun came out again.
 
By choice I didn't tend to ride in bad weather. Not so much because I mind but my gelding doesnt do rain bless him! :D
Ive now got myself a new mare who is a complete tomboy and will have a crack at anything so hopefully this winter Ill be riding a lot more!
 
Well I would like to be a fair weather rider but my horse needs exercised daily so I can't be. I don't really like getting wet and my aim at Blair horse trials is to source a decent long water proof coat!!
 
I used to get called a fair weather rider by everyone on the yard, because I refused to get cold or wet. I did howeverhave to spend 20mins after waiting on the bus stop for a 40min journey home!

Funnily enough they've stopped now I can drive and can get in the car and be home in 15/20mins!

I don't like going out when it's raining, but I'll go out if it's dry and I know it'll rain. Don't really know why!

Don't mind if it's only spitting though.

I keep meaning to invest in some lightweight waterproof trousers and jacket, as all of mine is winter and far too hot for this time of year, but just haven't got around to it.
 
My son rides in drizzle, but his horse hates driving rain and wind, so why put her through something she hates...tack gets all soggy and when it's dried out goes all stiff... If they don't enjoy it why put them through it!
There have been plenty of good riding days, and when he is doing polox training on grass, it can become dangerous & slippy. Training often gets called off then,
 
to be honest I will happily admit that I am not going to ride in torrential rain! riding is a hobby so should be enjoyed! I have been stuck in sudden downpours before and my horses behave, as they are turned out in any weather, but it is not fun.

however, if you need to you can put up with weather condition! when my boy was rehabbing after a tendon injury and needed daily walks in hand, gradually increasing, over the winter, I led him in the dark and rain either side of work with a head torch. I did not want him to miss a day, however bad the weather!

I have no problem with drizzle. If anything that is refreshing, where as 25'C plus and I am too hot and wait till later to ride when it is cooler!

If I have arranged a hack with a friend we are both quite determined to ride, unless it is very bad weather
 
I'm slowly turning more fair weather! If it's wet and cold during the working week, I'll often pike :p It's not worth me getting sick, just for a one or two extra rides. Horse is doing dressage, so he doesn't need to be super fit, and to be honest, he actually comes back from a Few days break really well! in the lead up to a comp, as in week before, I make an effort to lunge or a quick school. Horse is always decked out in a waterproof exercise sheet. If it's really damp I'll wrap it over my legs too! It's meant to be fun, and while I don't mind wrapping up and riding in the wet, K don't have anywhere undercover to tack/un tack, and that part can be a nightmare when it's raining.
 
only_me said:
I live in Ireland. If you don't ride in the rain, you don't ride :p
Click to expand...

This.

Although over the winter if the arena has flooded (doesn't happen too often but if it hasn't let up for days it can) it looks like we'll get too wet to put rugs back on by the time I have to leave (horse lives out, can't be kept in), then I'll cut the work short/leave it if it's torrential, otherwise we truck on.
I have two good pairs of rain resistant jods, always try to bring a change of socks and shoes, and there's a towel in my tack box.
 
I don't mind schooling in the rain and it makes my mare sharper which I like but I don't hack out in it, it's too dodgy with the cars overtaking and the spray, plus it's very slippery on the edge of the orchards due to the East Anglian clay soil
 
Cortez said:
I live in Ireland too, I very seldom ride in the rain - and yet I seem to get my horses trained OK :-) It doesn't rain ALL the time, even here.
Click to expand...

Well it feels like it has rained all year so far!! I live in north so it's wetter up here.

Glad you can train your horses ok.


I train mine in the rain quite happily - if I expect them to compete in the rain then they we will train in the rain. Rain doesn't stop us! (Except when arena is flooded & field too wet to ride in!)
 
Rain I can cope with, cold and wind grind me down though. I should have ridden this evening but the combination of having a working fortnight from hell and feeling cold just turned me right off. I've come home to warm up and eat before going to do the horses. I hate feeling cold.
 
A month late, but I am glad I found this thread! I think I am one of two people who ride or lunge their horses almost every day whatever the weather (unless it is dangerous conditions like ice on road etc), and I got cancelled on by my friend who I was supposed to be riding out with because of the weather.

Also, horse I have owned for 5 months now is a bit of a wuss - tried to spin and run back to stable when she realised it was raining this evening when I was leading her out of the barn! Was then sulking until we started jumping when she cheered up a bit. I put it down to her last home having indoor schools but she used to hunt and team chase so maybe she would cheer up under those conditions. Old pony never cared what the weather was doing - was game whatever the weather unless you put him on the lunge in the rain. Then he would sulk and get grumpy.

I actually enjoy riding in the rain, though. Horses on their toes a bit more, especially helpful with the new one as she can be a tad lazy. Also, we are only in autumn! I don't know how I would survive half the year if I refused to ride on wet days - riding justifies the expense to me and turnout not fab at my yard in winter so she may have to be fully stabled soon. She will then be ridden or lunged every day without fail (gets 1-2 days off a week at mo).

I don't mind if others are fair weather, though. Each to their own, as long as I don't have to put up with comments about my 'poor horse' being made to go out in all weathers.
 
mbf938 said:
A month late, but I am glad I found this thread! I think I am one of two people who ride or lunge their horses almost every day whatever the weather (unless it is dangerous conditions like ice on road etc), and I got cancelled on by my friend who I was supposed to be riding out with because of the weather.

I actually enjoy riding in the rain, though. Horses on their toes a bit more, especially helpful with the new one as she can be a tad lazy. Also, we are only in autumn! I don't know how I would survive half the year if I refused to ride on wet days - riding justifies the expense to me and turnout not fab at my yard in winter so she may have to be fully stabled soon. She will then be ridden or lunged every day without fail (gets 1-2 days off a week at mo).

I don't mind if others are fair weather, though. Each to their own, as long as I don't have to put up with comments about my 'poor horse' being made to go out in all weathers.
Click to expand...

I like fit horses. And firmly believe hacking 3 times a week is good for both my horses, as well as schooling, polework and lunging.

I work full time and dont have that much flexibility when I ride. So I either work the horses in the rain or dont ride. The vast majority of the time I get on and do it anyway, unless I really dont need to get all the tack and horses wet or unless it is really cold driving rain. If you have a breatheable exercise sheet, and a good jacket, and waterproof jods, riding in the rain really isnt that bad. Just mind over matter!

Often I need to school for a competition or to do lesson homework or too balance their working routine / do bodywork homework, so I just have to get on with it.

Tonight we hacked in the grey drizzle / rain but it was quite warm.

My horses both lived out for 3 years, so I tell them to man up and that they could be out in the field in the rain!
 
only_me said:
I live in Ireland. If you don't ride in the rain, you don't ride :p
Click to expand...

...unless you have an indoor!

At my old yard, I can remember riding in torrential rain that soaked me and my horse, but I was working at the yard that day and took my half an hour window knowing that I could tuck horse in his stable with a cooler and some hay and he would be dry by the time I was finished working.

Now we have an indoor, and it has turned me into a fair weather rider lol. Before, rain wasn't an issue as we didn't have anywhere else. Now if it's raining and the indoor isn't free, I'll leave it half an hour every half an hour until it dries up hehe

Having my own personal tackroom to leave a change of clothes also makes the decision much easier now too, before I had a shared one!
 
I don't mind drizzle/ light rain but if it's pouring snd blowing a gale, no thanks. I'm a happy hacker, I do ride 4-5 times every week. A lot of the time I'm riding before work, I cant afford to get soaked, plus I wear glasses so can't see a thing!!
 
Last edited:
I am. Never used to be but I am now.

The difference is I don't hunt and don't compete like I used to so I don't need to have really fit horses. I just potter about hacking, do the odd small competition (and I mean really small!) and dawdle round the odd fun ride (I used to shift round them years ago!). Being turned out on hilly fields helps to keep them fit enough for what I want to do.
 
I've always ridden whatever the weather. I would probably be slightly less determined if I had a riding horse now though, I have to say! When I was a teenager I would ride in torrential rain, howling gales, in blizzards (although that was an accident!) and with snow on the ground. Winter turnout in our area was a real luxury though (heavy clay) and as I was obviously unable to drive and had to be on a yard within walking distance of home, quite often I was riding because otherwise my mare would have been limited to 3 hours in a sand paddock and that would have been that. Now we have much better turnout (24/7/365 if we want it) but she is retired now so it's a moot point. But we were both very game back in the day - she's the sort of pony that was always up for anything and we always managed to have fun even when the weather was bad!
 
Oh I'm fair weather and have been for a while, but back in my youth I'd ride in anything. As I work with horses as well as own a couple (one retired and one on/off injured), I never get that "must ride at all costs" feeling like I used to. I'm turning soft, and proud to admit it!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top