Horse very sensitive to the rain!

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MoonlitArcher

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Bit of a weird question as I know many horses don't like the rain, but do any of yours have any extreme reactions to it?

My horse on a fine weather day, or even a breezy day is about as well mannered as a 6 yr old can be.. yes he has his moments but he is a young boy so can be forgiven the odd mistake... when it rains however, he seems to turn into an absolute wreck!

I've watched him in the field when its raining and he becomes very agitated.. galloping around and taunting the others by nipping and rearing up on them. He is a playful horse anyway but when its raining he seems much more intense and relentlessly bugs the others as if its driven by frustration rather than innocent playing. If I get him in when its raining he bites anything he can.. the headcollar while I try to put it on, the rope when Im leading him in and then me, just for being there. Today he stood in the stable shaking and pawing the ground and box walking while calling out quite loudly. (He normally comes in by himself and is fine!) I realise he could have gotten cold but this is pretty much his reaction even when its warm!

I was in the middle of a dressage test last year when it started to rain, he started going sideways, trying anything to turn his head away from it and our final halt resulted in a very neatly but unintentional turn on the forehand until his tail was facing the judge instead of his head.

I've owned him since he was 6 months old and he has always had turnout, he has been in overnight when its gotten really awful but apart from that he's never been that sheltered from the weather really! Not sure of his breeding but he is a big 16.2 IDx type so should be pretty thick skinned I'd have thought?

Have been contemplating speaking to the vets about it but worried they'll think I'm being daft. I'm very minimal with rugging, he doesn't wear one through the summer (even when it rains) I only tend to put a lightweight on him if it rains for days on end during autumn and then he's got a few warmer ones for when its colder. I'd really like to compete in eventing and dressage and obviously with UK weather its going to be raining at times.. wondering if anyone has any tips/ suggestions on how I can manage his behaviour? Could there be a medical reason that he becomes so agitated or is it just a case that I should try and teach him to 'man up' when it gets a bit wet?

He doesn't mind being sponged off after work and I can hose him using he sprinkler setting without too much fidgeting.. sorry this was a bit of a long one, thanks for reading!
 
Some horses hate rain, in fact I'm quite surprised that racehorses carry on racing if it is pouring, as we used to have a mare that was similar to yours. She would just about down tools and refuse to do anything in the rain.

The Junior European eventing championship was won by a horse that went round the dressage arena with his head tucked in his chest as he hated the rain so much, but it was an improvement to his usual dressage test and being a good jumper ended up winning. Wouldn't have happened without the rain!
 
I have one that like yours is very bitey if cold and or wet. I now often throw a thick rug over him for half an hour before doing anything with him and he's much happier!
 
One of mine gets a bit precious in rain if it can get in their ears, so I use one of those plasticky material hi vis ear bonnets when riding, which apparently makes it all ok. Might be worth a try.
 
A few years back I was dumped on a hack when my friend's horse decided he was turning his bum into the rain. We were cantering and he decided enough was enough.

An exercise blanket helped, but he was never a fan. He was welsh so you would have thought he'd be a bit less precious.
 
Mine had a proper paddy this morning in the rain so you're not alone! Bearing in mind he is fully clipped, so therefore rugged at the moment, I turned him into the rain to walk through the gate and he had such a paddy he slipped and fell over (all fine no harm done, except to his ego!). Walked in mostly sensibly after that but if he were a person the air would have been blue with muttered swearing.
 
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My mare was an absolute professional if you asked her to work in severe rainfall, but would stand at the field gate and politely refuse to enter without a rug if she knew it was going to rain. She was more reliable at predicting rain than the met office.
 
I have had 2 refuse to work in the rain. Both downed tools and refused to move. One had always previously been taken in when it rained, the other was more used to an indoor arena.

Once I had politely insisted they work in the rain, they both got their acts together! It was a hairy half hour for each though.
 
Yes, Dave hates it on his face. Yes, he's an Exmoor, but given the option, he would like to have his bum into the rain. Being asked to work with rain on his face, or in his ears or eyes makes for a very grumpy & uncooperative pony.
 
My little chestnut mare threw a tantrum today out on our ride and wanted to go home when it started to rain. Took a bit of persuasion but we finished our ride and realised at the end of it that we did not die so gonna try and do it a couple more times to see if she'll get used to it. Wouldn't want it to happen in a competition.
 
Is your horse normally fine with fly spray and hose pipe shower? If not try to spray him gradually and reward him for good behaviour. Once he get used to of this you can introduce him hose pipe sprinkle lightly all over and do more ground work with him in light rain if all weather arena is available. It will take time but he will get used to of it. Consistency is a key. |Hope this helps.
 
trainwithbrain said:
Is your horse normally fine with fly spray and hose pipe shower? If not try to spray him gradually and reward him for good behaviour. Once he get used to of this you can introduce him hose pipe sprinkle lightly all over and do more ground work with him in light rain if all weather arena is available. It will take time but he will get used to of it. Consistency is a key. |Hope this helps.
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Dave hates spray & the hose too, but we're working on that.
 
My mare shivers the moment she gets rained on if there is no sun and especially if there is a breeze. She gets so grumpy, I don't blame her, I hate being cold. I now just rug her when I know there will be rain and she's a lot happier. She hates walking against it though, when she comes to greet me at the gate and if the rain is going towards her, she holds her head to the side as she's walking to avoid it, looks funny but I'd do the same!
 
Gypsum doesn't think it's in her union contract to work in the rain and goes on strike. She is from Colorado, and we stayed at a series of barns with indoor arenas until she was 18 or 19, so she has her reasons.

She loves being hosed on a hot day and stands untied. Go figure.
 
My old girl hates the rain. She tucks her head between her knees to the extreme that she literally can't see where she's going. She's never nippy or nasty but she has perfected her tantrum routine and will stand at the back of the stable shivering and sulking and will be in a right huff until she's had a haynet and is in a big warm rug... Although, she is a saint to bath and hose off when it's hot.
I always rug her when there is a chance of rain just to minimise the tantrum!!
 
Sorry a bit late to this one but I've got one that cant get his body wet. He's a headshaker and as its developed hes now very sensitive on his body. If he gets wet or even groomed well it sets his shaking off :( hes too sweet to be nasty. As long as hes rugged hes happy as a field ornament but so sad for such a talented young horse. I'd be interested if anyone else experienced the same .
 
Mine absolutely hates rain! He’s ok in the field, just hunches up and waits it out but ridden he turns into a little coiled sideways spring! He makes me laugh. The worst rain I ever saw I was out on him and just let him tuck his head in and canter. We got all the way home, across fields obv! It was actually quite fun as he usually spooks and gets strong cantering but he was so obsessed with the rain he forgot 😂
 
This is funny as I didn't realise how much some horses hated rain, mine does as well! He doesn't do anything too drastic but turns his head away or tucks it in and doesn't really like jumping when it's rainy. He's a connie born in Wales so should know better!
 
My old horse would walk backwards the entire length of the field to the gate for her feed in driving rain 😆 and forget about doing any productive work in it.

Luckily Arlo isn’t fussed at all and we often ride in all sorts of weather with no problems. I remember when I first tried him to buy out in driving snow and he didn’t bat an eyelid!

horses for courses I suppose!
 
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