How much riding are you doing in this awful weather?!

spotty_pony2

spotty_pony2

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Apologies if this has been done recently! Question in title.

All of this wind and rain as been making me feel really fed up lately... only been managing to ride my two a total of twice each per week and although I feel a bit guilty I'm sure they aren't that bothered as they get to go out everyday and one of them in particular hates being ridden in the rain (we got caught out last week one day and he was in a bad mood for the whole of the next day!) :O :P

I am in no way a fair weather rider, I just am struggling to juggle work, riding and looking after my lot at the moment. I work as a freelance groom/rider I will add so am out in the elements all day everyday sorting out other people's horses so you can appreciate I am sometimes too tired/not in the mood to ride my own afterwards!

I am particularly interested to hear from people who are on DIY livery as that is what I am on. We have an Outdoor school with floodlights but having not ridden in the evening for a couple of years now I am out of the habit due to being on yards without arenas.
 
I'm trying to ride 4 or 5 times a week, I'll ride in fast winds or heavy rain but not both at the same time as it's counter productive. I am an avid weather watcher. Try to work out which days I will be able to ride, rode yesterday as mostly showers but not today as it's been vile. Weather looks better tomorrow evening then morning so I'll ride after work tomorrow but weds it will be nicer in the morning so will ride before work.

Some days if I know I haven't got much time I will lunge or do groundwork instead of riding but mostly I just get kitted out in my waterproof jacket and get on with it :)
 
Once a week, more or less. Work full time, and the bonus of having your own land pales a bit in winter when you have no facilities for doing anything in the dark! On the plus side the horses live out, they're not fussed about not being ridden.
 
I'm managing about 2-4 rides a week at the moment. I rode yesterday in the rain (though it wasn't chucking it down, just showers), and this morning in the gusty winds. I won't ride in both, no good for my nerves and counterproductive.
I don't have access to an indoor arena, so it's outdoor school or nothing. Trying to make the most of the weekends at the moment.
 
It is really hit and miss with us at the moment. I don't ride in wind that is strong enough to hide the sound of traffic and I don't want to get soaked. I ride for enjoyment so I don't see the point in making myself miserable! We don't have a school and can't ride on the fields in the winter so we hack out when it is safe to do so. I'm lucky as mine both hold their fitness well so a couple of dodgy weeks doesn't scupper any of our plans.
 
Every. Single. Day.

Last week was a new wet low as wore short jacket and cotton jodhpurs and rain started torrentially about 20 mins into a 90 min ride. When I took my jodpurs off there was not a dry bit on them and they weighed a tonne. Properly saturated.

I'm getting some soft shell jods and will crack on. I don't like being too hot so hoping these will mean I am dry but not sweltering in waterproof trousers if it's not raining. Also getting a new waterproof hi viz as my horseware Corrib is not waterproof under those extreme circumstances.
 
not at all, everywhere is water logged already so mine all get the winter off! (they usually do anyway, I'm just making more excuses not to ride lol)
 
About 4 times but at least 2 will be very sedate due to horrible weather and or boggy ground. Rode out today in a very strong and noisy wind, had company or I wouldn't have risked it. My horse is very well behaved bless him, and will cope in some horrible conditions otherwise he wouldn't get out nearly as much!
 
I am trying to do at least 4 days a week but the ground is so wet you have to mainly walk so we have been doing a few road blocks on the quiet lanestreet just to get a trot in:( the school has been really flooded and my horses just don't work so well when it's so wet so don't see the point as they are not enjoying at all, just hoping it will dry up a bit soon and have a few nice crisp sunny mornings.
 
I am not riding nearly often enough. The wind has been appalling with trees fallen in the woods. It is not fun riding when the treetops are crashing about above you. The wind knocked both me and horse sideways on the open hill top too. Added to that I have got soaked through just doing stables too many times. Not liking it at all and the weather forecast is no better for this coming week.
 
Lucky if I'm getting once a week in just now, the arena has been flooded, working full time means no night time weekday riding if the arenas out of bounds :(
 
Yesterday was a classic, grey horse with white socks and tail was scrubbed up and shiny, no turnout as dressage time was 1.30, older horse not going out was in a grump. At 11.30 I was looking at a howling gale, cue anxiety about taking my high-sided little lorry out on the motorway solo, by 12.00 I had decided......we are not going!!
So another day and entry fee wasted, lets hope it was the right decision!!
 
Every day, once or twice depending on whether my daughter is riding as well!

However ........ I don't work and I have access to an indoor school :)

BC (before children :)) when I had a job I would ride in the dark before work, and never had access to an arena of any sort, so I know how it feels.
 
4 days a week on average.
Had a ball out yesterday hacking with a friend in the wind, as did another of my good friends on her horse with a chum.
We both got astounded posts from others later in the day on FB, saying we were mad to go in the winds!
I have no arena (use a field in summer if I really need to). Hacking is 50/50 - half unmade lanes and half common, so a good mix.
If I feel its safe to do so, then I ride. My choice, knowing my horse :)

Usually only miss if thick fog or sheet ice.
 
so far so good but as Goof is only 3yo i only need to do 3 sessions a week anyway.

we seem to have relaxed in to:

Tues evening ride with NMT and Fig

Thur AM before work ride on our own

sun lunch time hack out with Bruce and his sharer.

I am lucky as he isnt bothered by wind or rain(unusual for a foreigner lol!) so the gale force winds and downpours dont make him spooky or silly. He is also not spooked by riding under floodlights so all in all, he's a cool dude who makes it easy to get the work done :)
 
Lucky if once a week at the mo :( Due to having no school, hacking on roads for the most part of the ride. We're on amber warnings for rain and wind currently and my wheelbarrow was lifting in the wind even when full. So i'm definitely not going to risk going out, it wouldn't be very productive anyway.
 
If I want to ride I ride, whatever the weather light or dark, if I don't want to I don't, thing is if you arrange your riding around the weather forecast, it's often wrong which I find infuriating.
 
I cant ride at the moment as I am recovering from a knee injury, but I must admit its probably a blessing as the horses are behaving like loons in the field, and the wild forest ponies are stampeding and galloping about past my house, on the roads etc - the wind is definitely winding everything up!
 
Not enough! Although we have a school with limited lighting, my lad is a spooky monster in there and it's no fun for either of us. Add in wind and he spends most of the time trying to run for the gate. When it's too foul, I try to give him a lunge but last week, for the first time ever, he got away from me and galloped for the gate - wet gloves just don't have the grip! Tried again the following night with roller and side reins and had much better results but the weather was also better too.

At the moment, we seem to be able to get out once at the weekend (yesterday was a write off as the winds were dangerously high) and I'm going to the gym in the evening instead of riding.

Horse is better when he works but he is out at least 12 hours a day and I figure it won't kill him to have a few days off. As I type, it is piddling down outside and has been all day so he will be wet and miserably and want his feed when he comes in so I reckon it's the gym again for me!
 
Tried to put mine in a spare stable to muck out and the roof happened to lift as I was getting him in so I was nearly flattened, the shovel then blew down outside his stable and that confirmed his view that everything was out to kill him never seen him move so fast! Needless to say I decided not to ride today 😂
 
I was ill last week so pony had 5 days off - nothing to do with the weather. I lunged him Saturday, yesterday was horrendous with the wind so no work. Skivved off work and got on again early this morning in less than pleasant conditions he was an angel. Hoping for a lesson one week night and a lunge session. Will then ride Saturday and Sunday I am treating myself to an epic hack - only a snow storm will stop me - I have cabin fever.
 
I will, if necessary, ride in the rain as long as it isn't stair-rods (as I'm precious about my lovely new saddle!); but as I have to do a lot of road-work riding in the strong winds we're getting here isn't really a good idea TBH as (a) you can't hear traffic and (b) there's stuff like wheelie-bins, plastic bags, etc etc. blowing along the road - which isn't really a very helpful situation when you're trying to hack out!

So I've chucked my two out in the field with their rugs on for the foreseeable future; I do usually try to get them both out for a trot round the block of about an hour's duration at some point during the week, but don't think it's gonna happen this week somehow.

The additional problem is sheer time: when they come in from the field they're absolutely filthy and need hosing off before riding and/or serious work with the grooming kit - which all takes time and detracts from actual riding time, with the ever-present threat of the light fading and you still haven't got your foot in the stirrup as you're having to scrape off gunk from a mucky beastie!

Ohhh roll on the Spring.........
 
Every day for the last 3 weeks as I was off work, now however they have until Sunday off, then Monday-Friday off of the next 2 weeks :( I don't get enough time off to be fussy!
 
The yard I'm at has three schools so technically, riding after work shouldn't be an issue.....but can't ride as much as I'd like during the working week due to issues accessing the schools. One (technically, the livery school) is currently waterlogged and unlit, the other two are fine but all three are a quarter of a mile hack along a badly lit lane. Main issue is that the two usable schools are usually packed with RS lessons in the evenings so it's a gamble as to whether the unpleasant ride to the schools is actually worth risking.
 
Very litte, unfortunately. I don't mind riding in the rain, but not in a gale. My horse hates the wind and although I have been turning him out in the field, after quite a short time he is standing by the gate to come in again. My paddock is so wet that realistically I can only go out on the roads and I don't like the idea of a branch crashing down on my head.
 
Not enough but .... its so un-motivating!!
Ours are in 24/7 now so I've been going quick 30 min's hack with a good bit of trotting just to get him out of the yard and he gets a munch of grass when he's out which seems to improve his overall happiness... though this may be in my head! Have been soaked the past 3 days, dry today though... freezing but dry!!
 
2 horses a day, every day :)

Softshell breeches are my friend. FfionWinnie I am always hot when I'm riding, I can't wear a coat most of the time, but i don't overheat in my softshell breeches :) I team them up with a softshell jacket and away we go. This is the third winter in a row I've been doing injury rehab and I don't even notice the rain now unless it's really pelting down. Needs must :)

Cob needs work because she's on an upward trajectory and I don't want to stop now... I don't know what I'd do with my time if I wasn't busy like this though!
 
Every day. Nothing changes, we have a small indoor for when it's really bad. I work with horses 7 am til 5pm (if I'm lucky haha) I ride one in my lunch hour, then 2/3 after work, then onto another yard to ride two more some nights. I don't even consider not working them, I just keep going.

I suppose it depends, if you're dedicated to competing etc then you should keep up your training and fitness regime but if you're just doing it for enjoyment don't best yourself up about it.
 
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