Is it normal for a horse to hate rain this much?

[Snowy Celandine]

I've just had to rescue my elderly Highland mare from a fate worse than death i.e. a few spots, and I mean a few spots, of rain fell on her! She literally goes cantering up and down the fence line every time it rains even the slightest amount. She's got a hedge for shelter but nothing except her stable is good enough for her when it rains. I let her out into another paddock where she can get back onto the yard and she galloped up to her stable, where she will doubtless happily stand dozing for hours now. Given that I bought her direct from the Scottish Highlands, albeit, many years ago, shouldn't she be a bit more weather resilient? She's always been like this mind you. Even in her prime, if we went out for a hack and it rained she would spend the entire time wearing her ears sideways with displeasure.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

My Dartmoor that came from Dartmoor is the same - utterly pathetic about rain.

 

[Snowy Celandine]

My Dartmoor that came from Dartmoor is the same - utterly pathetic about rain.

How on earth would they have coped if we'd not built them stables?

 

[Rowreach]

I totally empathise with her, I'm sick to death of getting rained on and I would gallop back to my stable if I wasn't forced to be out in it. Or hail.

 

[PapaverFollis]

My "hardy" bunch of scruffs were acting a bit like precious princess hot bloods this morning. They crowded into the barn after breakfast and were Very Indignant when asked to clear out. They've all got bliddy rugs on n all.

But they don't hate rain that much ^^^

 

[Snowy Celandine]

I totally empathise with her, I'm sick to death of getting rained on and I would gallop back to my stable if I wasn't forced to be out in it. Or hail.

Off you go gallopy, gallopy my dear ?

 

[Snowy Celandine]

My "hardy" bunch of scruffs were acting a bit like precious princess hot bloods this morning. They crowded into the barn after breakfast and were Very Indignant when asked to clear out. They've all got bliddy rugs on n all.

But they don't hate rain that much ^^^

Well mine doesn't have a rug on, its true, but it was literally five or six spots of rain that sent her into such a panic

 

[Rowreach]

Off you go gallopy, gallopy my dear ?

I have to go to my wet working environment now. I'll definitely gallop home afterwards though.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I've just had to rescue my elderly Highland mare from a fate worse than death i.e. a few spots, and I mean a few spots, of rain fell on her! She literally goes cantering up and down the fence line every time it rains even the slightest amount. She's got a hedge for shelter but nothing except her stable is good enough for her when it rains. I let her out into another paddock where she can get back onto the yard and she galloped up to her stable, where she will doubtless happily stand dozing for hours now. Given that I bought her direct from the Scottish Highlands, albeit, many years ago, shouldn't she be a bit more weather resilient? She's always been like this mind you. Even in her prime, if we went out for a hack and it rained she would spend the entire time wearing her ears sideways with displeasure.

I used to have an IDx that 'sang', grumpily, if we were out hacking in even the lightest of drizzle.
The Westphalian hated to have her neck wet - except in Summer heat when she enjoyed a nice, cool shower- but she had to have a neckrug to feel comfortable in inclement weather, even though she was a hot horse and rarely needed much more than a light fill.
I have posted before about the time when she spun in the gateway (a move you would have thought she would find impossible because of her build), pushed me aside with her big bum and legged it back into the stable because it was drizzling a bit.

 

[criso]

My tb only seems to hate rain when ridden, tucks his head in and spins to point his bum in the right direction and is a complete idiot. When grazing funnily enough doesn't seem to notice and just carries on eating. Put a headcollar on to bring him in and suddenly notices it and goes sideways.

 

[DizzyDoughnut]

My Welsh on is the same, he hates getting rained on, he's also not fond of a chilly breeze in spring, both make him very angry indeed. The only problem is once he's got wet he's too angry to let you catch him and does a wide variety of gymnastic displays with never more than 2 feet in contact with the ground at any one time. After 20 years of this carry on I've given up and now just open the gate and he takes himself in. He stays angry for ages after the actual rain shower as well. He wouldn't last long on a welsh mountain without his stable and full neck rug, no one ever told him he was supposed to tough and hardy I'm sure the shetland is embarrassed by her pathetic field mate.

 

[ElleSkywalker]

My shetland hates winter and mud ?‍

 

[Snowy Celandine]

My Welsh on is the same, he hates getting rained on, he's also not fond of a chilly breeze in spring, both make him very angry indeed. The only problem is once he's got wet he's too angry to let you catch him and does a wide variety of gymnastic displays with never more than 2 feet in contact with the ground at any one time. After 20 years of this carry on I've given up and now just open the gate and he takes himself in. He stays angry for ages after the actual rain shower as well. He wouldn't last long on a welsh mountain without his stable and full neck rug, no one ever told him he was supposed to tough and hardy I'm sure the shetland is embarrassed by her pathetic field mate.

Yeah, the two mini Shetlands always give her strange looks as she canters past in a panic! They, on the other hand, were all set to go into the top field where they could see more grass, not even noticing the rain.

 

[Snowy Celandine]

My shetland hates winter and mud ?‍

My Shetlands seem perfectly happy whatever the weather, thank goodness. I couldn't put up with three total divas ??

 

[DizzyDoughnut]

Yeah, the two mini Shetlands always give her strange looks as she canters past in a panic! They, on the other hand, were all set to go into the top field where they could see more grass, not even noticing the rain.

Yep the Shetland would happily stay out in any weather as long as there was food on offer, she sometimes pretends she wants to come in but then zooms past her stable off to the patch of grass around the back, while her pathetic mate stands in his stable and waits for room service to arrive!

 

[Scotsbadboy]

Yes 16.2 full Irish Draft from an apparently unspoilt home in Ireland. Doesnt like rain on his neck much and happily stables in bad weather...... but god help us all if the SNOW touches him ... that is NOT ON!!!!!

I was poo picking the other day and he frog marched me to the yard when it started raining (he was rugged!!) so i put his neck on and off he pottered, ears forward, happy as a pig in sh*t!

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Snowy, I strongly suggest you purchase her a mobile field shelter in this case!
B Fuzzy who spent the 1st 8 years of her life on the edge of Scotland looking out over the cliffs at the Shetland isles, arrived Dec 18 with a very shaggy coat, will cheerfully charge to a field shelter if its wet or windy. She likes being 'indoors' and all the home comforts of being a suvverner ☺

 

[ElleSkywalker]

My Shetlands seem perfectly happy whatever the weather, thank goodness. I couldn't put up with three total divas ??

Shes an utter princess, the first year we where here we had 3 stables between 5, well actually 2 between 4 as the shetland refused to leave hers ? She refuses to walk through mud, does the usual shetland escaping whatever the fencing set up is and opening closed gates etc She now has her own personal shelter and mudcontrol slabbed turn out. Oh and I bought her her own shetland as a minion.

 

[Snowy Celandine]

Snowy, I strongly suggest you purchase her a mobile field shelter in this case!
B Fuzzy who spent the 1st 8 years of her life on the edge of Scotland looking out at the Shetland isles and arrived Dec 18 with a very shaggy coat, will cheerfully charge to a field shelter if its wet or windy. She likes being 'indoors' and all the home comforts of being a suvverner ☺

It's on my list TFF Just need to find out how much the crumbling stairs are going to cost to repair first

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Jacob would crab (walk sideways) all the way down from the field as he hated rain in his face or in his ears - it looked comical!

 

[Snowy Celandine]

Shes an utter princess, the first year we where here we had 3 stables between 5, well actually 2 between 4 as the shetland refused to leave hers ? She refuses to walk through mud, does the usual shetland escaping whatever the fencing set up is and opening closed gates etc She now has her own personal shelter and mudcontrol stabbed turn out. Oh and I bought her her own shetland as a minion.

She sounds a real character ?

 

[Pinkvboots]

One of my Arabs hates the rain if you ride in the school in heavy rain he literally just spins in the other direction to avoid it in his face it makes interesting riding

 

[ycbm]

The horse in my avatar would run for the field shelter at the first spot of rain.
.

 

[Auslander]

I've got a yard full of sporty types. The first one to kick up a huge fuss about getting rained on is the Shetland

 

[thefarsideofthefield]

Some horses are soluble . Fact .

 

[Winters100]

I sometimes wonder why I bother turning out in the rain. Mine seem to bolt from the gate to the field shelter and stand there all day, even in waterproof rugs with necks. My older mare is especially indignant at getting the slightest bit wet. At least no one can say that building a field shelter was a wasted expense!

 

[meleeka]

My cob that came from the Orkney Islands is the same. He has access to stables all the time and literally canters indoors when the rain starts, then stands with a look of “Phew that was close” ?

 

[Rowreach]

You should have seen me and horse running to escape the hailstones earlier. We practically collided in the stable doorway (I narrowly beat her there).

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Read this thread yesterday, and today when watching a compilation of animal videos on YouTube, I happened to see this video

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I have one that actually detests any sort of ' weather' in winter to the point he won't go out in the field. However in the spring and summer he will stand out in hale etc!! Also fine at anytime of year riding in it!