Maybe a silly question - riding in the rain?

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Cabaret

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Over here in Canada, most of us keep our horses at liveries with indoor schools. We very rarely ride outside in the rain unless forced to at a competition!
In looking for a yard in the UK, I notice most places don't have an indoor school. What does everyone do when it rains? I know it seems like a very silly question, but I actually have no clue! Do you just deal with it and ride in it? I guess you'd need a rain coat of sorts? I won't lie, but I don't own a proper rain coat, either for riding or for the other part of my life! Do you put something on your horses to keep them dry/warm in the winter? Help!
 
If its bad rain i put a quarter sheet and in winter ride with a quarter sheet. Yeah most of the time we just suck it up and ride in the rain/sleet/snow
 
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Yep, just suck it up and get on with it. Warm weather i dont bother with coat as would get too hot. Winter I might and horse would possibly wear exercise sheet if really bad.
When schooling I dont tend to notice the rain after a few minutes.
 
Depends on how much rain! I don't mind getting wet once I'm on board but I don't tend to get on in the first place if it's absolutely torrential and windy. Horse will spend the entire time going sideways and it's just vile in that sort of weather. I will ride in anything other than torrential rain though, and had a lesson last month which started with drizzle and progressively got heavier. By about 3/4 of the way through, it was like the monsoons I experienced in Thailand, but we were all soaked anyway so carried on. In winter, horse would have an exercise sheet on. I tend to figure that, unless it's really terrible monsoon rain, I can't ask for a competition to be postponed until the rain stops so I have to ride in in then, so may as well practise in the rain too!

RE rain coats. I have a long waterproof riding coat which covers me up to my chin and my legs to my knees. This year I'm going to invest in some full length chaps for riding I think as the only prob with those coats is I find the water pools at the front of the saddle and eventually the coat leaks. For when I'm just on the yard doing jobs, I use the full length coat plus I have a brilliant Sealskinz hat, sort of like a deer stalker with a peak like a cap. It is insulated and waterproof (I think it is waxed). I use that under my coat hood and stay dry and warm. However, for this winter I also want some waterproof over trousers.
 
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I don't bother with an exercise sheet even in heavy rain - boy gets too sweaty as I don't clip him in the winter.

We just both get wet and then dry off when back in the barn :D
 
Dress for the weather! I don't mind riding in the rain, so long as it was raining before I leave, so I can put on the raincoat. the leather chaps and waterproof gloves. In the winter I would add a high-viz fleece rug on the horse too, too keep him dry and to make us more visible in what might be poor light.
 
Thanks everyone! I'm sure it seems a bit silly, but I had no clue, and now I do! As I'll be arriving in January, it sounds like I'll need a coat and exercise sheet. :) Any brand recommendations and/or where to purchase?
 
Oh your'e going to have a shock, especially if coming over in January!!!!!

Musto are fab, but top of the range. I like the Mark Todd waterproof jackets and are good value for money. A pair of waterproof over trousers are also a good investment.

Horse wise, you can get ride on rain sheets, but depends on how you will be keeping your horse ie out 24/7, stabled, clipped etc. Both of mine are fully clipped in the winter but rarely wear a rain sheet - if we get back from a ride wet I just pop them in the stable with a fleece cooler until dried off before turning back out, or putting on a stable rug if staying in.
 
i am lucky to have a covered and an indoor school as not well enough to get wet any more. but in the past I have ridden in a snow blizzard.

as others said either get wet or don't ride, but in the UK you would end up missing a lot of riding.

coat wise you don't have to go for horsey brands but do look for one with double vents and a double zip
 
The Fuzzy Furry said:
OP, in the UK if we didnt ride in the rain, many of us who work would never ride ;)

QUOTE]

Absolutely! OP, it really depends on how you keep your horse. Mine is out mostly and, therefore, if it's tipping down, he will wear a rain sheet in the winter so that he stays dry enough that I can put his turnout rug back on. In the summer, he just gets wet! However, if he was fully clipped, I wouldn't bother with an exercise sheet unless it was cold because, as an earlier poster said, you can dry them out quite quickly in a cooler or a fleece in their box.
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I'm curious. How do you ride outside the school during bad weather, if you don't have a coat ?

It's true that here, we ride in all weather, some use an exercise sheet, some don't. It depends what you're doing.
Some people prefer to be fair weather riders, which is fine, no one minds either way.

I ride in rain, thunder and lightening, the right sort of snow and gales -as long as we're not near trees. If your clothing keeps you warm and dry, it's not so bad.
 
I once set out on a sunny winters day and when I was half way round my route, the heavens opened with a hailstorm, luckily it didn't last long. I've also been caught out by a thunderstorm on a hot, humid summer day, without a coat (we pretty much looked like drowned rats by the time we made it home).

We have some Canadian friends and their children hadn't spent much time in the UK before, they did comment about the changeable weather. 'Four seasons in one day' was the comment that stood out.
 
My horse resembles a wooly mammoth in the winter without clipping, so he gets a full clip and will likely be out during the day and stabled at night.


I usually ride at home no matter what the temperature (as long as it isn't below -20C or above +35C) and I do own a some full chaps, so that's a start. Haha...it seems like such a difference from here. My poor orange horse is going to be in for a surprise!

Once we arrive, I'll post pictures of our first ride in the rain. :)
 
Cabaret said:
My horse resembles a wooly mammoth in the winter without clipping, so he gets a full clip and will likely be out during the day and stabled at night.


I usually ride at home no matter what the temperature (as long as it isn't below -20C or above +35C) and I do own a some full chaps, so that's a start. Haha...it seems like such a difference from here. My poor orange horse is going to be in for a surprise!

Once we arrive, I'll post pictures of our first ride in the rain. :)
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Your weather is more extreme than ours, but ours is more changeable. Like Faracat, I've been caught out a few times in summer when a hail storm has come from nowhere.
Don't think I'd be riding in -20C and anything over 28C is a bit warm for mine to do much. It becomes very humid and energy sapping- and we aren't used to too much hot weather.
We're just good at rain.
 
Tbh I just have a hoody on/whatever I'm wearing on the day. I'll dry soon enough and tbh on the occasions I have worn a coat I've gotten too hot schooling. Horse also wears nothing. He's a horse and won't melt!

I am now blessed with an indoor school for this winter but I'll still go out in the rain. It doesn't bother me except I'm cold for a little longer.
 
MileAMinute said:
Tbh I just have a hoody on/whatever I'm wearing on the day. I'll dry soon enough and tbh on the occasions I have worn a coat I've gotten too hot schooling. Horse also wears nothing. He's a horse and won't melt!

I am now blessed with an indoor school for this winter but I'll still go out in the rain. It doesn't bother me except I'm cold for a little longer.
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Haha, I can see the British have come by their reputation for stoicism honestly! ;)

What I'm hearing is I should have a t-shirt, long sleeved shirt, sweater, rain coat, vest, and winter jacket on me at all times, just in case!
 
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Cabaret said:
Over here in Canada, most of us keep our horses at liveries with indoor schools. We very rarely ride outside in the rain unless forced to at a competition!
In looking for a yard in the UK, I notice most places don't have an indoor school. What does everyone do when it rains? I know it seems like a very silly question, but I actually have no clue! Do you just deal with it and ride in it? I guess you'd need a rain coat of sorts? I won't lie, but I don't own a proper rain coat, either for riding or for the other part of my life! Do you put something on your horses to keep them dry/warm in the winter? Help!
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We just get wet love. No mysteries there. A good waterproof coat and or waterproof trousers can be useful in dire weather but frankly I rarely bother and just get wet. I've managed to get by without melting so far. (not being horrid op, just having a chuckle with you)
 
I have a pair of Berghaus waterproof over trousers, they are single layer so I don't get too got in them but super waterproof. They were pricey but so worth it.

I can then wear a thin waterproof coat or a thicker waterproof coat depending on how warm it is.

My horse also has a hi viz exercise sheet with fleece on the inside which I use when it's wet and cold, or just cold. If it's warm and wet he doesn't get it as he gets quite hot.

A good pair of wellies for the yard and a decent coat and you'll be fine.
 
Cabaret said:
What I'm hearing is I should have a t-shirt, long sleeved shirt, sweater, rain coat, vest, and winter jacket on me at all times, just in case!
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Pretty spot on to be honest!

When I had a horse, my car contained a huge variety of clothes...
 
I have some waterproof trousers for feeding/doing all outdoor chores for when it's really tipping it down, otherwise just a decent coat. In summer, I would go without a coat if it was raining and not too cold, in winter tbh I think I'd get ill if I went without one!
 
Jo_x said:
Pretty spot on to be honest!

When I had a horse, my car contained a huge variety of clothes...
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I once threw all my coats - gilet,lightweight jacket, fleece, raincoat and down-filled winter coat - into the boot of the car because I just had no idea what the weather was going to do. Bit embarassing when I went to the feed merchant for a bag of feed and opened the boot for them to put it in and revealed what looked like a wardrobe! I was dry/warm when I rode later though.
 
Suelin said:
We just get wet love. No mysteries there. A good waterproof coat and or waterproof trousers can be useful in dire weather but frankly I rarely bother and just get wet. I've managed to get by without melting so far. (not being horrid op, just having a chuckle with you)
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I just about died laughing when reading this! I guess I've been very spoiled, but the indoor schools are necessary here with all the snow and ice. I'm a bit horrified, but it's true - both my horse and I are waterproof. I definitely think I'll be getting a light waterproof coat though. :D
 
Cheshire Chestnut said:
Just out if curiosity OP, how is your horse getting here? By boat?

Best of luck with the move and hope you like the UK, our wacky weather and even wackier people :)
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Thanks! I hope the move goes well too. It's causing me more than just a little stress. He's coming on a plane, likely through Lufthansa to Germany, in a shipping container, then being trailered the rest of the way. He's in quarantine on this side first for 30 days. I'm hoping he takes the journey well, and with all the wet, I hope his sensitive chestnut horse skin doesn't get too irritated with the change of grass, hay, air, pollen, mud, and any other thing that may cause him to break out in hives.
 
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