Riding in high winds

Pigeon

Pigeon

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Does anyone else HATE it?

Strangely enough horse isn't bothered, but it makes me so flustered (especially schooling) and I brace going into it, and just feel like I'm generally flailing about and riding horribly.
 
Don't like doing anything that requires concentration, as I brace myself into the wind, tense up and get preoccupied with the weather.
Riding out is ok though as the horses are very good and hear the traffic before me, thanks to their senses being more acute than mine.
 
Rode out yesterday along a track past over 100 acres of barley swaying in the wind. Looked lovely for a minute or two then it started making me feel seasick! By the time I'd got past it I was about ready to heave.
Apart from that I don't mind the wind unless its really gusting, but sing out on the fens that's just as well cos it's always windy!
 
i used to avoid riding in the wind because it sets me on edge and i hate being cold. A weekend of riding club camp in a howling gale has gone a long way to curing me!
 
We have trees and hedges all around our school, albeit my YO has trimmed them all down but you can imagine what its like when really windy.Tend to avoid hacking in high winds as we are in a heavily wooded area and having been out before with tree branches crashing down it was not an experience i care to repeat. Wednesday was particular bad and it was raining as well so really foul. went in the school and my boy stood up, so quick change of plan and lunged instead. He is not the type of horse to do that normally but was geniunely unsettled. it was still windy the following evening but he was able to cope as I hadn't made a fuss the previous night.
 
Used to hate it but have now realised it bothers me more than my boy. As long as I stay relaxed, he does. I now force myself to ride in the wind in case I loose my nerve again :)
 
I am lucky as both mine are not too affected by the wind, but don't like schooling in it....we have off road hacking but would think twice about riding on roads in blustery weather.

Does anyone else feel that it has got windier over the last couple of years? I can cope with the wet, but seems to be always partnered by wind nowadays which does make life more complicated!
 
Sidney said:
Does anyone else feel that it has got windier over the last couple of years? I can cope with the wet, but seems to be always partnered by wind nowadays which does make life more complicated!
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Yes, I am sure that there are more high winds that there used to be, or I am just more aware of them. Either way, I prefer calmer days.
 
I don't mind it, but don't like wind AND rain.

When schooling in the wind, I just have to be careful to keep my leg on and sit up past the spooky corner.
Loose schooled the mare yesterday and she took off at speed round the spooky corner when there was a big gust. She stopped dead and stared at me, so walked up to her have her a pat and we walked together past the corner with me chatting about there being nothing scary there, her snorting the whole time. :D
 
I don't like riding on the country lanes near us when its blustery, but otherwise I don't mind riding in the wind. If my horse is in a nice mood she just gets on and works as normal but if she's on one, she turns into drama mare and makes a big fuss. On Thursday I was riding in arena and a dog barked nearby, she wouldn't normally bat an eyelid but with the wind as an excuse she bombed off down the school with me and threw in a couple of massive bucks for good measure! Luckily she didn't manage to get me off but my back is still sore today from being chucked around, naughty mare! She was rewarded with an extra 30 mins hard work for her efforts! :D
 
I hate the wind generally. Our yard is in a mega windy location surrounded by trees and creaky barns. Horses generally don't mind but it unsettles me. Tree did come down last year by side of school when I was riding.
 
I used to LOVE the spritely edge my old share got in a hit of a bluster. He was so dependable and steady at all times, so I never had any qualms, but I always enjoyed when the wind got up his tail.

Never been a big fan of rainy rides, but Id go out in everything.....
 
I take my life in my hands riding in high winds .... My horse hates it passionately! Apparently all the monsters come out of hiding in the wind! :D
 
I find it a bit odd that horses are spooky in the wind. I watch them in their field and they are perfectly calm, even though the trees and hedges are waving about just as much, then get in the school and - wow! it's scary. So I insist it's all nonsense and we work through it. My two aren't bothered by it any more, unless it's very strong wind and rain in the face - I can understand that's not so nice.
 
I don't mind hacking in open spaces in high winds but would never would never ride through wooded areas because of the risk of a branch or even a twig falling and spooking her.

My horse is fine in the school when it's windy unless she's looking for an reason to evade ..... and then it's the perfect excuse !!:D
 
I never liked it but made myself go as always took the view it shouldnt make any difference. But I know it can! Obviously if its tree blowing down weather then that would be dangerous. But I always went out come rain or shine. Snow is the other one! lovely.
 
Had a lesson today, my normally quite Irish sort turns into a spooky monster by the hedge!! But kept on going, even though I wanted to stop. Strangely did fab walk to canter (first time) and counter canter. So even though a tough lesson the wind made it more interesting for both of us!! Way more forward than usual.
 
canteron said:
Yes, I am sure that there are more high winds that there used to be, or I am just more aware of them. Either way, I prefer calmer days.
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Yes! I've been saying this to everyone; much windier in the last two years than it used to be -and this year's been the worst yet - and I HATE it! When it's warm, it's cold and when it's cold, it's freezing. Cycling (which I always do to the yard) is a nightmare, riding's a mission, you can't hear what your trainer's saying, the lorry feels like it's going to tip over, aaaarrrghhh!
 
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