Riding in the rain?

icyfreya

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I hate riding in the rain :o! Which means that since we've had a downpour since sunday I haven't ridden since then! Feel bad for ponio but as he's out most of the time he really doesn't care. But am I just a massive wimp? I don't mean drizzle, i mean when it buckets it down for days & nights on end. I don't like it because it makes everything (grass/school surface/tarmac) slippery, horse (who is spooky at the best of times) decides all the shinyness/reflections/puddles are horse eating monsters :rolleyes: and is a bit of a nightmare, and he's not clipped yet, meaning he gets really wet & then it takes ages to dry him off before i can turn him out again. So all in all not a recipe for success. But i'm worried that this aversion to riding in the rain will mean i don't ride much all winter...Do you ride in the rain?
 
Yup !

I've got a long coat that covers my legs over and an exercise sheet for my girl ! It might just be a quick round the block or few laps of the school but I try to get out. She actually goes better in the rain as she tucks her head in !!

...saying that I just moved to a yard with an INDOOR !!! so no more soggy knickers for me haha !!
 
i dont like riding in the rain but i will but then that means i have my full length waterproof riding coat, exercise sheet and i tend to stay in walk (im not a rain person) its doing it at the moment and havent ridden in 2 weeks due to lack of time, i probably wouldnt do it at the moment though but thats because im bareback :o
 
I HATE the rain! Don't mind if it's a bit of drizzle, mist, cold (as long as the ground isn't too rock hard or slippery ice), but I hate rain down my neck and most of all

A SOGGY BOTTOM! ;)


I do have 'waterproof' jods that help, (but they are a bit snug! and warm - so if it is warm and raining, they are not very comfy) and the same goes for my waterproof long coat - I get too hot!

Sounds like I am ultra fussy, but when you get to a certain age, you do get 'overheating issues' as well! ;)

H isn't keen on going out in the rain, either! Once was out with a friend and the two horses RAN for cover under a tree when we had a sudden downpour. Two passing walkers were in hysterics! :D:D
 
Yep daughter will ride in owt! A good lightweight waterproof coat for the girl (gets mega hot when riding!) & an exercise sheet for the nag xx
 
If the ground is ok, I'll ride in anything. However, I am less likely to ride in heavy rain unless I've arranged something or I have a specific reason.
Riding is for pleasure, so if its not your livelihood, don't feel guilty.
 
Yep I ride in all weathers....we have an indoor but I only ever use it when it's icy outside so I can't use the outdoor (our outdoor is much bigger so I have more room to do more complex work). I'll hack out whatever the weather again unless it's icy and thus too dangerous. I even had my lesson last week in the howling gales, pouring rain and pitch dark at 7pm under our meagre floodlights and it's the best my big lad has worked in a while!
 
If its just rain, even a bit heavy, it doesn't bother me. Neither me nor the hoss will melt! I live in Wales, if I didn't ride int he rain I probably wouldn't ever ride! :p Don't bother with an exercise sheet either, I have a sturdy allweather cob with a nice thick mane to stick my hands under. A good trot warms us up if we get too soggy. A nice straw bed and a cooler dries the boy off when we get home and I defrost with a coffee :)
It is coming down sideways in sheets though then I don't bother....
 
If the horse is already wet - which she will be as she lives out without a rug i won't bother riding. When its teaming down i don't ride either.
This winter will be easy as taking a step back from riding slightly and will only be riding 1 - 2 days per week :)
 
I LOVE it.... I find riding in the rain really refreshing, everything's that bit quieter and almost surreal, uhmm am I really weird? :o

I lived in Glasgow for a while and rode in everything because if you didn't ride in the rain there you didn't ride. I bought a long wax coat that was so big it covered me and most of the pony - the only thing that stuck out from this coat was his neck/head and tail - and off we used to go. The only thing that does worry me in the rain or just after its rained is riding on the roads with the spray from passing cars. Neither I nor the pony appreciated getting wet from beneath.
 
As long as I'm prepared I don't mind riding in the rain, so wearing a waterproof coat and waterproof trousers, and with something dry to put on when I get back to the yard. With my old old share horse he had an exercise sheet but unfortunately my now old share horse did not, so I attempted to ride with a rug over his bum but he didn't appreciate this and went a bit crazy! So we abandoned that and went without. Usually I don't mind riding in the rain if it's not too heavy, as long as I have my coat, which I usually do. It's just when the weather suddenly turns and pees down that I don't like it!
 
Yip, ride in everything except ice, but will school in that if the surface in the arena is ok when harrowed. you can do lots of work in walk of its a bit crispy as long as its not like a brick and slippy
 
Yep, ride in the rain, its only a bit of water after all ;) have to say however, got a sturdy cob and its very unpleasant when its windy and its coming at your sideways, but we just belt allong the bridleways, soon gets us nice and toasty then we just dry off when we get back! Not ncie in winter when you have to school then muck out absolutely drenched however.
 
I LOVE it.... I find riding in the rain really refreshing, everything's that bit quieter and almost surreal, uhmm am I really weird? :o

That makes the both of us! :o
Something about riding in the rain! Quite like it :) Pony has hi viz exercise sheet and I have about a dozen coats so no excuses really! Pony works better in the rain anyway!
 
Yep I tend to ride in all weathers, we have an indoor but my girl hates it so tend to only use it when its frozen outside.

I have pictures of me riding in an absolute downpour, we are both soaked but I figure I would do it at a show so why not at home :)
 
Slight deviation from the topic but I've discovered that as I've got older, while I don't bat an eyelid at rain, I've become terrified of riding in the wind. As a kid I didn't even think about it - now I have visions of all the normally spooky things becoming airborne...
 
I've just ridden in the rain so my previous declarations of being a fair weather rider are not strictly true :p

I do draw the line at very heavy rain and horse doesn't do wind at all (strong winds).

I am a bit soggy on my lower half as it was only drizzling when we started.
 
i don't mind the rain but the horse hates it!

I went in the school before work yesterday morning and the rain was torrential. She was nappy and reared alot and i had to bring her back in as it just wasn't productive at all....i got soaked with a miserable horse and wished i hadn't bothered....the whole exercise was futile to say the least!!
 
i used to be a fair weather rider but it seems my horse has other ideas! for the last couple of years he has been extremely lame over the summer months (regardless of ground conditions) yet fine in the winter, i rode him more last winter than i did the last 2 summers so if i want to ride then i have to suck it up and get on with it! :D
 
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