Riding in windy conditions?

Lilou

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(obv outside, not in an indoor arena). Just wondering how many of you do? Just went out to check my horse (= le taking a break from working from home) and the wind got me thinking.

Although lucky to have space at home to ride, I don’t have my dream outdoor arena installed yet and in any case, I haven’t yet gone to ride at an indoor arena. So that leaves me with the elements. It’s autumn here atm but it can get pretty windy any time of year here.

Do many of you just push on and ride in the wind, or do you find something else to do? I realise a lot might rest on how calm a horse one has....so just wondering.
 

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As you say, a lot depends on the horse. But the horse that we owned and kept at home had to be hacked every day as we had no school (so no groundwork, no lunging or long reining) - we just got on with it. Fortunately, he was a gentleman and if he knew he had my sister on his back who was much smaller (legs just reached bottom of saddle flaps), his reaction when he was worried was to stand and tremble, whereas Dad and I would get the teleporting sideways and all four feet leaps into the air.
 

dogatemysalad

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I tend not to hack out on roads when it's particularly windy these days because the volume of traffic doesn't give you much time to deal with a sideways spook when a piece of plastic blows across the horses feet. The other recent problem is those quiet electric cars. Ours horses have more acute hearing than we do and would automatically pull over or be aware of a car approaching, warning us that a car was coming up behind, but even they, have less time in high winds to notice them coming, which loses vital seconds.
 

maya2008

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One of mine was a bit looky yesterday, the rest didn't bat an eyelid at the wind. To be fair I think they spook less out hacking in the wind than they do if we are in an arena. You can keep moving out hacking, in an arena you have to keep going past the spooky thing they have decided to hate.
 

Lilou

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Interesting how they adapt to their rider like that (sometimes!)

As you say, a lot depends on the horse. But the horse that we owned and kept at home had to be hacked every day as we had no school (so no groundwork, no lunging or long reining) - we just got on with it. Fortunately, he was a gentleman and if he knew he had my sister on his back who was much smaller (legs just reached bottom of saddle flaps), his reaction when he was worried was to stand and tremble, whereas Dad and I would get the teleporting sideways and all four feet leaps into the air.
 

Lilou

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I’m not brave enough to hack out on the roads now (at least not yet), even though we have quite wide grassy verges... My mum and her friends do quite frequently in our area - maybe I’m just overcautious! In saying that - 2 days ago there was a horror story in our area so doesn’t make me keen :(
 

milliepops

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Generally just crack on,my yard is on top of a hill at the top of a valley and the wind rushes up to it, I wouldn't get much done if I didn't ride when it was windy ?
 

Lilou

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Interesting you say that actually - makes sense. My riding at home is usually in a make-shift arena in one of our fields, or else it is a ‘hack’ around the perimeter of the property, otherwise off-property for lesson st instructor’s arena. My boy is pretty calm and easy going but has had the very odd unexpected shy.... he won’t bat an eyelid at *most* things, but no such thing as never..

To be fair I think they spook less out hacking in the wind than they do if we are in an arena.
 

Widgeon

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I tend not to hack out on roads when it's particularly windy these days because the volume of traffic doesn't give you much time to deal with a sideways spook when a piece of plastic blows across the horses feet. The other recent problem is those quiet electric cars. Ours horses have more acute hearing than we do and would automatically pull over or be aware of a car approaching, warning us that a car was coming up behind, but even they, have less time in high winds to notice them coming, which loses vital seconds.

Yes agreed, the last share pony I had was good in wind but even so I didn't like riding on the roads in the wind because I couldn't hear the traffic so well. I was constantly straining to hear the next thing approaching and it was stressful and made me tense.

Ironically, the pony I currently own, who has some, err, "interesting issues" that mean he is being re-backed because he finds being ridden so stressful, was born and brought up in a very windy area, so wind is one thing that doesn't bother him in the slightest. I guess that means you need to expose them to it young if you can!
 

dogatemysalad

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Yes agreed, the last share pony I had was good in wind but even so I didn't like riding on the roads in the wind because I couldn't hear the traffic so well. I was constantly straining to hear the next thing approaching and it was stressful and made me tense.

Ironically, the pony I currently own, who has some, err, "interesting issues" that mean he is being re-backed because he finds being ridden so stressful, was born and brought up in a very windy area, so wind is one thing that doesn't bother him in the slightest. I guess that means you need to expose them to it young if you can!

That's very true. My horse is a hunter and is at his best in the winter with its extreme weather. In summer he thinks he should be on holiday with his mates in the paddock.
 

MiJodsR2BlinkinTite

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I hate riding - or doing anything in fact - when its blowing a hooley.

I live fairly high-up, in Devon, and when it blows here, it really blows!

For me, my rule-of-thumb is that if its too windy for me to hear if there's any traffic about, then its too windy. The roads are dangerous enough without not knowing if something is coming up behind you or not!

My two horses (cobs) are bombproof and are not in the least phased by plastic blowing around anywhere; they've got this in the yard so are well used to it anywhere else!
 

Tiddlypom

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I don’t like riding when it’s windy. My worst fall to date happened on a windy day. Never will know exactly what happened as I ended up with concussion, several hours of memory loss and an overnight stay in hospital, but we think that the horse took fright when hacking past a field of tall maize. I came off on the road at speed. No vehicle apparently involved. Some farmworkers caught the horse and that’s what I told them at the time, but I later blanked it.
 

Kat

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Unless it is so bad that there is a risk of being hit by debris being blown around I just crack on. It is high and windy where I am so if I didn't I would never ride.

Because we ride in all weather my mare is used to it and spectacularly unbothered by flappy plastic, rubbish blowing around, or the downed roadside cables flapping.
 

RachaelJC

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I'm more spooky than my horse in the wind if I haven't ridden in it for a while, so I make sure that I go outside to ride when it is windy just to keep both me and my horse used to it. Also helps that the yard I'm on only has an outdoor school so if I want to ride when its windy I have no real choice.
 

mini_b

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My ten pence...
I think it depends on the horse.
Mines quite green and still very skitty on a good day but I’m so proud that wind he’s great!!

he’s no better or worse in the wind so that wouldn’t put me off.

at speed, his breaks fail more dramatically with “the wind up his arse” so I bear this in mind where choosing to canter out on a hack.
 
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