Uproar as fun ride still going ahead in bad weather

[MissTyc]

I've had jumps fly in all directions during high winds and a memorable arena eventing where it was so foggy that we had to tell the judge if we'd had any poles down on the way out ... Refusals were only counted in time since it was impossible to see anything at all. Been soaked and nearly blown off my horse as well as baked ... All fun memories in retrospect. I have also withdrawn for bad weather when I've not felt up for it; for hard ground when I didn't want to risk my horse's legs; for deep mud to not risk legs; or for high winds when I didn't feel it was safe to travel. All those events went ahead and by all accounts fun was had.

Yesterday's dressage presented me with an extra challenge as the rain was so heavy there were pools of water in the arena. My horse doesn't step in water ... I've also ridden dressage in a snow whiteout where it was so cold my fingers froze and I dropped my reins several times but the judge couldn't see any way as her windscreen wipers couldn't clear the snow away fast enough ... (I did hurry home after that one; thankfully only a 25 min drive on increasingly treacherous roads!)

 

[cindars]

Friend and I did one years ago went from Stanmere park up on the Downs it was about 15miles it was awful never been so wet but no one thought about cancelling. It was something to look back on.

 

[MagicMelon]

The only time I'm unhappy if an event isnt cancelled is if its really windy and its dangerous to have trailer and lorries going out as I think thats too risky. Otherwise, surely its up to the competitor if they want to go and get a bit wet. Kirriemuir BE ran on Saturday up my way, and Ive heard it was lashing down all day but they all just got on with it. Ive ridden round BE XC in hail and even snow storms before so I think they all need to stop being such babies!

 

[sport horse]

I think that often these rides are run by volunteers for charity?

 

[shortstuff99]

I withdrew taking my horse to an event on Sunday due to rain, I had two concerns. Main one being my horse is in training about going to places and finding them fun, she hates the rain and therefore I was already onto a bad start and i knew it wouldn't go well. Rather then having a bad experience for her it was better to not go. Second was parking as it was on a field, my lorry doesn't have a towing hook and so I can't be towed in/out. Not everyone wimps out because they don't want to get wet! That isn't the organisers fault though.

 

[spacefaer]

I think that often these rides are run by volunteers for charity?

And??
BE wouldn't function without volunteers either!

 

[Tiddlypom]

And??
BE wouldn't function without volunteers either!

But although BE events also rely heavily on volunteers, they are profit making enterprises, not fund raisers for charity.

I’ve been the soaked and sodden marshal out all day at a charity fun ride (raising funds for the local church) in heavy rain. We couldn’t get the car close enough to the stream we needed to marshal, so out in the wet it was. I was so wet that I needed help to remove my clothes at home afterwards as they had stuck to me.

ETA The marshals at fun rides are often non horsey, too. A non horsey church sidesman related (luckily with great hilarity) how he was called a ‘bar steward’ by a woman with a very posh accent who was not pleased to be informed that she had used up her quota of three refusals at his fence, and could she please move on.

 

[Annagain]

Having organised one and knowing the work that goes into them from risk assessing; schmoozing land owners to get permission to use their land; organising jumps (we hired XC style jumps and the cost covered fixing them appropriately, we'd never have managed them ourselves); planning and marking the route; getting raffle prizes and silent auction lots (it was for charity so we did lots of extras); organising a BBQ at the start/finish; recruiting helpers (by far the hardest part!); hiring a paramedic etc, etc, etc there's no way I'd be cancelling unless I really, really had to. The amount of work that goes into these things is incredible.

I've organised a few riding club competitons in my time and have only cancelled (until this year ) when it was unsafe - once due to a flooded warm-up arena and once in very strong winds. The first didn't cost us anything (eventually, after a bit of a fight) the second did as the venue we hire has a policy of cancelling their own events if winds are above 40mph but won't let hirers cancel for high winds at all - we had gusts of up to 70mph forecast for that particular day - so we had to pay the hire fee regardless.

 

[jenniehodges2001]

What are people opinions.... fun ride put a post out to say their fun ride was still running today, (despite bad rain and wind)... everyone is going mad saying they should reschedule or refund and that they've only not cancelled so they don't have to refund, and that they are putting riders and horses in danger.

Is it me or is that just a risk of entering a competition, that the weather might be rubbish?The venue will have checked the course and deemed it safe so long as riders are sensible. So I kind of feel like they shouldn't be forced to cancel for those not wanting to get wet/risk travelling. The weather is as much of a PITA for the venue as it is to those entering....

Also the forecast has been bad for a while now so its likely a lot of people would have known it'd be wet when they entered. I feel everyone has to do their own risk assessment and if they deem travelling unsafe or anything like that, then you don't go and its just one of those things?

What are other peoples thoughts?

It might be too risky to tow because of the winds. Not sure what the stats are for horse trailers gone over in the wind but personally wouldn't tow mine if the gust speed was above 30mph.

 

[Scotsbadboy]

I think they should rename 'fun' rides to something else. There is nothing 'fun' about them in my experience, so doing one in foul weather is, for me, the same as doing one in glorious sunshine ... horrendous!

 

[Kat]

I went to one a couple of years ago where it was so wet that everyone had to be towed on to the parking by trailer. Didn't complain that it should have been cancelled, in fact it was a wonderful day and raised money for charity. These things are often organised such a long time in advance and can't easily be postponed so cancelling is a bit deal.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

I think they should rename 'fun' rides to something else. There is nothing 'fun' about them in my experience, so doing one in foul weather is, for me, the same as doing one in glorious sunshine ... horrendous!

That’s quite sad you have never had a good experience at one. I’ve done 5 this year and even when DP was being a complete nob because he had been on the clover they were all well organised with such polite riders most of the time it was like hacking round a private estate.

 

[Scotsbadboy]

That’s quite sad you have never had a good experience at one. I’ve done 5 this year and even when DP was being a complete nob because he had been on the clover they were all well organised with such polite riders most of the time it was like hacking round a private estate.

Nope sadly not. A couple not helped by numpty horse's I've been on but mostly not helped by other people! I avoid them now, that makes it fun for me and plenty of other things to do and places to go although I appreciate they are sometimes the only way to ride these big estates.

 

[sport horse]

And??
BE wouldn't function without volunteers either!

That if people did not want to get wet or risk slipping on the ground etc etc they would be quite happy to not quibble about their entry fee and accept that it was going to a good cause.

 

[Boulty]

If the ground is ok & weather isn't dangerous to travel in I'd expect an event to run. I've showjumped on grass soaked to the skin multiple times, made my fingers go purple out hunting in the rain (in hindsight it was bloody awful, not very enjoyable & I wish I'd passed on that one) & I've been caught in thunderstorms out hacking more times than I'd like to admit! If there's a flood warning in force or warnings for high winds / named storm in the area then yes I would expect either a cancellation / rescheduling (or to be refunded) but other than that would expect things to run if they can

 

[zaminda]

If it's the one near me, it was an outside hire and not organised by the venue. That said, it would have been so wet in places that you could end up with no shoes and a knackered tendon in walk as the ground gets deadly very quickly. They would also have got much of the flack from not cancelling previously because they are only interested in the money. My friend pulled out of arena eventing because she didn't want to jump on a frozen surface, which she discovered walking the course having been told it was fine. There have also been incidents of show jumps flying down and they still won't cancel due to wind. It's very open there, and I have personally seen some very borderline dangerous sites there.
I think it was also there attitude to come and buy our food when you are freezing and soaked which annoyed people, probably because it's crap food and takes them forever to prepare!