WHEN IS IT / IS IT EVER TOO WET TO COMPETE ? THOUGHTS PLEASE

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Karenlawson01

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I was planning to take my daughter and her 14.2 to Summerhouse EC this Sunday for the BSJA Junior S J show, however the forecast for the weekend is still very wet !!! Don't get me wrong, I am glad that we are having a bit of rain but why does our weather seem to go from one extreme to another !!! Global warming ??

Summerhouse has a lovely all weather surface in the Outdoor Arena so I have no doubts on that score but .... it is ever too wet to compete. We don't want to wimp out, and have plenty of wet weather gear, but is there a point when is raining so badly that there is no point doing the class from the pony / riders point of view?

Thoughts please.....
 
well ive competed in torrential rain, hail and gales and i must say non of them where my most pleasurable experiences. (i do BD btw). Im competing tomoro and i just hope the weather holds off for me.
 
I've competed in horrendous conditions (mainly events funnily enough). however, I've also withdrawn from classes when it looks just too horrid to continue. I think you need to play it by ear - if it is properly miserable, do you really need to go that day or can you save it for another day?
 
From the horse's point of view - never too wet as long as the surface is good - I don't mind competing novice horses in dreadful weather, think it is good experience for them.

From your own point of view, it would be entirely understandable to not want to stand in pouring rain watching endless show jumping.
 
it becomes too wet when you stop enjoying yourself!

Ive been to shows where it has been torrential and not minded at all as i was having fun. But ive also been to some where it wasnt quite torrential and ive been nothing but miserable.
Its not worth being miserable, you compete for fun why do that to yourself!!
 
Good Junior BSJA SJ Shows run infrequently, especially on a good surface just as Summerhouse, so you try and go when you can.

I guess my quandry is whether it is the rider, rather than the pony, that allows themselves to be effected by the rain. Obviously if it is absolutely chucking it down, we will probably give it a miss, as there is no joy standing in the bucketing rain, waiting to go in the ring. The problem will be if the rain is more on and off / showery. It will take us an hour to get there so once we set off we are more of less committed to see it through.
 
i went round a team chase course in horrific rain, ive also jumped in horrific rain. its not easy and the best way to get round is to go steady regardless of what you may need to win etc....its not worth it
 
see how your daughter feels, ive got no idea how old she is, but there is nothing quite as good as a wet miserable show to put them off competing for a while.
 
It's never really bothered me TBH. If it's raining really badly then I warm up in chaps & a coat! I love competing & not much puts me off really!

Take a change of clothes & some soup in a flask & all should be fine
 
I would only tend to not go if its on grass and its horrendously wet / hard. If it's all on a decent surface then Id just wear waterproofs and make sure to keep the horse warm. It's not particularily nice as such, but is usually ok. Depends on your horse though, one of mine tends to put his ass towards the gail and rain and simply goes sideways! Some dont mind rain whereas woosier types do, in which case it may not be worth taking a woose if he's not going to be at his best.
 
it really depends on the horse. i jumped at a championship qualifier last yr in driving rain. my mare loves rain(yea she's a weirdo) so she was in her element. the other horse i had hated rain but he got on with the job and behaved better than normal surprisingly enough. it was the worst day ever....i went through 4 pairs of jodhpurs. on reflection it was probably too wet to compete but given that it was a qualifier we had to get on with it.
 
I am doing all this because I enjoy it and frankly I do not enjoy it in the rain. I do wimp out if I have not entered in advance and leave it for another day. Eventing wise my horse always does a better test in the rain and for xc he has hunted so just gets on with it. I just hate being wet and cold and not being able to get out of it.
 
When I was younger i'd have said it's never too wet, but nowadays if it's raining it's too wet
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I did jump in a torrential downpour last May....and came off Bo for the first time ever
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If you're doing BSJA and haven't pre-entered then there's always another show next week
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At Summerhouse you do 'normally' warm up in an indoor school, so it might not be too bad. I am also too old now to jump in the rain and I think it does affect some horses more than others.
 
I've just looked at the weather forecast today and decided not to go showing tommorow. The entry fees were fairly tiny, the diesel will be a lot more expensive, the time taken to wash him (not nice for him the cold), clean his tack (before and afterwards) dry everything is not worth the pleasure of running round an arena getting soaked.

And I think my lorry will get stuck in the mud.

Its too wet when it isn't fun
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