Do you ride in the rain?

[poltroon]

I think the biggest challenge is good/safe footing, and the second biggest is a place to clean up after. Outerwear is a thing, but having mud splashed all over the horse and gear and then returning in the pouring rain does add to the disincentives on top of the rest - so a walking trail ride may be a more pleasing choice than a full on regular arena ride.

If you’ve got a warm covered wash stall to return to and a place to hang up all the wet gear to dry that may help make it more attractive.

In Southern California, there aren’t a lot of arenas that are properly engineered to handle a lot of rain, so they tend to be closed at boarding stables when that’s happening.

I usually have alternatives to riding in the rain so I don’t tend to - again footing and cleanup - but I will totally do it if there’s a particular reason to. A long waterproof coat with a split for riding and straps to stay around your leg is a nice addition.

[RMJacobs]

That was the great part of having a biothane harness. Rain or snow wouldn’t hurt it.

Rebecca

[RedHorses]

Way back when my fourth horse was maybe 5 or six he got very offended at having to work in the rain and get his face wet. I was longeing him and he got so distracted by his fussing about the rain that he slipped and fell down. He was fine, and much more attentive after he got up.

[GraceLikeRain]

Honestly, no. I was a cat in a past life and despise the rain. If I’m already out, I’ll tolerate it and I may get brave to intentionally go out into a light mist if it is above 70. Otherwise, it is a long grooming session and tack cleaning time.

[Scribbler]

Ok. Here is what’s worse than rain.

Right now the precipitation is varying between bouts of noisy rain and bouts of silent slush. The kind of wet snow you can see, but isnt sticking. Official temperature is 2 Celsius with a “feels like” of minus 2 Celsius. Ick ick ick.

This is the absolute worst. Fluffy snow is fun, pretty, a novelty here, and can be brushed off before it melts.

Wet snow is getting pelted with ice that melts immediately. I wouldn’t go riding out in this unless I had to save a calf or mend a fence!

My horse lives in a suburban park so no, we don’t get called on for that.

https://tierneyfineart.com/workszoom/2772979/cowboy-riding-herd-in-the-rain-c-1890-by-charles-russell#/

[HorsesinHaiti]

My own “blast from the past”, July 2011 to be exact when I still lived in Haiti,

HorsesinHaitiGrand Prix

Jul '11

“We’re in the height of rainy season, so it rains every afternoon. Today was a rare day when the rain held off, so I figured I’d give the pony some exercise. Which was something like:

Run home from office.
Unlock door.
Trip over hungry cat.
Feed hungry cat.
Change to riding clothes.
Grab pony from grazing.
Open gate.
Lead in pony.
Close gate.
Tie pony.
Water pony.
Brush saddle & girth area fast.
Pick feet.
Get tack.
Spank grumpy pony for giving me the middle hoof at sight of the girth.
Saddle pony.
Unhalter and Bridle pony.
Open gate.
Lead out pony.
Close gate.
Run down stirrups.
Collect reins.
Lift foot to stirrup.

FLASH!BANG!
Count lack of seconds between FLASH! And BANG!

Lower foot from stirrup.
Loosen reins.
Run up stirrups.
Open gate.
Lead in pony.
Close gate.
Unbridle and halter pony.
Unsaddle pony.
Remind now happy girth-hating pony he loves going out once we actually mount up and get to leave.
Take tack back in.
Untie pony.
Take pony to overnight paddock.
Assemble pony supplement / grain snack and forage.
Get drenched by rain while taking pony his snack and forage.
Change wet riding clothes for house clothes.
Tell bemused cat that today he’s lucky he’s a housecat and not a pony!”

[mmeqcenter]

Yes if it’s not terribly cold (>50F) and no lightning.

[FitToBeTied]

I would say it depends on several factors. I do like riding in the snow.

[Spudsmyguy]

One of my most favorite memories is of riding in a misty rain, just me, my dog and my most wonderful Woodrow.

[Curly_Feather]

If I’m caught in unexpected light rain when I’m already on the horse, I’ll stick with it and continue. Here in the highveld where I live most rains comes with epic thunderstorms as well, and I’ll definitely get off if there’s thunder.

The yard is about a 40 minute drive away, and if it’s rainy at my house I won’t bother going. Didn’t bother me when I was younger, but now I’m a creature of comfort.

[tabula_rashah]

This pic was a post 20 mile equathon in the rain. We won (probably because we were the only ones crazy enough to do the equathon in that weather lol) Definitely type 2 fun

[Myta]

For me it very much depends on my current conditioning schedule and the forecast for the rest of the week. Growing up in Texas, it’s relatively easy to just pass on the one or two rainy days in a given week most of the time and still have plenty of days left. But when we’re really gearing up for a show and really need at least 2 riding days at home, and it was more than just one day we’d have to swap, we’d ride rain or shine. My guy does not like to work hard in sloppy footing, can’t blame him there, so we have to keep to mostly straight work to keep him from slipping and he’s less likely to really engage. But those days often work out fine for just long trot work. If I’ve scheduled something that day, be it a lesson, schooling, or a group trail ride, and the footing is still safe, I’m still going in the rain. When I lived in Oregon I did a few misty/drizzly trail rides, but I really just did not like to go out in a good rain and have water running down my face and into my eyes, my hands slipping on the reins, just ugg. It was high up on the list of reasons I came back to Texas. The Arab and I are in general agreement that cold + wet is just not something either of us want to be out in.

[ParadoxFarm]

@tabula_rashah

This pic was a post 20 mile equathon in the rain. We won (probably because we were the only ones crazy enough to do the equathon in that weather lol) Definitely type 2 fun

That’s a great photo! What is an equathon? Same as an endurance race/ride?

[tabula_rashah]

They are held during endurance rides but are governed by the Ride and Tie Association.There are two types of Equathon- one with a partner and one solo (called Iron Person).
The picture above was from a partner one. The rider goes out and rides the loop (this one was 10 miles) and then comes back to camp for a vet check. As soon as the horse is at the pulse parameter (usually 64), the runner can take off on the same loop. Then the times are added together. If you are doing the Iron Person you ride the loop, vet and then run the loop for your total time.
It sounds crazy but it’s a lot of fun and amazing group of people

[ParadoxFarm]

@tabula_rashah

As soon as the horse is at the pulse parameter (usually 64), the runner can take off on the same loop.

As in a person on two feet running??

[tabula_rashah]

Yep

[ParadoxFarm]

@tabula_rashah

Yep

Very impressive!

[J-Lu]

Just seeing this. No, I don’t ride in the rain. My horse gets really demonstratively unhappy. He’s one of the first to run into his run-in shed when it merely sprinkles. I’ve worked him through sprinkles and short rains but he’s demonstratively unhappy and his focus is gone.

[Edre]

I will ride while it rains (indoor arena) but if I can avoid it, I will not ride in the rain. If I am in the outdoor and it is sprinkling or only raining lightly I will stick it out although perhaps cut a ride short. Otherwise, ha, no, absolutely not.

I have one memorable show year where our first outdoor show of the year had me warming up in a blizzard (in the second to last weekend in May! In Chicago!!!) and then the August show had hellacious delays due to storms and then when we got the all clear per lightning being done, we were still stuck riding in soggy wet downpour. (Venue’s footing is great in extreme wet so that wasn’t a concern.)
My horse and I were, in both instances, the picture of stoic resignation. I did not enjoy having to get my show boots off after being soaked through to the bone, though. I would not care to repeat the experience if at all possible

[Libby2563]

I only have an outdoor and I don’t deliberately ride in real rain except for lessons/clinics/shows. A) I hate my tack getting soaked. I finished a lesson in a torrential downpour a few years ago and had literal puddles in my boots. It started so suddenly that by the time we could have gone inside we couldn’t get any wetter anyway. B) My arena builder says I won’t hurt the base but their hooves do sometimes punch divots in it when everything is saturated. Also, it drains so beautifully when I seal it before heavy rain that once I do so, I hate to put hoofprints in the footing. C) I am very busy and over-scheduled so a rainy day is sometimes a nice excuse to just stay in the house!

If it starts while I’m already riding I will continue my ride though. Neither of my horses enjoys riding in the rain and will demonstrate that with some ear pinning and head flipping. The younger one has some headshaking tendencies and it feels cruel to force him to work with rain firing his nerves. Interestingly, he ended up doing two dressage shows in the rain this year. I am too cheap to scratch and he needed the mileage. I figured if he was truly miserable under saddle we’d scratch once there and at least he would have had an outing. There was no head flipping in the show environment though, I guess because he was too distracted to remember he hates rain on his nose?