I wore glasses until two years ago. I wore a visor under my helmet to keep the rain off my glasses when I drove my ponies or rode my bike. It worked pretty well–it was a lot bigger than the visor on any of my helmets. Life is so much easier now that rain isn’t a big deal.
Rebecca
no
If I don’t ride in the rain, I don’t get to ride much! But I won’t ride in thunder and lightning.
We wouldn’t start out in heavy, cold rain or thunderstorms but we sure do get caught in them aaaalllll the time. I don’t mind it at all as long as my saddle is dry under me and I have a good slicker on. Horses don’t care unless it’s cold or there is a wind pushing it. We’ve been caught out in hail storms, lightning, snow, you name it we’ve slogged through it. We got caught in a really bad storm once where it wasn’t safe in the trees b/c the wind was breaking them and they were falling all around us and it wasn’t safe in the clearings b/c of lightning. The trail was a literal creek with running water and mud and rocks loose. That was a long 7 miles to the trailer, riding out from camp on what started out a gorgeous summer day. As I recall the freaking sun came out as soon as we started loading horses to go home.
I’m the same! If its already raining, I’ll wait to ride - I hate getting my tack wet if I can avoid it. But there has been many times when I tack up and then it rains or downpours and I just keep going. I like to think its good schooling for when the sky’s open up when you are at a show. Its easy to see the horses that don’t like the rain or ever school in the rain 
Now I won’t school my driving horses in the rain with their good gear/carriage. That’s too much $$ there to have ruined by rain! I will not show in a driving show if its raining, I will cancel it 100%. Or I’ll use my zilco and marathon carriage, those can get wet.
I’m with Salty - if I didn’t ride in the rain, I wouldn’t get much done in the winter months!
I only have an outdoor, so no choice in the matter really.
I totally agree with the motto, “there’s no bad weather, only bad clothing”. Love my Asmar rain coats!
I do all the time! I actually like it. If you have a saddle cover that’s the only thing I’d be worried about
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.
That was the great part of having a biothane harness. Rain or snow wouldn’t hurt it.
Rebecca
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. 
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.
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.
My own “blast from the past”, July 2011 to be exact when I still lived in Haiti,
HorsesinHaitiGrand Prix
“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!”
Yes if it’s not terribly cold (>50F) and no lightning.
I would say it depends on several factors. I do like riding in the snow.
One of my most favorite memories is of riding in a misty rain, just me, my dog and my most wonderful Woodrow.
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.
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
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.
That’s a great photo! What is an equathon? Same as an endurance race/ride?
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