Riding in the Rain

Last week, after experiencing a blustery ride, I compiled quotes about horses and wind for my “Riding in the Wind” post.

That got me to thinking about riding during other types of eventful weather. So we arrive at the next topic. Riding in the rain.

It is actually something I usually avoid on purpose. But sometimes, like most equestrians, I have found myself finishing a ride in the rain. Both on the trail and at home. Including the pouring rain. Sometimes the heavens just open up unexpectedly.

I’ll pause my train of thought here to declare a word to the wise; leather reins get VERY slippery when wet. This might make riding a freaked out bay and white gelding named Bear a little challenging on the trail while rain is coming down in buckets. If you suspect inclement weather, take a page out of the endurance-rider playbook and use biothane reins. Just saying.

That above-referenced ride on Bear certainly stands out in my mind. But I actually have photos to share here of another memorable rainy day ride. In 2014 I met my friend Vicki for a final trail ride before I made a temporary move to Colorado. My mount for that ride was my now deceased and still-very-much-missed pony, Pumpkin Spice. Vicki rode her experienced Appaloosa trail mount named Warsong. Gotta love those spots!

We knew the forecast called for rain, but we were hoping for a light mist. Instead, we ended up in a downpour. Fortunately, the entire trail was like six miles in a flat loop. Not super challenging terrain. Still, it was definitely more of an experience than I bargained for. But Vicki, the horses and I stayed safe, had fun and have an interesting experience under our belts. I recall that the car overpass that crosses a small section on the trail looked like a waterfall as the rain cascaded down its sides and onto the trail below. Talk about a cowboy curtain!

While I was doing my internet research to find related quotes, I came across two information-type articles about horses and rain. I found them both interesting so I am sharing their links. One is specifically about rain riding and the other is about horse/farm management during storms.

https://www.thesprucepets.com/riding-in-rain-and-storms-1887299

What to do With the Horses During a Lightning Storm

And now we come to the topical quotes section. Read my favorite selections below. If you have any of your own rainy riding quotes or a rainy ride memory to share, let me know in the comments section.

“I think i better ride before it rains
Think i better saddle up my fastest pony
Somethin’ about these winds of change
Is tellin’ me i best get goin’
I can feel a storm movin’ this way
Yeah i think i better ride before it rains”
~Templeton Thompson song “Ride Before It Rains”

“Where is the horse and the rider?
Where is the horn that was blowing?
They have passed like rain on the mountains,
like wind in the meadow.
The days have gone down in the West,
behind the hills… into Shadow.”
~The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers(2002)

“Thunder is the sound of hoofbeats in heaven.”~ Author Unknown

“To see the wind’s power, the rain’s cleansing and the sun’s radiant life, one need only to look at the horse.” ~ Author Unknown

“Let us write of olden, golden days and hunters of the Holy Grail and men called “knights” riding horses in the rain, in the cold frozen rain for ladies they loved . . . Let us nudge the steam radiator with our wool slippers and write poems of Launcelot, the hero, and Roland, the hero, and all the olden golden men who rode horses in the rain.”
~Carl Sandburg from Horses and Men in Rain

“What’s the best thing you’ve learned about storms?” “That they end,” said the horse.”
~The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse, by Charlie Mackesy