The rain is NEVER.ENDING. The rest of the country gets spring showers, but the southeast gets summer storms all throughout hurricane season. Unfortunately, we do not have a covered arena, which means all of our arenas get flooded out several days a week, even though they have excellent drainage. I’ve got a couple things I focus on when the weather and footing won’t hold up to full training rides.
First, I’m always careful about what kind of work I do on wet footing. The Stables at Frederica has Premier Equestrian’s ArenaAid textile footing, which provides the best support when mixed evenly throughout our sand. Heavy rains washes the sand below the textile, creating the white layer of footing additive at the surface. When this happens I limit work on the surface to walk or slow, well-balanced trotting until the arenas drain enough to be drug and mixed in again. I try to avoid any lunging as the twisting motion is stressful on leg structures, especially as the unmixed footing does not allow for almost any sliding or shearing action by the foot. I also am careful of grass. If the grass is wet I just walk, as grasses can get very slippery when wet.
Here are some other tidbits I consider during this season:
Use boots, not polo wraps. Polo wraps lose nearly all their elasticity when wet, which means that they strain soft leg tissues rather than support them. Use boots for protection instead, and clean the legs often to prevent gunky scabs from forming.
Rainy days are great grooming catch-up days. Take the hour to pull the mane, or work with your horse on clipping. Take especially good care to pay attention to hoof health, as wet conditions are a breeding ground for thrust and other foot diseases.
Focus on the walk. Walking is one of the most ignored gaits. So much can be taught at the walk. Introduce lateral work, ask your horse to hold exaggerated bends, practice big and small walks.
If your ride is mostly on squishy footing, don’t forget to keep an eye on your horse’s feet. I like to keep Venice Turpentine around to paint the soles after rides to help harden hooves. If the foot is especially soft I will also sometimes use Tuff Stuff before my rides on the soles to create a barrier to water.
Just because the weather isn’t perfect doesn’t mean you can’t still accomplish a lot with your horse. Rainy days are a great chance to focus on often-ignored skills and grooming.