Riding in the mud?

So, all you mud riders don't worry about pulling a tendon or something like that? The arena we ride in has been muddy so I have not been riding. I would love to keep going though if I thought it was safe for the horse.

Like Vida we have a heavier type soil that is slick slick slick when wet. Flame and Soda don't even like to walk around in the paddock when it's wet.

Right now it's been raining constantly for quite a while and everything is saturated, so my riding has been curtailed. When the rain lets out I got out and ride like usual, just at a slower pace. Of course, Soda has WAY too much energy and doesn't want to do anything I say, so he ends up slipping and sliding all over the place. It's a little hair raising at times. Esp when I ask him to turn and he doesn't want to (generally because he's trying to go home) then he's going sideways and not paying attn to his feet. We've gotten pretty close to going down a couple of times. Someday my horse will get over the barn sourness..... right?

I just go ahead and ride but I am always extra cautious. My horses don't mind at all, one of them loves splashing through puddles, and we usually get back from a ride completely drenched.

I'm on the same boat as those with the slick slick mud here in Ks. Our arena is just normal dirt it helps that they haven't plowed it up in quite a while. It really doesn't help that we have had practically non stop rain for the past two and a half days that isn't supposed to end for the rest of the week. There's numerous parts of our town that have been closed off due to high flood waters. Pretty bad stuff that I wish would just go away!

Our mares don't mind the mud, but when it's as swampy and gooey as it was last winter (we have lots of clay around here), I take our go anywhere lead mare out first and see what she thinks If she is reluctant (like when she sinks to her fetlocks or sliding on the hills), it's not worth taking a chance on a sprain or having that stocky body on my leg.

I don't. My pasture gets puddly more so than muddy. My mare has never once slipped while I was riding. My little one did take a spill once when she was galloping around like a maniac. She came around a corner, lost her feet, and fell on her side and slid for about twenty feet. Then she got up and gave me a look that said, "Mom! Did you see that mean old dirt there that done knocked me over!?" in that pouty little girl voice. =]

Honestly, walking around won't do anything. So go walk around, work on some lateral work, more collection, etc. If the going feels good and you and your horse are confident, go up to the trot, then canter if the trotting feels good. Personally, I think riding in a bit of mud is better than trying to ride on wet grass.

Well, I will just give it a go then. We are supposed to get rain and more rain this week.

While my horses are fine going out in the mud, I have decided after a particularly muddy, wet horrid summer, not to ride them in the mud.

Now I'm not talking about a couple of days worth of rain, or even a weeks worth. But that non stop , let's build an ark type of rain. So, with that said, the reason I won't ride in that deep mud any more is simple.

Most of my trails have ledge under them. When the ground gets that mud sucking texture, then the horses hooves sink deeper and sooner or later, that under layer of ledge, can actually slice them. This has happened twice now, once to each horse. So, I won't ride and take that risk any longer. Neither horse has ever "fallen" or lost footing due to the mud. That's never my concern.

If I feel I need to ride, then it's road riding. I have a nice dirt road just above the house that will due for a ride without the risk.

^^^ Mer I need one of those roads close by. Unfortunately I have to ride on the highway to get to one and with the lack of riding he has once again become extremely barn sour and spooky and therefore very dangerous to ride on the road. I need my "work" areas to dry out enough to work him through this safely. We've also been having the "build an ark" type of rain. This weekend is supposed to be decent *crosses fingers*.

What I wouldn't give for an indoor arena or even an outdoor one that was graded with a nice sandy base.

I hear you MNT! Those were the only times I longed for an arena with sand footing, or god forbid, an indoor!

Sorry to hear you're having that yucky weather. Though to be honest, deep down I'm so glad it's not us again! I know, I'm going straight to hell!