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Worried about riding on wet, slippery or deep going? Top event riders share tips on how to help your horse cope
How do I teach my horse to jump out of soft ground? What can I do to make his job easier? Olympic event rider Nicola Wilson and five-star cross-country supremo Tom Crisp share their top tips in this exclusive article for H&H subscribers
Sooner or later every rider who ventures outside the arena will find themselves riding on wet ground and grappling with mud. The good news, says the 2021 European eventing champion Nicola Wilson, is that horses are surprisingly good all-terrain vehicles — if they are allowed to be – but there are a few caveats about riding your horse on wet ground.
“Horses often prefer sloshing along in the wet rather than running on hard ground, but they need to be prepared and confident, and this comes through exposure and experience,” Nicola says.
While withdrawing in particularly bad conditions is always an option, especially if you feel underprepared, Nicola points out that shying away from tackling trickier conditions in competition is a learning opportunity missed.
“If you get to a big event and your horse has never had to go on wet ground before then you have not set yourself up for success,” she says.
Tom Crisp points out that the mechanics of a horse’s stride can change in wet ground, and this can take a bit of getting used to.
“Horses use themselves slightly differently in the wet. They don’t always have the same adjustability as they do on dry ground,” he explains. “Every time the horse takes a step his foot slips a fraction, which can cause some to lose a little confidence in their jump and go a bit green.
“All this adds an extra layer of difficulty to cross-country riding, but the more you practise in wet conditions the more you will learn about how your horse reacts and how you might need to ride him differently.
“At Cornbury [in September 2025] we all had a bit of a shock when it rained and we had to jump out of mud for the first time since March. Most horses coped well, but it was a reminder that we need to prepare for these eventualities by laying good foundations and training in the wet when we have the chance.”
Caroline Harris and D-Day have strong form in wet going, with wins at Pau CCI5* and Lignières CCI4* in the mud.
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
How to prepare for riding your horse on wet ground
Creative hacking
Training for riding in soft ground starts at home – yes, you’ll likely be riding in the rain.
“Although it is tempting to stay in the arena when conditions are bad, eventers need to be working in all weathers, in all elements,” says Nicola. “Hunting used to be – and probably still is – the best training ground for teaching horses and riders to gallop through mud and trot and pop over fences. For various reasons fewer event horses hunt these days, but the next best thing is to incorporate this sort of training into your everyday riding.
“Seek out different types of terrain and going when you’re out hacking and set yourself challenges. Look for lumps and bumps, undulations and muddy patches. Regularly exposing your horse to these, even just in walk, will help to condition his tendons and ligaments, reduce the risk of injury and make him more sure-footed.”
Hacking provides a range of terrains and gradients that help prepare horses’ legs to cope with different types of going.
(Image credit: Emma Herrod Photography)
How to support your horse in wet conditions
Learning how to adapt your riding to help your horse jump in the mud is a skill that needs to be developed and honed.
“The horse gets its confidence from the rider, so if the rider is fearing the ground, why should the horse feel any different?” points out Nicola. “Horses can find it more difficult to travel through wet ground, so you need to support them with your lower leg to keep them up into the bridle.
“When jumping combinations and trickier fences in deep ground you need to use more leg and keep a supportive contact to create a short, bouncy canter with plenty of power. No horse should be off the bridle in wet conditions because that’s when injuries happen.”
Tom calls this feeling “hand holding”.
“Younger or less experienced horses usually need this more,” he explains. “Another way I describe it is ‘swaddling’ – giving the horse support and confidence through feel.”
Being well prepared also means having the right equipment, including using the correct sized studs for the going underfoot.
“I always had two studs in each shoe,” says Nicola. “Flat, rounded ones on the insides so they didn’t catch themselves, and bigger, pointier ones on the outside of their hinds so they don’t slip on turns.”
Course-walking in wet conditions
Course-walking in the wet requires an extra layer of consideration, when you know you will be riding your horse cross-country in the mud.
“Be mindful that the best route in testing conditions might not necessarily be the most direct one,” warns Nicola. “Look out for places where you have a choice of where to gallop – on a wide track, for example, you can seek out the less chewed up ground. Make a mental note of where it will be difficult to avoid the mud, for example at skinnies, so that you can ride accordingly to help your horse.
“When on course you need to train your eye to stay looking ahead and use your peripheral vision to check the ground so that you can stay in balance with your body and help your horse,” she adds.
Tom points out the distinction between wet ground and holding ground.
“The two types may look similar on top when you are walking the course, but they can be very different to ride in,” he says. “Sometimes ground that feels fine to us can be very soft for the horse because you’re talking half a ton of horse pounding down on a small surface area.
“Another thing to bear in mind is that in a class of 100 horses, the first 20 riders might encounter very different conditions to the last 20. Wet ground can dry out dramatically in a matter of hours if you have wind and sun, and that’s when it can get tacky and holding.”
Both Tom and Nicola agree that having a plan A, B and C is crucial.
“Your plan may change as the competition evolves and even after you have set off,” says Nicola. “You want to feel like you have a happy, fit horse at the end and that might mean switching to plan B and setting off at a slower pace, conserving your horse’s energy levels for the latter stages of the course.
“I can remember cross-country day at the World Equestrian Games in Normandy in 2014 where the awful weather put a completely different complexion on the competition,” she continues.
“I was riding a relatively inexperienced horse called Annie Clover and by the time I set off, plans A, B and C had gone out the window. Horses were finishing tired – if they were finishing at all – so my aim was just to support her and try and let her find her own rhythm. I ditched my stopwatch and rode what I felt underneath me. She finished well and had a good experience.”
Nicola Wilson and Annie Clover cope well with the wet conditions at the 2014 WEG.
(Image credit: AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Horses for courses?
In racing, trainers spend a lot of time speculating about how a horse’s conformation might affect its preference for soft or firm going. Bigger hooves can be deemed better on softer going, while a higher, more rounded action associated with sloping shoulder and pastern joints can make it easier to navigate softer ground.
Some racehorses show a preference for soft ground – influenced by their conformation and way of going.
(Image credit: Alamy)
This is unlikely to tell the whole story, though, points out Tom.
“I don’t think you can read too much into that side of things,” he cautions. “My top five-star mare, Liberty And Glory, had tiny little feet. She ran in some very heavy conditions and was very, very quick out of the mud and naturally adjustable.
“Conversely, I’ve found that heavier types – your typical Irish cruisers – can sometimes tire more quickly.”
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