After a long ride

[RamblingRosa]

After a long ride, more than 3 hours, do you loosen your girth on last bit home? I'd been out for 4.5 hours yesterday with a friend and stopped to loosen girth on the last bit of ride. Friend said she never did this and didn't know anyone who i did. So I just wondered if anyone else does.

 

[Polos Mum]

I would get off and walk the last bit and then leave saddle on for a good few minutes at home.

In SA when we rode hard for 3-4 hours we never un-tacked immediately - something about letting blood flow slowly return to normal in muscles under the saddle - might be total nonsense but it's stuck with me.

 

[stormox]

Always walk the first mile out and last mile home - and yes I'd loosen my girth for the last 5-10 mins and walk home on a loose rein

 

[Muddywellies]

Not when hacking (I don't really go far tbh) but when cooling off after schooling I loosen the girth a hole

 

[Wheels]

I loosen the girth 1 hole at the end of every ride regardless of type of riding or length of ride.

sometimes I hop off to walk off as well

 

[Afon_34]

I loosen the girth 1 hole at the end of every ride regardless of type of riding or length of ride.

sometimes I hop off to walk off as well

No matter what my horses have done work wise I always loosen the girth by 1 hole (& I’ve also asked my sharer does the same!)

 

[milliepops]

not at current yard - route back is up a steep hill and I'd slide off the back
always loosen girth to walk back after schooling though.

 

[Tarragon]

I think that there is a difference between putting a ridden horse back into a stable and turning them out. If they are turned out they have the option of rolling and then gentle movement afterwards.
It is just wrong to gallop home from a fast ride and then put a sweaty and hot horse in a stable. Under those circumstances, you should have walked the last mile or two home to let the horse cool down and slow down.
The advice about not taking the saddle off straight away is used by endurance riders, but then they are doing 40km plus rides.

 

[Roxylola]

I always loosen my girth while I'm walking off regardless of what we've done
Except occasionally when I realise I never tightened it in the first place ?

 

[Sealine]

I would get off and walk the last bit and then leave saddle on for a good few minutes at home.

In SA when we rode hard for 3-4 hours we never un-tacked immediately - something about letting blood flow slowly return to normal in muscles under the saddle - might be total nonsense but it's stuck with me.

After hunting, many people travel their horse home with the saddle on and swear it prevents a sore back.

 

[milliepops]

I always loosen my girth while I'm walking off regardless of what we've done
Except occasionally when I realise I never tightened it in the first place ?

haha
relatable! More than one memorable SJ round where it quickly became apparent that I should have tightened my girth after mounting

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

No, girth gets loosened when I get back to yard, have had too many youngsters or idiots in the past.
When back from any hack that's got us warm, girths loosened, then feet picked out etc before taking bridle off. Saddle comes off about 10 mins after me.

When hunting, I'd cool down on walk back to box, loosen girth, rinse legs and do thorn and cut inspection, bridle off, load and go. Saddle came off at yard then full rinse down.

 

[scats]

I loosen my girth for the cool off after a schooling session.

 

[saalsk]

I get off for the last 1/2 mile or so, but don't ride with the girth loosened for the same reason as TFF above. Once I have been walking for a while, I'll loosen the girth, and usually by the time I get back, the horse is cool and relaxed, and ready for saddle off. Me, on the other hand, after walking, not always so cool !

 

[Red-1]

I dismount at the end of the drive, loosen 1 hole each side, lead in, the the bridle off but leave the saddle on.

I then sort myself out first, then go back for the saddle.

I wouldn't take off a saddle without first loosening and waiting, unless it was a quick ride.

 

[palo1]

I always loosen the girth at least 1 hole (if I remembered to tighten it originally...) on my way home (from about a mile away) and if it has been a long, long ride (depends on what your definition of long is tbh) I will get off and walk for the last 1/4 -1/2 mile. That helps my legs too!! When I take the saddle off depends really; if we have ridden back to home then first thing is to give horses a drink, by the time they have had their grass nuts squash the saddle comes off and they are cactus clothed with some no-rinse stuff and given a quick back rub. If it is cold then rug on and turned out for a roll. I won't put cold water on a horse's back after work in cold weather having had a very unpleasant reaction from doing just that some years ago. If it's not cold, we then just turn out for a roll. Interestingly, in Mongolia, some herdsmen won't remove a saddle in cold weather for quite some time if the horse has worked hard. (in some cases several hours) The herdsmen also restrict water to a degree as well though obviously hard Mongolian horses in a blizzard are not what we are talking about on this thread!

 

[pansymouse]

No but I don't have my girth very tight anyway - I never tighten when I get on either.

 

[Barlow]

Most of my hacks finish by coming down a hill so we walk for a good 10-15 mins at the end of any hack. After schooling I always loosen the girth before I leave the school but not whilst cooling down on a long rein as my horse has a degree in teleportation.

 

[cindars]

Don't do really long rides now but always got off and walked last half mile home ran stirrups up loosened girth. Did me good too.

 

[Annagain]

We're at the top of a steep hill, so I loosen it off once we're on the flat, the last 100m or so, get off at the gate and then walk another 50m to the stable. I always take bridle off, let them have a bit of a rub and then take the saddle off so not as long a time as others but follow the principle.

 

[Lintel]

I do on a trustworthy being ?

 

[Orangehorse]

After hunting, many people travel their horse home with the saddle on and swear it prevents a sore back.

Yes, people used to travel horses back from hunting with the saddle on, for this reason.

 

[Lois Lame]

I like to dismount, loosen the girth and walk the last bit, partially to help me too.

Despite my name, [touches wood] I am not lame, but I like to get my legs working and striding and iron them out. Also, who wants to have a prang at the last moment? I kind of celebrate having survived the ride.

I also believe it is nice to let the saddle stay on for a while afterwards. I remove the bridle first and put on a head collar, tie the steed up, ask him to wait and be patient and then go wash the bit. Then I organise a water bucket and take a few slurps. I mean give a few slurps.

Any horse I own lives out 24/7, but I still like a gradual end to a ride.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

I don’t think I’ve ever done this. Maybe I just don’t ride for long enough or hard enough to warrant it.