For those that don't clip or rug

[debsey1]

My hairy cob is unclipped & unrugged. When he comes in from the field usually filthy I just brush off his girth & saddle area, hop on & ride. Fortunately he only sweats around his girth & neck area & I deal with this by slightly washing down with warm water & a good towel dry (and i mean a good drying off) before turning him out again. He has always been ok with this method. What do you do?

 

[HaffiesRock]

Exactly what you do. I brush the saddle and girth area only and ride, when I get back I sponge him with warm water, towel dry and pop on a fleece cooler for half an hour while I have a cuppa, then chuck him back out naked :O) xx

 

[mandwhy]

Yeah same here, just a sponge off girth area and worst bits with a teeny drop of shampoo and minimal water, then scrape or towel off if I have a towel handy, have a new pony who I suspect is going to be a real sweaty betty though! Haven't really bothered with a cooler so far as they have dried quickly but might do with her as she has a thick coat!

 

[Toffee44]

I used to just keep horse moving until dry/ cooled down brush off what I could and then turned back out.

 

[Brightbay]

Same as you, but I don't have an "in" so groom and tack up at field gate, ride out, and return to field. Horse does not generally sweat. Last week, however, we went a lot faster than our normal sedate walk/trot hack, and when we got back to field,he had sweated a bit under girth and around chest.

I turned him out as normal, allowed him to have a nice roll in the mud, and then visited the field again a few hours later and groomed off the combined mud from the roll and dried sweat from the ride. It doesn't bother me, as he's not standing still, he's moving around and not getting chilled.

Normally, though, there's nothing to be done, he returns from the hack as dry as he went out. I think since he spends all day every day walking around the field, up and down the hills, he stays fitter than a horse who spends 10 or 12 hours a day standing still in a stable, so he keeps his basic level of fitness all winter.