Letting a horse down after being fit

i'm sure it wouldn't do it any harm to just chuck it out.. after all, if a racehorse (or an eventer for that matter) were to breakdown at the peak of their fitness, they are hardly likely to do any slow/letting down work are they...

But at the same time, it's all about looking after the muscles... in a short term example, you wouldn't go to the gym, do a hard workout, then just sit on the sofa watching TV, you work down slowly!!
It makes everything easier for when you start again when you bring them back in..
 
Well, over the past few years Ive always tended to do one final event then that's it, they get thrown in the field for a month or two (for the hols!). One of mine is fit and been doing BE Novice / BSJA's etc. all year so he's going to get a couple of months off. Last year, I did the last BE of the season then I just turned him away the day after! He couldnt care less, although I understand it if some fit horses then charge about the field etc.! But my boys dont.

So do you think it does any harm doing this again this year??
 
We turn ours away after HOYS. THey are roughed off over a week or two (out during the day with no rugs, or less rugs if it is very cold) until their winter coat comes through - then rugs off completely, then eventually out all the time with no rugs and just haylege. Some of them go down the road for their hols and total relaxation time. The winter coats come through very quickly and it is usually only a week or two before they are all out looking like shaggy ponies!
 
I am with vicijp on this one and don't think you have to do any letting down...just turn them out and let them enjoy! It is far more important to do things gradually at the other end when taking a horse back into fitness.
 
Ok, thanks. Thats what I thought but then I kept reading that you have to "let fit horses down slowly", although I never have! Just wondered if there was some sort of reason behind it. Mine dont get properly "roughed off" when they're on their holiday. They all remain well rugged etc. I guess I dont bother because they only get about 2 months off and then come back into work for the rest of the winter indoor season.
 
I think you need an amount of time for a horse to adjust to eating less feed. If a horse is used to eating lots of starchy food and goes straight onto forage the bacteria in the hind gut won't be right (or something). Also, you have to give your horse a little time to get used to wearing less rugs, and to let them get a little fluffier! I do think this is mainly for horses in peak condition though. My mare did her last ODE today and I chucked her out into the field tonight with no rug on (she is a fat little pony, however, who's already fluffy despite wearing a turnout rug for the past three weeks whilst it's been raining)
 
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