Post-hunting regime question - from newbie

[Goldenstar]

I always wait until I get home I have a check over when I untack them .
Then drive home forty five minutes is our longest drive longer and I would clean up at the finish.
When I get home I groom or wash usually wash I have a hot horse shower.
And this winter for the first time I will have an inside washing area and I am exploring getting a solarium. !!!!
Probally a pipe dream but I can dream.
My friend who lives a lot further away fills water containers with very hot water at home and covers them with an old rug and towels, it's still warm when she needs it after hunting so her horses are clean Home when she gets back to the wagon she also feeds them before starting to drive home.

 

[JenHunt]

My 'fear' of leaving it all till I get home is (and it is probably all wrong and irrational but..) a) the mud and sweat will have all crusted in and stuck and be harder to get off b) I have to wait for her to dry before rugging c) the warmth of my car on the journey home and the exertion of the day starts to make me sleepy and might make me less disciplined to do all the necessary when I get home.

Having said all this, I would adore to do her when I get home just because, as everyone has said, it's easier, especially as she is standing on concrete rather than a mushy field in the middle of nowhere where all the water kicks-back when you wash her!!

There are arguements for both really, and it does come down to preference.

I like to do it at home, much as it would be lovely to throw him in a stable and get a bath myself, I actually find I'm still buzzing when i get home, and still have the energy to get him done quickly and thoroughly at home (and my mum usually brings me a cup of tea out to the yard ) and enjoy the sort of ritual of it all... Check for, and deal with cuts in the daylight at the box (keep basic 1st aid kit, and a flask of hot water in car for this!), then bundle up and go home - ours are calmer to do at home than tied up to the box on the side of a road!!

I muck out and put beds up, do hay and water, before I go in the morning, and have everything set out for when i get home: half filled bucket of water with electrolyte in, tub of electrolyte, sponge, welly glove thing, sweat scraper, 3 more buckets and main 1st aid kit (in case), vetrolin, stitch picker, comb and towel. Stable rug in stable, fleece is on him.

So when I get back, I tie him on the yard, and go to get 2 buckets of hot water, empty half of one into the half filled cold water and electrolytes bucket, and let him drink that (goes very quickly!). Then use the other half of that bucket, topped up with cold water, and with vetrolin in to wash him off (body, neck, face and belly).

Then offer him another bucket of (half hot water, half cold water) electrolyte (goes pretty quickly), and use the other half bucket of hot water topped up with cold to rinse him off. I then cold hose his legs to wash them off and counteract any lumps, bumps and bruises. The I undo his tail and comb it through. Then his mane. Then deal with any cuts that have become apparent whilst cleaning him off. Then fleece rug on.

Then I put him in, and put beds down around him (too busy stuffing his face to move!). I leave him with his haylage for an hour or so, (while I get some food and more tea) then come back out to check he's drying off/dry/warm/cold etc, and see if he needs his stable rug on, and to feed. IF I don't put his stable rug on at this point I come back out an hour later and put it on then.

I then leave him to it until bed time then check haylage/water/him last thing.

it takes a bit of practice, and I guess depends on your set up at the yard too. This works for me, and I was always taught that he comes first, and I've found that if I sit down before he's done I'm asleep and we don't get anything done!

Washing off is easier for me as he doesn't like being brushed much, and less so when it's dried on mud! but the mud washes off easy enough even by the time you've driven home!

 

[PortwayPaddy]

I usually have to travel a good hour to meets and often we get back to the trailer covered in mud.

I have a water boy and use that to get the worst of the mud off while husband follows with a water brush. His boots are taken off and legs hosed. A fleece is used to cover the wet bits as we go.

He is towel dried, bandaged and travel boots put on. He has his face and ears rubbed down.

All the time he is eating a net of haylage totally unconcerned at his humans getting themselves in a sweat.

He has his thick fleece on with a neck cover if needed.

Water is offered, he usually has a drink. Then he loads himself to scoff his haylage with his water in reach.

His boots and girth are given a hose down with the waterboy and put ready to be properly clean.

He is dry when he returns home, if there are any damp patches he goes under the solarium.

Once completely dry he is brushed down, has his massage pad put on, into his box with his tea, leg ice applied while we unload and do all the cleaning up and park up.

By the time we have done our chores, his massage pad is slipped off from under his rug, legs bandaged. rugs, haylage, water checked.

He is left clean, eating and warm. We stagger out with wet towels, boots, cooler, numnah
etc to wash. I am by now still mud splattered, gasping for alcohol and a fag. Dog needs a quick walk. then we both collapse.

Then just as we settle down the dog and cats all decide they want supper. Finally get the drink and the fag. Shower, go to bed with wet hair and a big smile on my face.

Next week I'll do it all again.

Paddy

 

[[42010]]

Great replies, I love all the descriptions and emotions, oh so true! You're right about the buzz, I can live on this for a week sometimes!

I guess it boils down to preference but you've given me confidence to leave it till I get back as I have always wanted to, it sounds so much easier than all the faff of taking so much water and kit in the back of the car. And if, like you say, you are organised and have everything ready for when you get back, makes it even easier.

Thank you!

 

[Swirlymurphy]

I usually have to travel a good hour to meets and often we get back to the trailer covered in mud.

I have a water boy and use that to get the worst of the mud off while husband follows with a water brush. His boots are taken off and legs hosed. A fleece is used to cover the wet bits as we go.

He is towel dried, bandaged and travel boots put on. He has his face and ears rubbed down.

All the time he is eating a net of haylage totally unconcerned at his humans getting themselves in a sweat.

He has his thick fleece on with a neck cover if needed.

Water is offered, he usually has a drink. Then he loads himself to scoff his haylage with his water in reach.

His boots and girth are given a hose down with the waterboy and put ready to be properly clean.

He is dry when he returns home, if there are any damp patches he goes under the solarium.

Once completely dry he is brushed down, has his massage pad put on, into his box with his tea, leg ice applied while we unload and do all the cleaning up and park up.

By the time we have done our chores, his massage pad is slipped off from under his rug, legs bandaged. rugs, haylage, water checked.

He is left clean, eating and warm. We stagger out with wet towels, boots, cooler, numnah
etc to wash. I am by now still mud splattered, gasping for alcohol and a fag. Dog needs a quick walk. then we both collapse.

Then just as we settle down the dog and cats all decide they want supper. Finally get the drink and the fag. Shower, go to bed with wet hair and a big smile on my face.

Next week I'll do it all again.

Paddy

Great post Paddy

 

[laurapru]

I too have found this a really interesting thread.
I am new to hunting and I am trying to get a gist of what I should do and what suits my horse/me.
The first meet we went to was a 10min box ride home so i literally untacked and popped sweat rug on and went home. Once home I popped him out for half an hour to roll and for him to wind down. I then washed him, rugged him and stabled him.
The second meet was a 30min drive so I washed him down at the box and then did the same as before. I filled a water container with hot water before i left home at 5am and at 11am it was luke warm so perfect.
I am interested to hear everyones thoughts and suggestions too. Also what do people do with their hunters the day after - do you exercise them as normal or do you give them the day off?
Thanks All

 

[Swirlymurphy]

Ours get the day off afterwards but that's because they're out and able to keep moving. I bring them in, give them another good groom and going over, then turn them back out again. If they weren't turned out, I'd ride them out for a walk.

 

[JenHunt]

Ours get a short, gentle ride out to stretch legs in a controlled way, then turned out for the day!

our are out 12hours a day 7 days a week in the winter, (except hunting days!) regardless of the weather -though, if it's snowing the gate gets left open, as does a stable door and they put themselves away when they've had enough! seems to suit them both!

 

[Lucyad]

Mine gets untacked and checked over on return to the trailer, by which time he is usually relitively dry as there is usually a good way to walk home. He gets untacked and a fleece cooler put on. We never have far to travel, and I'm afraid to say that on return he gets turned straight out for some 'down time' rather than getting washed or brushed, otherwise he will not relax, or settle propoerly. So he gets his cooler off, outdoor rug on, and is returned straight away to his wet muddy field, where his mates can persuade him that the hunt is not close by, that he isn't missing anything having returned home, and can have a good roll and wallow.

I leave bringing him in until as late as possible, when he gets any remaining dried sweat brushed off. Of course most of it is under thick wet mud by then, and eventually just gets rained off. Would rather leave him out the night after, but the condition of the wet ground usually makes this impossible. Turned out again first thing, and a light hack the next day if time allows.

 

[wench]

When I went hunting... I would get back to trailer, untack horse, sling rug on him and put him in trailer. I would then go and enjoy some drink and snacks as provided by meet. Mainly due to the fact I needed a break from a day's hunting, before I drove home again (went on my own). I also feel that it did the horse a bit of good having a bit of a break before having to drive home.

Wash off in warm water at home, in the stable, and give tea!

 

[combat_claire]

Mine gets chucked in the barn without any feed or a rug. I wait for the mud to dry and drop off naturally and then don't exercise it again until I next want to hunt.

But then my main steed does have 2 wheels and handlebars!!!!

 

[Clippy]

I put pig oil in the tail and on legs when getting ready. The mud doesn't stick so there's a lot less to do when we get home, usually just a sponge with warm water though I like to towel the heels dry.

I put electrolytes in the feed instead of water so I don't discourage drinking. If it's a nice day, then I turn out, though now the weathers started to turn, my horse has been in at night.

The day after I turn out for a few hours then do a thorough clean up job.

 

[TGM]

I put electrolytes in the feed instead of water so I don't discourage drinking.

I do this too! If you do put electrolytes in the water, you are meant to offer a bucket of plain water along side it, apparently.

I must confess we do stop for the hunt tea afterwards, but the horses are always checked and watered first, and are very happy in a warm horsebox munching on their haylage for a short while before setting off home. They are all very fit and our hunts are not too long, so they are not hugely tired afterwards.

 

[Ditchjumper2]

We get back to the lorry, they get checked over, tack off, rugs on and loaded. They get offered a water but seldom drink and are given a net. We are a very social hunt and we do go and have soup and sarnies in the pub/house, unless the horses are really tired which tbh they usually are not.

When they get off the lorry legs are always cold hosed and checked together with feet. If we have been on treated ground all bellies/chests are washed too. However, usually boys are quite dry when we get home. Backs and girth area washed/brushed and they are rugged up and left in stable with hay/water. Lorry unloaded and stuff put away and we have a coffee and biscuit. Horses are at home so easy to check all is well.

Horses are then fed and water topped up. If I am feeling good tack gets cleaned...but usually it gets left til next day. Have a bath, big tea and sit down going over the fun of the day. Water/hay topped up before bed.

With my big/old/copd boy...he gets off lorry, feet and legs checked...rug on and out with some hay. Gets fed later.