Question about riding horses in the rain and winter?

[little_mistress13]

I know your not meant to finish riding a wet horse and just chuck her back in the field in winter so what do you do? Let's say a horse that isn't stabled, lived out 24/7 how can you dry them off if it is still raining?

 

[twiggy2]

depends on the weather and if they are wet from rain, sweat or hosing down

 

[Ditchjumper2]

Put it out in the field. It can then then have a good roll. Horse is far more likely to get a chill stood in if usually it lives out.

 

[Honey08]

Yes if it's un clipped turn it out wet (once sweat removed). If clipped, try and ride with a rain sheet on to prevent the back getting wet so that you can put a rug on to turn out. If still too wet, try to dry with a cooler or fleece rug.

 

[fidleyspromise]

I put mine out still wet so she can have a roll. If she's hot/sweaty, I chuck a cooler and a rain sheet on her, throw her out to field and leave these on for a couple of hours.

 

[Mike007]

Last 5 minutes of the ride ,at a brisk trot to get him good and hot , then 10/15 minutes out of the rain to dry off ,rubbing with a towel. They dry very fast . Wicking sweat rugs are also great .

 

[Moomin1]

Cooler and rain sheet over the top, return to take the fleece/cooler off a few hours later.

 

[khalswitz]

I turn out. My rugs are all breathable, as long as all sweat has been scraped off and horse is cool then I just turn out. I also will stick rugs on over wet coats if we get caught in the rain and horses look cold for instance. Never had an issue.

 

[NZJenny]

I wash, scrape, towel dry as best I can, cover on and out into paddock. During the week I ride at night after work, and home is 15 km away, so using cooler rugs etc just isn't an option. Have been doing this for 15 years or more, and while I know it's not ideal, nothing dreadful has ever happened.

 

[cptrayes]

I've been chucking rugs on sweaty wet and rain wet horses and turning them out ever since we got breathable ones and never had an issue.

If it's cold I don't wash of the sweat, and I turn the horse out whether it has cooled off or not. It can cool off just as well in the field as in a stable.

If it's warm enough weather to wash off with cold water, I wouldn't be rugging anyway and they go out wet.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I know your not meant to finish riding a wet horse and just chuck her back in the field in winter so what do you do? Let's say a horse that isn't stabled, lived out 24/7 how can you dry them off if it is still raining?

I have and do put a rug back on dry him off with towel then put rug on as his body will warm him up and dry him off. My horses are not grass kept but that is what i would do