riding a wet horse, what do you do?

[kerrieberry2]

As the weather is mild but wet I wonder what you guys do when it comes to riding

Do you stick a light weight on and accept that they will be warm?

Do you leave naked and tack up a wet horse? or try to dry it off before tacking it up?

I've just gone to ride got the horse in and by time I was ready to tack him up it was pretty heavy and he was pretty wet, I didn't have a clean towel to dry him off with, so I've bailed and haven't ridden! he will be 4 next week, is a very warm horse, so hasn't been rugged for over a month, and I don't want his saddle to rub him and make him sore!!

 

[Spring Feather]

I never put tack on a wet horse. If it's raining and I want to ride but don't want to put a rain sheet on the horse then I'll bring it into the stables for half an hour, rub it down with straw to dry it off and then once dry tack up and out we go for a ride.

 

[carthorse15]

I would never put tack on a wet horse. If wet, bring him in and wait ...........

 

[elb0801]

I'd do as you did and not ride. I wouldn't expect my horse to be overly hot all day or have a saddle on a wet back

 

[AmyMay]

I also never put tack on a wet horse. If the horse is unrugged and comes in wet, he stands in for a few hours to dry off.

 

[kerrieberry2]

ok cool thanks, I've always been the same, never rode if my mare was wet but I have seen others ride, didn't know if I was being OTT

 

[budley95]

I would never put tack on a wet horse. Bringing in, giving a quick rub over with a towel and then thatching with a cooler for a bit whilst they have a haynet to much on seems to do the trick. And if I don't have time for that I don't ride and instead get some other yard jobs done after giving said pony some fuss!

 

[PingPongPony]

I never tack up a wet horse. Instead, i put a saddle cloth on it and ride bareback just with the saddle cloth to keep my bum dry, never had a problem or i lunge instead

 

[spookypony]

I would totally put tack on a wet horse. How else can Endurance riders cope after the vet gates, when the horse is likely to be soaked? As long as I'm using an appropriately absorbent numnah, I don't see an issue.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I would totally put tack on a wet horse. How else can Endurance riders cope after the vet gates, when the horse is likely to be soaked? As long as I'm using an appropriately absorbent numnah, I don't see an issue.

Agree basically. Of course if at all possible I'd aim NOT to have a wet back, i.e. would try to dry the area first with a towel........ but horses will get sweated up and they will produce sweat & moisture under the saddle if they're exercised anyway? so I'd be inclined to use a good absorbent numnah, chuck on saddle and go!

 

[Auslander]

Interested in why people would not put a saddle on a wet horse. We used to wash off in the ten minute box, and chuck the saddle back on, and never had issues. Sure, I'll give them a scrub with a towel to get the worst of the wet off, but have never been hung around til my horse is dry before riding. I can say with my hand on my heart, that in 35 of years of horse ownership/riding - I have never had a horse with a rub under the saddle/girth.

 

[kerrieberry2]

I've just always worried about the potential of rubbing and as my youngster has been quite difficult in the past, I don't want to give him any reason to stand up on 2 legs, so I am probably a little OTT with him!

 

[Copperpot]

I just ride a wet horse. I have a saddle cloth with towelling lining. Would just use that. He would be too warm in a lightweight and lives out so no coming in to dry off.

 

[tallyho!]

Oh good grief. Just ride the damned thing.

How much different is it to riding a sweaty horse?

As long as you got something to soak up the wet so it doesn't ruin your saddle, you're good to go. I don't think the horse could give two monkeys if you stuck a saddle on a wet back or a so-dry-it's-cracking-up one. It's still has to work.

 

[xgemmax]

I would just tack up and ride, it's only water lol

 

[Theocat]

I'll just ride as well, with a thick numnah, and give him a few minutes tacked up to let the numnah soak up the worst before I hop on (in fact sticking the saddle on top of a numnah and giving it a few minutes, then swapping the numnah for a clean dry one before you get on, is just about the fastest way I have found to dry a horse off). I run my life on an extremely tight timescale; it's very, very rare that I'd have the luxury of bringing in, thatching and letting him dry. I've never had a horse come to harm from getting on them when wet, and I grew up in Scotland - if you were too picky you'd never ride!

 

[Wheels]

I think it's a bit different riding a fit, well muscled and experienced older horse who presumably has warmed up muscles than an inexperienced wet and potentially cold horse straight from the field.

I don't think a horse has to be completely dry but I don't tack up a soaking horse.

OP I would bring the horse in, sweat scrape any excess wet and then use a wicking rug for half an hour or so until the horse is neatly dry / slightly damp

 

[tallyho!]

What is the difference?

I'm genuinely curious.

I also wonder if in the wild and it was pouring with rain, something spooked the herd, and before fleeing for the lives they looked at each other and said "OMG, I can't possibly run away Tallulah, I'm wetter than a otters pocket!" And Tallulah said "ooh I know Roger, I'm just not dry enough. Shall we wait a half hour and drip dry first?"

 

[Wheels]

Warm muscles versus cold muscles

 

[tallyho!]

What I think IS IMPORTANT after riding a wet horse is not to not turn it back out comepletely naked in the rain. After riding a wet horse or if the horse is very sweaty and it was sweaty after a ride, it is THEN that you need to rug up and warm in a stable before turning out or else they will get a chill.

 

[tallyho!]

Warm muscles versus cold muscles

Fit muscles are not warmer than unfit muscle. Muscles are pretty much the same temperature if they look like Popeyes or not tbh. If they were different temperatures then we would all need to be different temperatures to survive and there would be charts to tell you if a horse is well or not...

 

[Wheels]

No, you misunderstood what I meant. People were talking about endurance horses stoping for the vet check, washing down and then re-saddling, muscles would still be warm

Horse coming in from the field wet and cold is different

Your analogy re horses running away in the wild - well the horses in the wild are pretty constantly on the move and nobody is getting on these horses putting weight on their cold and wet backs lol

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

I ride a wet Fuzzy if I have to ride and they have come in wet.
I make sure they get a good rub over 1st, then use a good clean saddlecloth.
After riding I make sure the Fuzzy is properly cooled down before being turned out again

Caveat: I do NOT intentionally go out in hissing rain tho! :biggrin3: (with the exception of most of January & Feb this year tho )

 

[cambrica]

Well I rode earlier and mine was pretty damp coming in from the field. I use a Barnsby saddle grip pad (not sure if that makes any difference at all but he didn't seem to care one iota) Schooled for an hour in the rain, he was really sweated up before cooling him down, still didn't care! On the other hand I didn't enjoy it much!
If I had to dry him off first he wouldn't have been ridden as I literally had a so much more to do after.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I wouldn't put a saddle straight on a cold, wet horse which had just come in from the the field.

I'd rub the saddle area dry with a towel and pop a cooler rug on for a bit.

 

[Wheels]

What I think IS IMPORTANT after riding a wet horse is not to not turn it back out comepletely naked in the rain. After riding a wet horse or if the horse is very sweaty and it was sweaty after a ride, it is THEN that you need to rug up and warm in a stable before turning out or else they will get a chill.

Yes I totally agree - warm up and cool down are equally as important. I don't see what is wrong with drying off a wet horse before and after riding. Each to their own

 

[tallyho!]

No, you misunderstood what I meant. People were talking about endurance horses stoping for the vet check, washing down and then re-saddling, muscles would still be warm

Horse coming in from the field wet and cold is different

Your analogy re horses running away in the wild - well the horses in the wild are pretty constantly on the move and nobody is getting on these horses putting weight on their cold and wet backs lol

Well, no not really. Wild horses pretty much just graze all day and do things at a step by step pace. I am obsessed with wild horses and they do move.... but very slowly. Well, unless they are playing or sexing each other up. Even then it's pretty sedate. Now, two stallions having a moan is a bit different.

You seem to suggest horses when grazing in a field resemble stone statuettes or lizards. As if they are in some way invertebrates. Providing the horse is not kept in a square foot and half of turnout, it will be pretty warm and the muscles will be filled with warm blood and ready for action if need be.

In most cases here, we are talking about a hack around the lanes or a quick pootle into town for a macdonalds. We are not all about to leap into the history books by winning the GN on our sopping wet ponies.

There's no need to be snobbish about riding a damp stink bomb.

 

[treacle_beastie]

someobe call the rspca..i quite happily would just tack up a soggy horse and ride as long as I have a numnah underneath which is probablt filthy! Id warm my horse up the same way, if they were coming in cold and wet then I would be cursing myself for not having rugged my horse suitably..surely they should not be cold and wet and naked? If mt horse came in shivering then I would dry her off first..if not away I go! not had any issues yet??

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

What if you dont have anywhere to "bring them in"..??
What if you have a young horse who lives out with no rug but the weather is naff but he needs to be worked consistently? ?
Just curious as this is the position I will be in in a few months time x

 

[L&M]

I have the perfect solution:

either rug it up all year round, or even better, stable 24/7. Then your horse will always be clean and ready to ride.

or let it be a horse, don't wrap it up in cotton wool, and just chuck a towel under the saddle and kick on.

I know which option my horses would prefer!