Travelling a Horse a Couple of Miles...

3Beasties

3Beasties

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If you were travelling your horse a couple of miles down the road for a lesson would you travel it tacked up?

Would you still use travel boots or would you just leave the bandages or boots that you'll be riding it in on?

Would you un-tack/wash down before you travelled home or would you do it when you got home?

Just pondering but would be interested in your opinions :)
 
Personally I would travel mine tacked up there, but take the tack off to travel back as I always like to untack as soon as I've finished riding.
I think I would always use travel boots, even if only on the fronts...
 
I regularly take one or both of my horses a mile down the road in the lorry for a lesson. I dont put boots or tail guards on them (but do for a longer journey). Sometimes we travel tacked up (if both are on I take the stirrups off). Sometimes not. I do always untack and wash down before I put them on to come home but wouldnt see anything wrong in waiting til you get home if it is only 5 or 10 mins.
 
I would travel there tacked up, booted and ready to have the lesson, afterwards I would untack, wash off and travel home with travel boots on, or most likely totally naked if only a few miles and it travels quietly.
 
Holly Hocks said:
Personally I would travel mine tacked up there, but take the tack off to travel back as I always like to untack as soon as I've finished riding.
I think I would always use travel boots, even if only on the fronts...
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Would you wash down before loading or wait till you were back at your yard?
 
Would depend on the horse - would generally travel as normal so untacked with travel boots on as normal.

Only time I have ever I think travelled a horse tacked up was taking out new ex racehorse the first time to local school as felt it was easier than expecting him to stand and be tacked up. Second time out as knew he was no problem, tacked up there.

He doesn't wear travel boots however far we are going as he gets warm travelling.

Would sponge horse down before leaving then if necessary wash off properly once home.
 
I would travel there with saddle, bandages/boots on and then travel boots over top and tail guard. But put bridle on when I arrive, only because my bridle is worth more than my horse :p :D I would then un tack and take everything off and travel back in travel boots and tail guard and wash off at home :)
 
I've usually travelled tacked up, in any boots if they wear them for riding work - and a tail guard on if they are one that sits back.
Walked off after a lesson to cool down, untacked & taken home for a good brush off, or if I feel fuzzy will benefit then I will wash down when home.
On odd occasions if weather chilly, I have re-loaded in full tack to travel a short distance home & then have washed down. This then allows the Fuzzy to not chill off too quickly on its back :)

Current fuzzy is getting over travelling issues, so tho is going out in brushing boots & tail guard, is getting tacked up at destination at present.

However, having hunted in the past (and hoping to do so again this coming winter) I'm happy taking fuzzies travelling tacked up as saves any problems on arrival :) I take lukewarm water to wash down lightly before travelling home.

I never use travelling boots or bandages (and very rarely rugs unless bitterly cold), this stems from doing a lot of horse transport over quite a number of years.

:)
 
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Think I'll probably travel her tacked up then with boots/bandages on. Then un-tack with possibly a quick wash down before sticking travel boots on and boxing home. I guess it will be a case of seeing how it goes and what works best for the beast and I :)
 
If I'm doing cattle work close by I put the saddle on my horse but not the bridle. We travel loose over here but when I have horses tacked up I always tie them. When I get to the cattle pens I unload my horse, put his bridle on and off we go. Afterwards I untack and put halter back on, hose horse down and load up and travel him loose home. I don't use travel boots for travelling.
 
My YM frequently pops down the road (about 2/3 miles) to hire an indoor arena. She travels both ways fully tacked up - no extra boots, but he does wear over reach boots all round for schooling anyway.

Shortcut for hacking was shut the other day, so 2 of us boxed down the (busy main) road almost fully tacked up (inc saddle bags on my lad) - I don't like to travel in a bridle at all, and my lad is good to handle at the other end, so he was in a headcollar. No probs on the way there, but on the way back he pulled his hi vis rump strap down and bucked - guess he was tired so leaned on the breech bar more... If we box to hack again, I would travel him without saddle either - only takes 5 mins to chuck on, and he's no bother.

In all cases, horses sponged off once we got home - it's 5 mins, then they can have a proper wash off. They're cooled off before loading and travelling anyway - by the time you've sponged, you could be home!
 
Lego said:
In all cases, horses sponged off once we got home - it's 5 mins, then they can have a proper wash off. They're cooled off before loading and travelling anyway - by the time you've sponged, you could be home!
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Mine sweats up travelling even a short distance so I think it's slightly pointless washing her before loading to then have to wash her again at home, and like you said, it's only 5 minutes!
 
I don't travel in tack unless there would be difficulties tacking up at destination. I always use travel boots or bandages even for short journeys, having seen tragic injuries without, don't want one of mine to suffer that. I have put brushing and overreach boots on fidgety horses before leaving home to save aggro, travel boots fit over top.
Probably sponge off before going home but would depend on facilities and individual horse.
For 2 miles I'd hack if route safe, makes good warm up and cool down!
 
I frequently used to travel my mare less than a mile for a lesson because: 1, there was a main road involved and she wasn't tractor or lorry proof, and 2, she hadn't travelled much, was a stubborn loader and the experience was good for her.

I didn't travel her in tack, never used boots (apart from over-reach boots) and always sponged her down before loading for home.
 
I'd never travel tacked up, I wouldn't risk them in tack personally (or the tack, as FW said). I always put boots on tooWith the ponies, when they went to pc 2 miles away, the only thing we didn't do as normal was tail bandages, and that was only as they didn't reach anywhere near the back of the 510. With a horse I would. And I couldn't leave a horse sweaty, even if I had to sponge off again at home. (You'd probably find the horse wouldn't sweat in the box as much if it went in damp, surely?)
 
3Beasties said:
If you were travelling your horse a couple of miles down the road for a lesson would you travel it tacked up?

Would you still use travel boots or would you just leave the bandages or boots that you'll be riding it in on?

Would you un-tack/wash down before you travelled home or would you do it when you got home?

Just pondering but would be interested in your opinions :)
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Tacked up, un booted, and untack at home :)
 
Saddle on with saddle cover to protect whilst travelling, headcollar not bridle (would be worried she'd get it caught on something), then travel boots on over the top of brushing boots.. Wouldn't use tail guard/bandage for a less than 10 min journey.

On the way back she'd be un tacked, sponged off (if sweaty) and then travel home with thin cotton sheet/fleece on and travel boots..

Always try and remember to put boots on her and feel I'd rather prevent cut legs!
 
Up to 2 miles I would ride and use the hack as a warm up and warm down as long as roads were appropriate to do so according to the horse.
If I had to travel, I would not travel with tack on but would boot if horse was the type. On the way home, tack off. Sweat rug on, boots on again. Get home. Spong and make comfortable - walk round and then whatever routine follows after that.
At the end of the day, I'd be horse led and hopefully know what they needed depending on type and temperament
 
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