Travelling home from hunting still saddled

[autumn7]

Took my unclipped mare autumn hunting today and on returning to the trailer it was lightly raining and the wind was up. She was wet with sweat and I decided to leave her saddle on, load her and hit the road home (50 mins drive). I did stick her string vest cooler on over the saddle and naturally took bridle off and booted for travel as normal, just left saddle on.
Driving home it occurred to me, this was how once, things were always done. No one used to take containers of water, lavender washes, etc and wash down at the venue before setting off home, did they?
In fact thinking back decades ago to my pony club hunting days our ponies were generally hunted hairy straight from the field as lived out unrugged and the norm post hunting was to travel back saddled and once home, after a quick check over for thorns, cuts, etc. turn them out immediately (yes, muddy, sweaty, whatever) where they could roll, have a good trot round to warm up, and a good munch on hay.Thorough grooming was left to the following day (when most of the mud had dropped off anyway). Myself and peers followed this regime for years as youngsters and ponies thrived well and hunted fine each season.
Anyone remember those days?
Made me wonder though, is there anyone here that still as a rule leaves the saddle on their horses to travel home after a days hunting? Most times I mean, rather than a one off as I did today?

 

[LizzieJ]

I hack most weeks but the few meets I do box to I would travel home with saddle on

 

[oakash]

Yep, nothing unusual there! Personally, I travel TO the meet with saddle on, but take it off and put it in the car on the way home. But no boots or other 'competitiony' things. No grooming when home, fleece rug followed by a warmer one later, groom properly the next day, and turn out then.

 

[Sparkles]

Yep! Still do that

 

[huntley]

Always leave the saddle on when travelling home - allows them to cool off gradually and not get a chill. Very old fashioned, but have always done it. Put a cooler on as well. No boots just a tail bandage. Leave the tail bandage on until last check at night - was always told this helped to keep them warm - sure it is a myth, but old habits die hard! When I was a child - back in the dark ages - our ponies lived out and we had no transport so if we wanted to hunt had to hack there and back. Couldn't imagine doing that now. Also ALWAYS had to walk the last mile back home.

 

[Maesfen]

Always best to leave saddles on to allow the back to cool naturally, just loosen girths a few holes, undo flash/drop noseband or slacken off at least, cooler over the top and load up for home. If you do untack, don't do what clients did which was leave saddle on the ground and come home without it! They were lucky, went back and it was still there although had been nibbled at!

 

[JenHunt]

i tend to take mine off, but really only because he's a squeeze in a trailer without it on and i don't really want it scratched... but some schools of thought still think it's the right thing to do. But IMO, if the horse is kept warm with rugs it doesn't make any difference.

p.s. and I wash off at home, and only sponge off his back with warm water, the rest is done with a hose pipe!!

 

[oakash]

Absolutely!

 

[L&M]

Isn't leaving the saddle on to do with the gradual cooling of the back muscles under the saddle area, whereas if you take the saddle of straightaway they cool to quickly, even if replaced with a rug?
I could be talking out of my a**e, but I am sure that is what I was told, and follow this principle myself...!

 

[JenHunt]

I think that was from the days when rugs weren't so efficient at wicking away moisture and maintaining the warmth. a wool rug like used to be used or a jute stable rug were really ineffective at wicking moisture away, and would just absorb it and then go cold. Even a cheapie fleece rug is pretty darn good at maintaining its insulative properties at the same time as removing the sweat.

On really cold days I put a fleece rug (mines a pretty heavy one) on witha cotton sheet over the top int he trailer just to be a bit more breezeproof. I've not come home with a cold horse yet!

 

[CrazyMare]

JenHunt - we do the same as you - take it off. Holz travels home with her thermatex on, and is usually completely dry by the time we are home. She has a good brush before bed time, and her stable bandages on.

 

[SueEllen]

I take the saddle off, boot up and put a Thermatex or similar on depending on how hot or cold it is. Once home I do my best to clean her off but I hate this bit. If the oppertunity arises where I can use someones yard I will use the hose there, again depending on how hot or cold the weather/horse is.

 

[tootsietoo]

I saw a gadget at a show this summer which I am desperate for! A water container which fits in the front of your trailer with a pressure washer attached. I guess people with posh lorries have always had one, but I got quite excited about it! However, it was £500ish, so hubby reckons he could rig something up for me with a container, hosepipe and basic pump from DIY shop.

How brilliant to be able to wash down (horse, girth, saddle, the whole lot) when still wet and sweaty then rug up well and hey presto, horse ready for bed as soon as you get home, and a bit less tack cleaning! It would work especially well when I am travelling an hour or so, as plenty of time for horse to dry off.

Anyone else done this?

 

[Sparkles]

No warm water though....bit harsh on them to do a dyas hunting to be washed off with ice cold water!

 

[EAST KENT]

Jute rugs were great,on getting back after a long hack home,said jute rug was reversed so that the jute outer was next to the horse..then stuff straw under the back area.Straw nicely wicked away and absorbed the sweat whilst it kept the horse warm as well. A couple of hours later on went the under-rug and the jute right way round. Easy and economical

 

[Luci07]

No warm water though....bit harsh on them to do a dyas hunting to be washed off with ice cold water!

You could take a large thermos of boiling water to heat up the water in the container?

 

[Orangehorse]

I thought leaving the saddle on was to let the blood go gradually back into the back muscles after being sat on all day. To remove the saddle suddenly might lead to a sore back, or so I understood!.

I can remember the straw under the jute rug.

 

[tootsietoo]

hmm yes. could do the thermos thing. I tend to wash down with a mixture of a couple of buckets of hot water and a cold hose, because there are always some tough bits that need a bit of a pressure wash!

 

[Simsar]

Always best to leave saddles on to allow the back to cool naturally, just loosen girths a few holes, undo flash/drop noseband or slacken off at least, cooler over the top and load up for home. If you do untack, don't do what clients did which was leave saddle on the ground and come home without it! They were lucky, went back and it was still there although had been nibbled at!

I was taught this from an early age and still do this. Keep the back warm. xx

 

[Simsar]

Jute rugs were great,on getting back after a long hack home,said jute rug was reversed so that the jute outer was next to the horse..then stuff straw under the back area.Straw nicely wicked away and absorbed the sweat whilst it kept the horse warm as well. A couple of hours later on went the under-rug and the jute right way round. Easy and economical

OMG yes the Jute rug, next you will be reminding us of the new zealand that stood up on its own! LOL. You need to start a new post.

 

[DanaHart]

I thought leaving the saddle on was to let the blood go gradually back into the back muscles after being sat on all day. To remove the saddle suddenly might lead to a sore back, or so I understood!.

I can remember the straw under the jute rug.

I also understood that you loosened the girth and took saddle of after 10 mins or so, for this very reason.....

 

[RunToEarth]

You could take a large thermos of boiling water to heat up the water in the container?

Yeah but when you've got a few horses on the lorry after a day that is a massive effort, surely? Ours usually travel back saddled, all go in the wash box and dried when we get home.

 

[Happyhuntress]

Until now, I've whipped off saddle, rugged & brush booted up, and then home. However, that's what I love about this forum (just joined tonight, but been lurking long time! Got verbal diarrhoea now ) - you can learn new stuff! from now on, I'll be travelling home with saddle on. It makes sense. Mind, I travel my horse cross tied no partition, so I'm not too worried about saddle getting scraped and damaged......