Travelling tacked up..

laura7981

laura7981

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Just wondering if any of you travel your horses already tacked up?
I'm just curious because I'm thinking of travelling my horse that way, (just locally) because she's usually so excited when she comes off the horsebox that I have a job to get her gear on! She's 16h, I'm 4'11 and trying to get her bridle on when she's looking about and refusing to put her head down is a challenge. Also i travel to shows on my own so there's no one there to help me! Saddles fine, it would just be her bridle she'd be travelling in, obviously with a head collar on top and her reins secuerly tied out harms way and there is nothing in the box she could get hung up on. Any thoughts welcome :-)
 
Yep, we did with horses who were awful to tack up at comps but travelled fine, and pretty much always before hunting because the pony would be so wired upon arrival getting close enough to get on him was an achievement!

We'd put a very light rug over the top to protect the saddle and ensure all the reins and things were twisted and tied out the way and that the bit couldn't get caught on stuff. Nothing bad ever happened because of it!
 
I personally wouldnt as the horses bit might get caught on something, can you imagine what would happen!! Plus I like my bridle too much to be wrecked by the horse rubbing or banging it in the trailer!
 
I have always travelled mine tacked up on the way to places. I twist reins and put throatlash through and do it up and put a fleece on just so my saddle doesn't get scratched. I've never had any problems.
 
My friend always travels her horse fully tacked up in the trailer when she goes hunting and never has had any problems. Personally I don't as mine doesn't just stand perfectly still and my saddle would get shredded but (touch wood) I've never had any problems tacking him up when we get to the other end.
 
Always travelled my old boy tacked up for hunting, straight off box and straight on board. As long as the horse is a good traveller and you make sure they can't get caught up on anything no problem really :)
 
Hunting yes fully tacked up except horses. Using cheeked bits .
Often to lessons the first horse with saddle on if it's not far.
 
I do if travelling very short distances. However I do have 1 horse who gets really stressed travelling tacked up (she is fine untacked), so she never travels in tack.
 
I used to travel my pony with his saddle on, as he was just too excited to tack up when he got him off the trailer (he has now calmed down). BUT I never ever travelled him with a bridle on, I always used to put his bridle on in the trailer when we got there, as could keep hold of him then.
 
I travel in a saddle with a breast plate then put my bridle on when we're at the show. I undo all his rug in the trailer so it slides off the moment he comes out. We then do the best we can to get his boots off jump on asap and start warming up.

Sadly my horse seems to think as soon as you get out the trailer it means yipee lets gallop and be a total prat so its impossible tacking up at shows. It makes life much easier.
 
Even though mine is travelled alone in the trailer with no partition (and it's been explained on here how to do it safely) I just cannot face doing it personally. I have the worst luck and I just know I'd be the person whose horse did hurt itself. So I leave tacking up til I arrive.
 
I always travel my boy tacked up (unless we are going a long way) as he is a fidget and hates to stand around when he gets wherever we are going. Especially if we are going hunting, I would have no chance of tacking him up when we got there as he is just too excited!
 
I will travel locally to the park or forest with saddle and martingale on - but I put the bridle on when I get there.

I just put the martingale rings round the neck strap - saves a load of fuss and grief, but stops me worrying about ripped mouths etc

GW
 
Pedantic said:
This is what worries me, as others say, tack up in trailer.
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the replies :) unfortunately tacking up in the box is out of the question because when we stop, she wants to be out of there like yesterday :rolleyes:

She's just young so im hoping that in time she'll chill out a bit!

I suppose, i could put her bridle on whith out the bit with a head collar on top to travel in ....then attach the bit when we get there, i can reach her mouth, just not the top of her head :D
 
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i travel with saddle on but put bridle on when i get there in the trailer then can lead/hold the horse in the bridle whilst boots/bandages and rug come off.
 
Hunting all of ours travel tacked up, always. Usually take bridles off on the homeward journey for comfort, leave saddles on to keep backs warm.
I suppose it depends on how they travel and what you use, ours are in a lorry and have nothing much to injure themselves on.
 
I'll be travelling the TB fully tacked up to the fun ride next week as he's grumpy enough to tack up at home let alone trying to do it when he's excited!! never thought about the bit getting caught up so now i'm wondering if i can put a flash strap on over or through it somehow to help keep the rings flat to his face:confused: he doesn't normally wear a flash so i'd have to see how he reacted to it beforehand.
 
i do if we arent going very far, up to say 1/2 hour away, but I only do so now we travel with no partition. I did it once with the partition in and the horse leaned on it and marked the saddle.
 
LaurenB said:
Always travelled my old boy tacked up for hunting, straight off box and straight on board. As long as the horse is a good traveller and you make sure they can't get caught up on anything no problem really :)
Click to expand...

This :)
I'm not sure I'd manage to have tacked up as soon as he realised where he was :eek:.
 
I use a military bridle which is basically a headcollar with a sliphead for the bit and reins. It is easy to travel with the headcollar in situ and just have to add the sliphead at the other end. I dont travel in a saddle though as I had one wrecked by catching on the side of the trailer when the horse came out too sharply.
 
I would not travel with tack on in our Ifor Williams as not enough space, but used to travel our two old boys fully tacked every weekend in Scotland. We only travelled 5 miles to the forest. Never had any problem.
 
Depends on where we are going , if hunting saddle on with a fleece over the top & then put bridle on when we get there - If just taking out for hack sometimes untacked - we always put bridles on when we get there just incase x
 
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