Do you haul to hunt tacked?

I am totally spoiled, we hunt with Cheshire and we’re based right in the middle of the country.

So the furthest we’re going in 20 minutes. All our horses ship tacked. One of them ships sans bridle…course mostly because he goes out in a studded noseband and we want that to be more effective once we’re on him, so it goes on last.

As others have said it really is much harder to forget things.

~Emily

Fortunately I am close to the land we hunt, so it is just easier to tack at home, load up with a halter instead of a bridle, and just put the bridle on when I arrive and we are about to mount up. I have a very sensible horse and it keeps me clean.

We’ve always hauled tacked, sans bridle. There have only been a few occasions that we’ve not tacked, but that was when we had nearly a 2+ hour drive. Our meets used to be 20 min away for most, but now it’s about 45-an hour, and we still haul tacked. We have a 4-horse head to head, so we just leave the breast bar up, and put on bridles before they come off the trailer.

I haul tacked up, including bridle. I use a brid-over halter under the bridle, which has extra snaps so it can be easily removed from underneath the bridle. Handy for horses who start moving around in that brief time between taking off the halter and putting on the bridle.

I have sometimes and others I haven’t. No real reaon for eaither, but I’m leaning toward doing it every time because:
Usually the warmest my fingers will be all day is at home, first thing.
I’m less likely to forget something.
It’s quicker once there and I can devote time to getting Himself settled under saddle rather than trying to get his attention to get the saddle on.

Yes, we always haul tacked, and most of the fixtures are within 20 minutes. If we have a green horse or an excitable one, we’ll put the bridle on at home as well, otherwise we’ll just bridle them when we get there. I always put a scrimmy on over the saddle, and add a wool cooler on top of that if the weather is cold.

Yes :slight_smile:

I normally haul with a saddle on and bridle when I get there. At my stable, the barn is at the bottom of a HUGE hill, so its just easier to tack up down there and rid up to the trailer, rather than carry all your tack up and then go get the horse. Whew! too many walks up the hill!
My horse goes fine in a halter and lead, so I just tack up and ride him up with the halter and carry his bridle and grooming bag in the other hand.

Also, you never forget the girth if you go tacked up!!!

yes. a few times I have gone not only with my horse totally tacked, but with my hardhat on my head too - that way I haven’t forgotten it …:uhoh:

sometimes I also bridle before trailering - because there is nothing worse than getting halfway down the road and realizing you left the stinkin thing back at home. :o:o:o:mad:

A brid-over halter??? I could use one of 'em. What does it look like?

For long hauls, it is more considerate not to have the saddle on since the horse has to be tacked up for a long time once he’s at the meet.

I will tack up at home if I’m not going to far… I also put the bridle on, and halter over top…

Yesterday I even did my hair and put my helmet, jacket and gloves on before leaving… it just makes things so much easier!

Typically trailer with saddle and breastplate on, saddle cover over the saddle, and W’beeta sheet over everything, or warmer rug if required.

Put the bridle on at the meet, either on the trailer if horse is a goof, or off if horse is polite.

For all those who fret about forgetting stuff…why not splurge on one spare girth, one spare bridle, one spare…you get the point! :wink:

No I never transport a horse in its tack.

For those who are forgetful. Do a check list!

…And there is always the chance of a stirrup leather or part of the saddle getting hung up on part of the trailer if you are not careful, if the horse is not straight and some little hookey thing is not out of the way. Or part of the blanket hanging up - and off he goes, sparks aflying on the ashphalt…seen it happen.

Thanks all. I hauled tacked (with a sheet covering the saddle to avoid loose leathers getting caught). It went great, and I was ready so much quicker. I think that it was easier for both me and the horse.

My first hunt, we were the first trailer to arrive. As we were admiring the countryside, everyone else arrived and unloaded already tacked, causing us to scurry so that we weren’t holding everyone up!

I now always haul with saddle on the horse as our hunts aren’t more than 1.5 hours away. It makes it so quick and easy!

Our hunt asks that we come tacked so that we are all not rushed and have the chance to possibly miss something that could cause a huge problem out in the field.

I normally travel just with the saddle w/ a cooler over and then put the bridle on when we get there.

Yes…put the bridle on in the trailer once we’re there…makes it much easier if you’re parked on the side of a road somewhere…also helps to not forget anything vital…

Question

For those of you putting bridles on in the trailer… Are these straight loads? I can’t imagine trying to do that with a slant load. I’ll probably be hauling tacked this Wednesday. Not sure if I want to put the bridle on ahead of time or not. It’s a 15 minute haul. This filly can be a little wild at the meet though starting out.

Short answer, never. For various reasons, #1 being safety and #2 being comfort, both for my horse.