Do you haul to hunt tacked?

[Beverley]

@Painted Wings;3623954

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.

Answer for me is yes, straight load, in my case a 2H bumper pull. Though current horses are easy enough to bridle anywhere any time. Back in the day, when horses were hauled to the meet in a head to head van or gooseneck w/center aisle, easy enough to bridle them in their stalls before unloading. I agree with you, it would be tricky in a slant load.

When I haul bridled- halter over bridle bundles the reins under the throatlatch, and the end of the reins goes through the stirrup leather as the latter is brought up, around and through stirrup, then locked into place with the stirrup strap through keeper. Wool sheet keeps it all snag free. If standing martingale, it gets looped through itself once or twice to form a knot where it attaches to the breastplate.

[Painted_Wings]

Really for the most part I have never had any trouble putting a bridle on at the meet. Once we hunted so far that they had to send a trailer for the last few diehards. It was the huntsman, a whip, and myself. They came with the hound trailer which was a stock in the back. No halters. We had to haul the three horses tied by their bridles in the back. It was very scary but they were all tired so didn’t much care. All three horses were from different barns too and had not been hauled together.

[wateryglen]

No vote here!

Emphatic vote NO! I’ve seen/been involved in a couple of horse trailer accidents where the tack became a significant issue in the extrication of the horse. Sometimes the horse comes out fine but the saddle is toast. Like when a horse goes down in a trailer. (bumpy driveway/field, horse on slick manure after a long trip etc.) Saw a friends 2 horse come off the hitch and roll down a hill backwards and end up. We got horse out but the saddle & bridle had to be cut off and hurt him. They were ruined and quite frankly were more valuable than the horse was! :winkgrin:

Saddles can get squished sideways in a trailer as horses weight shifts. Of course, mine are a bit wide…:eek::D. And I had a saddle repairer tell me never to trailer there or home with saddle on as the road dirt/dust that the saddle gets exposed to does damage to the leather & especially the stitching. I value that expensive saddle too.

I absolutely don't feel there's any comfort to the horse to keep a saddle on afterwards.  For a few minutes maybe with a loose girth but not for the ride home.  A wiggly object on a sore back can't be good!  

But to qualify, I agree the distance trailered is the thing. Half hour or less? Tacked up should be fine. Assuming a good, experienced at trailering horse. Greenie? Never! Bridles?Never ever. We need to TRAIN our horses to stand to be tacked up and to stay tied to the trailer so get with it!!! :winkgrin: Why to we do it? Laziness!!! or OUR convenience!! I don’t think it’s best for the horse in the end. Get to the meet earlier. Take your time! Let the horse unwind! And I know I’m in the minority so just leave me be!!!

[IFG]

@wateryglen;3625800

I absolutely don't feel there's any comfort to the horse to keep a saddle on afterwards.  For a few minutes maybe with a loose girth but not for the ride home.  A wiggly object on a sore back can't be good!  

FYI, I took off the tack for the trip home. I think that everyone did.

I shipped with the girth tight because I was afraid of the saddle slipping. Would love to hear what others do.

[Jaegermonster]

I don’t haul tacked up either. The shortest time I have to go usually is an hour and a half, and my horse has to wear the saddle long enough and work hard enough when we get there. I leave my tack in the trailer for the most part, or if I do bring it in the tackroom the girth stays with it so it’s not an issue. But it’s not that hard to put stuff in the trailer the night before, or set it somewhere all together. Bridling is not an issue either,
my horses have been trained to stand tied and also stand quietly for bridling (yes even my homebred I first took out at 3 1/2).

[Fairview_Horse_Cente]

There can be some real train wrecks hauling with tack. Way too many thngs to get caught on pins, edges, etc., not to mention comfort of the horse!!! Oh, yeah, I am one that does not believe in leaving the horse on the trailer after it carted someone’s butt all over creation, while the rider enjoys after hunt breakfasts either. The horse deserves to be taken home and made comfortable first. If you are too far away, make arrangements with someone local to let the horse have a comfy stall.

Here is an idea to save time. Get yourself dressed the night before, and sleep in your breeches and boots. They won’t wrinkle, and you can just get up and leave.

[Guilherme]

Generally speaking, no.

Under no cicumstances would I haul in a bridle.

Hauling a tacked up horse puts the tack at risk of some serious “road burn.” You can reduce this risk by various kinds of covers, but I don’t intend to put a valuable saddle at risk to save five minutes at my destination.

A well trained horse should unload quietly and stand tied to a trailer quietly.

I don’t know that hauling tacked up puts the horse at much additional risk in the event of a mishap. If anything it might be some additional “handles” to help the horse out of a difficulty.

The hunt HQ is a full 1.5 hrs. from our house and some territories are 2.0 hrs. away. That can also figure into the equation. Still, it only takes a second or two for a horse to inflict several hundred dollars damage to a good saddle.

We haul in a slant load Featherlight.

G.

[Snow_Princess]

Yes i haul tacked…saddle… No bridle.

My trailer is like a boxstall… rubermatted… fully bedded… it’s quite cozy.

Very Comfortable.

If you are against horses standing on trailer’s after hunts while rider’s eat thier breakfast…I’m sorry i will offend you. It’s not that bad really.

It’s no different than sitting in line at the border with horse on the trailer… It’s a good skill to teach them really.

I will say the car accident point is a very good one… i have been blessed to never see such carnage. So i will hunt on hauling tacked… and pray i don’t learn the negatives as you did.

[Beverley]

Well, in 37 years of hunting mine haven’t complained about the tack on board going to the meet, or about standing tied to the trailer afterward, munching hay while we breakfast. That is, of course, after having been thoroughly tended to BEFORE going to the breakfast- sponge bath or thorough rubdown depending on the weather, any little nicks or cuts tended to, etc. I put my horse’s needs first after he’s graciously hauled my butt all over creation all day!

[TBlitz]

Bev- I agree. I’m always the last person to the breakfast because I make sure my horse is happy. He gets rinsed off in warm (TX) weather, poulticed, blanketed if needed, and either put in a small paddock (or stall) or tied to the trailer with water and hay. He always needs some recovery time before trailering the 50-100 miles back home and is normally ready to go after the breakfast.

[Fairview_Horse_Cente]

@TBlitz;3641105

Bev- I agree. I’m always the last person to the breakfast because I make sure my horse is happy. He gets rinsed off in warm (TX) weather, poulticed, blanketed if needed, and either put in a small paddock (or stall) or tied to the trailer with water and hay. He always needs some recovery time before trailering the 50-100 miles back home and is normally ready to go after the breakfast.

Thank yoiu boh for caring for your horses first. I have just seen to many sweaty, still tacked horses standing on their trailers after hunts while the owners enjoyed themselves.

[TBlitz]

My horses always come first no matter what. I think I spend more time giving my horses scratches and treats than I do making them work. When I die, I want to reincarnate as a horse owned by someone exactly like me! :lol: Seriously!

[Bogie]

@Fairview Horse Center;3641142

Thank yoiu boh for caring for your horses first. I have just seen to many sweaty, still tacked horses standing on their trailers after hunts while the owners enjoyed themselves.

I’m happy to report that you don’t see that at my hunt.

[LookinSouth]

@Bogie;3641368

I’m happy to report that you don’t see that at my hunt.

I dont’ recall seeing much of that at the hunt I ride with either. People haul in tacked but I rarely see someone LEAVING tacked. My horse does stand on the trailer while I go to tea. But I can guarantee he’s been curried, rubbed down with liniment, completely untacked of course, fleece cooler on if need be. Then he gets on a nice roomy trailer with a haybag stuffed with hay and hangs out with his buddy. I don’t feel comfortable leaving him tied outside the trailer if I am not right there. I think that is asking for more trouble than having him on the trailer.

[Jaegermonster]

[QUOTE=Fairview Horse Center;3641142]
Thank yoiu boh for caring for your horses first. I have just seen to many sweaty, still tacked horses standing on their trailers after hunts while the owners enjoyed themselves.[/QUOTE]

We dont see that at our hunt either. I think the dirty looks and hairy eyeballs would stop that right quick.
I don’t haul tacked, as I said, but I will leave her at the trailer while I go to the breakfast.
She gets watered, hosed or sponged off with liniment, legs and shoulders rubbed down, a light sheet if it’s cool and big hay bag with alfalfa. She can sleep, stretch, pee or whatever, then in a half hour or so we load up and go home.

[Snow_Princess]

I have never seen anybody shove their horse on the trailer still tacked after the hunt and leave it in that state to go to breakfast.