I’ve never heard of anyone leaving tack on after riding. When I’m done, either at home or an endurance ride, I just want to get untacked and put stuff away and be done. If its cold, I would throw a sheet or blanket on, but that wouldn’t influence me to leave the saddle on. I don’t see any reason at all to do that.
[QUOTE=bornfreenowexpensive;7930254]
Saddle comes off right away…if it is cold out…I might leave the saddle PAD on for a few seconds while I throw a cooler over their back. Then pull the pad right off. But honestly, don’t really do that anymore. All the studies done for the Olympics have debunked all thes old wives tales.
We hit our horses with ice water when they come off of xc at the big international events. These horses then go on and show jump the next day. Getting them cooled down fast doesn’t cause sore muscles. Same with letting them drink when they want…even if still hot. The studies done for the Olympics in Atlanta proved that horses can drink without risk even when very hot.[/QUOTE]
This! When I come in from foxhunting, tack is pulled off right away and horse is sponged down (usually water is air-temperature). If it’s cool out, I throw a cooler over them. They get offered water right away, hand grazed while they dry off, and then loaded on the trailer with hay.
I do know people who put their tacked horses back in the trailer and always feel sorry for those horses . . . I think you should take care of your horse first. I’m not sure about heat bumps, but all the Olympic studies have shown that you are not hurting your horse’s back by removing the saddle right away.
[QUOTE=wendy;7933018]
these myths have been resoundingly disproven. It is very poor horsemanship to deprive a hot horse of water, and cold-hosing/scraping is the best way to cool off a horse. Refer them to the studies they did decades ago- late 1980’s- when preparing for a hot summer olympics.[/QUOTE]
I printed out a copy of one of the studies and will bring it with me the next time I see them and have them read.
What my horse wants to do most of all after a ride is roll! I always let her- it’s horsey chiropractic. If it’s cold out she gets a cooler. If it’s warm out she gets sponged down. Her saddle never stays on after a ride more than 5 or 10 minutes tops. And she gets water right away. I like to keep her happy because she is my best girl and I love her.
