I agree with Wateryglen and Otterhound. I want to see and feel any problems that might result from a good day out. Also, the poor creature is needing his rest. If the horse is fit enough, the legs really should not be a problem.
I was asking because my horse doesn’t hunt often – so his fitness is not the same as say a staff horse or one who goes out every week.
Just as I would not coddle my horse after a normal dressage lesson because his body is well used to that work load I was thinking I should pay extra attention to him and help him feel comfortable after working twice as hard/long as he normally does.
I usually have my hunt horse pretty well legged up by the time cubbing season starts but in the event that I don’t think he’s fit enough, I will sometimes bow out at one of the checks.
I think that’s the kindest thing to do if your horse is not fit.
I event and hunt. After a hunt, my horse just goes home and gets turned out immediately. My horses live out 24/7. Also, I hunt mostly in the colder months, so anything involving bathing isn’t really possible. I’m in the camp that it is far better to just go outside, move around and be a horse.
The same horse will always be iced after an event or gallop. I’m a runner and use ice on my own legs, and it really does make a difference. As long as it is done properly it can’t hurt. If I am at an event where I am stabling, this same horse will also always be wrapped, and possibly poulticed depending on the level/ground conditions. The usual protocol is to ice right after XC, then leave the legs naked for several hours so I can see if any heat/swelling/etc pop up. I’ll poultice and wrap before I leave for the night.
Most eventers I know don’t really ice or wrap much below Prelim, unless the horse has a specific issue or is older. If I’m doing a local event (prelim or below), my horse will be iced but not wrapped, as I just take the horse home and turn it out.
At a 3-day, this leg care CAN help a horse get through the jog the next morning.
I’m getting ready to start my 30th season of hunting and believe that a hunt horse’s soundness during the season is directly proportional to the legging up one does over the summer. I’m a minialmist when it comes to after hunt care as I have been riding my hunt horses for six to eight weeks before the season starts. I won’t hunt ones that are not really sound after a couple months of riding. We only hunt twice a week, so I will continue to keep my hunters worked between hunts. We hunt coyote about 70% and fox 30% of the time in pretty rough country. I usually lead first flight, so I need a horse that will be going strong at the end of the day. I am always shocked at how out of shape and unprepared most riders and their horses are for this strenuous sport. One can expect to be fatigued in a very short time if hunting is the only time one rides!
Very few of our meets are close to home, so I know they will be in the trailer 45 minutes to 2 hours on the way home. I bring water in 5 gallon jugs to the meet which I offer to my hunters right after we unbridle them and then ship home with big bags full of yummy hay to eat. I have heard that a hunter can lose 25 pounds during a tough day of hunting, so I want to get a head start on replenishing the body. All mine get a good rinse off after a hunt, and I run my hands over every inch of leg to look for nicks and thorns. My horses get fed electrolytes on a daily basis, so they don’t really have a drinking problem. I let my horses dry off, either under the heater in the wash stall or coolers in their stalls. I will give them their evening feed with warm water mixed in, again to help hydrate. They get blanketed, legs checked again and turned out for the night. When they are brought in for their morning feeding, we check legs again. 99% of the time the legs are cold and firm. I don’t like using wraps, bute or anything else right after hunting that might mask an injury. If I see a problem the next day, THEN I start treating it.
I have several older hunters getting ready for their 13th season. They do get their hocks injected before the season, Adequan/Legend during the season, and joint supplements in their feed, but so far they are a tough bunch. They know what the game is and don’t waste energy on foolish antics like the young hunters do.
