I know that it’s common in some parts of the country for hunters to trailer their horses at least partially tacked up. How many of you do this? What precautions do you take for your horses safety as well as your equiptment? Is there a time limit that you use?
Thank you for your opinions!
Most common down here in Texas to see tons of QH’s tacked up and shoved into a stock type trailer. I hate to see it personally…it is just one more posiblility for something to go wrong…but that is JMHO.
Several of my horses extend their bellies when first tacked up and one I have to tighten up no less than 3 times after the initial tacking. What if the saddle slipped? Forget the cost of replacing the tack…
I’ve been doing it for over 30 years, without incident. I leave the girth loose- tight enough that the saddle won’t slip horribly- and with an English saddle for hunting, tie the leathers around themselves to keep the stirrups up. I typically throw a sheet over the top to keep tack clean en route. Usually don’t bridle until I get where I’m going.
Note that I do it with horses that haul well- probably wouldn’t try it with an unkown/not well known horse. I also wait to tack up if I’m hauling longer distances, say, more than a couple of hours each way. I do groom horse thoroughly at end of day and haul home untacked.
I rode with a girl who frequently trailered her mare saddled for lessons. The trip was VERY short- rideable if not for a major highway in the way- and she always pulled the leathers off the bars before loading. A simple enough change that seemed to make the situation much safer.
We trailer tacked for rides less then 30 minutes. But our guys are older, great loaders and trailer passengers. Both tend to doze on the trailer. We girth medium (not loose, not tight) and put a good (meaning, tight, will stay on in the draft – if you’re not sure, don’t put it on!) saddle cover on. If they were antsy or harder loaders, we probably wouldn’t do it.
Edited to add – We also have an extra wide (extra tall, extra long) trailer, so there’s the room for the tack. I would not suggest tacking for the trailer ride if it’s a tight fit.
I don’t see a problem if the proper precautions stated in the posts above are taken…especially if there is a divider between horses. Pretty much anything a piece of tack could get caught on poses a risk to an untacked horse as well and thus should no be in a trailer.
Thanks!
Thanks for the input everyone!
I was curious because I had an hour haul in the rain early Saturday morning to a meet. We were unloading and tacking in the soggy dark and I was curious to know if life might have been easier if my guy could have travelled saddled, been bridled while still on the trailer, and then pulled out only when time to mount up and move off.
Does anyone have a brand or style of rainsheet that they like to use when their horse needs to stand tied in the rain?
hour or less
I have always traveled to hunts and rides with the horse tacked sans the bridle, and some times bridled in the trailer [evasive tall horse] upon arrival. then one last tighten of the girth, mount & go.
it is so much easier to tack up in a lighted isle way.
I won’t do it, but there are plenty of folks who do. There are risks involved with pretty much everything we do with our horses. Trailering tacked isn’t one I feel I need to try.
I won’t leave my guy tied to the trailer in the rain. He goes right back in the trailer with his hay net where he stays warm and dry. When I’m ready to leave the tailgate, he’s already aboard, ready to head home. FWIW I have a big gooseneck with a full open box stall for my guy to travel.
I also arrive at the meet tacked up with saddle and bridle under a halter (reins tied up with a big knot; stirrups crossed over saddle). Only have to remove halter (once I’ve unloaded) and I’m set to swing a leg over. If you don’t tack up at home you ALWAYS forget something - like your girth, saddle pad, bridle, reins, flask, sandwich case, etc.
If it’s within an hour, I’ll tack up. I use a stock trailer, so there’s not a lot to catch on the saddles.
Several folks in the hunts I hunt with do it. I don’t. I have a minimum of an hour, usually more to get there and I figure she can go a little longer without a saddle on. I don’t drive there with my helmet on sooooo…
as far as forgetting stuff, I have my horses at home so I just leave all my stuff on the trailer and if I ride in between hunts I work out of the trailer. When I get home I get everything cleaned and put back away for the next hunt so it’s all ready to go the next time.
Ditto Trakhener. Under an hour, fully tacked. Over an hour, not. Unless the horse is young/inexperienced, in which case I WILL tack for a longer van ride as it is a pain in the butt, for me and the horse, to try and tack while they’re dancing around, inattentive. Far far far safer to do it at home.
Stock trailer, too, so mine travel loose (if just one per compartment) or tied side by side with plenty of wiggle room.
Halters over bridles, sheet or blanket over saddle, if cool/cold.
Girth snug not tight. Might need to reset a saddle at hte meet. Not a big deal.
I hate scurrying around trying to tack a fidgetty horse, and cringe when I see people trying to do it.
The fear of shipping tacked is, in my opinion, misplaced, esp. given the fidgetty alternative, that I feel is far more unsettling to a horse.
I usually ship home tacked, too, for shorter distances (if there is NOT a breakfast). I take off bridle if having a quick drink, all the tack if going in for a bite, and all tack off plus groom thoroughly (there) if going in for a proper meal.
I guess I could see it if I had a fidgety one, yet all the more reason to work out of the trailer at home too ;). I did it from day one with my current hunt horse ( homebred) and she falls asleep at the trailer.
I don’t care if people haul tacked up, their business, I just don’t do it.
I go tacked up but always either use my saddle cover or throw a cooler over–depending on time of year. And only for the close hunts(under an hour). For me, with kids, dogs, other horses to tend to before I leave–I know when I go tacked up–I am not forgetting anything back at the barn! 
If its a 30 minute trip or less with an experienced horse then I tack before I go. I have a stock type trailer with lots of space. I don’t bridle until I’m there though. For me its a huge time saver, can tack the horse at my house when I’m done grooming and not have to lug saddles to the trailer- I do, however, always untack before loading back in the trailer to go home.
As far as rainsheets go, like gothedistance said, I’ll leave them in the trailer rather than stand out in the rain- but if you must leave them tied out- a slighty bigger than their normal size T/O sheet works nicely
I do
I have an almost 17.3h Shire/TB who is starting his second year of hunting - as 1st fieldmaster horse. (I hunt w/Jaegermonster. Hi T!) He wiggles like crazy when we arrive- he knows he going to get to run. I couldn’t begin to saddle him up at the meet. I saddle him up at home when he’s nice and quiet. I put the bridle on in the trailer when I get there. He’s really “up” when he comes out of the trailer, but I mount up right away and start walking around - greeting people, having some port, and he’s fine.
It’s important that he’s got a big trailer and is a quiet hauler!
ROTFLMAO!!!
FWIW, nearly everyone hunting on Exmoor, where we are, tacks up at home. Partly because when we start at 6am in August you wouldn’t want to be tacking up at the meet, and partly because we often have to unbox in very constricted areas where there just wouldn’t be room for everyone to tack up once they arrive.
We also mostly are travelling for less than an hour, as others have said.
I’ve occasionally still forgotten things - stirrups once :-0!!
I don’t travel the horses with bridles on, just put those on when we get there, but saddles and breastplates are on, with rugs over, and it works well.
[QUOTE=the wiz;4482865]
I have an almost 17.3h Shire/TB who is starting his second year of hunting - as 1st fieldmaster horse. (I hunt w/Jaegermonster. Hi T!) He wiggles like crazy when we arrive- he knows he going to get to run. I couldn’t begin to saddle him up at the meet. I saddle him up at home when he’s nice and quiet. I put the bridle on in the trailer when I get there. He’s really “up” when he comes out of the trailer, but I mount up right away and start walking around - greeting people, having some port, and he’s fine.
It’s important that he’s got a big trailer and is a quiet hauler![/QUOTE]
and he is doing very well this season, he looks great! You’re right, though, he definitely does love to socialize during the stirrup cup!
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