# Getting ready to ride...



## Cinder (Feb 20, 2011)

Getting myself ready to ride: About six minutes.

Grooming/Tacking: If I'm taking my time, about twenty minutes. If I hurry, maybe ten or somewhere near there.


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## Almond Joy (Dec 4, 2011)

It takes me about 15 mins on average, but if I were able to groom as much as I want/didn't have a lesson time, I could groom for a solid 45 minutes then take my time tack (Bridle, saddle, saddle pad, half pad, girth, brush box, sometimes towel). Then I go and grab Sonny from the pasture, brush her and tack her up. Then I throw on my half chaps and I'm ready to go! After my ride can sometimes take a bit longer because most of the time we have to hose off...


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

I can do six polo ponies in 35 minutes, but hate having to go that fast. With wraps and tails... it's really pushing it. I don't feel that I'm getting to look the horses and the tack very well.

I quit grooming for the player who always ran late.


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## Meatos (Apr 30, 2012)

I like to take my time with it. Between really getting into grooming (I'm anal but also I really enjoy it) and also getting to know the people at my barn (i.e. chatting!), I try to arrive for a lesson 30-45 minutes in advance and I usually arrive fully suited up so I don't have to worry about getting myself ready on top of it all.

So in the 30-45 minutes, that includes bringing all my tack and grooming supplies into the barn, bringing my horse in from the paddock, grooming, and tacking. I like to have my horse warmed up before my coach walks into the arena too.

Although yesterday, I hit traffic and arrived five minutes before my lesson. Of course it was the one time I didn't gear up at home before getting in the car. We were both ready to go in about 15 minutes because I thankfully had a friend with me and my horse was in his stall.


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## Hidalgo13 (Dec 24, 2010)

Takes me 15 minutes if I hurry, or 30 if I do a deep grooming session.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

boots said:


> I can do six polo ponies in 35 minutes, but hate having to go that fast. With wraps and tails... it's really pushing it. I don't feel that I'm getting to look the horses and the tack very well.
> 
> I quit grooming for the player who always ran late.


I don't know why I posted about the one jerk that made me rush. lol

To answer the question: Personally, I take about 15 to 20 minutes to clean and tack up. But then there are those lazy summer evenings when I'll hand dry them, spend a lonnnng time on tails, etc. I love those times.


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## DimSum (Mar 28, 2012)

I take about 15 minutes because my beginner spouse is realllllllly slow about getting his horse done so I end up helping him LOL. Since we mostly trail ride, the boys get the more through grooming when we are done.


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

30 minutes because I take my time and make sure every speck of dirt is off of him (he's white but I don't want rubs!)


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## princecharming (Dec 2, 2011)

i can get my horse and i ready in 2 minutes flat. (timed it) but we only do that when we are going hunting because we are ALWAYS late. 

i would say i usually take about 30-35 minutes on a regular day.


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

well i got my horse saddled and in the arena in 4 min flat once.....it was at county fair, and i had just gotten done with english, and was trying to get out of my boots ( i hated those english boots grrr) so i was late for my class...i told them givve me 5 min to get my horse saddled and id be in the arena ready... took me 4 haha

but usually i take my time so about 10-15 min. brush em, clean their hooves n get the saddle bridle on. then boots....then fly spray....

thats just for saddling though....after i get all saddled up i usually spend like 5 min stretching them out on the ground before i get on.


me on the other hand? like 2 min. throw my hair up in a pony tail or bun, get jeans n a t-shirt on, boots, n my hat n go haha


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## kait18 (Oct 11, 2011)

it depends  for me i can be ready in 7 minutes without fail everytime 

as for getting my horse ready it all depends but on average 10-30 minutes.


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## PaintedHeart (May 24, 2011)

When I have to, I can get myself and my horse around in 5-10 minutes, but I usually take my time, and it ends up being more like 30-35.


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## WesternJake (Jan 29, 2011)

I can do a quick groom, check hooves (Jake's hardly ever need to be picked after they've just been trimmed and he comes in from the field), and tack up in less than 10 minutes. That's saddle pad, saddle, breastcollar, (already attached to saddle on one side) and bridling. 

I've gotten fast at it because when Jake was at his previous barn and before I owned him, if I was last to tack up and everyone else was riding, I didn't want to spend forever tacking up! Also, a lot of mornings I do barn chores and ride before work, so if I took 30 minutes to tack up, I might as well not even ride. 

Emily


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## BarrelBunny (Jan 15, 2012)

It depends. If I'm taking my time, well, let's just say it would average out around 25ish minutes. (That includes brushing, stretching, etc.) I normally can't waste the day away, though. I have 2 horses to ride in about 2 and a half hours on a good day (that includes a trail that I take them on after our workouts). If I am in a hurry, I can tack a horse up in about 2 minutes. It normally takes me about a minute or less to get ready: pull on a pair of jeans, a shirt, and boots, then head out to ride!


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## IRaceBarrels (Jan 21, 2012)

I'm super slow. It takes me about 30 mintues with normal grooming. At pratice I'm always the last one tacking up. I have so much tack though!


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## PurpleMonkeyWrench (Jun 12, 2012)

It takes me about 35 minutes depending on how long i exercise him before hand. After I exercise him I brush off his body, pick his hooves, saddle pad, saddle, bridle then off we go.


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

If my horse is clean and I'm just tacking up for a ride at home, it proably takes me two minutes. Clean feet, put on saddle pad, saddle, and bridle. Then I'll walk for a few minutes to gradually tighten the girth.


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## Strange (Jan 11, 2009)

Generally less than 10 minutes. 

I was the head groom for an international rider and there wasn't a whole lot of time to get horses ready for her. There were just so many that she'd get on, do some work with them and be back at the barn before I could blink, and that other horse should be sitting in the cross ties with its bridle on ready for her to dismount one and lead the other out to the mounting block. Old habits die hard. I can give a thorough grooming so quickly now that it takes most of the joy out of grooming, lol.


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

I am usually never in a hurry; can take me anywhere from 15-30 minutes to tack up. That is not including groom time, just tacking up.


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## stesongta (Aug 23, 2012)

Very nice and helpful information has been given in this topic. I like the way you explain the things. Keep working. Thanks. . .


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

I'm usually pretty quick, but my horse's gear is very basic (doesn't need any more than he has) and he nearly always has rugs on so he's clean 99% of the time anyway... grooming is more a bonding thing and/or to help him drop his winter coat. I take anywhere from 30 seconds to 5 minutes. If I do a deep grooming, anywhere from 1/2 hour upwards.

For shows, I braid/wash etc at home, so it literally takes me 2 minutes to saddle up and 4 to swap saddles between dressage and stadium phase (at the level I'm at, we usually have dressage then stadium then xc).

But, my horse just has his saddle and a basic snaffle bridle with a flat cavesson noseband, so there are two straps to do up on the bridle and the girth on the saddle and that's it.


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## equinegirl26 (Jul 8, 2012)

It takes me about 3 minutes to tack up and about a minute to groom.


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