# How long does it take you to PROPERLY saddle/tack up a horse



## Chappywillbehisname (Mar 1, 2018)

I was late to my lesson today, there was an accident on the highway so I got in 4 minutes into the lesson. So the barn folks sent the lesson pony to get new shoes or some sort of trim. One of the assistant trainers told me by the time the horse was finished with and I properly tacked up, the lesson would be over (1hr lesson) or almost over, she said tacking up would take me 20 minutes (I felt insulted). This particular lesson horse is pretty clean so a quick brush was all it needs and her hooves picked (if the farrier hadn't done so... yet 🙄). The most maybe 8-10 minutes.

How long does it take you?


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

8-10 minutes easily. 

However, accidents interrupt life. People react to time differently. I sure wouldn't take it personally or hold a grudge toward the trainer. Who knows what she was thinking ast the time or what her day had been like.


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## pasomountain (Dec 19, 2018)

It only takes a few minutes to tack up a clean horse but for me the longest part is trying to get the cinch tight enough. It helps to walk them around first and then check the cinch again but it takes more time.


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

It usually takes me about ten minutes from getting the horse out of the field to ready to ride. That includes putting on hoof boots. 
One of my friends keeps the saddle pad and girth attached to the saddle, and the horse has shoes on. She can literally walk up with her horse and be ready to get on within sixty seconds if she has her saddle and bridle already hung up nearby. 
I prefer doing the girth up one side at a time, adjusting the pad well, and putting the bridle on gradually and slowly. 

I've ridden with another friend who is very slow. I could tie my horse, then eat a sandwich and an ice cream cone before starting to get ready and still be tacked up before her. She takes out one item at a time, such as one brush, and then the hoof pick, and then some fly spray, and then a saddle pad, etc. She walks each thing over to her horse, uses it, and then brings it back and puts it away. I tend to have things littering the ground that I pick up later after riding.


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

Prob around 10 mins, including putting on hoof boots. But you said the pony had been taken to the farrier, so that'd be another 15-20 mins minimum if no shoes...


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## Caledonian (Nov 27, 2016)

Similar to others, about 10mins - reins and martingale over the head; bridle on and done-up, quick check that everything is sitting correctly; saddle and numnah on at the same time, and girth on loosely so horse can get used to it; at the same time attaching the three point martingale to the saddle.

Another 5 mins if using boots, or slightly longer if using padding and bandages.

It's a shame that you missed the lesson but I think the trainer had a point; by the time the pony was done with the farrier, tacked-up and you got settled and in the arena, the lesson would be nearly over. The other riders would have been working on the faster paces or harder activities that had been covered during the lesson and it's hard to join in when it's well underway and perhaps slighty unfair for the other riders.

There's always next time, I wouldn't take it personally. At least you didn't get charged. There's a number of schools here who would take your fee as you didn't show-up on time.


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## ladygodiva1228 (Sep 5, 2012)

About 10 minutes roughly. 

I'm wondering why they would send the horse for a trim/shoeing if they knew the horse was going to be used for a lesson? Did they send the horse before or after you showed up? Was this a group lesson or private? Only asking because if you showed up 4 mins late and it was a private lesson you still should have been able to tack up and ride even it was for 30 or 45 mins.


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

Since the horse was already in the barn and fairly clean it wouldn't have taken long at all. would you have been able to call/text the trainer before the lesson started to let them know you were tied up in traffic? 
they were pretty quick to send the horse to the farrier


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

About 15 minutes to do a proper brushing and tack up. 

If they assumed you were a no-show, I can understand why they decided to have the horse's hooves done. Here, you must arrive 30 minutes before a lesson. So you were 4 minutes into the lesson, but when were you supposed to arrive? Because to me, that's not just 4 minutes late, it's 4 minutes plus however long you're supposed to be there in advance of the start of the lesson. I can see how they would assume you're not coming.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

And while you may think it's ok to do a "quick brushing", if it isn't your horse, you don't get to make that decision. Coaches here insist on teaching students to do a thorough brushing every time, using each brush, combing through the mane (though not necessarily the tail), applying fly spray, etc. etc. It's better to build in extra time than rush through it. This teaches discipline, and that you don't take shortcuts with your horse. It's also a good opportunity to do a thorough examination of your horse and discover any injures/sores/fly bites that need attention.


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## Milton'sMama (Jan 9, 2021)

Chappywillbehisname said:


> So the barn folks sent the lesson pony to get new shoes or some sort of trim.


There's a big difference between how long it takes to get "new shoes" and how long it takes to get "some sort of trim". Does the pony wear shoes? If so, that can easily take 30 minutes. And "sent the lesson pony to get" makes it sound like the pony had to go somewhere else? As in, he wasn't in the location you'd usually be grooming and tacking up for the lesson? Also, a lot of horses don't do well being ridden immediately after being trimmed/shod. 

So, all of that, even if it only takes you 10 minutes to groom and tack up, wouldn't leave you with much of a lesson if you were already 4 minutes into it. Like...25 minutes at most, and one would assume some of that time is for warm-up and cool-down.


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## Kalraii (Jul 28, 2015)

I agree not really tacking up that was a problem it was everything combined. It does suck. I've been late to lessons and when its on the schools horse I just do what they say. It is super unfortunate and depends how disruptive it would be and if yard staff were available. Did you call ahead of time? When I've done that I even paid them an extra £5 to quickly pick feet, brush saddle/girth area and tack up for me so I could just get out and on - but it was my own mare, which is also different. Something to think about if ever delayed again.


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## pony7 (Dec 9, 2020)

15 minutes


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

From the time I put a halter on my horse? 10 minutes tops. If I'm in a hurry, 5 minutes. But my horses don't get much brushing. And they are MY horses so I get to decide what is enough.


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## ksbowman (Oct 30, 2018)

I'm like @bsms, Unless she obviously has mud on her she gets a quick wipe down. Maybe a little extra where the saddle pad and girths go and it's "Showtime". Maybe 5 minutes to tack up and a quick walk then retighten the cinch and it is out the gate and to the pastures..


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## Chappywillbehisname (Mar 1, 2018)

Caledonian said:


> Similar to others, about 10mins - reins and martingale over the head; bridle on and done-up, quick check that everything is sitting correctly; saddle and numnah on at the same time, and girth on loosely so horse can get used to it; at the same time attaching the three point martingale to the saddle.
> 
> Another 5 mins if using boots, or slightly longer if using padding and bandages.
> 
> ...


Ohhh but I did get charge ($100 per lesson- prepaid) and they have a policy that if I'm 15 minutes late there is no make up. I wasn't 15 minutes late but due to the horse taken to the farrier right on the dot-1:30 PM there wasn't much I could do.


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## Chappywillbehisname (Mar 1, 2018)

ladygodiva1228 said:


> About 10 minutes roughly.
> 
> I'm wondering why they would send the horse for a trim/shoeing if they knew the horse was going to be used for a lesson? Did they send the horse before or after you showed up? Was this a group lesson or private? Only asking because if you showed up 4 mins late and it was a private lesson you still should have been able to tack up and ride even it was for 30 or 45 mins.


It was only me on the schedule this day. I arrived exactly at 1:30 PM (Lesson time). While I figured out where my lesson horse was and ran up to the main barn I was told she had just been pulled and was with the farrier. Indeed he had started working on her, by this time it was 1:34 PM. The assistant trainer said they figured I wasn't going to come so they decided the farrier could work on her. I told them I would wait but the more time it passed they told me it was best I contacted the program barn manager to see if I would be eligible for a make-up.


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## Chappywillbehisname (Mar 1, 2018)

Woodhaven said:


> Since the horse was already in the barn and fairly clean it wouldn't have taken long at all. would you have been able to call/text the trainer before the lesson started to let them know you were tied up in traffic?
> they were pretty quick to send the horse to the farrier


They have sent multiple emails to contact only in case of emergent situations (fire, horse accident, etc.) and the particular person I would have texted has weekends off, so she doesn't "work" on weekends. The assistant trainers vary by days and I wouldn't have known who was training me that day plus I don't have their numbers either (they have their personal numbers and don't like giving them out unless they're close with their clients, which I am not).


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## Chappywillbehisname (Mar 1, 2018)

Milton'sMama said:


> There's a big difference between how long it takes to get "new shoes" and how long it takes to get "some sort of trim". Does the pony wear shoes? If so, that can easily take 30 minutes. And "sent the lesson pony to get" makes it sound like the pony had to go somewhere else? As in, he wasn't in the location you'd usually be grooming and tacking up for the lesson? Also, a lot of horses don't do well being ridden immediately after being trimmed/shod.
> 
> So, all of that, even if it only takes you 10 minutes to groom and tack up, wouldn't leave you with much of a lesson if you were already 4 minutes into it. Like...25 minutes at most, and one would assume some of that time is for warm-up and cool-down.


It's a big barn, the pony stays in the lesson barn and the farrier brings her to his work area. About a 1 - 3 minute walk- depends how fast you walk. I apologized to the trainer who would have given the lesson, and explained why I was late. She said it would be a quick job, within a couple minutes she went to speak to one of the assistant trainers. That is when the assistant trainer told me the horse would be done soon but it would take me too long to tack up.


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## Part-Boarder (Aug 17, 2019)

That’s really too bad! I think they were trying to make a point and you would have missed the warm up even with a quick tack up so maybe a bit of a safety issue too. Where I ride if I was late the horse would be tacked up and waiting (though I would also probably be the subject of some jokes about royal service and that probably would also depend on calling ahead so they know I am coming etc.).

In theory, would take about 10 min to tack up quickly but I usually take double that (including brushing) as I find the more relaxed I am while tacking up, it’s more enjoyable for me and the horse and our ride gets off to a good start.


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## Chappywillbehisname (Mar 1, 2018)

Acadianartist said:


> About 15 minutes to do a proper brushing and tack up.
> 
> If they assumed you were a no-show, I can understand why they decided to have the horse's hooves done. Here, you must arrive 30 minutes before a lesson. So you were 4 minutes into the lesson, but when were you supposed to arrive? Because to me, that's not just 4 minutes late, it's 4 minutes plus however long you're supposed to be there in advance of the start of the lesson. I can see how they would assume you're not coming.


At least 15 minutes early to tack up the horse. This horse is a pony


Acadianartist said:


> And while you may think it's ok to do a "quick brushing", if it isn't your horse, you don't get to make that decision. Coaches here insist on teaching students to do a thorough brushing every time, using each brush, combing through the mane (though not necessarily the tail), applying fly spray, etc. etc. It's better to build in extra time than rush through it. This teaches discipline, and that you don't take shortcuts with your horse. It's also a good opportunity to do a thorough examination of your horse and discover any injures/sores/fly bites that need attention.


She is a pony, not big and she is a gray-pretty much marshmallow white at this point, and she keeps clean. I dust her off and brush her thoroughly, I always braid her forelock for an extra touch of cuteness. I don't ever rush on a horse but I can tell when a horse needs a good brushing vs one that's clean and doesn't need much. I know I was late, but per THEIR own late policy if you arrive within 15 minutes you can still proceed even though lesson time is less (I was OK with that), but with all the BUTS they gave me 15 minutes came and went and it was a lost cause. Regardless, I've been riding for a while and it doesn't take me 20 minutes to tack up a horse who is mostly always cleaned and small in size.


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

I had no idea I was such a slow-poke! I like to give myself 20-25 minutes to tack up. Because I groom and pick feet and sometimes brush out the mane, fly spray, hoof boots, etc. If my horse was super clean and I was running late to meet up with somebody, maybe I could do it in 10-15 minutes, but if I'm not, I really do take about 25. How does anyone do a decent grooming AND saddle a horse, ready to go, in 10 minutes? And I'm not even an obsessive groomer. I mainly use a metal shedding blade or groomer's stone.

I do have friends who tack up quickly, but they basically by-pass grooming and go straight to saddling if the horse is "clean." And they don't check feet until after the ride. I always pick feet before I ride.


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