I was wondering what other people's thoughts were on this subject. I have spoken to people about this, and heard quite a few different answers!

So, if you have a horse who is off, how "off" will you still ride them? Do you wait until they are 110% again? Or will you push it if there is a race coming up?

My gelding just had an abcess recently, and I was really hoping he would be better for a race on Saturday...he has been running around his pasture, bucking, squealing, rearing all week! Watched him at jog a bit and could tell he wasn't quite there yet..lunged him in a very small circle (at a jog) and he was still pretty off on that foot. However, he is feeling sooo good! But personally, I'm still going to wait to get on him again until he can circle tight at a jog without a head bob. 

Just curious to other's approaches and thoughts on this =]  Would you still ride if they felt good at a lope, or not turning tight?

If it is just an abscess and you could ride on really soft ground, then it would be okay to long trot some.  If your horse is runnng around the pasture, then they aren't going to lose any fitness, so it is okay if you don't ride because the horse will still be ready when he is sound again.

If my horse is off I don’t ride until my vet figures it out. Many serious injuries are caused by compensations the body makes because of pain. But I know I am very cautious. I can’t afford to replace my horse so that factors in, too. 

I wont ride at all if they are off at all. I am OCD and very cautious. I retired a mare that was very slightly off and vets couldn't fix. I just wont. Not worth it to me.

I dont risk it at all unless I know its a stiffness from lack of movement and thats usually weather related (winter generally) and all I do is walk.

For me, a abcess for example that is still sore could cause them to overcompensate and injur something else. not worth it.

My big mare tends to get stiff in the winter with either deep sucking mud or if we have to bring them up to their pens and not getting enough movement.  I will hop on her if she isn’t 100% and walk her around for about 3-5 minutes and usually she warms up out of the stiffness.  Other than that I’m a firm believer in ?? sound, if there is such a thing with a horse that does what we ask them to do ??

nope.. if they are off... they get time off or seen by a vet

Nope no riding.. And I have seem people bute their off horses so they can still go to a barrel race.. Not cool!!

As a general rule of thumb, if they are "off" they do not get ridden. Something is wrong that is causing them to be "off" in the first place and whatever that is, needs to be figured out. There's always another barrel race and it is never worth it.

Now..... as an exception. Let's say you have your 21-year-old gelding that you no longer barrel race due to arthritis, but still try to ride regularly to keep him moving because they are happy to be ridden and still enjoy it. They WILL have worse days where it takes them longer to loosen up. In this case, working through the "off" feeling will help them in the long run.

For an abcess, realistically, they should be fine once it blows. Of course, some of them can linger for quite a while or not blow at all.

If mine are off at all, I don't ride. Even when the abscess has blown, I feel like it doesn't kill me to wait til I'm done treating it. But that's just me.