ridden hard and put away wet

Meanings:

• 1.

  British EnglishAmerican Englishinformalcolloquial
  • Describing a person who looks exhausted, dishevelled, bedraggled, or worn out.
  • Suggesting that someone appears overworked, ragged, or in poor physical condition as if recently mistreated or neglected.

• 2.

  British EnglishAmerican Englishinformalcolloquialhistorical
  • Referring to an animal, typically a horse, that has been worked too hard and then put away without proper care, resulting in ill health or stiffness.
  • Applied figuratively to objects or equipment that have been harshly used and poorly cared for, leaving them in bad condition.