Ridden Hard And Put Away Wet Meaning

Example : 1978, Subcommittee on Conservation and Credit, United States Congress, Amend Credit Provisions for Farm and Rural Development Programs, p. 62:  However, much more is needed, much more. Farmers throughout the Nation feel that they have been "ridden hard and put away wet."1988, John F. Lehman, Command of the Seas: A Personal Story, p. 174:  The Oriskany had been ridden hard and put away wet at the end of the Vietnam War, without an overhaul or proper preservation.1995, Linda Howard, et al., Everlasting Love, p. 293:  Alexandra collapsed onto the leather couch in the library, feeling as if she were a horse who had just been ridden hard and put away wet.