A big quantity of planning and preparation goes into preparing for an eventing competitors. From health programmes to classes, new package to journey preparations, you might have in all probability spent weeks (if not months) gearing up for the large day. However have you ever given any thought to what you’ll do along with your horse the day earlier than the occasion? We examine additional.
What to do along with your horse the day earlier than an occasion
Must you be working by way of your dressage take a look at, popping him over some jumps or giving him a time off? We discuss to some prime riders and trainers to seek out out what the perfect preparation ought to be.
“If a horse doesn’t do something the day earlier than a contest, then they will typically be too contemporary on the occasion. I feel it’s necessary for his or her well-being, suppleness and mind that they do one thing,” says British Eventing (BE) accredited coach Cindy Llewellyn.
5-star occasion rider Georgie Goss agrees and can typically soar her horses the day earlier than a contest.
“It is dependent upon their particular person temperaments and desires, however typically the great jumpers will do a course and in the event that they wrestle with leaping then I’ll do some gridwork with them. I’ve at all times completed it like that and it’s at all times labored,” explains Georgie.
“I at all times do one thing with my horses. There could be a number of stress at a contest, so for those who soar them the day earlier than it simply takes the sting off them.”
Occasion rider Nat Dixon, who has accomplished Badminton and Burghley and was shortlisted for the Sydney Olympics, isn’t a fan of leaping her horses earlier than they compete, as an alternative preferring to high school them.
“I don’t like to leap mine the day earlier than as I feel it stresses the muscle tissues,” says Nat. “Until they’re actually gifted, I gained’t faculty them at a troublesome stage, I favor to work them in an extended, low body and do a number of lateral work. I’m not saying what I do is correct, but it surely works for me.”
Particular person preferences appear to be the important thing, with riders and trainers in settlement that you will need to do one thing along with your horse the day earlier than you’re taking him to a contest, however there’s no set rule as to what that exercise ought to be.
“We at all times work our horses the day earlier than — they’d by no means do nothing, however what work they do will range by horse,” says Australian occasion rider Invoice Levett. “Some could have a flatwork session, others may soar, or go for a chunk of hill work or a lunge for a stretch. What they do might be tailor-made to the precise horse and what fits it when it comes to a pre-event preparation.”
“We might not sometimes gallop a horse the day earlier than it competes and if working in the direction of an enormous three-day occasion we taper the work down and do our closing ‘massive’ prep gallop 10 days earlier than the horse is because of run cross-country at its occasion,” provides Invoice.
Whereas it won’t be a good suggestion to gallop your horse the day earlier than, Cindy Llewellyn believes a quick canter could be advantageous for these occasion horses competing on the larger ranges.
“At intermediate and above it may be a good suggestion to clear the horse’s airways by giving them a brief, sharp canter the day earlier than they go cross-country,” says Cindy. “I don’t assume a horse wants an intense drilling however working by way of their dressage take a look at could be helpful to the rider, or occurring a hack the place they will stretch and you are able to do some leg yielding to work on their suppleness could be advantageous too.”
Whereas riders and trainers advocate using their horses the day earlier than a contest, vet Leticia Macias Bricio from Wessex Equine Veterinary Observe doesn’t consider there may be any important danger to your horse’s bodily well-being if he has a time off instantly earlier than he competes.
“All horses want a day of relaxation and if that day occurs to be the day earlier than a contest I don’t assume it’s a dangerous factor,” says Leticia. “It clearly is dependent upon the extent of competitors and your horse, however ideally I’d say it is best to be certain your horse strikes the day earlier than, don’t depart them within the steady all day, however don’t exhaust them — a lightweight hack is a good suggestion.”
“Horses are routine animals so an important factor is to maintain issues the identical and ensure they keep relaxed,” concludes Leticia.
Invoice Levett agrees: “We attempt to preserve their routine unchanged as a lot as attainable earlier than or throughout or after a contest — they are going to stay out if they’re used to residing out for instance the evening earlier than an occasion.”
All horses are people and have completely different wants and preferences so guarantee you understand your horse and take into account what works for him when planning what to do the day earlier than a contest.
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