Competition horse management/routine

[tigers_eye]

I've just been reading Ginny Leng's (now Elliot) Training the Event horse and thinking I have nothing like the dedication required to manage horses at that kind of level! So, out of curiosity, I'd like to know what kind of management routine you have for your competition horses. Interesting things to know would be levels of horse(s) fitness, now and at other times, age, amount of work, hard feed, turn out, and any other interesting things, like rugging, do you drop their fitness off at certain times of the year, etc.

I'll start, 2 geldings, one 7, one 8, done a CCI* this year, but currently not as fit as they were then. Aiming for a CIC** on undulating terrain, but a relatively short course at 3600m 14th September, followed by a CCI** 28th sept which will involve a days travel each way and will be longer presumabley.

Currently they get about an hours work 5 or 6 days a week, but this is about to picked up in view of approaching events. They will do fastwork every 4 days, not particularly measured but would involve several canters at half pace in the woods near yard (100s of miles of sand tracks, flat and hilly), they canter until they take that deep breath that lasts 2 strides, then they walk for a few minutes, then off again.

At the moment they receive 3 kilos a day of hard feed (D&H Country Competition mix, might get upped to Staypower Muesli nearer the event if I feel needed), they are out on ludicrously good grass for 5-7 hours a day, and get approximately 3 kilos of hay at night. If they're really hungry (which they don't seem to be) they can munch on their beds. They get no supplements, can't afford Blue Chip atm, although I do like to use it. Electrolytes when travelling and competing. No rugs, no grooming for condition, shod every 5 weeks.

 

[only_me]

ok! lol

one gelding, 16.2hh. currently at PN but about to move up to novice (next event

) he is worked for an hour each day, usually in the morning so then afterwards he goes out in the field. usually do 3 days dressage work, one day jumping, one day hack and depending on what is coming up, i play a bit of polocrosse on him or do fast work in the field, which keeps his work varied and keeps him interested!

he is pretty fit, as we have been finding the PN time very easy to get and he is getting faster (or at least working out what he is meant to be doing

)

he gets about 3kilos of hard feed a day as well, splir into 2 feeds. he gets a high % oat mix from local feed merchant, half scoop of sugar beet and at night gets equi-boost and garlic. he gets 2/3 slices of hayledge at morning and night (the small blue bales slices

) he wears a cooler at night but hasnt for the past few days as has been so warm. i groom him before i ride and when i bring him in at night, but usually involves quick dandy brush down!

 

[LEC]

I have read Ginnys book and say it probably works very well if you do it full time and have lots of help like she did.

As someone who works full time and also has a social life combined with crap results I do not feel suitably qualified to comment! My horse has to fit around my life as earning money to pay for the horse has to take priority.

 

[Sir_Gwain]

I'm only competing unaffiliated at the moment but aiming for BE intro/pre-novice next year.

I currently do show jumping up to 3ft in a jump off, XC up to 2ft9in and prelim dressage.

My horse is a Connemara x ID, 15.3HH 10 year old grey gelding

He gets between 1.5 - 2 hours work 5 days a week, a long hack at weekends if not competing up to 4 hours/15 miles and a lesson on a Monday with my trainer which is either flat work or jumping, If I'm really lucky i get both in the same lesson.

Whilst hacking we will do a few canters of a reasonable distance if the ground is OK. Its a bit hard just now. We regularly trot a couple or 3 miles in any hack.

Feeds: Owen has the following twice a day. A scoop of Hi-Fi, 250g of D & H Ultimate balancer, Handful of D & H Competition Country mix, handful of Baileys economy nuts. My horse is not turned out at present yard and has about 20 kg of haylege. He currently tips the scales at approx 480KG and has maintained this weight for about 3 months now. I dropped about 40KG off him coming out off winter through reduction in feeds and increasing his exercise regime. I intend to hunt him through the coming winter so hopefully he wont become a fatty again.

He is groomed lightly most days as he's a dirty scoundrel and loves to wallow in his poo. He is rugged in the winter months.

He has a mineral block and a salty lick in his manger. Gets some electrolytes in his water when travelling.

He is shod every 4-6 weeks depending n how much road work we have done.

He hardly ever stops at a fence, is brave and forward going. Loves to please and has taught me so much.

 

[kit279]

Hmm, I'm interested in this too because I don't feed mine any hard feed at all...

Chestnut 16.1 TB gelding - aiming for Intro in September. Currently 3 hours schooling, 1 hour jumping, 1 hour cross country schooling and 4-5 hourse fast hacking a week. Horse gets no hard feed, lives out 24/7 all year round with no rugs in summer and is still quite fat..

Grey 16.1 TB gelding - Intro eventing currently, will do PN in September, finding it easy and lots of scope and always makes the time. Same exercise as chestnut but only 1-2 hours fast hacking as is a bit too fit otherwise. Is a good weight and not lacking in energy at all but again not fed any hard feed and lives out as well. He does get a very sloppy electrolyte mash in the run up to an event with a handful of Baileys Economy Cubes made up with lots of water and electrolytes.

I know they're both working hard but I've never bothered to feed them any extra as they keep their weight so well.

 

[H-J]

ok....

I have 2 event horses at the mo one 13 competing at Novice, hoping to IN in Sept and 1* nxt Spring and a 5 yr old at Intro

Both TB's

Dexter the 13yr old is extremely high maintenance but he is worth every penny! And it keeps him on teh road. He is on good grazing but out with 8 others

so he goes out 9-3pm any later and he will get into mischief. He is shod every 5 weeks and had rubber pads in. He has the physio for his back almost every 2 weeks so that £40 a mth not too bad but keeps him on the road. He has 2 feeds a day consiting of staypower muesli, hi-fi & outshine he also has a joint supplement and a breathing lick. He has as much hay/haylege as he will eat and he doesnt have a big appetite. He is work 6-7 times a week, he has teeth and saddles checked every 6mths

Dougal the 5 yr old, has the physio ever 2 months probably, will have dentist and tack checked every 6mths. He is worked 6 days a week, has 2 feeds a day consiting of baileys topline mix and hi-fi. He is out for as long as poss on good grass, prob 9-6pm he has at the mo about 4 sections of hay a night he is a pig! And im pretty sure he doesnt have any supplements. Although they both have electrolytes when needed. oh and Dougal is also shod every 5 weeks and will have pads in next summer

 

[RachelFerd]

I think my management definitely verges more on 'natural' than competition standard... Suits me and my horses though... and definitely helps with the relaxation.

Tia - aiming at first training/intro events at the end of this year. 5 yo straight out of racing - she is not racing fit now, but she is certainly a lot fitter than the average horse - would be more than capable of jumping around XC course at 450mpm without undue stress. She lives out, 24/7 on fairly decent grazing, one feed a day (country cubes, micronized barley, molassed alfa-a and pink powder supplement) approximately 1.5 kilos of concentrates. Rugs on if it's raining since she is a TB. In winter she will be very heavily rugged. Shod every 6 weeks as feet not growing v quickly. Groomed daily, but only full groomed twice a week with some vague massage.

She is worked 6 days a week, averaging an hour a day. Lunged once or twice for half an hour, Schooled once or twice for 45 mins, jumped once a week for 45 mins and hacked twice a week for 1-3 hours with fast work included - she lives on top of a hill, so she is doing SERIOUS hill work every time we hack out - some of these hills will put a sweat on a horse even at walk.

....

When Ferdie was eventing at Novice, and competeing at full format 3DE (RC champs) he was also living out 24/7 (did so for all but 4 months of the year, when he had to come in overnight due to clay ground) worked for an average of 1 to 1 and a half hours a day, 6 days a week - schooled 3 times, hacked 3 times. He did fast work once or twice a week - we had one good nearly mile long uphill stretch for galloping subject to ground conditions. We used local fun rides for fittening work - he could power around a ten mile ride in a matter of an hour or two.

He was a good doer, so fed about 1kg of concentrates a day, but this was a v high energy oat based mix. On good grazing the rest of the time, and when the grazing ran out late summer, he was on ad lib good quality hay - often many kilos in a night. Not rugged at all in the summer come rain or shine.. various supplements for his headshaking... shod every 4 and a half to 5 weeks, saw the physio 4 times a year. No fancy grooming, as he hated it - he did get to cool down under heat lamps after exercise though.

....

Instructors horse at the time was competing at Intermediate and CIC** - ful TB, ex advanced horse, 17 yearsold. He also lived out 24/7 all year, on about 2kg of hard food a day.... no fancy care, fast work once or twice a week... he thrived on it - put him in a stable for just a day and that was your dressage score ruined

 

[TableDancer]

Currently 4 on yard (one daughter's pony Intro-ing, one 6yo Intro-ing, one on 3 months injury holiday, one 8yo N planning to do Int and 1* before end season). All out at night, in during day - out of flies, and in some cases to keep waistline in check! 2 have haylage, one hay, one nothing in daytime. Allfed twice a day, contents depends on individual, but all have some Alfa-Oil and salt - electrolytes only day before, of and after an event (and only at the mo while really hot, noramlly salt seems enough). Work 5 times a week, mostly schooling in arena, say 1 hack/interval training in school and 1 competition (event/sj). Nearer the 3 day, that horse will work 6 days a week and I will make sure he does canter work every 4 days.

In the past have had horses competing up to Advanced CCI** - regime not wildly different, obviously more concentration on fitness aspect, using local gallops with heart-rate monitor to ensure they work hard enough. Last time round still competed from nightime turnout - seems to help their heads, although I used to stable before I discovered this, and if I had a real fatty I would probably have to go back to this.

Teeth once a year or a bit more. Physio when needed, say average every 6 weeks (not the pony - more like twice a year for him

) Lessons when I have time/can afford it, have had regular Peter Murphy jump lessons this season about once a month, otherwise done one Mary King xc clinic and one Peter Storr flat lesson this year. Would love to do more...

 

[Gamebird]

One Nov/Int/* horse - is on a strict-ish regime at the mo with the hills at Blair in consideration (jockey is too

). Worked 6 days a week, cantered or competed every 4 days (ie. aim to canter every 4 days but replace the canter with an event if were doing one). Currently doing three 5 min canters in the school split up by 3 min walk. I'll build this up to 3x7mins the week before as he is quite heavily built and will need to be super-fit. I also hope to get out of the school cantering soon as it is deadly boring! The other days are mostly schooling, the odd hack, jump once a week or so.
He's fully clipped (nose to tail to toes!) to counteract his carthorse breeding so he does have a light rug on at night unless it's really warm.
Eats alfa-A oil, sugar beet and spillers instant response in bank-breaking quantities. No other special treatment really!

PN horse - tend to amble about until a week or so before an event when I have a panic and school it for 5 days in a row! Lives out at the mo, only fed when ridden (probably 5x a week). Tends to get picked up for events and dropped again if there's nothing on the horizon. I'm very bad for lacking inspiration if there's nothing to aim for.

 

[ColouredFan]

One horse at Novice aiming for 1* this year or start of next season, he lives out from May to September, get no hay or haylege gets fed once a day, jandfull of chaff and level small scoup of Barley rings (he is allergic to anything else!) Aloe vera juice 60ml Global herbs anti itch powder, corn oil and linseed oil with 4 pieces of brown bread ripped up on top.

He is ridden 6 days a week, hacked 4/5 times a week for an hour to an hour and a half, schooled at least one a week sometimes twice. Canters every four days and the day before a BE event to help settle the dressage. He has made the time at Novice every event this season.

 

[Bossanova]

Odin (10yrs 2*) on walker for 1 hour am, turned out rest of day, ridden for 45mins minimum- schooled, jumped or lunged with canterwork (3 proper sets with a sprint at the end) every 5th day.
1 scoop comp mix, 1 AA and topspec twice a day (he has to watch his waistline!)

Moon, on the otherhand (7yrs intermediate) lives out on 4 scoops show mix/day. Ridden 5 times a week which is 1 set of canterwork, 1 long fittening hack and 3 schooling sessions. Occaisionally I'll ride her in the field on the 6th day too. She walks up a steep hill 5 times a week

 

[MillbrookSong]

like you TE ive been reading Mary Roses - Event riders hand book!! very interesting but as lec said probs if your doing it full time more - but would say for anyone doing there 1st 3 day its very usful even if it cam out in 1986!!!

well song is on about 6kg of food in 3 feeds, 2 wedges of haylage and out from 8-2ish

worked 6 days a week - 1 flat lesson and 1 jump lesson a week the jest is hacking, cantering and bits of flat at home.

This week however is a bit different!! Off on sat, hack sun, hack and flat mon, jump tonight, flat lesson tomorrow, hack thurs, gatcombe PC jumping on fri, hack sat, BSJA sunday, jump lesson mon and in to hatpury via flat trainer on tues!!

He thrives on work!!

 

[Gamebird]

I have a 2nd hand copy of The Event Groom's Handbook by Jeanne Kane and Lisa Waltman (Lucinda Green's head groom for many years), which is slightly out of date with the demise of long format but full of good, sound advice.

 

[TableDancer]

One thing I've found interesting from this lot is how many of us only work them 5 times a week - I was feeling guilty assuming everyone else finds time 6 times... Must admit it never seems to do mine any harm, although I do go up to 6 before a 3 day.