Competition Horses....their weekly routine, turnout and feed?

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MillionDollar

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I was just thinking about the Comp horses on my yard and thought how similar they are worked, turned out and fed.

So:

What is your Competition horses' work routine for an average week?
What turnout do they have?
What are they fed?
 
I don't know if Sienna qualifies as a competition horse, but she's the horse I have currently who has competed....

When PN eventing & showing (at a decent level) she was getting

24 hour turnout generally
45 minutes hack most days
schooling once a week
1 competition a week

hay & grass & some supplements with chaff/nuts
 
My own is a 6yo Welsh D who is competing Prelim/Novice BD and working Elementary at home.

He is schooled 4 times a week for an hour at a time, lunged once and hacked once. He also goes on the walker for 30mins per day.
Every so often he is also loose jumped, jumped and taken for a gallop.

Summer, he is out pretty much 24/7 with a few hours in here and there, just when he gets a bit tired. Winter he is in 24/7 as he won't stay out.........he's a complete pansy with rain :p

He is fed:

1 scoop of Oats
1/2 scoop of D&H Competition Concentrate
1/2 scoop of Alfa A Oil
1/2 scoop of Readigrass

300g of cooked linseed
Garlic
Suppleaze Gold
NAF EnerG

split into 2 feeds and he is spot on condition/weight wise.

A few of my liveries have Advanced dressage horses and are pretty much the same as above even though they are DIY.
 
my 10 yr old eventer and 4yr old are out 24/7 till end of Sept when they will be in at night out during day.

Fed just build up nuts atm as the grass in their field is plentiful!!!!

Given 1-2 days off a week each and when ridden never do the same thing twice in a row eg hack, school, day off school, fast work etc
 
My big one who is a 16.2 German Warmblood gets schooled everyother day for about 30mins and on the day he doesnt get schooled he gets a 45min hack with a 5min canter / strong trot.

He has 24 hour turnout and is fed on calm and condition and grass nuts (over three feeds a day), and two large haynets a day.

We compete at either BD or BSJA everyother weekend throughout the whole year.

In summer he just has a fly sheet on and in winter he has a heavyweight turnout and maybe an under rug if its very cold.
 
Twizzy events upto PN/BE100

She gets:
Hacked 5 days a week good hack, with road work, hills etc and fast work.
Schooled/Lesson once a week
competed once a week and then the following day off,

this does change as somethimes, more lessons in the week so this = less hacking.

also do xc schooling etc at weekends when not competing for a while.

She is living out 24/7 ATm but will come in over winter.

she is fed, 1/2 scoop of ride and relax and 1 scoop of chaff, garlic, codliver supplement, lots of yummy carrots, and polos becuase i <3 her :D

in the winter she will be on the same feed with hay at night, she will also eat most of her straw!!
 
i guess my boy could be classed as a competition horse.. :D

he is out 24/7 (has been for nearly 2yrs now) although the last 2 winters he has been on holiday. i am planning to keep him in lighter work this winter with the odd dressage/SJ comp so i may bring him in at night so i can clip him out.

currently fed: (all measures stubbs scoop)
1x AlfaA Oil
1x Baileys All Round Endurance mix (no6)
1x cup Baileys lo cal balancer

he has that twice a day, plus half a slice of hay (v big bales) due to lack of grass. in the winter i will add 1/2 speedi beet to each feed and more hay. he also has ArthriAid and pink powder, plus electrolytes as needed.

current work load: (eventing at BE90/100)
1x schooling session a week. 1x jumping a fortnight and 1x event a month. the rest is all hacking. he is worked 5/6 days a week for an hour (more if hacking). luckily he is a naturally active TB so does not need to be mega fit.
 
Dela is competing at elementary and medium, but she's working advanced medium at home.

She's ridden 5 or 6 times a week - she has a day off the day after a lesson and a competition. Depending on the weather we might go for a hack round the village (she's a bit dangerous if its windy or cold) but she's schooled for 30 mins+, so not long really.

In her feed she has:
Horse & Pony Nuts
Hi-Fi Lite
Oats
Garlic
Oestress

She gets turned out every day (unless its really bad snow!) from about 7 until either 11.30 if its bad weather or until 1.30/2 if the weather's okay. She's then ridden at 3 or 4, depending on if I'm at school. She gets her feeds at 6.30 and after riding, she then has night haylage about 7.30. She has haylage all afternoon.
 
Lucky is a 5yr old 15.3 ISH (3/4ish tb) mare. She is fit to go Intro/PN eventing, and mainly SJ's at BN/Disco at the moment a few times a month, with lessons/schooling inbetween.

She lives out 24/7 (except the occasional day in if it is really miserable/fly weather!) on good grazing (too good for horses really!)

She is fed 1x scoop of Winergy Medium, and 1x scoop Winergy Low split over 2 feeds. She also gets Superflex and Equine America Airways supplements. She will be on ad lib hay in the winter, with hayledge if she looses condition. I also add Speedibeet/Fast Fibre to her feed in the winter to replace the moisture/fibre content she gets from grass in the summer.

She gets worked 5/6 times a week, and is a mixture of hacking, schooling and jumping. She will jump/do poles at least 1x a week and school once a week minimum. The hacking is a mixture of walk work with hills, and faster hacks with upto 3x 2min canters. If she goes out jumping, she probably won't jump at home that week.

I will occasionally lunge her for variety, and this will get more as the winter sets in as more of her work will be in the school.

Maintenance wise, she gets shod every 5-6 weeks, and has her Equilibrium massage pad on 4x a week minimum, and does carrot stretchs a few times a week! Teeth are done every 6mnths :D
 
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My 6 year old 17hh ISH has evented this season at BE90 and will doing BE100 by the end of the season.

He gets fed:
1 x scoop conditioning nuts
1 x mup of feed balancer
1 x scoop chaff

Twice daily with garlic and hoof supplement in his dinner.

Work wise he does approx:
5 days work, approx 3 days hacking between 45mins and 2 hrs and 2 days schooling for no more than 45 mins, mostly flat with the odd jump. Random lessons, maybe once every 6 weeks. I can't keep him any fitter as he is a loon to hack out otherwise! He copes fine with xc and doesn't tire easy. If i compete on consecutive weekends for a few weeks he needs some down time after, prob 2/3 days otherwise he's quite wired!
I will however increase his canterwork when doing BE100 and see what he's like with that.
 
Lisamd said:
My 6 year old 17hh ISH has evented this season at BE90 and will doing BE100 by the end of the season.

He gets fed:
1 x scoop conditioning nuts
1 x mup of feed balancer
1 x scoop chaff

Twice daily with garlic and hoof supplement in his dinner.

Work wise he does approx:
5 days work, approx 3 days hacking between 45mins and 2 hrs and 2 days schooling for no more than 45 mins, mostly flat with the odd jump. Random lessons, maybe once every 6 weeks. I can't keep him any fitter as he is a loon to hack out otherwise! He copes fine with xc and doesn't tire easy. If i compete on consecutive weekends for a few weeks he needs some down time after, prob 2/3 days otherwise he's quite wired!
I will however increase his canterwork when doing BE100 and see what he's like with that.
Click to expand...

He lives out 24/7 unless he is competing early, then he will stay in the night before :)
 
Herbie (17.1 8 ISH) currently competing BE100. Have to work pretty hard to keep the weight off him but he can also be a bit lazy so needs a bit of oomph in his diet.

Pretty much out 24/7 at the moment although not a huge amount of grass in the field so he does get haylage as well PM.

Fed
AM
1 x comp mix am
Pm
1 x copra
1 x comp mix

Worked 6 days a week, he doesn't hack as he is just horrible and spends too much time napping, rearing or planting himself for it to be enjoyable/productive for either of us! So he does a variety of work in the school(luckily we have three to choose from), jumping, cantering, pole work and flatwork and is worked for between 30 mins- 1 hr dependent on what we are doing and how he is going. He is occasionally lunged and does go for a canter once a week around the XC field at the yard. He also goes on the walker 3 x week for an hour at a time.
 
When Bloss was competing she was out during the day and in at night all the time. She was fed comp mix and chaff with global herbs move free + pollen x. She was generally hacked once a week, lesson once a week, schooled twice a week and lunged once a week with the other day either competing or hacking/jumping.

Now however ive realised that it makes no odds whether she lives in or out as she is quite happy doing both... Shes out 24/7 now and on 2 cups of stud balancer morning and even with a stubbs scoop of chaff in each and the same supplements as above. I could easily go out and compete her the same level she was at before (elementary/medium BD) on what she is doing now, in fact i keep getting tempted but tell myself i musnt!! (As shes 3 months pregnant now).

She will come in once the bad winter weather sets in but at the moment she is quite content living out.

I ride her 4 times a week now - generally one pessoa session, one hack and two schooling sessions. I quite often teach people on her aswell in the week so sometimes she does 5 days.
 
Nugget is competing most weekends BSJA

feed: 2 scoops Alfa- A
1 scoop Hi-Fi
2 scoops competition mix
1 Scoop flaked maize
red cell
cortaflex
Electrolytes when needed

That is over 3 feeds a day, and 2 haynets a day

Work: hack 2/3 times
school: 2/3 times
show: 1/2 times a week
Always has a day off ater a show and may jump once in the week in a lesson

Turnout: 1 hour a day and on a day off he has 2 hours
Goes on the horse walker for an hour a day to
 
star is 5yo, competing BD elem, schooling adv med.

out 7am-3pm and in overnight all year round.

does 3 schooling sessions, one hack, and a pole or jump session per week, so works 5 days a week.if he competes he doesnt do the polework session, but then has 2 days off followed by a hack.

feed:

2 1/2 winergy condition
2 mugs linseed
1 scopp speedibeet
2 mugs oats

split in to two feeds, plus vit e/selenium, suppleaze gold, seaweed, slippery elm powder and electrolytes.

i do keep mine well rugged, they are fully clipped in winter and often wear a couple of thermatexs, a quilt and 2 x HW's etc. even in summer they usually have a light sheet on.
 
Merlin events novice/1*

His weekly structure is this (its more work than he would normally get as he is getting more fit)

Monday - Hill work and long hack - appx. 1 hour and half hill work and the rest hacking (to and from the hill :p)

Tuesday - Long hack and Interval training

Wednesday - Short hack and Dressage Lesson

Thursday - At the moment we go to gallops

Friday - Run through Dressage test and/or Jump

Saturday - Event

Sunday - Hack or day off.

He gets turned out after his work, so normally 12-5pm

He gets scoop and a 1/3 of competition mix, liquiflex, flax oil and biotin :)
 
Lisamd said:
If i compete on consecutive weekends for a few weeks he needs some down time after, prob 2/3 days otherwise he's quite wired!
Click to expand...

That's quite interesting as I've a full TB for the first time, and he gets "wired" after competing or xc schooling/fast work- fine for a school but terrible to hack!! But is hard work on down time too - just in such a rush to be turned out me me me style

competing BE90, turned out during day and in at night with hay at the mo,

quite lightly fed -so doing quite well - 1 and 3/4 scoop hi fibre mix in 2 feeds small scoop sugar beet in eve feed half cup of cod liver oil and electrolytes.

work wise, jump school x2, inc flat work as warm up
flat x2 or 1 flat 1 xc school or fast work
hack inc hills
comp
day off

Will be more or less 24/7 in winter with lots of rugs
 
15.3 14yo heavy type event mare at intro, PN next year
schooling 40 mins weekdays, one lesson a week (alternate dressage and jumping), 3-4 hacks a week ranging from 30 mins to 3 hours, usually one competition a week and pessoa once a week. occasional xc schooling and rallies. day off day after an event
1scp alfa a oil
1scp d&h comp mix
1/2 speedi beet
stroppy mare

in the winter combined system and adlib hay (she also gets carrots in winter)
in winter work will drop off considerably as event season ends and we do not have lights so i cannot ride after school, so my mum will hack her in the week and i will do 3'3" unaff sj and unaff prelim at low key venues.
in the summer turnout 24/7 except the morning of an event or early lesson/rally
 
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Ok not sure mine ISA 'competition horse' strictly being a 14.2 Arab but he competes most weekends, sj up to 1m, dressage novice level (elem at home) and eventing BE intro level. He is in most days for approx 6 hours on ad lib hay at the mo as not much grass, he dropped a bit of weight so now on two feeds a day of 3/4 scoop Staypower muesli, 1 scoop alfa a, he also has garlic, superflex and blue chip. He is ridden 5 times a week, usually 1x comp, 1x schooling and 3x hack. He keeps himself v fit anyway and is full
of beans, barely broke a sweat around MK last week. I rarely jump him at home these days.
The youngster is on a similar stabling routine but only 1 feed a day of ride and relax and alfa a, also blue chip garlic and superflex. He is ridden 4x a week, aim for 1x flatwork 1x poles/jump and 2x hack. Will replace one of the school sessions with lunge session in the winter!
 
Remy is a WB, 16.1hh currently competing BE100/PN. He is a relatively poor doer esp in winter.

He is on 24/7 turnout until end September when he will come in overnight and the rugs will start to pile up. ;)

His week is usually alternate days of schooling and hacking flat/hills/fast work and with 1-2 of either lesson/comp/xc schooling and one day off. He also has a day off after an event.

He is currently on 2 x feeds of

1 small scoop alfa a
1.5 small scoops (about 1lb per scoop) of comp mix but transitioning to racing mix at suggestion of feed co to restore a bit of sparkle
1 mug performance balancer
Linseed oil

His condition is great atm and he's doing really well with his eventing. With uni work I struggle to keep him going over winter but hope to keep him going this year (my 3rd year - really???!!) and get him on his first hunting season and hoping to go up to Novice eventing next season.
 
Mine is a 16.2 dutch warmblood, 9 yrs old and working at PSG dressage. He's schooled around four to five times a week (at least two of these will be intensive, piaffe/passage work, pirouettes, etc) and hacked the rest. He's currently in at night and out during the day, all day, but not on lush grass at all. Until the nights got cold he was out 24/7. he's fed twice a day, oats, chaff and supplements (vit/min/balancer and joint supplement) and has adlib hay in his stable. I keep it simple but he looks good on it.
 
My horse 5yr old TB competes BD and being brought on for BS and BE. Normally out competing/clinics 3 times a month.

Turn out for 8 hours a day on good grass, in at night. (In during the day in the summer).

Feed - Alfa A oil, Baileys low cal balancer, magnitude during the spring and autumn. Kwik Beet during the winter.
4-5 sections of Hay and 1 of Haylage at night. In the winter when no grass he will have another 1/2 sections out in the field also.

Schooled 2/3 times a week, jumped once, 1hr hack twice a week. 1 day off (usually day after a comp).

That's it in a nut shell! :)
 
7 yo competing elem
out from 6.30 ish am to 5pm.
in at night with hay
feed winergy equilibrium senior and instant energy comp mix twice a day.

4 year old, just backed. competing wt/prelim.
same routine as above.
feed- winergy senior.
 
10yo competing up to intro/pn level unaff RC eventing and up to 1.10 sj (although only ever done one class at that level this year)

ATM out 24/7, ridden/lunged 4/5 times a week, mainly hacking, might school/jump once a fortnight at most
Fed: grass, with bit of basic coarse mix at feed times so he doesn't feel left out
Competes : Prob do max 10 BS comps a year with 2-3 odes. He has an easy life!!

In the winter he is in at night, gets ridden 2/3 times a week and will compete (disco - 1.05m) once every 2 months or so :)
 
How interesting that so many are out either all day or 24/7. Nice to know.

My lot come in from 6pm til 10pm to be fed and have a sleep. Ridden 5 times a week (fits in with work schedule). Hacks every day, galloping in stubble fields a moment. One flatwork lesson a month, one jumping lesson a month, and prob 2 comps a month. Doesn't usually get day off after sat/sun comp as off tues/wed each week, so quiter hack the day after a comp. Competing at BD nov, unaff Elem, jumping 1m SJ and eventing.

Fed nuts and oats with extraflex. Sugar beet and graze-on added in winter, when they come in every night.
 
Mine does Novice BE & 1.20 BSJA stuff.

Work-wise, I only have a grass paddock to ride in so when I ride and and what I do is totally dependent on the weather and ground conditions. I don't jump at home, purely because I prefer my horse fresh for jumping at weekends - he never goes stale either it this way. I dont get to ride every day, if its pouring rain then there's no point! I give him the day off after a comp as well, and occassionally the day before off too depending on the event (and how fresh I want him).

I've always kept all my horses out 24/7, even through the worst winters. Ive never found any of them to struggle with that and my current one loves being out. He keeps himself pretty fit as well which helps when I can't ride daily. Its also very good as he never gets stiff the day after an ODE etc.

Feed twice a day, each feed (increased slightly in winter):

1/2 scoop Baileys Top Line Conditioning Cubes.
1/2 scoop chaff (at the moment he just gets the ponies chaff which is happy hoof).
1/4 scoop Speedi-beet.
Locally made for area high-spec vit & min supplement.
Homemade electrolytes.
 
5 yo out competing BS up to 1.05m most weekends and starting to compete prelim BD

Turned out from 9am-5pm most days(yard doesnt allow t/o after bad weather to keep the fields from being ripped up)
Given 2 nets of haylage per day
Fed Baileys Lo-cal balancer, 1/4 scoop of baileys top line mi, 1/4 scoop of Alfa a oil 2x per day
Worked 5-6 times per week alternating between 20 mins-1hr of schooling, jumped 2x per week including shows and hacked once a week becuase we have to box them to safe hacking.

4yo competing Prelim BD, some BN at BS
Pretty much the same but only worked 4 days a week

Both are currently out of work though due to ringworm!! :rolleyes:
 
Rauti is ridden 6 days a week, fed Derby Sport pellets (a German feed...we can't choose our own brand); turnout varies, but he's out *at least* 3 hours every day, often more (and when it's really hot in the summer he is out all night, from 10pm to 6am).

Frodo: same as above but he is only ridden 5 days a week, one of which is lunging.
 
My 15yo ISH lives out in summer, and in when i judge that he needs to for a couple of months over winter.

He's fed on Equilibrium Medium, in varying amounts depending on the time of year and weather,

and a week's work is 2 or 3 days of 30- 45 min decent schooling, sometimes followed by a short 40 min hack, and the rest of the week he's hacked out for anything from 45 mins to 4 hours. he gets one day off.

i was reading the BHS definition of 'regular work' the other day is only 6 hours... my poor boy is probably on 2- 3 times that!!
 
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