First one day event nerves

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SirDuke

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Am doing my first one day event in a few weeks and wanted to know if anyone had any tips. It is at Pachesham (Surrey). If it goes well, we were thinking of entering the BE80(T) at Munstead at the end of September. We've done a few hunter trials and lots of dressage/jumping out and about and cross country schooling and he's got a huge jump so I'm not really worried about him, I'm worried about me! How do I keep my nerves in control?!
 
Dont think of it as a ODE. You are doing dressage. You are doing Showjumping. You are doing Hunter Trial. You just happen to be doing them all on the same day.
If not of the individual items bother you then doing an event should not either.
 
That's a good point PaddyMonty, thanks! I am a bit daunted by the cross country but you're right, it is just a hunter trial. I don't know why I feel so nervous, I know my horse can do it. I will just take each section at a time and try to enjoy it :)
 
Pachesham is quite nice and low key and relaxed, I think. I always go there on my own and with young horse and have a nice time. So you will be fine. Everything is close together and easy to find so there is no panic there. There is un unaf at Munstead the week after the BE event too which may be a better (cheaper) option.
 
Make sure you give yourself enough time - you don't want to be rushing around! I work backwards from my dressage time so I know when I want to get on, when to start tacking up, when I need to arrive etc.

Can someone come with you? Sis and I go to most comps together and have a system for managing each other's nerves, it's very helpful. Even just having another person there (not necessarily doing anything) seems to help me stay calm.
 
Thanks Newlands, that's good to know about Munstead as it is highly unlikely I'll get an entry anyway as I've only got a day pass and they ballot out quite a few! I think, depending on how he goes at Pachesham I'll decide whether to enter for Munstead and will definitely look into the unaffiliated ODE as that may take a bit of pressure off.
 
How much time would you recommend smja? As it is a full day I don't want to overdo it on the warm ups. Yes I will hopefully have someone come with me, I find that I pretend to be confident in front of a friend which then helps me to actually be confident, if that makes sense!
 
if it helps you I took my youngster to Pachesham for his first ever experience of an ODE this time last year and it was ever so friendly, everyone was lovely and we had a great time.

As others have said, just treat each discipline seperately, relax and enjoy the day
Good Luck !
 
Thanks madlady I will try! :D I tend to only enjoy myself after it's finished and looking back at it - my partner wonders why I do it!!!
 
SirDuke said:
How much time would you recommend smja? As it is a full day I don't want to overdo it on the warm ups. Yes I will hopefully have someone come with me, I find that I pretend to be confident in front of a friend which then helps me to actually be confident, if that makes sense!
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It very much depends on your horse - do whatever works for you at home, taking into account how long you leave between phases. Just make sure you warm the muscles up again if standing for a while.
Mine isn't the best example of timing as he gets hotter and hotter the more work he does, it's a balancing act between getting him working properly and boiling over. I try to compress the jumping phases together as much as possible, otherwise there's no talking sense to him.

ETA don't feel like you need to do lots of jumping in the warmup unless your horse needs it to settle. You're there to make sure the muscles are stretched and ready, not to practice jumping fences!
 
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