How do you do it?

A

Alex_kate

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i really wanted to join the show jumping team for my riding club but the championship is at hartpury college which is about 4 and a half hours away.

does everyone travel this far? and how do the horses cope?
 
Horses do cope fine proviing they are travelling in decent transport with adequate room, air etc.

During the summer when we are doing BE my average journey is about 4 and a half hours and we have travelled up to 8 hours. My mare copes very well although it has got to take more out of her than just a short journey.

You should be fine go for it.
 
thanks its good to know other people can do it! do u travel and compete the same day? i dont think there is stabling so i'd have to set off at like 5am!!?!
 
I do a bit of both but to be honest I usually prefer to stable. It is less hectic and more relaxing for the horse particularly if stabling on site.

Could you book a stable? It is usually good fun and they may happy a party or other entertainment!
 
Good god. Speak to Sarah Jane - 4 hours is a regular journey for her lol

4 hours is pretty easy and shouldnt take too much if any out of your horse.

Most competition horses compete whether it be eventing, dressage, SJ and showing will travel around that number of hours and still be fine to compete at a reasonable level
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HAHA I remembered when I was younger just going to a show 45 minutes away was MILES!!! lol

Times have chanced.... my YOs sons horses are out in Germany, they were at a 3 day show in Germany then when the show finished on the sunday evening he travelled them back to England to go to then go the Lottery Training the following day! they then went back to Germany the day after that before competing again that weekend - didnt do them any harm
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So IMO go for it
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get on that team!!
 
as BBs said go for it.
We will travel up to 2 hours to go competing and they travel fine, all very lively.
Our horses have also traveled 4-5 hours regularly when I was at boarding school and they would come with me. They coped fine, never stressed.

ETS: we did all this travelling in a trailer
 
I competed for my riding club last year.The area qualifier took 2 hrs to get to and the London and Southeast Champs which was in Oxfordshire took about 3 1/2hrs to get there and almost 5hrs to get home again.We did the travelling on the same day as competing and provided as your horse is fit enough to jump and you remember to give electrolytes a few days before travelling it will have no ill effects on them at all.When we was at the area qualifier it was the hottest day of the year and the horses were still feeling very fresh when we got there.
 
I've travelled horses for up to 4hrs in a trailer and competed the same day (showing), but 4hrs is the maximum journey I would do if I was competing that day and travelling home. The horses seemed to cope absolutely fine, but if they're not used to it it can take a bit out of them concentration-wise I've found.
 
From Hampshire Hartpury would be about 2 and a half hours tops away from you in a trailer! I am guessing you are near Southampton? Hartpurys not that far....
 
The longest we have travelled with a horse is 13 hours! We split the journey over 2 days but the horse was fine. We don't have family holidays as we had horses so a trip away was our holidays and we would stay if travelling over 4 hours,
 
All I can say is we do the RC Champs, our club usually qualifies at least 1 team every year - at Lincoln and Warwickshire and we travel 10 hours.......!!!! Dont get me started on why on earth the BRC dont have their Champ venues in the MIDDLE!
 
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