How do you mange working and competing the next day ?

[Leam_Carrie]

Hope all goes well. You can do a lot learning the test at home and visualising doing it. Once went on a work leadership thing with sports phycologist and he was all about visualisation for top level sport. Equally I like to practice my moves in the kitchen in miniature - but look ridiculous walking, trotting, cantering, halting etc.

 

[McFluff]

Good luck

 

[teddypops]

And on a totally separate point, why is your boss making you attend work when you have booked (and presumably had approved) an annual leave day???

Exactly! I would have just said ‘sorry, I’m not around’.

 

[Lucky Snowball]

The judge should not be judging your tack or your turnout. I'd forget plaiting and leave cleaning tack. Enjoy yourself.

 

[bouncing_ball]

Exactly! I would have just said ‘sorry, I’m not around’.

Sometimes give and take on both sides works. OP has says she is able to slip out for horse related appointments in work time Etc.

I prefer flexibility on both sides, to inflexibility on both sides!

 

[teddypops]

Sometimes give and take on both sides works. OP has says she is able to slip out for horse related appointments in work time Etc.

I prefer flexibility on both sides, to inflexibility on both sides!

If it’s only a half day holiday, I would not be spending that going back to work for a meeting, irrelevant of anything else.Driving 45 minutes home to be called back in, so a 45 minute drive back, a meeting, then another 45 minute drive home, that’s most of the afternoon gone plus extra fuel. If it was a week off, then maybe.

 

[LEC]

It’s perfectly manageable if you don’t have stupid restrictions on time at the yard. I wouldn’t be able to operate like that as quite often riding first horse at 6am in summer or off eventing at 4am.
I get why some livery yards do it but it can’t be a yard which understands competing.

 

[scats]

Thanks all I just have to learn another test . I figured I actually have an hour 20 between classes so plenty of time to plait other up . I have kinda thrown everything in the lorry and wiped over the tack . It will do ! Starting to wonder if I spend to much time getting ready to compete ?

Ive condensed my competition prep down to about 45 minutes. Chuck some plaits in, load the lorry, chuck horse in, off we go!

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Thanks all I just have to learn another test . I figured I actually have an hour 20 between classes so plenty of time to plait other up . I have kinda thrown everything in the lorry and wiped over the tack . It will do ! Starting to wonder if I spend to much time getting ready to compete ?

I used to spend hours getting ready for dressage. Horse trimmed each time, plaited. Tack cleaned, horse cleaned. For unaff stuff I now wipe over tack, horse gets dragged out of field and brushed over. No plaiting if unaff and off we go!! Wish I'd done it years ago! Showing however is a different matter .....!!

 

[Ample Prosecco]

And on a totally separate point, why is your boss making you attend work when you have booked (and presumably had approved) an annual leave day???

this! You booked the time off because you needed the time off and had plans.If I was having a random day off and didn’t actually have plans then I’d be flexible but you did have plans. Unless your contract allows leave to be cancelled at short notice then I’d simply have said sorry can’t help. What would you have done if you had expensive theatre tickets? A bridesmaids rehearsal? Taking an elderly relative to a hospital appt? When I was employed I was very protective of my time off and now that I am an employer I would not dream of making someone cancel leave.

 

[ycbm]

. No plaiting if unaff

There's no rule you have to plait for affiliated either.
.

 

[humblepie]

Like Fern007 always spent hours and still do for showing. As mentioned before basically clean and tidy does us for dressage. It’s weird I love turning a horse out really well but i stopped plaiting for dressage to protect his mane as much as anything as I always sew plaits.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

There's no rule you have to plait for affiliated either.
.

I just plait for aff as everyone else does!!

 

[spotty_pony]

I used to Event one of mine around working full time and he was also on DIY. As others have said, having a time restriction of when you can and cannot be at the yard isn’t going to help you so may be best to look for somewhere with mor flexibility long term.

I used to finish work at 5 and then be at the yard for around 5.20. I would never ride the day before unless I wasn’t working. I would bath the night before and get as much of my stuff together and in the lorry as possible. Haynet and water for the next day would also be prepared. I always make feeds for the morning the night before to save time. I would chalk his legs to save time the next day too. (yes I even used to chalk for Eventing!!) He was hogged so I didn’t need to plait. I would be at the yard however long this took me and then I’d take my tack home and clean it at home. Sometimes I would do it the night before if I knew I wasn’t going to be riding again before the Show.

On the morning, it would be arrive, feed, skip out if time, quick groom, brush off the chalk and oil his hooves and load up and go.

It is doable, you just need to very organised. Good luck!

 

[Lady Jane]

@Mary3050 How did it go today?

 

[Red-1]

I just plait for aff as everyone else does!!

Not everyone, I don't!

@Mary3050 How did it go today?

Yes, that is what I c.licked on for, how did it go|?

 

[Mary3050]

Ive condensed my competition prep down to about 45 minutes. Chuck some plaits in, load the lorry, chuck horse in, off we go!

I think I need lessons in this ?

 

[Mary3050]

@Mary3050 How did it go today?

Not everyone, I don't!

Yes, that is what I c.licked on for, how did it go|?

Well it went well all things considered. Apart from I forgot the dressage pad for the dressage saddle and the big uns is’t a dressage cut saddle ? . No plaits fine may do that more often . Urm I forgot one bit of the test which was 2 marks less I think . Crazy horse was the usual nut case could have done with longer on the lunge . We had a bolt and a few bucks ? but he got his self together for the next one to be 2nd with above 68 . The other got a 1st and 2nd with 72% and 69% so not a bad day overall

 

[Lady Jane]

@Mary3050 Proves you don't need plaits! Good results, you must be pleased

 

[GreyDot]

I'd kill for those percentages Well done!

 

[southerncomfort]

Well done!

 

[MagicMelon]

For future, always pack the lorry as much as possible after each competition so its pretty much ready to go again. Ive learnt to do this as I have a job and 3 kids, so always run out of time so I do as much as possible in the week or so prior to the event (like tack cleaning some days before if necessary, yeah it wont be spotless by then but better than not cleaned at all), do you really have to plait? I don't know what level you're at, if its BD then yeah sure but if its just low level unaffiliated then Id probably not plait. I also groom horse thoroughly day before then rug up (lives out), at least I then don't have a super thick mess of a tail to brush out the next day which takes ages, just a quick brush and off we go.