How many of us cool down at a competition???

[_jetset_]

At the olympics, one thing that stood out to me above anything else was the way Isabel Werth did not dismount once she had completed the test as every other rider did; instead she took Satchmo back into the warm up and stretched him down.

It got me thinking... how many of us actually cool their horses down after a competition?

I always make sure I take my two back in the warm up to stretch them down, especially Grace as I like to make sure everything has cooled down after what she has been through. However, I get so many tuts and sighs and scowls from other riders who are trying to warm their horses up. And at one venue (which I will not name) I was actually told I could not go back into the warm up unless I was entered into the next class as there were already 5 people in there

 

[cobden99]

Not me

I usually get off and walk straight back to the box ..
Worth thinking about though

 

[SillyMare]

Never go back into the collecting ring - sometimes go for a bit of a hack.

Good point though - worth thinking about - I should be more conscientious!

 

[lucemoose]

I hack around the lorry park or try to take the horse with me whilst I roam around, he happily stands and waits to share a burger.
I can understand that the warm up is just that for competitors but do hate when people leap off and load up.

 

[H-J]

I always cool mine down i take them for a walk round our farm after schooling/jumping. i also take them for a good walk round the farm before

The cool down is just as important as the warm up

 

[chester1234]

I always find the lorry park is enough of a walk away from the ring / xc finish to give my boys a walk off. I dismount as soon as I cross the finish, loosen my girth and walk them off in hand. If the lorry park is close, I'll take them back to the lorry, sponge them off and then walk them around with their thermatexes on. Usually I don't take them back to the lorry until they've got their breath back.

It's a good point, but the riders that you didn't see walking off may have taken the horses to sponge off then walk off, as they may have wanted to get the tack off because of the conditions?

 

[RhiannonColeman]

Dont go back into the collecting as we do jumping and it would be unfair to competitors warming up, but we always cool down around the lorry park with similar exercises that we would start a warm up with.

 

[BBs]

[ QUOTE ]
I always cool mine down i take them for a walk round our farm after schooling/jumping. i also take them for a good walk round the farm before

The cool down is just as important as the warm up

[/ QUOTE ]

I think what OP was saying do we cool down at competitions.

I like you do the same at home, eventing you normally have to walk back a fair distance to the lorry, so automatically cool the horse down. But dressage I know I normally come back to the lorry - I do get off however immediately after the test.

Its definitely something to think about.

 

[_jetset_]

I started thinking about it more once Grace started coming back into work, and then watching Isabel jogged my memory somewhat

I see so many people, from Prelim to Advanced just come straight out of the arena, a short walk to the box and load the horse in the space of 5 minutes... and this got me thinking because we all make sure we cool down well enough at home. Why do we not do the same out competing? (and I have also been guilty of it on several occasions)

 

[Santa_Claus]

normally will go back to the collecting ring if not too busy and walk round on a loose rein and a loosened girth to stretch off, otherwise will take a wander about for 10 mins to stretch off and cool down the horse.

Would imagine at the olympics they were walked round in hand once their core body temperatures were brought down...

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

Daughter always does.

 

[_jetset_]

Oh I'm not doubting the horses at the Olympics were cooled down... I just liked how Isabel did it and it is something that really struck a cord with me

 

[rara007]

We always do, TBH after the exertions of the marathon not walking them off is likely to be a sure fire way to get problems. Usually though, after Dressage or dressage and cones we walk around the lorry park, but after a marathon we take them straight out, give them a treat, hose down, let them have a roll, walk them in hand around all the lorries then give them electrolytes.

 

[only_me]

usually the lorry park is quite a trek from the xc start and finish, so when i finish the xc i dont dismount - i was told not to by old fashioned instructor/YO

sometimes its safer me riding him back than walking beside him

but i hack back on a loose rein and let him stretch. depending on whether the event is at beach, i take him down and take boots off and walk him in the sea for his legs and hack in the sea/sand.

at lorry wash off if needed and then walked around till dried off.

 

[pocket]

Its strange that you mentioned this as I always cool off after a lesson, but I've not been riding for a year and my trainer rides twice a week for me, I have just hosed Ralph off to cool him this summer, but today, a friend was at the yard and I asked her to cool him off in the school and stretch him out. I would normally take him for a hack after a lesson.

 

[henryhorn]

We stay on the stallion for at least five ten mins and walk him round with a loose girth, as it's safer to be on him than off and being older he takes that bit longer to recover despite being pretty fit. The last event he was hot but not sweating at all, but we cooled him down for ages after his walk round with the shower spray, and as a result he was bone dry again within 20 mins..
I know what you mean is cool down as in stretching but we find actually physically cooling them seems to prevent any muscle spasms after competitions.
He used to get tight muscles in his quarters until we started doing this, and now they don't appear at all.
There is usually a reasonable walk on a long rein back from the XC course eventing anyway, but I have seen lots of people just jump off and ignore their horses whilst they tell their helpers how the round went...

 

[Miss Tipps]

Always, always have a strict cooling off routine. I don't dismount at the end of XC, as OPs have said. I -use the walk back to the lorry as an initial cool-off walk. Get there, strip him off, get his neo-ice bandages straight on, quick wash down, then head off for a lap (or two) of the lorry park. When he gets back I'll wash him off properly and let him have a drink and then, depending on the weather, he can stand and eat and dry off; take him for another leisurely walk (throw a cooler on him if necessary). Only then will he go in the trailer.

I think its really important that he is catered for first and I always make sure that he's comfortable and that I minimise the possibility for any risk to his health. Jeez, he's easy enough to break!!!

 

[sachak]

i always go for a wander and makes sure they arent "puffing" if they are hot il hose/sponge em off and the put cooler rug on em and take for in hand walk x

 

[Booboos]

Yes always cool down at competitions (dressage) and have a routine for what I do (usually trot long and low in large circles on both reins and then walk). I do go back into the collecting ring and no one has ever complained, although if it was very very busy I would skip the trot and walk in the car park instead.

 

[Little_Mare]

I usually walk around the car park unless I've already walked miles from the ring! I'll sometimes go back in the warm-up ring but only if it's very quiet.

 

[lucym]

i have been guilty in the past of not cooling down, but i am now much more contientious.
the massage therapist that works on my horse says it is vital to cool down, and walk for atleast 10 minutes, and preferably after XC to trot in a long low frame to allow the muscles to loosen off, then walk etc.
i always go back into the warm up and cool down after Dr/SJ etc,eery little thing to aid performance and the horses wellbeing is worth it imo

 

[Tempi]

I always cool down after riding and at competitions. Il generally go back into the warmup arena, if not il just walk him around the carpark for a bit. Im paranoid about things like that tho!

 

[H-J]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I always cool mine down i take them for a walk round our farm after schooling/jumping. i also take them for a good walk round the farm before

The cool down is just as important as the warm up

[/ QUOTE ]

I think what OP was saying do we cool down at competitions.

I like you do the same at home, eventing you normally have to walk back a fair distance to the lorry, so automatically cool the horse down. But dressage I know I normally come back to the lorry - I do get off however immediately after the test.

Its definitely something to think about.

[/ QUOTE ]

whoops! I did reply last night saying whoops but it didnt work!

As BB's said at BE events there is always a long way to walk everywhere so that cools them down, but at BD and BSJA I usually go for a walk around the car park after

 

[Halfstep]

I always cool down, but don't go back to the warmup unless its really quiet. I'll walk around the lorry park on a long rein, and then walk in hand with the saddle on for around 10 mins. Same as at home, really.

 

[happihorse]

I thought exactly the same thing! She was the only one who took him back to cool him off in the warm up arena after each test.

I always walk my horse off after each test until his breathing has returned to normal, but since seeing Isabel I have actually been trotting him out stretching over his back and then bringing him back to walk and stretching down again. I spend at least 10 minutes doing this.

I've never been told I wasn't allowed to do this at a competition but I do get some funny looks from people!

 

[Bossanova]

I have to say, in the stifling humidity of Hong Kong, I'm not sure trotting circles is necessarily cooling off......
After the eventing dressage in HK most people jumped off and got their horses into the misting tent as soon as possible to get their temperature down and then the horses were walked in hand by the grooms.

At competitions I rely on the walk back to the lorry to cool off and then walk in hand if required to get respiration rate down.

 

[MagicMelon]

Depends what the horse has just done. If its just dressage I dont generally do much more than just walking back to the box. But obviously do cool them down more if they're puffing after a SJ jump off or XC. XC though I go straight back to the box, take off everything pronto and wash down & put on cooling bandages before walking about properly.

 

[happihorse]

I agree with your comments about the heat Boss - 'cooling off' is probably not the ideal description, but surely it is important to stretch and relax the horse's muscles in a controlled way after intense work - wouldn't you agree?