How often do you compete?

[Firewell]

I'm just being nosey really!

How often do you take your horse out to competitions?

I've also posted this in NL to see what they say.

Thanks

 

[flyingfeet]

Starting shortly every weekend - but not necessarily with the same horses

Also most of these involve staying away, so any house jobs are put on hold until September!!

 

[Firewell]

Thanks Jen

I usually go out 1/2 times per month but over christmas usually have 1 or 2 months not going out. Probably works out around a dozen times a year. Mix of DR, SJ and ODE .

I've been out 5 times so far this year but this will slow down due to other commitments at some point.

I just get paranoid everything is for nothing if I don't keep taking him out to stuff but I think thats more an issue in my head than anything else!!

 

[flyingfeet]

The only thing it hurts is your bank balance!!
I go in seasons so don't do a lot all winter, but make up for it with a mad season

To a certain extent the more you get you horse out and about the better they should get as are more used to being in a strange environment

 

[tinap]

Take daughter competing almost every weekend usually BS, unaffil sj or PC xx

 

[HDPE]

About 3-4 times a month, with Kiwi doing most (sometimes doing 16 tests per month) and little girl Nellie doing less (8-12 tests a month).
It's a bit misleading since soon I'll be competing my 2, plus the 4 I have to sell on, so even though I'll still be doing around the same number of competitions I might be doing 10 more dressage tests per comp. (Sleepy just thinking about that amount of work!)

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Mine's a total fruitloop if I take him anywhere new, basically throws all his toys out the pram and behaves abominably; normally he's such a nice lad as well - naughty boy.

But the only place I can hope to compete and have him sane and sensible is the equestrian college where he was a college loan horse for two years - as soon as he gets out the lorry he's in the right frame of mind without being a total @ss ......... plus I've no transport of my own, which limits us a bit.

We had a super time at the TREC/Horse Agility winter series though ...... it WAS fun.

Sorry forgot to answer original question: I guess it would be about twice a year??? When my yard sharer is going basically!

 

[claire_p2001]

I compete 3-4 times a month and then go to lessons about twice a month on top, I go to about 4 away shows a year which are between 3-7 days long. If i have an away show I always keep the weekend before and after free to give him a rest.

 

[JustKickOn]

When I can. Going out twice in one week soon! Hoping to get out more over summer.

 

[Saratoga]

Not enough! Having three horses in full work to bring on, and working full time I don't get them out as much as I'd like. My event horse goes out about twice a month now, but before the event season started we didn't do any competitions, just training, as we ran out of time.

My dressage horse goes out probably once a month, and my baby horse a couple of times to training at the moment.

They all ideally need to go out more, but I just can't physically fit it in.

 

[KAZJAZ]

I try to get out once a fortnight so depending on what's on I can be out 3 weekends in a row or nowhere for a month...

 

[floradora09]

It varies- I'd say on average 2/3 times a month when we're 'busy' (lots of events coming up, or a series of more important comps that I don't want to miss).. but comfortably twice a month. Then (esp over winter) I won't go out for 6 weeks.. Eg this month is hectic- three events and a PC test (which I passed!), filling up every weekend, but May will be quieter as I've got exams, he could do with a couple of easier weeks etc..

I don't tend to have 'a competition' as a goal/reason for doing it all (not saying you do either- but referring to your all for nothing comment!), but the aim of getting to a certain standard/improving my riding/furthering my knowledge... and to do this I use the medium of competitions (dr, sj and eventing) and lessons. PC rallies are good too. So I'll work on something at home, and then measure how well it's going against lesson feedback or a run at an event...

Makes sense I think?!

 

[welshstar]

It depends with mine.
Over christmas time he doesn't really go out- I think he didn't compete for 2 months this last winter. As it starts to warm up, we venture out more- maybe once or twice a month. Then when the xc's started he's been out every weekend but opted to take this weekend off. I would say on average, he's out about 2-3 times a month. He sometimes goes out twice in one week and he'll sometimes not go out for 3 weeks in the summer.

I only go out for fun though so this will probably influence how much we go out. I only travel a max of 1 hour to compete and only go to stuff that really appeals to me and the pony. I find now it is too expensive and time consuming to take him out for the sake of it.

 

[rowy]

I don't compete at all over the winter (october- march) generally because we do dressage and dont want to risk entry fees in advance cos we don't like venturing out in the box in high winds/ ice/ snow. Then this month I will have done 4 competitions (2 dressage with Dancer= 4 tests, 2 with Rowan = 3 tests and 1 with Lola= showing).
Then Not doing any competitions during may as have uni exams.
Then have 4 months off uni. So will hopefully be doing 2 dressage comps with Dancer a month, 2 dressage with Rowan and 1- 2 shows with Lola if I haven't sold her. Also, will be doing extra with Rowan in form of small shows for showing classes and tiny tots showjumping practise/ competition.

 

[TelH]

I do showing, over the winter I might go out 2 or 3 times in total. In spring/summer I go out 3-4 times a month

 

[I See Clover]

Not at all at the moment Just bought my first trailer last week, so hoping to do some unaffiliated DR and SJ to get our confidence up!

 

[humblepie]

Another who shows so nothing over winter then normally 2 - 3 shows a month during the season but probably going to be less this year. At present since last October, have done 1 class.

When I used to show jump, used to do a lot more. When I look back at how many shows my little show jumping horse used to do, I am quite amazed. Also amazed how I found the time or money.

 

[star]

lots. normally out in the trailer twice a week, occasionally 3 times. that will normally be one show and one or two lessons but could be two shows and none or one lesson, just depends on what is on. Most of it is very local, literally 5 miles or so, apart from eventing which is obviously much longer journeys.

 

[LaurenB]

Twice a month ish, then 2 shows a year away from home one 5 days and the other 3

 

[.Redmerl]

Sadly not enough due to transport. Anyone in Leeds area wanting a travel partner to share diesel please get in touch!

 

[morrismob]

Me never, happy hacker ! Daughter events, at the moment we have done one every 2 weeks as its a new partnership so getting a run in but then in May we are quiet. During the winter we spend the time training with maybe the odd dressage and sj comp. Lessons at home once a fortnight but go out for xc once a month too. All this will depend on the ground over the summer months.

 

[spookypony]

When we were doing local unaff dressage within hacking distance, it was about 2x/month, with the odd Endurance thrown in when I had transport. Now that transport availability is coinciding (one hopes) with a healthy pony and a healthy me, I'm aiming for roughly 2 Endurance rides/month, with the odd bit of something else thrown in. Sounds pretty similar to most others!

 

[Jingleballs]

It varies month on month - from October to say February I'm probably only out once a month - sometimes not even that due to the weather.

Since February I've been out anywhere between 2 and 4 times a month. I try not to go out every weekend to give me and pony a bit of a break (and to catch up on all the housework I've neglected!)

 

[jess_asterix]

It varies really. I will have done 3 events in a month as if this weekend but then after that I don't have another event until the end of May because of uni work.

I will try and get to a dressage show between now and then though. I have a dressage lesson most weeks which I have to travel to (only 15 mins each way though)

Before I used to be at a show every weekend but I got thoroughly fed up of it and I was totally drained by the time Sunday night came so this year I am just doing what I want and if I start getting to the point where I feel it is a chore again I will back off.

 

[kirstyl]

Interesting reading! I tend to beat myself up because we haven't been out so much recently. We've done quite a bit of Prelim dressage successfully but after a few setbacks we haven't been out much at all this year. I do want to get out there again but having a break has been good for me and has made me evaluate why I have my horse. As a result of this and a lot of thinking I am moving my horse this weekend back to the yard where I know he was happy and settled. All being well, we'll be out and about soon competing, once or twice a month but main aim to enjoy him!

 

[vam]

Probaly about twice a month at the mo. I try and do a couple of comps plus a lesson in a month and give him and my oh a weekend off! As my oh drives my lorry I think is a bit unfair to drag him out every weekend so I try and keep a weekend free so that he can go off and do whatever he wants, he doesn’t mind taking me and enjoys the shows as much as I do but I like having a not so busy weekend every now and again as well. Plus it gets expensive.
I didn’t do anything really over last winter and he really grew up in that time and is really being fab out competing, I don’t know if it was the break or him growing up that has made the difference.
I didn’t do many shows with him before about 1 a month so I'm not sure yet on what is enough for him to enjoy it and too much that he goes off the boil. I will prob stick to 2 a month and if I can’t have a lesson I will just use the time to box out hacking or doinig something different like xc schooling instead.

 

[Rebecca1988]

2-3 times a month. We've got 5 horses all together 3 of them we compete, 1 of them is retired & the other is a baby (new addition). Find it really hard getting them out each month as me & my sisters like to make sure they have a variety of 'parties' to go too. Plus my poor bank hates me!