Preparation for BE80

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TwixMum

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After being a dressage diva for the past 15 years I've decided I'd like to have a go at doing an event :). Both pony and I have never been eventing.

So far this years weve managed to complete a hunter trial with just a stop at the water and quite a few time faults. We've been xc schooling once and plan to go next week also. We've also been to some jumping training nights at 85cm and plan to have a crack at 95 soon. We currently competing at Elementary dressage so should be fine although never on grass.

I plan to do an unaff ode in June then try a be80 in July. Do you think this would be ok to do and what fitnes/ prep work would you do?

At the moment we are schooling 3 times a week with a jump once a week the. Hacking once a week. I don't really have anywhere to go for long canters so have been doing some of this in the school. I've also been going running for my own fitness after running out of puff at the hunter trial.

Also any tips on what to expect or be prepared for. My mare only has front shoes on and has never worn studs. Friends have told ot me to shoe and stud but would rather not. Also I'm looking for some xc boots, I currently just use brushing boots but her legs get quite hot in them.

Sorry for the advice but do feel rather in the dark ATM and can't seem to find someone to go to lessons to or to ask
 
You have a fair bit to fit in to be ready for July, I would suggest some competitive SJ at at least 80cm, no need to be jumping 95 but to get in cold and have the pressure of competing rather than training would help you prepare.

I would also try and do another unaff if you can find one, even something at 70-75 will help with preparation, competition nerves, bring on fitness or give an idea of whether the horse is fit enough to do a BE, it depends what you want to get out of it but in my view better over prepared than ending the day feeling you had not done as well as you would have liked, I know it is about taking part but eventing is a high risk, expensive sport so you want to feel you have achieved something and a BE 80 while being a good introduction to eventing will be up to height.

Studs are not essential, you may need them more for the dressage and sj than xc but most horses should be fine on decent ground at that level without needing them, there are loads of aircooled boots now, I use the PE ones, I would increase the hacking and do some hillwork, long canters are not essential just do what you can and make use of the xc schooling sessions to get some sustained canters into her, I have managed to get several fit with very little off road hacking but good hills to trot up doing most of the basic cantering in the school.

If you go on the BE site there is a list of accredited trainers, there should be one somewhere in your area or ask on here for recommendations.
 
We are planning on doing competitive jumping over the next 2 weeks so will fit that in. I can't seem to find anything else before then? Where's the best place to find unaff events? For me I'd like to be able to complete the event with the view to being more competitive next year. So a good dressage, clear sj and clear xc with not too many time faults. What sort of things can I expect at be80 xc? Are there combinations corners skinny etc. Jumping in out of water.

I'll increase the hacking and cantering. Will have a look on the website. I've just moved to fife so if anyone has any recommendations I'd be grateful.
 
There is Kirriemuir BE on Saturday coming, they run an 80. Why don't you go and watch and walk the courses to give you an idea of the standard.

You will only need need to be able to run through water, there might be a skinny, but not very skinny and very kind. Maybe a half coffin, and some straightforward combination fences.

I would aim to be confident jumping 90cm before doing an affiliated.

Some of the affiliated courses run an unaffiliated event over their BE course. Yesterday there was one at Forgandenny, Perth.

Which one were you aiming for in July?
 
PorkChop said:
There is Kirriemuir BE on Saturday coming, they run an 80. Why don't you go and watch and walk the courses to give you an idea of the standard.

You will only need need to be able to run through water, there might be a skinny, but not very skinny and very kind. Maybe a half coffin, and some straightforward combination fences.

I would aim to be confident jumping 90cm before doing an affiliated.

Some of the affiliated courses run an unaffiliated event over their BE course. Yesterday there was one at Forgandenny, Perth.

Which one were you aiming for in July?
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I was aiming for forgandenny in July. A friend suggested it was an inviting course. We have been xc schooling once and jumped fences up to 90cm and I'm going again this week so thought I'd aim again for doing some more 90 fences. And hope to get some more xc schooling at end of may start of June. I can't make Kirriemuir but will see if there's anymore events I can go watch.can you suggest any trainers or training days as I can't seem to find much online
 
TwixMum said:
I was aiming for forgandenny in July. A friend suggested it was an inviting course. We have been xc schooling once and jumped fences up to 90cm and I'm going again this week so thought I'd aim again for doing some more 90 fences. And hope to get some more xc schooling at end of may start of June. I can't make Kirriemuir but will see if there's anymore events I can go watch.can you suggest any trainers or training days as I can't seem to find much online
Click to expand...

Forgandenny is a lovely course.

Sarah Houlden at Strathearn is an excellent coach and has a cross country course. Wills Oakden is another at Perth, I am above Aberdeen so know more about what is going on up here.

Have a look at the British Eventing website on their training pages, lots of stuff going on.
 
I know you say you'd rather not shoe and I for one am a very keen barefoot enthusiast - all my horses are barefoot trimmed unless I feel I really MUST shoe. I have competed (including eventing to BE90) without shoes but I had a scare last autumn where my horse managed to slip over completely falling flat while cantering a big circle in the XC warm up. I now shoe her for the eventing / outdoor SJ season, in fact she's just getting shod tomorrow in time for her first of the years XC this weekend. I always use studs behind now, no matter what the going. Horses I find cope fine with being shod for only part of the year, mine do anyway but I am keen to have the shoes whipped off as soon as XC has finished for the year.

Boot-wise, I love N.E.W ones. I have their lightweight XC ones, theyve lasted years.

For a BE80, to be honest I find the SJ and XC pretty small compared with some unaffiliated versions. The courses are always flowing and simple so you shouldnt have any issues but I would definately get your horse going through a few more waters if it was an issue as its expensive to do to get faults ;) Id just go for some plays round your local XC courses and try to enter any coming up. We struggle for XC courses up our way (Im Aberdeenshire), I only know of two "local" ones which allow us to train round. Try to get your horse moving on too in between fences to help with the time, BE 80 time is certainly very achievable. When I was struggling for time in novices, the best piece of advice I got was to kick on as soon as you land after a fence as that'll save you 2 seconds a fence and your horse will soon learn to do it automatically which is handy.

Good luck!
 
You do need to do some cantering though and increase the horse's heart beat. I didn't have much in the way of facilities so I wore an egg timer round my neck - yes really - and time canters around the outside of my 2.5 acre field which is quite flat. I went round and round and diagonally across and round the other way and just tried to get into a rhythm, and then increased the length of time and then the pace. It is too long ago to remember how long I cantered for, but I think it was when interval training was being tried, so I just used the guidelines that were advised about cantering, resting at walk and then cantering again.

Apart from that it was going to competitions and hacking but luckily my hacking was quite hilly.
 
Most horses are fit enough to get around a BE 80.Sadly an awfull lot of riders are not!Dont be an out of breath liability to your horse. The fitter the rider is,the more they can control situations and help their horse.
 
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