What do you do with your horses the day before a competition (riding wise)

naza

naza

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Hi guys, just wondering really what others do with their horses the day before they've got a competition, I mean workwise, do you ride them like any normal day? do a shorter/steadier hack? not ride them at all?
Is it dependant on the actual type of competition you're doing; ie dressage, hunting etc? Then also what do you do with them the day after the competition?
:) x
 
I just ignore the competition and do what I would have done anyway, often a long hack on a Saturday if competition Sunday or schooling on Fri if competition Saturday. I generally don't jump that day before jumping though just so it is not a constant impact, probably oversenstive but he has had a splint so I just prefer to be a bit more carefull.
 
I do as little as possible with mine as he's a chilled out chap and needs all the energy he can get for comps! So either a short hack or a day off, but with different horses I w
 
Short hack day before competition and day off after, but turned out, all mine have a Monday off anyway, so there routine doesn't change much at all.......
 
day before - day off or lunge for 10mins

day after - day off or sometimes lunge depending on what they have done - ie if something quiet like DR then i lunge - if hunting then day off
 
Depending on horse, I would school including a handful of jumps if I was showjumping. I would like to make sure my horse was responsive and have a quick run through of dressage test if I was doing dressage. There is nothing like being prepared! :)
 
The cob has the day off before, the young New Forest is jumped over a couple of fences day before. Both are usually out competing SJing xx
 
I do absolutely nothing the day before except clean her!

I like her to have a bit of excess energy especially if I'm SJ-ing keeps her feeling sharper :)

Day after I always lunge lightly (just walk and trot) or take her for a small walk to make sure she hasn't stiffened up or tweaked anything from pushing her the day before.

:)
 
I would normally give them a quick school on the flat and jump 5 or 6 fences just to make sure that their eye was definately on the job - this is the day before we go eventing. The eventers normally go and stand in the river which is a 10 minute walk from the yard the day after. I feel that the walk just loosens them off and then the river helps to cool any heat or reduce puffiness on the legs.
With the hunters I normally give them the day off before they hunt and then the day after I would take them for a brisk trot across a few fields and then stand them in the river.
Both the hunters and the eventers would then get the next day off ie 2 days after. I just like to get on them the day after eventing or hunting to check they are ok and walk/trot off any stiffness
 
Have a sharp horse that has duracel batteries so never runs out of energy, so the day before she would go for a good gallop so she can let off steam, and the day after, i'd either plod about for 20min or give her day off :)
The one time i didn't take her for a gallop the day before, she ended up with too much energy and over excited so started rearing in the ring in the line up and the warm up ring and when asked to stand still, she's also less focused and tries to go too fast if she hasn't had a good gallop the day before :) We compete SJ :)
 
I carry on as usual as if I weren't competing the next day. I ride him in the morning though either jumping/hacking/schooling or lunging. He then goes out for the day and gets scrubbed up and plaited in the evening ready for the next day. The day after he usually has a day off unless he only did 1 dressage class (prelim level), then we might go for a hack :)
 
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