PrintShowing horses in the United States often requires a whole lot of travel, sometimes over great distances. Without planning ahead, it’s all too easy to live on fast food and convenience store snacks—and these poor food choices may adversely affect your performance during competition.
Not only do you need energy to ride and care for your horse, but competition nerves can also wreak havoc with your digestion. A greasy burger and fries washed down with a super-sized sugary drink isn’t likely to improve your physical wellbeing or your riding. You don’t have to live off nuts and berries, but making healthy choices could improve your chances of performing at your best.
Equestrians Are Athletes Too
Flip on the television, open a magazine or walk down a city street and you’ll likely be bombarded with sexy images of sweaty, scantily-clad athletes advertising the latest sports drink. Volleyball, soccer and football are not the only sports that take a lot out of participants: Riders need to eat and drink well too.
“I think that every sport emphasizes that fitness and nutrition are important, and show jumpers and other riders are athletes,” said grand prix show jumper Brianne Goutal, 21, New York, N.Y. "You can’t perform well eating fast food, beef jerky or egg and cheese biscuits. Good health and good performances go hand in hand. I notice a huge difference in my energy level and ability when I eat right.”
Diana Lundy, 55, Cool, Calif., completed both the Western States 100-mile endurance run and the 100-mile Tevis Cup endurance ride in 2009. Lundy has been a vegetarian since age 18, but she includes milk and egg products in her diet for flexibility.
“I think it’s important to eat well. I know riders who skip breakfast when a ride starts early, but I think you need to eat something before you go out there,” said Lundy.
Because Lundy doesn’t stay on her horse during an entire endurance ride—she gets off and walks or runs alongside her mount—she finds that she needs to carry food with her.
“There are awesome supplements and sports drinks on the market, and I eat similarly for running and riding,” she said. “A lot of riders don’t care for themselves as well as runners do, but you have to take care of yourself to take good care of your horse.”
You Need To Lead People To Water Too
Caring for ourselves is something horse people often neglect. We go to great lengths to make sure our horses keep drinking, but it’s easy to forget to grab a water bottle for yourself. Staying hydrated is especially important during long days in the sun, whether you’re out on the trail or standing ringside.
Water is usually readily available, whether in bottles or from the tap, and many stores offer a variety of flavored waters, sports drinks and juice, if plain water doesn’t do it for you.
A cup of coffee might help you wake up as you hit the road with your truck and trailer at the crack of dawn, but don’t overdo it or you may be dehydrated and low on energy later in the day. The same goes for alcohol the night before you show—drink in moderation or not at all, and then you can crack open a bottle of bubbly to celebrate your success after the competition.
For long hours on the trail Lundy wears a Camelbak hydration pack on her back while she rides.
