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In the struggle to keep your horse sound, sane and healthy on the road, getting to the horse show is only half of the battle.
Once your horse arrives, the next challenge is helping him adapt to a totally foreign environment, and, hopefully, preparing him correctly so he peaks just in time for optimum performance.
Unfamiliar stabling, lack of turnout, around-the-clock activity and an erratic schedule are just a few of the things that show horses and their teams must work around.
The transition from home to show is easier on some horses than others. Fortunately, most horses who spend a significant amount of time on the road will quickly adjust and face few issues.
“The top-level horses are so used to settling in—they’ve done it so much it’s just another place to them. It’s harder for the babies,” said Emma Ford, head groom for Olympic eventer Phillip Dutton.
For the younger horses, Ford doesn’t recommend doing anything out of the ordinary.
“We really just tend to their needs; we don’t do anything specifically. I generally do whatever I would do at home. I try to keep same meal times and make sure they have plenty of hay in front of them all the time,” she said. “They learn to settle in to the routine.”
Maintaining your horse’s program is key to ensuring that he adjusts easily to horse show digs and encounters minimal issues, both physical and otherwise.
“Try to get them into a routine at the shows similar to what it is at home. Feed at similar times with similar types of feed and try to give them the normal amount of exercise they would get,” said Duncan Peters, an FEI-licensed veterinarian who practices out of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, Lexington, Ky.
“A lot of the problem is that something is going on 24 hours a day, which is different than at home. Try to keep the other factors similar to what they are at home. Keep the same regimen going, whether you’re on the road or at home,” he continued.
It’s Not Easy Being A Show Horse
Between late-night braiding, early morning hacks and missed meals, the erratic schedule of a horse show can be tough on a horse, especially when it’s for an extended period of time.
Peters noted that something as simple as unfamiliar tack may boost stress levels.
“Changing bridles or tack can add stress, especially if you don’t use them at home. It can make the horse all of a sudden say ‘this is different’ and create anxiety,” he said.
Early morning and late nights are something that humans must cope with at horse shows, but lack of sleep takes its toll on horses as well.
Peters said, “Horses can have sleep deprivation too, whether it be from going to Europe or running cross-country. They get that mental stress related to that.”
