How often can a horse compete?

[EagleStar]

I’m fairly new to eventing, I started last year doing riding club one-day events. However where I’m living there’s only about one RC event a month that’s within a reasonable distance.

Next year I’m planning to affiliate which means I’ll have a lot more events available to me but I’m wondering how much of a break should I give my horse after each event. I’m thinking one every 2nd week would be okay but I’m a little worried it might be too much.

He’s 13 years old and he’s in very good shape. He generally doesn’t seem tired after XC, but I know affiliated courses will be longer and more technical.

I’m competing at 80cm (around 2ft7) this year, but here in Ireland affiliated events only start at 90cm (3ft) so I’ll have to jump at that height. He’s only 14.2 hands but he’s still fairly comfortable jumping at 90cm.

Also, would it be OK to do show jumping competitions between events (max 2 rounds + jump off), or should he get the weekend in between off?

Thanks in advance.

[Willesdon]

Well, as you have the advantage of being in Ireland, I would suggest you find yourself a trainer who can help you to develop your skills and support your ambitions. Both Eventing Ireland and British Eventing websites have pages about ‘getting started’ and list trainers. Your 14.2 can probably do 90 without a problem and would happily fit in showjumping too BUT part of the skill set you will need to develop is a feel for the horse and how it copes with the work.
Look at the rule book, available online, and it will detail number of jumping efforts, distance and speed at each level. A 90 course will not be very long, about 18 jumps, but it takes practice to judge speed and that is where training really helps. If you have hunted you can manage low level eventing with confidence as the jumps are much more orderly!

[LadyB]

IMO once a month is a good amount for an event horse. Many will differ on that opinion, many do 2 a month.

A simple dressage show or show jump show in between isn’t going to be too strenuous on them. I wouldn’t do a H/J show of two weeks and then head to an event. It’s all personal preference.

You want your horse to last, then stick to schooling and one show a month.

[Jealoushe]

Well to the people around here seem to think its fine to event your horse Training level for three weekends in a row in the blistering heat.:no:

I think lower level every other or every three weeks seems fine. I think a light show in between would be OK.

[devvie_continued]

@Jealoushe

Well to the people around here seem to think its fine to event your horse Training level for three weekends in a row in the blistering heat.:no:

.

My question about that is, how the hell could one possibly train/improve in between? Or is that not the point?!?

[Jealoushe]

@devvie_continued

My question about that is, how the hell could one possibly train/improve in between? Or is that not the point?!?

gotta get that qualification for champs ya know Don’t worry, in between they are jumping their horse over 3’6 every day, and XC schooling. Wish I was joking…there’s a bunch of them in my area.

[EagleStar]

Thanks for the replies guys. I’ll stick to one show a month once the season starts up and see how he’s coping.

@Willesdon Unfortunately eventing is still quite underdeveloped in my region so all of the specialist eventing coaches are based too far away for regular lessons. I’m planning to start getting private lessons with the dressage coach who does lessons for my riding club and there’s also one or two show jumping coaches in the area that I like. There’s quite a few good cross country courses around but they’re just used for schooling. I don’t know of any that advertise cross country lessons.

@Jealoushe Really!? I don’t think I could even cope with doing two in a row, I can’t imagine how the horses feel.

[Jealoushe]

@EagleStar - right? And they are young horses too…makes me cringe.

[ake987]

I think it also depends on the events - how far you have to ship, whether you’re staying over, and how good of a traveler your horse is. I normally would do one event per month, and I’m only competing BN (2’7"). Other things to consider - the ground/footing you’re running on and the weather, as those factors will certainly impact how much an event takes out of your horse.

I am likely going to enter a home event (ship-in) and then go to Area I Championships the next weekend (4 hours away). My horse is happy, healthy/good weight, sound, and a good traveler, so although I certainly wouldn’t ever make a habit of that, I think once in the season, followed by time off is fine. He’ll get more grain and full treatment round of ulcer meds as a preventative measure.

[LadyB]

@Jealoushe

gotta get that qualification for champs ya know Don’t worry, in between they are jumping their horse over 3’6 every day, and XC schooling. Wish I was joking…there’s a bunch of them in my area.

Gotta love the point chasers. What makes me chuckle is I do once a month and I always qualify for champs.

Some want the awards at the end of the year, I personally don’t care much for that, because the point chasers make it almost impossible to get to the top since they run every weekend. What boggles my mind is how their horses make it through the season and don’t break. Within a few years they are usually sold because they’re broken.

Proud to say my horse has been eventing for 11 years.

[EagleStar]

@ake987 - Luckily he travels well and he drinks well at events. Getting enough water into him was one of my biggest worries when I started travelling further for events, but so far he doesn’t seem to care about what the water tastes like. He even once had a go at drinking the water I had used to cool him down after cross country. :lol: The closest venue for me is about an hour and a half away and there’s about 8 or so venues within 3 hours.

[Jealoushe]

@LadyB

Gotta love the point chasers. What makes me chuckle is I do once a month and I always qualify for champs.

Some want the awards at the end of the year, I personally don’t care much for that, because the point chasers make it almost impossible to get to the top since they run every weekend. What boggles my mind is how their horses make it through the season and don’t break. Within a few years they are usually sold because they’re broken.

Proud to day my horse has been eventing for 11 years.

Yep. Two of the ones I know were already broken this spring, thus the need to chase ALL THE POINTS! I imagine they will be done by 10 (so 2-3 years).

I think it’s amazing your guy has been with you so long. Penny is 11 and had it easy, I hope to event her for another n10 years. My first event horse did his last event at 23, Training level at Equus and we came 3rd

[kcmel]

@LadyB

Proud to day my horse has been eventing for 11 years.

That’s awesome–congratulations! You must take really great care of your horse.

Back to the OP, I agree it depends on travel, footing, etc. I have 2 of the closest horse trials to me that run back to back weeks in the Spring, so I will sometimes do both. But they are 20 and 40 min away.

It also depends on the horse. My guys like to travel and hang out on the trailer and look around and eat hay. So I will sometimes travel 3 or 4 weekends in a row, but not to a full HT, just a CT or a dressage show or a paper chase. But again, most events are 30 min or less away.

[LadyB]

LOL I’ve just been stuck at Training level for the last 6 years. Done one Prelim as well. So I’m pretty proud of how he comes out every single year. Always sound. He’s an OTTB, with like 8 starts, so not a rough race life, but still. He’s traveled a lot too.

I don’t know how people can be such point chasers, I love winning and ribbons, don’t get me wrong, but I love reliving the courses we’ve ridden more. Plus I don’t have deep pockets, so he has to last me!

It truly depends on how you treat them after an outing, What do you do. I’m a big believer in Poultice after any xc school. Wrap with alcohol after a sj school, unless it was tougher footing, then poultice. I ice my horse after a tough xc school and after every event (in the last 2 years). Icing has become much more convenient with the boots they have out there.

Packing their feet when it’s been a tough run.

Most events are an hour or more away for me. I think anything that’s about 3 hours deserves stabling, depending on your situation.

[Jealoushe]

I use that same after care routine. I usually travel 2.5-3hrs and don’t stable, but I give three days off after every event, always.

I don’t get them either. Its sad too because everyone on FB is all “you’re amazing” while they ride the horses into the ground.

[LadyB]

@Jealoushe

I use that same after care routine. I usually travel 2.5-3hrs and don’t stable, but I give three days off after every event, always.

I don’t get them either. Its sad too because everyone on FB is all “you’re amazing” while they ride the horses into the ground.

I totally think it’s related to where you live and how often you travel. If I traveled that often I would think it’s the norm too. But since mine are relatively close, 3 hours seems long to me for my usual journey’s. I think they handle it well either way. My guy drinks a lot all day, so his water intake is never a concern. He’s also a pig eating on the trailer, and eats all day. I’m really lucky with how well he travel’s. My last mare was more work at shows, she was exhausted by the time we had to go home.

I usually give one day off after, then a light hack the following day. How come you choose to do 3 days?

[EagleStar]

I don’t do much in terms of after-care. He gets hosed down with cold water and then, depending on the weather, walked / hand-grazed until dry. Hard footing isn’t too much of an issue over here.

Still, I might look into getting some ice boots. I didn’t know poultices could be used as after-care, I thought they were only used for infections.

[Jealoushe]

@LadyB

I usually give one day off after, then a light hack the following day. How come you choose to do 3 days?

I just always have, since I was 12! But now having three horses, it just makes it easier for keep all my horses in work.

My horses are super travellers/drinkers/eaters too…that definitely makes a huge difference.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

@EagleStar

I don’t do much in terms of after-care. He gets hosed down with cold water and then, depending on the weather, walked / hand-grazed until dry. Hard footing isn’t too much of an issue over here.

Still, I might look into getting some ice boots. I didn’t know poultices could be used as after-care, I thought they were only used for infections.

Some people swear about using poultice and wrap their legs up before shipping home. I tend to be more of a liniment user…and wrap up to ship home. I start icing legs at Prelim level (your Novice level)…but here in the US we have much harder footing so some with start icing sooner. And we do a lot more packing of feet…which you shouldn’t have to worry about.

As for competing…once or twice a month. I personally don’t like to be going all the time so whether it is a HT or a show jumping show or dressage…I try not to be always shipping out. Unless my horse is feral about it and needs miles…then those horses sometimes do better if you do something every weekend but I would then limit by longer and shorter hauls (not doing as many long hauls)…and not eventing every weekend. Every other week is the most I typically do at the levels you are talking and even then…I don’t do it that often for long. It really depends on the horse…and You!

[vineyridge]

Come on, folks. Horses are not figures in a glass menagerie. They are very capable of sustained, HARD, daily work. Think of the years they served as our only transportation besides our feet. Think of the thousands of years they were farm workers. Hell, think of the centuries that they went hunting with humans for food, or made long marches in the military. What is critical for all of this is condition. Condition and more condition.

In my personal experience, foxhunters will go out for more than half a day every single week during the season and be back the next week ready to go, sometimes twice a week. Hell, there are race horses who even now will put in two races a week. It was certainly common in the past for a horse to race weekly.

Eventing these days is NOT particularly hard work compared to what horses have done throughout history, especially at the lower levels of eventing.