The barns do close at night, but in special circumstances, a groom may be admitted while being supervised by a steward. In my experience, hours and the level of security varies from event to event. Kentucky has been pretty strict about security whereas others are a little less so.
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Thanks for the info.
Just from the reporting, I very much got the idea that in KY the grooms / attendants are firmly booted every night at 10 pm. And they are on the doorstep ready to go at 5 am.
Except, of course, for those times when a horse needs extra care.
If the horse needs medication, as I understand it, being able to give it means withdrawing from the competition. But the horse has to stay on the grounds. So someone is allowed to stay with the horse.
Several years ago (2017 maybe?) I recall there being a miscommunication about the time the barns would open on Sunday morning, and officials were not planning on opening up stabling until 6am 
as you can imagine, we were waiting at the entrance at 5am and there was a bit of a tense situation! One steward was bringing grooms in one by one to feed (supervised) until they could get more stewards there and properly open the barns.
As for medication administration, it is my understanding (but don’t quote me) that even if you withdraw/are eliminated, any medications must still be administered by the FEI treating vet. There are strict rules about what you can have in your possession, even if it’s not being given to the horse (ie don’t leave banamine in your tack trunk).Technically, even having needles in your possession is prohibited. Fluids can be given in stalls, but for the most part, allowed meds need to be given in the treatment stalls by the veterinarian.
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Wow, does that include ulcergard/gastrogard?
Sorry, I meant things that need to be declared (like Traumeel), excepted, or administered via non-oral routes. Gastrogard, Succeed, etc is fine to administer as usual, and nebulizers are OK too. The rules are complex and this is another reason UL grooms should be paid more!
Regarding the original question, I think some things (icing, massage, poultice, hand walking or a quick lunge) are pretty standard and unlikely to hide anything significant. We’ve all seen horses with some mileage on them that go into ice looking a little sketchy and come out looking great. If you’re needing to ice until the minute you jog, or bringing a lunge line down to the waiting area, you may need to reevaluate.
IMO, there is a difference in seeing and trying to alleviate some stiffness/arthritic soreness from a seasoned horse, and actively trying to mask a mild unsoundness without an easily identifiable cause. There is also always risk of compensatory injury if you squeak a horse through the jog by firing them up or a vice grip on their head, but they’re sore while they’re out jumping and overload another leg. For me, this is where the line should be drawn- present the horse as calmly as possible, letting them move freely, without cranking them up (some crank themselves up, but many don’t). It’s been my observation that the GJ is well aware that these horses have had an extreme physical test, and aren’t spinning horses that are just tired or stiff.
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No.
As Long as the Horse is stabled in FEI stabling you are subject to FEI vet regs regardless of competition status.
