Nutrition for long format 3DE

[mep0726]

For those who have done a long format 3DE in the past (particularly a T3DE or P3DE), how much did your horse’s nutritional requirements increase during your prep? I am currently aiming for a 3DE at Waredaca in October. Horse is in what I would consider to be perfect weight right now but I am aware that his caloric needs will increase as his workload increases. I would like to stay ahead of any weight loss (because if he starts dropping weight, I’m sure it will be hard to put it back on him with the increased workload!). I’m also keeping in mind that his (quite lush) pasture will be starting to go dormant soon as well (he’s out 24/7). Horse currently gets 1/2qt Sentinel LS and 1/2qt soaked alfalfa cubes AM&PM (along with a ration balancer), and gets an additional 1/2qt LS on the days I work him (5-7 days/week).

I’m unsure of how much his caloric needs will increase – 25%, 50%, 100%, 200%, etc.? I’m sure it varies from horse to horse as well but just wanted to get an idea for what other folks had experienced.

[Foxglove]

Perhaps best to discuss with your vet? Kiddo did long format for a number of years. Our thought was, “change as little as possible.” That way we avoided digestion issues (OTTBs). We brought our own hay, fed as usual, same supplements etc. And as much as possible, horse’s routine was kept the same --but could vary depending on times. She generally worked her horses in the AM, so regardless of start times, we got the horse out of the stall -even if it was just hand grazing at the usual time.

She kept her two event horses in tip-top condition. Even in blistering heat, they never dropped noticeable weight at any HT. Even including warm up, the horse is only exerting a short time each day, If you’ve been doing exercises similar to what you will face at the Long Format, then your horse should be prepared.

–unless your vet tells you differently, I’d keep everything the same . . .

FYI I rode my QH (1200 pounds) across MI, 250 miles, 14 days, stopping only over night. During the 14 days, he lost 50 pounds --vet weighed him before and after --5% of his body weight. I, on the other hand, lost 10 pounds which is just a little more than 5% of my body weight. We both kept our diets pretty much the same - he had the usual hay/ concentrates and I was eating military MREs.

I guess my point is that you need to make sure you are eating an adequate amount too --and drink lots of water!

[beowulf]

What is your training schedule like right now? Assuming he is already in moderate work? And. what kind of horse is he, weight and height now? TB? WB?

And how much hay is he eating a day?

LS Sentinel wants a lot more than 1.5 qts of their food fed to a horse in moderate work - so I assume your horse is getting almost all of his caloric needs now from grass/hay and the alfalfa cubes.

I did not change anything about my horse’s feed when I was prepping him for a T3DE, but he was a TB already doing several T shows that year. Of course, he got an abscess the week of, so I never got to see how our hard work paid off condition-wise, but he went to run another T a month later with plenty of spit left after the last XC fence. For feed he was on a roundbale 24/7, fed a total of 2qts of alfalfa and 4qts of Ultium a day, split into 2 feedings. I imagine if he wasn’t on the round bale, I would have had to up his hay somehow.

In the BNT barns I worked at, we never adjusted feed specifically because the horse was running a 3DE.

Is this your first 3DE? This article is older but I think it’s still pretty helpful for anyone just getting their 3DE legs on. The conditioning schedule is pretty tame and could be condensed:

ABCs_of_Cross_Country_Day.pdf

Sally O’Connor has a great book but the name is escaping me, but it details everything you need to know about training, feeding, and conditioning for three day events. I purchased it when I was going to do the 3DE, and it was my bible for the next couple of months.

Good luck. Waredaca has one of the best 3DEs on the east coast. You will have a blast.

[mep0726]

@beowulf

What is your training schedule like right now? Assuming he is already in moderate work? And. what kind of horse is he, weight and height now? TB? WB?

And how much hay is he eating a day?

Horse is a TB/QH cross (~16h, I would guess 1200lbs) and is currently in consistent work 5-6 days/week; 20 min hack, 25-45 minutes of work (depending on whether we are jumping or working on dressage), then a 10-20 min hack to cool down (depending on how much time I have). He is currently running Modified and makes the time as long as his rider doesn’t try to set up for each fence waaayyyyy too many strides out

He currently gets a ration balancer as well and I think that has really helped with keeping his weight exactly where it needs to be. I ran his diet through FeedXL about a month ago and confirmed everything looked good. He is not currently getting any hay but I would guess my barn will start tossing hay here in the next month or so (the pasture was plenty enough for him – he was in a grazing muzzle up until about a month ago!). When he gets hay, he will get 1 flake Coastal and 1 flake T/O mix AM & PM, as well as they overseed his pasture with winter rye. He maintained his weight (and sanity ) well last winter with this set up (same barn/situation), though I did increase him to 1qt LS 2x/day (he stays on the ration balancer throughout the winter as well) and add in 1/2lb Amplify daily.

@beowulf

Is this your first 3DE? This article is older but I think it’s still pretty helpful for anyone just getting their 3DE legs on. The conditioning schedule is pretty tame and could be condensed:

Thank you for the link to the article! I did a BN3DE several years ago (it was my first one) but I know the fitness is a completely different ballgame this time around at the higher level.

@beowulf

Sally O’Connor has a great book but the name is escaping me, but it details everything you need to know about training, feeding, and conditioning for three day events. I purchased it when I was going to do the 3DE, and it was my bible for the next couple of months.

I ordered it a few weeks ago and have already read it cover to cover twice! LOL. It was actually her comments in the book about increasing hard feed, etc. that got me thinking about his nutrition in preparation for the 3DE. But it sounds like I just keep maintaining what I have and only adjust if I feel his condition needs it.

[Nottingham]

Which book? Practical Eventing?

[Libby2563]

@beowulf, thank you for that article! I think I’ve read about this in some other threads but what are people’s thoughts on the long trots these days? (That article describes them as “trot sets,” which I associate more with intervals, but it seems that the author just trotted continuously for up to 64 min?)

I was also aiming for the Waredaca T3D this year but my show season got a much-delayed start due to a freak rider injury, so I am thinking I might do the N3D and try for the T3D next year when we have more time and experience. (I also might have a work conflict this year that makes the whole thing impossible, grrrrr.)

[mep0726]

@Nottingham

Which book? Practical Eventing?

Yes, that’s the one I got.

[Highflyer1]

That is basically what I have always done, although I think the most I’ve ever done was 45 minutes or so of trotting once or twice a week (roughly 15 minute road walk to the park, 45 minutes of mostly trotting on trails-- walking when there was a biker or hiker or a rocky spot, 15 minutes walking back). That covered 7-8 miles and was a mix of hills and flat and was more than enough for my TBs for eventing through Prelim and also for playing polocrosse as a kid which is much higher intensity. Then the other days are flat+ a hack or jump + a hack or xc school or canter/gallop sets or just a light hack recovery day. I tend to go more by feel than anything else.