I have always wondered what protocol the grooms/riders/vets follow in the time between x/c and the Jog Up.
I am sure a lot of icing and max bute, hoof packing, magnetic blanketing and handwalking go on. Also deep tissue massage? Chiro?
Accupuncture?
The horses have to sleep sometime, but what balance of sleep and body work is optimal?
Well first of all, NO BUTE is allowed in FEI. FEI has whats called a “no tolerance” drug rule, which means no drugs (they allow gastrogard, and two other ulcer medications) Hoof packing is generally a no also because of the drug rules, but poultice can be put in the feet and some do.
What is being done for sure:
“Gameready” (gamereadyequine.com if any one’s not familiar with it)
Walking and hand grazing
Standing bandages at night (some with poultice some with out)
A thorough check over by the team vet, coach and rider
Some horses wear “back on track” products or other therapies over night.
In the morning you will see the “PEMF” blankets on horses such as the biopulse blankets. Many riders take their horses for hacks before the jog (often times half way through the braid job :)) Plenty of other holistic therapies will be about depending on the specific horse’s needs. But mostly you’ll see good old fashioned horsemanship without any use of drugs.
The barns are closed for specific hours through the night this occurs at all FEI eventing competitions. Normal “closed” time is 11pm to 4am. No one is allowed in (except the watchmen, stewards, and vets during this time) access can only be granted by the chief vet and only once protocol is followed (basically they allow injured/colicing/ect horses to be cared for, but not without the head vet and the head of ground jury who will pass/fail you the next morning knowing about your every move)
Source: ridden through **, groomed through ***.
I have groomed up to a * so I can only guess above that but… No bute. Lots of icing/poulticing/wrapping etc. I saw some use of electomagnets and massage. There are very stringent rules about what products are legal to use so you are limited to what you can do. Usually light hack or brisk handwalking before the jog to relieve any overnight in a stall stiffness.
You’ve got the right idea. I imagine some combination of all those things depending on the weather conditions during xc and the individual horse. I’m not sure whether bute (or how much) or chiro are legal at FEI events. I think the other things you mentioned are. Again, depending on the horse, they probably give them at least six hours to rest, more if they can.
Hopefully some grooms or UL riders will pipe in with their routines.
The horses get a lot more rest time than you think. They get a really good cool down and stretching after leaving the “box” (being cleared by vet usually with in 10 minutes of finishing the course. Must have temp, pulse, and respiration “back in range” as determined by the vet and then will be released to leave the holding area.) Then then horses go back to the stalls and are iced (gameready machines are standard at this level). They then rest in their stalls with some hay for an hour or so. Then walked and grazed (Mine graze 45 minutes before returning to stall for icing as suggested to me by two olympians on separate occasions. I was told the enzymes in fresh grass are known to help recovery) then checked over by the vet (often a traditional and holistic vet- (Dougie is awesome) accompanies the team). More walking and additional therapies are dependent of the horse and how he/she feels that night. Before “bed” they will be put up standing bandages (with or w/o poultices and liniments depending on horse) and fed hay and grain. Then left for the night.
Doug Hannum is the physiotherapist that travels with the team. They are in the very best of hands! Here’s an article about him from COTH last year:
http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/doug-hannum-keeps-horses-and-humans-happy
All the therapies used are also “declared” to the FEI vets.
WHIRLPOOL, ice water, walking
Some will have whirlpool boots:cool:; or a homemade whirlpool setup:cool: with ice water; I spent many hours SITTING BESIDE RIDERS/ GROOMS/ OWNERS TRYING TO get a homemade system to work:mad:. I seemed to end up walking horses who had not yet settled:no:; or should I say, they walked me?:lol: I recall walking past Mrs. Hills’ trailer over And over until she opened the door stuck her head out and said, “Why are you retiring that horse?” I was wondering the same thing , at that point:lol:!On at least two occasions, in the “Old days:lol:” I slept in the stall with my horse!
[QUOTE=subk;5134139]
Doug Hannum is the physiotherapist that travels with the team. They are in the very best of hands! Here’s an article about him from COTH last year:
http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/doug-hannum-keeps-horses-and-humans-happy
All the therapies used are also “declared” to the FEI vets.[/QUOTE]
That’s the Dougie I was referring too 
He’s awesome! He “fixed” my horse’s right shoulder on more than a few Saturday nights (and sometimes before dressage too)
Interesting about no one having access to their horses for 5 hours. That sounds very strange to me.
Also, I was talking to a friend last night and we agreed that the owners of Totilas probably had round the clock security guards on him (I know I would). But now it seems that he doesn’t/can’t because of FEI rules…
It appears that the FEI is taking on quite a risk when they become responsible for many millions of horse flesh for 5 hours every night.
So now, HYPOTHETICALLY speaking, if something is NQR with a horse (like he had been poisoned by a jealous competitor:eek:), and assuming a night watchman even notices it, how long would it take for the horse’s vet and the horse’s connections to gain access to the horse?
Interesting thread ~ thanks for creating it ~
I’ve never competed in an FEI event outside of eventing, but I understand this rule is ONLY used on Saturday night and only for eventing. I have never expeienced the stabling closing on any other night so I think Totalis is safe with his watchmen 
On Saturday night it is for the welfare of the horses so they are not kept up all night walking and treating issues without the consent of the FEI vet. I think, if you had the urgent desire to check on your horse at 2 am on saturday, I think they will let you and you sign at security and are observed by a steward (normal for any night time admittance per fei rules) but I haven’t personally known any one to try.
At this level of competition the barns are fenced off with security only granted access to those with passes. In my experience the night vets/watchmen have been very good at alerting owners/trainers/riders of any horses in distress… one time so quickly that by the time my friend got from the trailer to stalls, the horse seemed just fine (and was :)) You’d likely be amazed at how supervised these horses are!
PS I notice you said “horse’s vet”… actually it would be one of the official FEI vets unless the proper paperwork had been approved for a horse to be examined or treated by another vet which will still all be under the supervision and approval of an FEI vet.
Excellent thread.
[QUOTE=Coreene;5134309]
Excellent thread.[/QUOTE]
I agree! It’s always great to hear all the behind the scenes stuff, even if it’s probably what we do for our ponies now and then anyway. I know that if I were a WEG eventer, I wouldn’t be getting much sleep tonight…
Slightly off topic: at one FEI event my horse absolutely refused to touch the water in this new region of the country. So we were soaking and hay and grain as the only means to get water in him. I rode dressage on thursday and had friday off. On friday afternoon I asked the FEI vet official about possibly needed to do IV fluids after xc since my horse wasn’t drinking. He said, is your horse number xxx? I said, yes (and I haven’t talked to the vet before, only having seen him when he passes us at the first jog and the passport check) He said, “yes, I’ve been monitoring your horse. So far he looks good with good capillary refill time and he is quite alert and we’ll keep reevaluating him throughout the weekend, but so far he looks good.” Wow, I was so amazed!
And to further complicate the FEI rules and guidelines, I’ll let it be known that at this competition the stabling wasn’t closed on saturday night because it fell under “limited restriction stabling” and not “FEI stabling” which is only required at 4*'s and CH/CHIOs but is optional below that.
The one CH I have done, David O’Connor (I can’t remember what his official capacity was that week… rider rep maybe) told everyone at the “athletes briefing” that stabling was closed/restricted from 11pm-4am saturday night (and then he encouraged us to alert the vet if we had ANY concerns) and he told me to leave my horse alone until 6 when we would feed and remove his wraps, which made good sense since the jog wasn’t until 9 and SJ was at 1pm. David did a good job of keeping me from getting paranoid :lol:; dougie for once didn’t have to adjust my horse’s shoulder and we put in a clean round!
Oh and I forgot to add: we had a paid watchmen for our team, but he had to be given one of our team’s allotted “groom” passes and be signed in with security at night. Technically (in the FEI’s eyes) he was a groom for one of the horses. Passes are only given to certain people: two per horse for owners (must be recorded owners), one for rider, one for team chef and then 2 grooms per horse. No pass can be switched between people since most are photo id passes. Additional authorized vets and therapist didn’t count against a horse’s total, thankfully.
Glad were having a good discussion!
They instituted the “closed barn” rules about 10 years ago, I think, because it IS possible for an injured horse to be kept moving and iced all night to the extent that some injuries might not be noticeable the next morning (because they have prevented the inflammation from getting a chance to set in and show up.) I’m pretty sure that’s one of the reasons for getting everyone to leave the horses alone. Rest is, of course, the other obvious reason.
Also, at this level, many of the horses were probably tubed with fluids and electrolytes before XC, and many of them will receive IV fluids after XC, either in the afternoon or evening. This is especially true when the temps are high. I don’t know what the weather was today in Lex., but I don’t think it was too warm.
I know that for the Games barns close around 10:30 for everyone I believe except watchmen & vets. Not sure what time they open again. If you need access for a non emergency you need to get permission from the Stewards…almost had to do this the other night Luckily things worked out
[QUOTE=Mary in Area 1;5134378]
Also, at this level, many of the horses were probably tubed with fluids and electrolytes before XC, and many of them will receive IV fluids after XC, either in the afternoon or evening. This is especially true when the temps are high. I don’t know what the weather was today in Lex., but I don’t think it was too warm.[/QUOTE]
Yes good point! And even though it was unusually cool in KY I imagine everybody within two rails of gold got 5-10L of IV fluids this afternoon. A severely dehydrate horse (like was seen in a few in Hong Kong) would receive up to 40L between xc and sj. Can make a HUGE difference in the horse’s recovery if they dehydrated from xc.
I have groomed the same horse at 5 CCI**** competitions and many ***s both here and in the UK. I can only speak to our “back at the barn” procedures.
When the horse has been released by the vets in the D hold to return to his stall.
We leave him alone for half an hour or so while we set up the Game Ready and get on “the list” for fluids. He gets a chance to unwind, roll, snear at us and all the other horsey things he needs to do.
He gets a short walk around the barn area and a head to toe inspection. He hand grazes at about 4mph, so not a lot of that happens.
Game Ready for 20 min front, then 20 min hind, then 20 min front again. With any luck he is on fluids at this time, so it all finishes up at about the same time.
He gets a go over by either his personal vet, or treating vet.
Wraps all around, unless there is reason to Game Ready again.
At some point Dougie will see him and we decide what, if anything, needs to be done for him. They have a love/hate relationship, so Doug decides what needs to be done, how much, and how many times during the competition.
Walk around the barn area again, bite of grass here and there while he stays on the move. It is his call. He tells us when he is done with all the nonsence.
We leave him alone…Feed at usual time and then try not to wake him up from any nap.
Recheck and a walk before barns close. A short walk, if he is in the mood, otherwise notttttt.
Jog morning.
He goes for a walk before breakfast. Pick stall while he is out. Take the wraps off so we can check everything over. We try to feed him on MT time when in the US. Leave him alone to eat and do whatever he thinks he should be doing. He typically stands with his head in the corner and makes nasty faces at anyone who dares to enter his realm.
Another walk. Respond blanket if he wants/needs it. Sometimes a bath if it is warm or he is his usual mess.
Braid while he is resting in the mag blanket.
Head for the jog
Back to stall. Leave him alone til time for SJ.
Yup, yup, Tuppysmom really knows what she’s talking about And your a bit more than just Tony’s groom:winkgrin:
Thanks for sharing!
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