Only Two Weeks Til The Waredaca Classic Three Day Event!

Things are moving quickly now and before you know it our competitors will be prepping for the first jog.  Have no fear, here are some tips and tricks to help you look like a seasoned classic three-day pro!  

First and foremost, practice jogging your horse in hand if you have never done so before. A dressage whip can provide gentle encouragement, if necessary, you don't want to be dragging your horse behind you, but you also want to be able to keep up with your horse, so keep control in mind. When choosing outfit(s) for yourself, consider the weather (October in Maryland can be quite mercurial, so be prepared for anything). At Waredaca, the jog strip is on grass so also choose your footwear carefully. During the jog, you want to turn to the right at the end of the strip to better control your horse's movement. Check out this educational video made by Kelley Williams to familiarize yourself with jog protocol.

Remember that the whole point of the jog is to confirm the horse is fit and sound for the task at hand, so don't forget to make sure your horse is warmed up a bit and kept warm with a cooler if it is chilly (especially if it is chilly and they are clipped!). You want to walk (or have a helper walk) your horse before the jog and practice trotting a few times on flat ground to ensure your horse is loose and prepared to jog. Ashley Adams wrote a great series in 2010 shared by the USEA and she had some great tips for the jog, check it out here!

To help your horse stand out from the rest, you can hot towel their coat after grooming with warm water with a few drops each of baby oil and dawn dish soap. Swirl a small towel in the mixture, wring it out thoroughly and vigorously towel the coat, rinsing the towel in the mixture as needed. If the weather is chilly, cover them with a cooler/rug while they dry. There are also shine sprays, coat conditioners, and oils on the market you can buff into the coat with a soft rag or brush. For white markings, after cleaning and drying them, you can add baby powder to the skin/hair to really get that pop of white. Just be sure to do this BEFORE you paint your horse's feet with hoof oil. A little baby oil is great to add shine to the skin around your horse's nostrils, and even to your bridle! A tail wrap is a great way to smooth down flyaways or protect a tail braid. Check out another article from Ashley Adams for more tips on how to make your horse look like a million bucks. Smart Grooming's YouTube page is a wealth of knowledge if you want to perfect your braiding technique. If you want to really stand out from the crowd, they also have tutorials (like this one) on how to perfect quarter marks, just be sure to practice at home before the competition if you have never done them before.

 

We hope you found this post helpful as we countdown to the best week of the year!

 

Only Three Weeks Til The Waredaca Classic Three Day Event!

I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it.  Last week we covered an overview of endurance day and this week, as promised, here is a document that helps explain how to nail the timing. We hope with this overview all our competitors will have a successful endurance day! One thing to note, if you chose to tape important information to your arm, make sure you bring the materials to do so. We recommend to pack a fine point sharpie and normal sharpie, electrical tape, and large index cards (see pic below).

 

We hope you found this post helpful as we countdown to the competition. Next week we will share some helpful tips to help your horse shine for the jog. 

 

 

Only Four Weeks Til The Waredaca Classic Three Day Event!

Last week we talked about things to consider if you are stabling for the first time at The Classic. This week is all about being prepared for endurance day! If you have never competed in a classic three day before, read on and have all your questions answered, or hopefully at least most of them!

We all know that the draw of The Classic is endurance day. The thrill of the chase is truly exhilarating but there is a lot to consider and manage other than just galloping and jumping all the things! The morning of, depending on what time your phase A start time is, you may want to consider skipping your horse's grain bfast and restricting/slowing hay consumption. Just think how happy they will be to have an unexpected lunch later in the day! You will also want to have assembled all your items for the assistance area by steeplechase and the 10 Minute box. Suggested items for each are...

Assistance Area by Steeplechase - everything can fit in a 5 gallon bucket for easy carrying

• Halter with number and lead (chain or rope halter if necessary)
• Shoe pulling tools
• Hoof pick/Packing/Rubber glove/Diaper/Vet wrap/Duct tape to wrap foot or hoof boot (test fit before competition on unshod foot)
• Water for rider
• Small towel
• Scissors
• Spare reins
• Hole punch

10 Minute Box

• Everything from assistance area by steeplechase
• 2 buckets/2 sponges/2 scrapers filled with cold water (one bucket can be the one used to carry assistance area items) - I suggest getting ice if the weather is warm
• Smaller bucket and dosing syringe to offer water/rinse horses mouth
• Extra set of shoes with studs already in matching what horse is wearing
• Magnetic dish and wrench
• Towel(s) - multiple if the weather is wet
• Cooler for horse if weather is cold/rain sheet if weather is wet
• Chair/Jacket/Water for rider
• Spare gloves for rider if weather is wet
• Spare bell boots
• Tape for boots (if using)
• Different bit/bridle if needed

No more than an hour before your Phase A start time, you will want to put your things in the 10 minute box. Advise your helpers that they will then move these items to the Vet Box after you leave the 10 minute box for XC (Phase D). You then prepare your horse and yourself as normal for XC as you would at an event. The difference is that you do not warm up for Phase A. Phase A IS your warm up. Do not be late for your start time of A, so arrive (mounted) a few minutes before your start time to walk around and be ready to go. On Phase A, you will warm up yourself and your horse by mostly trotting but you should plan on having a little canter as well. 

Plan to arrive at the start of steeplechase (Phase B) about a minute early so you can take a breath, refocus, and shorten your stirrups if necessary. There is a 1 minute break built into the timing but you don't want to risk costly penalties (1 per second) by being late and this time will be eaten into if you are late (so don't be late!). Have a helper be here (with your assistance bucket) to check your shoes before and after Phase B and to assist you if needed. The end of Phase B IS the start of Phase C, so keep that in mind (next week we will share some helpful endurance day timing tips).

Phase C is recovery from Phase B so it is generally longer than Phase A (depending on the level) and you can walk some to allow your horse to catch their breath. The penalties are the same as for Phase A (1 per second) so plan on arriving at the 10 minute box about a minute early (again, don't be late!). Arriving several minutes earlier than this is unnecessary and means you didn't allow your horse the recovery intended on Phase C. If you arrive late, you will still have 10 minutes in the 10 minute box and your Phase D start time (XC) will be adjusted. The 10 minute box is for cooling out the horse and allowing the rider to regroup and focus on the task at hand (XC). 

The vet will check your horse for soundness and fitness when you arrive in the 10 minute box. They may give you some instructions to follow if they have any concerns, otherwise at Waredaca you and your horse are released to your team for cooling down. Reins come over the head, noseband/flash are loosened, halter with lead goes over the bridle, stirrups are run up, and the girth is generally loosened. The team then repeatedly gets as much water onto the horse (avoiding soaking tack) while the horse is continuously walked until you are 4 minutes away from your XC start time. Offer the horse water during this time as well. At 4 minutes our we suggest re-adjusting and tightening tack back up, drying reins, stirrups, etc, so that the rider is ready to put their foot in their stirrup (have a groom dry the bottom of your boots once you are up!) and mount up 2 minutes from the start of XC. This gives you plenty of time to get to the start box so that you are not late. Keep in mind that if the vet gave you instructions to check back in with them before XC, make sure that happens and work it into those fleeting minutes.

A note about cooling the horse, if it is warm (80 degrees or higher, or even in the 70s if humidity is high) ice water is your best friend. Regardless of whether the water is cold (from ice) or just cool (from the tap), getting it on the horse, walking a loop, and repeating as many times as necessary is the fastest way to drop a horse's core temperature. The higher the number of applications of water, the faster your horse will cool down. So in the 10 minute box, keep applying water during those 5-6 minutes you have for recovery (this applies to recovery in the vet box as well). Your horse will thank you. Studies have shown that scraping inbetween water applications is not necessary. Just continuously get water on the horse!

As mentioned above, your helpers should move your 10 minute box items to the vet box while you are out on XC. After a double clear XC round (as I know everyone will have), you will arrive at the vet box and cool out your horse.  Tack comes off, boots can come off once studs are out, and the goal is to repeatedly apply water and walk the horse til they are fully cooled out and a vet has released you back to the stables. You can find helpful tips here for cooling out and recovery.  

Another great reference article on an overview of the day is this one by Cindy Collier Rawson. The second part of the article specifically covers endurance day.

 

We hope you found this post helpful and next week we will share those timing tips from Chris Donovan to ensure you have a successful endurance day! Please comment with any questions or if you would like any other topics covered as we count down to The Classic!

 

 

 

Only Five Weeks Til The Waredaca Classic Three Day Event!

Last week's post discussed practicing to perfect your dressage test so that you can nail it when the time comes.  This week let's talk about preparing for stabling at the event. 

We already shared a suggested packing list to get you thinking about what you may need equipment wise in the stable, but here are some other things to consider.  Horses are creatures of habit so try and keep the same routine at the show that you have at home.  Within reason, keep mealtimes the same, bring hay from home that the horses are used to eating, and if you have a picky drinker you may want to consider bringing water from home as well.  Consider using a net so that you can try to keep hay available to your horse 24/7.  During the event try and get them out of the stall as much as possible to stretch their legs and have a graze.  Most horses are normally on half or even full day turnout at home so you may want to enlist the help of a groom, friend, or family member to help with this task.  Bring extra hay and consider gastric support/ulcer preventive care since disrupting their routine along with the pressure of showing can increase the risk of GI upset.  Talk with your vet to see how you can support your horse during times of stress.  

If you are able, try and arrive at the show with a freshly bathed horse.  Most showgrounds do not have warm water available and wash bays may also be limited.  You can buy a bucket heater and buff them to a shine with hot toweling but it is easier to keep up with at the show if you have a clean horse to start with.  Additionally you may want to consider clipping your horse.  The weather in Maryland in October is quite mercurial and it has been quite warm the past few years and it is much easier to arrive with a clipped horse rather than scrambling to get it done at the event where time and resources are limited.

Consider packing the trailer in such a way so that the items you need first will be readily accessible (buckets, hay, stall guard, etc).  Think about or ask the organizer what the stalls are like in terms of being able to hang items.  Will you need bailing twine?  Screw eyes?  Etc?  Alway pack extra double ended snaps and a sharpie with white tape so that you can put your competition number on your halter and anything else you think may need labeling.

Lastly make sure your stall card has important information like how to contact you (the person responsible for the horse) in the event of an emergency.  When you arrive introduce yourself to your neighbors.  Even if you have lots of support coming for the event, making new friends and having extra eyes in the stables is never a bad thing.  Bring food (and drink!) for yourself to snack on during times when the food truck won’t be open.  It's also a great way to make new friends as everyone likes food!  

Hopefully you found this post helpful as you prepare for The Classic.  Next week we will dive into the details as to what you should have on hand for endurance day.

  

Only Six Weeks Til The Waredaca Classic Three Day Event!

Last week's post discussed choosing the right studs for any situation. This week let's talk about nailing the dressage test.

As we all know practice makes perfect so don't underestimate the power of preparation! Familiarize yourself with the test you will be performing at The Classic so you can start practicing movements. You can find the dressage tests for each level of the classic three day here. Take note of the ring size for your level. Beginner Novice and Novice might compete in the small 20mx40m OR standard 20mx60m ring whereas the Training and Modified divisions will be riding in the standard 20mx60m ring. At Waredaca, Beginner Novice will be in the small ring and Novice will be in the standard ring. If you have not ridden in a standard ring before, you may be quite surprised to feel that the diagonals and long sides feel much, MUCH longer. Finding a standard ring to practice in or creating one at home with poles for the corners and cones (or other markers) for letters can really help you be more comfortable in the ring. Remember that a huge part of dressage is accuracy, so making sure that your transitions are timed perfectly and your geometry is accurate can definitely improve your score regardless of your horse's natural affinity for dressage.

Using a dressage ring diagram you can visualize your test to map out your movements. This makes it much easier to be accurate when you are practicing your test while actually riding your horse. For example, in the Novice Three Day test, the second and third movements are 20m working trot circles performed in each direction at X. The first circle is to the right and if is being ridden in a large ring, the four points of the circle you should touch are X, 2 meters before S, 4 meters before G, and 2 meters after R. For the second circle to the left, the four points are X, 2 meters before V, 4 meters before D, and 2 meters after P. Being able to visualize this on paper by literally drawing out the shapes first can really help with accuracy under saddle. Other things to consider when drawing out your test are the leg yields at Training and Modified and the serpentines found at Modified. Knowing exactly where you should be crossing the quarter line mid way through your leg yields to space out the movement evenly or where you should cross the centerline and touch in the loop of your serpentines can make you look like a pro. Another consideration is centering movements over a letter. For example in the BN test, the first movement has a trot-walk-trot transition over X with 4-6 walk steps. This means you should walk 2-3 steps before you get to X and trot 2-3 steps after. Many people make the mistake of walking when they get to X. Impress the judges by nailing this first movement and you are off to a great start.

Having someone watch your test and give you feedback is also invaluable. Your coach, a clinician, or barn buddy can help be your eyes on the ground to help you improve your movements and accuracy. Another great option is finding an opportunity to do a fix a test at a local schooling show. Sign up to do your test at least twice and the judge can give you feedback in between your rides. If you are local, you can sign up to do this at our last Taproom Thursday of the year on September 17th.

We hope you found this post helpful as we countdown to The Classic. Please comment if you would like any other topics covered in the future. Up next week, an overview of endurance day!  

Only Seven Weeks Til The Waredaca Classic Three Day Event!

Last week's post discussed starting to think about packing and recruiting help for at least endurance day. This week's post is all about studs!

Whenever you feel like there is a likelihood your horse may slip, either on the flat or jumping, you may want to consider using studs. However, choosing studs is a very personal thing. There are three factors to consider when choosing studs: the footing conditions, the level of competition, and the individual horse.

Not to oversimplify footing conditions, but smaller and sharper studs are used on hard ground, larger and chunkier ones are used on soft ground, and on sandy soil you may find you don't need studs at all even if the ground is wet. If you use large blocks on hard, dry ground, the studs will not be able to easily penetrate the surface and could cause bruising to the foot, and if you use tiny points or road studs on wet, muddy, soft footing, they will not provide much grip at all. In general, you want to use the smallest studs possible to achieve the desired result. You don't want to interfere with the horse's natural footfall, and it is better to under-stud rather than over-stud, especially at the lower levels. There is such a thing as too much traction and you don't want the studs to grip so much that the horse can't get its feet off the ground quickly. It is common to have smaller studs in the front feet than the hinds, and some prefer to only use studs behind especially at the lower levels. The horse's jumping power comes from the hind end so that is where the traction is important. You want to minimize jarring and torque on the front limbs and know that horses' front feet should slide just a bit on landing for shock absorption. When pointy studs are necessary it is wise to put a duller/blunter stud on the inside compared to the outside. You can use different studs on the inside and outside of the hoof for the hind feet as long as the difference in the height of the studs is minimal (taller/larger stud on the outside). It is common to use studs of the same height for the front feet.

The level of competition will greatly impact stud selection. The faster you ride and the bigger the jumps, the more control you need and the larger the studs you might use. On any given day, under the same footing conditions, experienced riders will probably not be using the same studs for their training level horses as for their advanced horses. Using studs at the lower levels (N and below) is often not necessary, or perhaps you only use studs behind. However, this can be affected by our last factor, the individual horse. 

Some horses hate to slip at any level and could lose confidence, or perhaps they have bar shoes with or without pads which can feel like ice skating on even relatively perfect footing. Other horses may overreact to studs and hate the feeling and prefer smaller ones. This is where knowing and listening to your horse is vital to making the right decision.

Always put on protective boots before putting studs in and the boots stay on til the studs have come back out. It takes only a split second for a horse to accidentally strike themselves causing injury. An ounce of prevention truly is worth a pound of cure.

Lastly, this article on EN by AJ Dyer is a great resource so go check it out!  As is this article with input from long time grooms Stephanie Simpson and Emma Ford.

We hope you found this post helpful, please comment if you would like any other topics covered in the future! Up next week is dressage test practice tips so you can nail your test at The Classic!

 

Only Eight Weeks Until The Waredaca Classic Three Day Event!

The kids are going back to school and before you know it The Classic will be upon us! Last we talked about footing considerations and how to help keep your horse comfortable as you prepare. This week we cover some planning and packing considerations.

This USEA article has great information about the importance of hoof care and shoeing cycles. Mentioned in the article is talking to your farrier about making you a spare set of shoes (drilled and tapped if you use studs). Having a spare set of shoes ready to go in case one is lost on endurance day is invaluable. Hopefully you won't ever need to use them but you'll be so happy you were prepared if you do. 

Another thing to start considering is enlisting help on endurance day (Saturday 10/24/26). The rider will want to spend their time in the 10 minute box mentally preparing for their XC course, so having at least 1 helper, preferably 2, to cool down the horse and assist with getting the rider to the start box on time is invaluable. So riders, start thinking about who you want there helping you. Additionally there will be a grooms briefing Friday evening (10/23/26) with an overview of the 10 minute and vet box so making sure your grooms are available to attend will help ensure smooth sailing on endurance day.

Lastly, let's talk about packing. Of course you will not be packing NOW for a competition two months away BUT it is helpful to start making your list and see if anything needs to be gotten or updated.  Perhaps your XC watch needs a new battery or your pinny holder's elastic is so stretched out you look like you are waving a flag as you go around the course. Maybe you haven't considered your jog outfits yet and now you have a great excuse to go shopping! In all seriousness, taking the time now to consider the things you will need will make packing a breeze when the time comes. The USEA shares this packing list to help you get started but please remember that each horse and rider are individuals so your list may vary from this one. This article is a good resource for packing for The Classic and includes items to consider having on endurance day in the steeplechase assistance area and 10 minute/vet box. The incomparable Max Corcoran also has some suggestions for packing you may find useful. 

We hope you found this post helpful.  Next week we cover stud selection!  Please comment if you would like any specific topics discussed as we countdown to the most fun weekend of the year!