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 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. Scraping inbetween water applications is not necessary.

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 the great 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!