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 in 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.