The 2024 eventing season is very nearly upon us, but we know lots of our followers might not be making their debut for another couple of weeks after that. If you’re training from the field or you don’t have access to well drained bridleways or all-weather gallops, getting a horse ready to run at the start of March can be a challenge. That’s why in this month’s blog, we’re sharing some top tips for preparing for the eventing season – whenever yours will kick off!
- Set clear, actionable goals
Bearing in mind how fit your horse is – more on that in a moment – and where you’re at with your training, plan a season that both challenges you and that you’ll enjoy. That might be aiming for a Riding Club Championship, a grassroots series final or just an event that you love, and then working backwards to plan your pathway to get there. Are there qualifiers you need to compete in and how many warmup events do you need to give it your best shot?
You can then look at what clinics, lessons and schooling sessions you need to book to help you make the most of your season, and weave in a fitness plan for you and your horse. We can help you with gallops sessions for your horse’s fitness and there are handy markers to help you assess and work on your speed for the cross-country phase. Our cross-country field will be opening as soon as the ground is drier, if you’re in need of a schooling round or two before your debut.
2. Focus on fitness
This one isn’t just about being in with a chance of winning because your horse is still full of running at the end of the cross-country course. Making sure that your horse is fit enough to cope with the challenges you throw at them in a day (or weekend) of eventing is essential in mitigating injuries. A tired horse is more likely to make a mistake and if their muscles are tiring, the strain on their tendons and ligaments can cause injuries.
Link your fitness plan into your goals, so you know what date you need your horse to be fully fit and ready to run is and work back from there. If times are too tight to get the horse fit and schooled, enter a later event rather than take a risk that they will be fine. Our mantra is that it’s always better to spend an extra week working on fitness before you start fast or aerobic work with a horse, because the consequences of pushing ahead when they’re not ready could cost you a lot more time!
3. Rest and recovery
Just like human athletes will carefully plan their rest days and use various tools to support their body’s recovery, you need to do the same for your horse. Make sure they get at least one day off from work a week during the eventing season and try to mix up their training so that they get a variety of work. That might mean a long hack with some fast work one day, pole work and grids another, plus the obligatory flatwork to nail the dressage phase! After a strenuous training session (think gallops, cross-country schooling and gymnastic jumping sessions) or after an event why not book a water treadmill session? These are a great way to ease stiffness and promote muscle recovery so that your horse bounces back quickly. You can even book a combined gallops and water treadmill session to really boost their wellness!
4. Remember holistic health and the three ‘F’s
It’s not just about fitness and recovery – remember that your horse needs to have time to be a horse too! World Horse Welfare states that every horse should have access to the three ‘Fs’ – friends, forage and freedom. That means daily turnout with other horses or ponies, a predominantly forage-based diet and the freedom to move and behave as they have evolved to. From police horses and rescue ponies to top flight competition horses, there’s plenty of evidence building up that letting horses be horses actually benefits their ridden work, lowering ‘misbehaving’ and stress behaviour.