Essential Competition tips

 Competition Prep

Regardless of the discipline you compete in, preparation and organisation are always a key building block to success.  With the Summer season now in full swing here are 5 essential tips to get you to the arena with minimal stress.

1. Recent outbreaks of equine flu has led competition venues and show organisers to drastically change their ruling on vaccinations. Previously only FEI rules stated that a horse must have received a booster in the last 6 months, but now many venues are changing their requirements to fall in line with FEI rules.  So its vitally important to check whether the show organiser and / or venue has stated a 12 or 6 month booster requirement before you enter.  And spot checks are regularly happening so have your fully stamped passport ready at all times.

2. Pack your spare socks!  No seriously…  you might be an ultra organised planner, but occasionally we all forget that one thing we cannot compete without.  It’s a great idea to carry a spare of your essential “forgettable” items for both you and your horse.  Girth, saddle cloth, spare plaiting kit, scissors, socks, gloves, dressage number…  if possible stored safely in your lorry or storage locker in case you need them.  And not wanting to tempt fate, its always good to carry a spare pare of jods, in case disaster strikes in the warm up (or it rains)!

3. Keep it simple.  Get a routine worked out in the run up to a competition and try and stick to it.  A routine will mean you know how much time to leave for your prep, and your horse will thrive on the consistency of your processes.  Also think about your horses best natural routine during the week. If they get worked or perform better after turnout then try and stick to this, even if it means getting up a few minutes earlier so they can have a 30 minute leg stretch.

 4. Don’t ignore your mental preparation.  Whether its learning a dressage test, walking a course or simply processing your thoughts to channel your adrenalin it is vitally important that you are calm and fully prepared mentally to get your best results.  And don’t forget, pre competition nerves are not all bad.  Its natural to feel apprehensive prior to a competition, it simply means you care about what you are doing.  Work on techniques to channel this to maximize the performance of both you and your horse.  

 5. Enjoy it! The end game for any equestrian competitor is the performance in the arena, and ultimately a successful result.  But if you consider all of the time, effort, expense and stress that goes in to every minute of every day during the season it is really important that you embrace this prep time as part of your journey.  We do this sport because we love it, so working on loving all of it, with the competition day being the final brick in a wall that you and your horse built together.