Competition day – what do I have to consider?

A long training period is behind you and your horse, the equipment is prepared, the trailer is also ready. How can you make your competition day as relaxed as possible and what should you definitely not forget? We show you what your first competition might look like.

Before departure for the competition

The trailer and the equipment for the horse competition have already been prepared the day before. Get up early to make the final preparations for the departure.

Go through the horse competition checklist again and make sure that everything is packed. Give your horse enough time and patience to take care of him and load him in peace. Allow enough time for the loading to go smoothly, despite the nervousness of horse and rider.

Helpers are worth their weight in gold!

Without friends or family members who take care of the horse and rider on the day of the show, both organisationally and mentally, and keep an eye on everything, it can be very difficult. Cleaning the show jacket at the last minute, registering with the organiser, taking care of the final touches on the horse, keeping an eye on the schedule, documenting the day with photos and videos.

It’s best to take someone with you with whom you get on blindly. In professional circles, it is the grooms who follow the show couple wherever they go and manage the process.

Arrived at the horse competition – what now?

First of all, make sure that your horse has survived the transport well. Before you unload your horse, you have the opportunity to contact the organiser and ask for the current schedule for the show and your starting time. Take some time to familiarise yourself with the competition area. Where will the competition take place? Where is the collecting ring?

The collecting ring – the dress rehearsal for the competition

The collecting or warm-up ring is usually very busy. It is therefore advisable to get the horse used to a lot of horses in the arena before the competition, e.g. by taking part in group riding lessons. Memorise the regular arena etiquette at home so as not to hinder the other competitors.

The goal in the warm-up ring is to have a horse that is relaxed and able to perform what you have worked on at home. Shortly before your start you can go through the test again, but you should not get too stiff if something does not work as well as at home.

Try to maintain your training routine in the warm-up ring. This will give you and your horse confidence even in unfamiliar terrain. If your horse seems too stressed by the many other horse-rider pairs or there are simply too many riders in the ring, you should use the warm-up to wind down. Leisurely walk rounds and getting to grips with smaller lessons are a real alternative when nothing works at all in the warm-up ring. In order not to lose your nerves in such situations, you should plan enough time for the warm-up.

Warming up for the show jumping test and course inspection

Since showjumping is an even greater physical strain on the horse, you should allow a maximum of half an hour for warm-up before a showjumping test. Here, too, it is important to first warm up the horse and then approach the upcoming test at an increasing level.

As soon as the course has been set up, it can be inspected on foot. Memorise important points such as the start and finish, but also the turning points and the corresponding distances between the obstacles.

Also think about which places or obstacles could be particularly challenging for your horse, e.g. where external stimuli such as the audience or shadow play could distract the horse. Ideally, you should be accompanied by your trainer.

Important: The competition dress code also applies to the course walk. You should therefore already wear your competition outfit. Only the show jacket can be omitted for the course walk.

After the exam – First things first

You have mastered your first competition. The tension is gone for the time being, but there is still a lot to do. Praise your horse profusely for its performance at the competition, ride it loosely again in the collecting ring, give the reins and then ride at a walk until your horse is dry. If you have not been placed at the competition, you can then unsaddle your horse, let it graze or feed it mash and give water.

If you have been placed, it is obligatory to attend the award ceremony. The time until then should be organised with the horse in mind. Maybe you can bridge the time with riding in walk on long reins. If it takes a while until the award ceremony, you can also unsaddle the horse and give him a break to graze.

In any case, you should take care of your horse properly afterwards, remove and stow the show equipment properly and plan a pleasant grooming session. Then it’s time to load the horse.

The award ceremony – exciting and loud

Your horse did well throughout the competition day and you were even placed. Congratulations! With the award ceremony, the day comes to a crowning conclusion. To ensure that this honourable appearance at the horse competition goes off without a hitch, you should get your horse used to the fact that loud music will be blaring from the loudspeakers, the judges will be pinning the rosette on the bridle and thunderous applause will be heard. With regular spook training, you can take some of the excitement out of these moments for the horse.

Home again – time to recover

A day at the competition can be quite long and exhausting for everyone involved. Nevertheless, after arriving at the yard, don’t put your horse straight into the stable. Unplait your horse’s mane. In summer, a soothing shower or at least hosing down the horses‘ legs is advisable. Standing in the trailer and longer standing breaks at the competition are a great strain on the so-called hoof pump, which supports your horse’s cardiovascular system and is dependent on a lot of movement, so you should plan a short walk around the yard at the end of the competition day or give the horse another opportunity to let off steam and roll in the arena.

Competition equipment – organisation is half the battle

After the horse, it’s time for the equipment. Unload the competition equipment you took with you and store everything neatly in the tack room. Damp saddle pads or rugs – and also wet and sweaty riding boots – should be aired out to dry. You should also devote some time to the horse trailer. Clean it out thoroughly and remove the bedding so that no germs can form or attack the material of the trailer. Afterwards, you can sweep the loading area with a broom and then rinse it with water. If possible, you can tilt the trailer slightly so that the water can flow out easily. Make sure that there is sufficient ventilation during the drying period and leave the loading area and windows open or tilted.