How to prepare your young under saddle horse for their debut competition
A pre-show plan will help you and your youngster have the best experience possible at their first horse show. Quinnten Alston, sales manager at Iron Spring Farm, shares the steps ISF takes to make a great competition debut.
Homework
Before a young horse is ready to compete, they must be able to comfortably and confidently execute the work they’ll perform at the show. We want the horse to be positive in their work and also very rideable, meaning they bend, steer and stop reliably at home. A horse show isn’t the ideal environment for a horse still learning those skills.
If we’re aiming for a materiale class, then the focus is on the basic gaits, transitions and rideability. When the goal is a dressage test, we run through the test in its entirety to assess the horse's readiness.
Away From Home
Prior to exploring the world of horse shows, we like to get the young horses off property to another local, low-key facility, preferably with access to both indoor and outdoor rings.
We want our horses to have a positive and relaxed training experience away from home. It’s better to do less and end on a positive note than to do more and have a frazzled horse.
Young horses in new environments often have tension through the body and back, high levels of energy and lack of focus. To help them decompress, we always handwalk our horses in new environments so that they have an opportunity to see everything. We make sure the horses march, which puts any unnecessary energy to good use. After 10 to 15 minutes of handwalking, they are usually more relaxed through the body and have had a chance to become confident at the new facility. At that point, we can move on to under saddle work.
First trips off property can be exciting for a young horse, so lunging in both directions to release any kinks and burn off the excess energy is never a bad idea. Safety first always sets you up for success. Overall, we treat these excursions like any other daily training session.
Set Up a Show Environment
If you don't ride in a dressage ring every day, the next step is to set up a formal ring or find a local facility where you can do some practice rides. This helps the horse become familiar with the look, sound and dimension of a standard ring.
We also like to expose our horses to other horse show elements at home: a judge's booth and spectator seating with actual humans, banners, public service announcements, other horses schooling in the ring, etc. There a lot of things we replicate at home before we go off property.
You can mimic these new elements at your place too. Use a couple of chairs for judges and spectators, boxes as banners, a portable speaker, etc. Just be creative! The idea is that your horse gets used to performing even when the ring looks and sounds a little different.
Another beneficial practice: riding in your show boots and/or show clothing while your horse is fully braided. Some horses need to acclimate to the feel of braids. In the same way, your show boots versus your everyday boots can offer a different feeling for your horse (and you too).
Schooling at Shows
Schooling at a show without the pressure of performing is the best way to expose an inexperienced horse to the exciting environment of a competition.
Where to begin once you’re on the grounds? Handwalking, handwalking, handwalking! This allows the horses to familiarize themselves with all the sights and sounds, while also making their bodies work and directing their energy in a positive way. We also let them relax and graze by the ring so they can watch the busy happenings of the warm-up and show rings before we ask them to work. We try to make it fun and comfortable for them.
Another important consideration to keep track of during your travels: how is your horse's energy level impacted by the show environment? Do they have more energy? Do they tire quickly?
Through our various outings prior to actually showing, we may discover that a horse uses up a lot of energy traveling to the show, or by processing the exciting new things they encounter at a show. A horse who has a lot of energy at home may start out as very fresh, but then tire quickly away from home. Your horse’s energy response is something to consider as it dictates how you approach preparing your horse on the day of the show.
The Big Day
Once your horse is confidently traveling, being ridden off property and executing the required movements and/or tests, you’re ready to enter your first show!
Many of our young horses become familiar with a busy show environment by going to Dressage at Devon as foals, yearlings or 2-year-olds. This is a good opportunity for them to learn to work with people in a high-pressure environment. This in-hand experience plays a crucial role in a young horse's future career as a riding horse. Horses shown in-hand seem to have a better ability to adapt to competition stress than their unshown counterparts.
Schooling shows are a great option to start and then move on to recognized shows. We’re lucky to have super options for dressage shows locally. In Pennsylvania, Dressage at Blue Goose, Dressage at Dunmovin, and of course, Dressage at Devon are convenient for us. During the winter season in Florida, we are within driving distance of White Fences Equestrian Center and are very close to the Adequan Global Dressage Festival.
In general, your show routine should closely follow your routine at home and from your off-property trips. Take everything you’ve learned about how your horse reacts to new sights and how he uses his energy and make a warm-up plan. From there, you’re ready to shine!
Photo Credit: Stacy Lynne Photography
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All content provided by Iron Spring Farm is general and for informational purposes only. Content may also not constitute the most up to date information. Nothing in this content is intended to constitute veterinarian advice or to serve as a substitute for consultation with a veterinarian. Always seek the advice of your veterinarian or other qualified provider with any questions that you may have about the treatment and care of your horse.
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