How To Prepare A Horse For Competition

As spring rolls around, its time to get back to horse riding, which means competition season! Learning how to prepare a horse for competition will not only help you do better in shows but also help your horse perform at their best.

Your horse has probably lost some muscle mass and strength over the past few months, so its important you build their physical fitness back up. This will prevent injury and strain on their joints

Before heading back to the show ring, its important to prepare and take proper safety precautions.

For example, people can’t just go run a marathon. They must train and prepare their muscles so they can run safely. The same is for horses, they must work back up to competing level.

Prepping a horse for the show season is vital to decrease the risk of injury and make a horse stronger and more balanced.

I will share how to assess your horse’s fitness level, and dive into some different ways you can prepare your horse for the showing environment.

Assessing Your Horse’s Fitness

After having time off during the winter, your horse’s fitness won’t be at the same level as in the fall.

Its important to assess your horse’s fitness level to see what areas need to be improved. This will allow you to see what exercises you should work on and to gauge the intensity of your workouts.

You can start by looking at your horse’s overall body condition. Look for signs of the ribs or access fat. Ideally, when you run your hands on your horse’s stomach you should be able to feel but not see the ribs.

Observing your horse’s movements and posture will allow you to see their muscle tone and if their are areas of weakness.

You can check your horse’s heart and breathing rate before, during, and after exercise to see what their body is capable of handling. Also make sure your horse is getting the adequate amount of nutrients to support their energy requirements and muscle development.

Insider Tip

Talk with your veterinarian to assess your horse’s health and develop a fitness plan designed to their needs.

Set Goals For Your Training Program

By setting a goal, it gives you something to focus your training on and gives you a way to measure you and your horse’s progress. This could be jumping higher, improving your barrel racing time, or making your cues clearer.

Keep your horse’s fitness level in mind because this will allow you to set a specific goal on an area that needs improving.

Work with your trainer to get guidance and feedback on completing your goal. They can give you helpful exercises and tips to allow you and your horse to progress.

Create a consistent schedule to work on your goal and incorporate it into your training program to see the most results.

Also, use positive reinforcement to motivate your horse and and reward desired behaviors. This will make your horse more likely to perform the movement again.

Make sure to be flexible to your horse’s needs and preferences. You may need to make modifications to continue seeing success and growth.

Refining Your Performance

Prepare your horse by working to improve their performance and movements. You can work on making your horse more responsive to your aids and improving your beginner skills. Mastering beginner skills will make more difficult movements much easier.

Incorporate different types of exercises into your training program to make sure your horse doesn’t get bored or risk injury. This will also make your horse more excited to train and learn new things.

Use lots of groundwork exercises to make cues clearer and see how your horse moves on the ground. Groundwork will create a good foundation for in saddle training and allows you to communicate with your horse in a different way.

Improving your horse’s performance will allow you to score better in the show ring and potentially place higher.

Mental Preparation

Horse shows often have a lot going on which can be stressful for your horse. Mentally prepping your horse means that you will be getting them used to the environment a competition has.

Here are some different things you can desensitize your horse to:

Sounds: cheering, music, loudspeakers
Visual Stimuli: flags, ribbons, other moving objects
Other Animals: horses, dogs, livestock
Arena Equipment: tents, trailers, cones
Unfamiliar Environments: show grounds, clinics, trail rides

You can also practice relaxation techniques if your horse does get stressed when at a show.

My favorite way to calm my horses is to ask them to lower their head. When the horse lowers their head, it gives them something else to focus on and helps them become more relaxed.

Equipment Check

Make sure to do a thorough check of all your equipment before going to shows. Inspect all of your horse’s tack and gear, including saddles, bridles, girths, and reins, to ensure they are clean and in good working condition.

Also, check that all your tack fits your horse correctly and that your horse is not in pain wearing it.

Replace or make any adjustments that are necessary for your horse to feel their best.

When competing season comes around, pack a supply kit so that you have all the equipment you need. You can also pack extra tack as a precaution in case something unexpected happens.

Use my free checklist below so you never forget anything at a horse show!