EquineLover
Well-Known Member
When do you start preparing for shows,and how do you start getting your horses back in shape?Do you do any work with them during winter,and when there's to much snow/ice to work them outside?
Shows
- Thread starter EquineLover
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I'd love to be able to start working (lunging, long line, etc) at least 8 weeks before a show but I can see that ain't gonna happen with this weather. If it's below my comfort level (25 or under), I just let them sit. If I can stand to move around in the barn, I can take my filly out and work on individual obstacles (not enough room for an actual course). It just gets her thinking and listening to me.
My stallion is another story. He doesn't get the idea of moving over or thru things so all I can do with him is set him up for halter and groom. He needs to get in harness but without an indoor arena we're stuck.
As soon as weather permits we'll be out in the round pen exercising for 10-15 minutes to start and building up on the time.
sedeh
Well-Known Member
Since I don't have a covered arena I too am dependent on the weather. I'd like to be working them 20-30 min, 3-4 times a week in the round pen starting about 8 weeks before the first show.....that doesn't always happen though! They are turned out now so do get self exercise. Just do what I can now.
nootka
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Add me to the "self conditioning" group.
My horses are turned out as much as possible, to play and interact with each other. My performance horse, though, to be fair, has been jumping at least one to three jumps per day just to keep him "ready" for when the ground firms up and we can begin conditioning in earnest. I will also be taking him for pleasure drives to help with this.
I don't ever condition anything that is under 2 years old, and rarely do much more than free lungeing at that.
What you CAN do is groom the horse thoroughly to help with coat condition and muscle tone, and keep any skin conditions at a minimum (such as rain rot, lice, ringworm, etc. anything that might be hiding in those winter coats will be minimized or at least discovered early enough to have effective treatment before show season). Of course picking out feet and all is important, too, but that I consider basic care of any horse, not just a show horse.
You can also have short, impromptu halter lessons/ground manner training. I try to do this with all my new horses (young ones, ones that haven't shown before or much), and have a quick refresher with the "veterans."
I think my show horses look pretty good, considering. I know I don't have the "edge" that a professional does, but if I had access to a better arena nearby, I think I could probably get closer to what they achieve because they put way more into it than I do.
Good luck!
Liz M.
My horses are turned out as much as possible, to play and interact with each other. My performance horse, though, to be fair, has been jumping at least one to three jumps per day just to keep him "ready" for when the ground firms up and we can begin conditioning in earnest. I will also be taking him for pleasure drives to help with this.
I don't ever condition anything that is under 2 years old, and rarely do much more than free lungeing at that.
What you CAN do is groom the horse thoroughly to help with coat condition and muscle tone, and keep any skin conditions at a minimum (such as rain rot, lice, ringworm, etc. anything that might be hiding in those winter coats will be minimized or at least discovered early enough to have effective treatment before show season). Of course picking out feet and all is important, too, but that I consider basic care of any horse, not just a show horse.
You can also have short, impromptu halter lessons/ground manner training. I try to do this with all my new horses (young ones, ones that haven't shown before or much), and have a quick refresher with the "veterans."
I think my show horses look pretty good, considering. I know I don't have the "edge" that a professional does, but if I had access to a better arena nearby, I think I could probably get closer to what they achieve because they put way more into it than I do.
Good luck!
Liz M.
K
kaykay
Guest
we have now put everyone on show diets, which basically means more grain and a little less hay. I think all of mine are looking pretty good after playing all winter but hard to know with all that hair. it isnt even close to warm enough to clip here! we have been practicing halter with the young ones. I really need to get tamale driving again but everything here is ice and more ice on the way tonight
Leeana
Well-Known Member
I've already started cutting back on the hay for both my Sr show horses, my going-to-be-yearling i am not cutting back anything, right now he is getting exactly what he needs to continue growing and he is on our show string ..i'm not going to mess with his feeding schedule to much although i have added a suppliment Nutraglo about 2 weeks ago and he gets that every night on his grain. I'm just cutting back hay a little bit right now to start getting those bellys off, there on a good enough grain (buckeye) that im not worried about taking away a small amount of there hay.
I'm going to start conditioning mid-next month and our first show is May 26th. We have an indoor arena about 5 miles from here and my goal is to cond atleast 5x a week so we can always trailer them down there if the weather is bad for long periods of time for a good workout from time to time. When i start conditioning im also going to bring out the sweats and when i start conditioning that is by when i want them on their show feeding schedule to meet their work load which is more grain, less hay.
My foundation gelding is only doing Congress which is toward end of the season so im letting him go untill around the end of May, then my other horse is only doing one local show here at the end of august and i dont do to much cond. with him bc he is just a lazy lazy boy lol.
Right now i am working showmanship with Chief, ground manners with Royal, Ground manners/setting up with Narko and that is it for my show string. So were slowly starting training but only 2x-3x a week ...nothing huge yet. Still to cold brrr, when it warms up a bit more then we will really start working
.
I'm going to start conditioning mid-next month and our first show is May 26th. We have an indoor arena about 5 miles from here and my goal is to cond atleast 5x a week so we can always trailer them down there if the weather is bad for long periods of time for a good workout from time to time. When i start conditioning im also going to bring out the sweats and when i start conditioning that is by when i want them on their show feeding schedule to meet their work load which is more grain, less hay.
My foundation gelding is only doing Congress which is toward end of the season so im letting him go untill around the end of May, then my other horse is only doing one local show here at the end of august and i dont do to much cond. with him bc he is just a lazy lazy boy lol.
Right now i am working showmanship with Chief, ground manners with Royal, Ground manners/setting up with Narko and that is it for my show string. So were slowly starting training but only 2x-3x a week ...nothing huge yet. Still to cold brrr, when it warms up a bit more then we will really start working
EquineLover
Well-Known Member
Do you have your Minis in a pasture,drylot,or stall,and are they there all year,or only during show season?
Im just curious,what do you feed your show horses?
Do you buy tack,and show clothes off ebay?Are there any other places you know of that sell used show clothes,etc?
Im just curious,what do you feed your show horses?
Do you buy tack,and show clothes off ebay?Are there any other places you know of that sell used show clothes,etc?
K
kaykay
Guest
equine my show horses are drylotted. What mine are fed depends on age
yearling filly gets equine jr and hay
2 yr old stallion gets horsemens edge and hay
yearling pony gets equine jr and hay
As show season approaches i cut back the hay a bit and add more grain
last chance auction here on lb has used clothes sometimes and always has used tack
yearling filly gets equine jr and hay
2 yr old stallion gets horsemens edge and hay
yearling pony gets equine jr and hay
As show season approaches i cut back the hay a bit and add more grain
last chance auction here on lb has used clothes sometimes and always has used tack
Leeana
Well-Known Member
Mine are on drylot and stall. I really dont like keeping show miniatures on pasture because they get and stay so fat on grass and get that grass belly. Generally mine are stalled at night and out a few hours a day plus worked during show season. Then during off season i put them out to drylot with only ones who have special needs (ei. Coco is stalled during off season bc during the winter he has gotten sick very easily in the past and Narko i stalled because he is the baby and i want to make sure none of the other horses of the other horses getting his food).
I feed Buckeye Gro N Win and Alfalfa hay, i add the Nutraglo suppliment to my yearlings grain at night.
Oh yeah, i got my show Blazer at Wal-Mart around xmas. I get all my black pants at wal-mart and then i wear a spagetti strap under that which goes up pretty high. You can find show clothes at wal-mart at really good prices. Black shoes came from payless lol.
I feed Buckeye Gro N Win and Alfalfa hay, i add the Nutraglo suppliment to my yearlings grain at night.
Oh yeah, i got my show Blazer at Wal-Mart around xmas. I get all my black pants at wal-mart and then i wear a spagetti strap under that which goes up pretty high. You can find show clothes at wal-mart at really good prices. Black shoes came from payless lol.
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EquineLover
Well-Known Member
What size drylots do you use?
What do you do for conditioning non driving horses?
What do you do for conditioning non driving horses?
