To compete or not when your horse finds it stressful?

If you ride dressage or show jumping with your horse, it can be quite enjoyable to compete. At least, for you as a rider. Competitions are a good opportunity to see where you are in your training and to compete against other combinations. But does your horse enjoy it as much? And what can you do to make the experience as positive as possible for him? A few tips and tricks, even if your horse may not enjoy it that much yet.

Resilient horse

Before competing, it is important that your horse can handle everything that will come his way. In other words, your horse must be resilient enough. There are several things you can do to increase the chances of your horse being mentally prepared for a competition. Firstly, make sure that not everything is unfamiliar to him. Do you braid your horse's mane often? Practice that and then ride in your own familiar arena. Without stress. Make sure that other preparations for a competition are normal, such as washing the tail or clipping the socks. Practicing loading your horse into the trailer and transporting him can also help. Just practice loading and unloading at home. Many horses find trailers scary at first because they associate it with moving to completely strange circumstances. If the trailer is no longer scary and your horse knows he will come back home, it reduces stress, even when competing. Additionally, practice riding in unfamiliar terrain. Rent a arena somewhere and ride there. Or take a lesson on unfamiliar terrain. Only when your horse is comfortable in unfamiliar environments, you can start thinking about competitions. It is also useful to practice reading and riding the test. Some horses get spooked by loud readers. You may choose to ride the test from memory instead. Groundwork can also help your horse deal with stressful situations. Tristan Tucker's method, for example, is suitable for this purpose, but other groundwork exercises can help your horse to remain calm, breathe, and relax his muscles. You can also do these exercises before getting on your horse in unfamiliar terrain.

Prepare yourself well

When competing, there is always some tension involved. That is almost inevitable. Make sure you are on time with everything. Don't keep your horse braided and groomed for hours in the stable aisle, causing him to have to pee a lot, not eaten hay for hours, and completely out of his routine. Try to keep changes to the normal routine as minimal as possible for your horse and ensure that he gets enough rest and forage in the hours leading up to the competition. Do your own preparations elsewhere and don't bother your horse with them. Especially not if you are a bit nervous yourself. Clean your tack and groom your horse somewhere else. You don't have to do it all right before the competition. Clipping socks, trimming the beard, and cleaning the tack can be done one or two days before.

The human factor

Are you nervous or very ambitious? Both nerves in the rider and the ambition to ride as well as possible feel like tension to your horse. And your horse will pick up on that tension. He doesn't understand that you just want to do your best, or that you find it nerve-wracking to be judged by other people. They only think: something is different about my rider, it's scary, there's danger. And then they become spooky, jumpy, or close themselves off to aids. Many people, for example, squeeze their thighs, arch their backs, or tighten their arms when they want to sit 'nicely' for the judge. Don't do that! Just try to move along with your horse in a relaxed way, then he will react much more 'normally'. Tell yourself that you are not at the competition to perform as best as you can. You are there to guide your horse and make sure he can show himself in the best way possible. You do this best by reassuring him, not 'bringing along' any mistakes to your next exercise in your mind, and riding in a relaxed manner. If it really doesn't go well, greet in your first test or round and ask the judge if you can stay in the arena for a bit longer to practice that scary corner or one more jump for confidence. Then you can calmly finish and maybe perform better in the second test.

Additional support with supplements

Supplements can help support your horse on competition day. First of all, keep in mind that your horse needs extra magnesium for greater physical exertion and for stressful situations. This mineral is important for both muscles and the nervous system. Make sure there is enough magnesium in a readily absorbable form in your horse's diet and give a little extra in the days surrounding the competition. This will help your horse have less muscle pain and less stress. In addition, you can also use a liquid herbal supplement for stressful situations, such as chaste berry, passionflower and chamomile. Start with this extract 48 hours before the competition and give it until the day of the competition. The herbs help your horse be less stressed without making him drowsy or less alert. Always make sure that the supplement is guaranteed to be doping-free!

Due to regulations, we are unfortunately not allowed to mention exactly which products are suitable. We are also not allowed to provide a link to the product. This can only be done in a personal conversation. Are you curious? Contact us via info@heltieanimal.com or 0522-470017.