My Weekly Horse Care Routine During Event Season
Event season turns ordinary horse care into a careful balance of fitness, recovery, maintenance, and logistics. When Archie is preparing for dressage, show jumping, and cross-country, the work between competitions matters just as much as the training sessions themselves. A sound horse needs consistent attention, while a busy rider needs a routine that is realistic enough to follow every week.
My checklist changes slightly according to the competition calendar, the weather, and how Archie feels after schooling. A quiet week may focus on turnout, mobility, and basic conditioning. The week before an event includes more detailed tack checks, coat care, travel planning, and a closer look at his legs and feet.
The aim is not to perform an elaborate stable ritual every day. It is to notice small changes early, keep familiar habits in place, and make competition preparation feel like an extension of normal care rather than a frantic rush.
Begin With A Daily Health Check
I start each visit by observing Archie before I pick up a brush. His attitude, appetite, posture, and movement often tell me more than a quick glance at his coat. A horse who is unusually quiet, impatient at feed time, or reluctant to walk out of the stable may be communicating discomfort before there is an obvious physical sign.
I run my hands down all four legs and compare them with how they usually feel. I look for heat, swelling, cuts, rubs, or a change in filling around the fetlocks. I also check his hooves for loose shoes, cracks, packed mud, and stones. This takes only a few minutes, but it helps me decide whether the day should include training, light exercise, turnout, or rest.
His water intake and droppings are part of the same check. During warm weather or after a demanding schooling session, I pay particular attention to hydration. A clean, comfortable stable, fresh water, and regular access to forage help create the steady routine that supports digestion and recovery.
Balance Training With Recovery
A weekly horse care routine during event season has to include recovery days, even when the next competition is approaching. Archie cannot produce his best work if every day involves intense schooling. I normally alternate harder sessions with hacking, long-reining, stretching exercises, or relaxed in-hand work. Some days, a calm walk and plenty of turnout are more useful than another session in the arena.
After jumping or cross-country schooling, I cool him down carefully and inspect his legs again once his breathing has returned to normal. I like to walk for long enough that he feels settled rather than rushing through the final part of the session. If the ground has been deep, hard, or uneven, I make a note of how he moved and whether he felt different on either rein.
Recovery also includes his mental state. A horse can be physically capable but mentally tired after a busy week of lessons, travel, and competition atmosphere. Giving Archie time to stretch his neck, look around, and enjoy uncomplicated work helps preserve his confidence. The goal is a willing athlete, not a horse that is merely completing every item on a training schedule.
Maintain Feet, Coat, And Skin
Hoof care is a year-round priority, but it becomes especially important when eventing places extra demands on balance and footing. I pick out Archie’s feet at least twice daily when I am at the yard, checking the frog, sole, heel bulbs, and shoe edges. If the weather changes from wet to dry, I watch for brittle hoof walls or packed mud that could create pressure.
I keep farrier appointments recorded alongside competitions and training dates. Scheduling trims or shoeing too close to an event can leave a horse feeling temporarily different, while leaving it too long can affect comfort and movement. The right timing depends on the individual horse, so I use Archie’s normal cycle and the farrier’s advice rather than applying a rigid rule.
Grooming gives me another opportunity to examine his skin and muscles. I brush away sweat after exercise, clean under the girth and saddle area, and check for scurf, bites, swelling, or sore patches. In muddy conditions, I take extra care around the pasterns and heels. A clean, dry coat is pleasant to handle, but the real purpose is detecting problems before they interfere with training.
Keep Tack And Equipment Ready
Competition preparation is much easier when equipment is checked throughout the week instead of the night before loading. I inspect stitching, buckles, girths, stirrup leathers, reins, boots, and saddle pads. I also look inside brushing boots and overreach boots for grit or hardened mud that could cause rubbing.
After each ride, I wipe down the bridle and saddle, remove sweat from the girth, and hang everything where it can dry properly. Leather care is a small task, but neglected tack can become stiff, cracked, or uncomfortable. I keep spare reins, gloves, bandages, and basic grooming items together so that one missing piece does not disrupt the morning of an event.
I also review whether the equipment still suits the work. A saddle that felt comfortable in a short dressage session may need attention if Archie changes shape during a fitness block. Likewise, jumping boots and studs need to be appropriate for the ground and the discipline. Reading about course designer’s track has reminded me that preparation is influenced by the questions a course may ask, so I want Archie’s equipment and warm-up to support balance, adjustability, and confidence.
Track The Week In One Place
A written record keeps horse care practical when the week becomes crowded. I use a calendar or notebook to record schooling, hacking, rest days, farrier visits, lessons, vaccinations, worming decisions, and competition deadlines. I include short notes about footing, weather, energy levels, and anything unusual in Archie’s way of going.
The record does not need to be complicated. The useful information is often simple: “shorter stride after jumping,” “good appetite after travel,” or “left hind slightly filled after turnout, normal by morning.” These details help me spot patterns and give a vet, farrier, physiotherapist, or trainer clearer information if advice is needed.
Here is the weekly framework I use as a starting point. It is flexible rather than prescriptive, because the right balance depends on the horse, the event calendar, the ground, and the rider’s schedule.
| Area of care | Weekly check | Why it matters during event season |
|---|---|---|
| Legs and feet | Inspect daily; make a fuller check after hard work | Finds heat, swelling, lost shoes, or soreness early |
| Exercise | Mix schooling, hacking, recovery, and rest | Builds fitness without allowing fatigue to accumulate |
| Grooming | Groom before and after work; check skin and girth areas | Helps prevent rubs and identifies small injuries |
| Tack | Clean after use and inspect once a week | Reduces equipment-related discomfort and last-minute problems |
| Nutrition and water | Monitor appetite, drinking, forage, and droppings | Supports hydration, digestion, and steady energy |
| Competition kit | Review documents, clothing, boots, and spares | Makes travel and show mornings calmer |
| Records | Update training and health notes | Creates a useful history for future decisions |
I revisit the list at the end of each week rather than treating it as a test that must be completed perfectly. If Archie has had a demanding cross-country session, recovery and leg checks move to the top. If he is fresh after several easy days, fitness work may take priority. The checklist gives me structure while still leaving room to respond to what is in front of me.
Support Nutrition And Hydration
Feed changes deserve patience. During event season, Archie’s workload may rise, but I avoid making sudden adjustments simply because a competition is approaching. I monitor his body condition, energy, topline, and recovery, then discuss significant changes with the appropriate equine professionals. Forage remains central, with feed portions adjusted to his actual work rather than the most ambitious version of the schedule.
I check that buckets and feed utensils are clean and that meals are prepared consistently. If we are travelling, I take familiar forage and water-management habits wherever possible. Some horses drink less away from home, so I make hydration easier by offering water regularly and keeping an eye on how much Archie consumes before and after work.
Electrolytes, supplements, and recovery feeds should have a clear purpose and fit within competition rules. I keep a record of what Archie receives so that I can identify changes in appetite or manure and avoid accidentally introducing several new products at once. Reliable, ordinary feeding habits are usually more helpful than last-minute experimentation.
Prepare For Travel And Competition
The weekly check becomes more detailed when an event is approaching. I confirm the venue, arrival time, class schedule, route, parking information, and any special requirements. Then I inspect the lorry or trailer, check fuel and water, and make a packing list for Archie as well as for myself.
His competition kit includes feed, hay, water containers, grooming supplies, rugs, boots, first-aid materials, spare headcollars, and documents. I pack more than one option for weather and ground conditions, while avoiding unnecessary clutter. A spare girth, extra reins, and replacement gloves can save a stressful search around the showground.
Travel planning is also part of horse welfare. I allow enough time for calm loading, regular checks, and a settled arrival. Once at the venue, I offer water and forage, walk Archie around if appropriate, and give him time to take in the surroundings. A familiar sequence helps him understand that the show is simply another version of the work we practise at home.
Protect Time For The Rider
Horse care is easier to maintain when the rider has enough energy to do it properly. I prepare my own riding clothes, food, water, route, and paperwork during the week instead of leaving everything for the morning of the event. This reduces the chance of rushing through Archie’s checks or forgetting something important.
I also make room for coaching notes and reflection. After a lesson or competition, I write down one or two useful observations while they are fresh. These might relate to rhythm in show jumping, relaxation in dressage, or how Archie responded to a particular cross-country question. Keeping the notes focused prevents every ride from becoming an exhausting analysis.
The most useful habits are the ones I can repeat when work, travel, weather, or nerves make the week untidy. My priorities are:
- Check Archie’s attitude, legs, feet, appetite, and water intake every day.
- Match exercise intensity with recovery time and the condition of the ground.
- Clean and inspect tack after use, with a fuller equipment check before competitions.
- Record small changes in movement, behaviour, feed, and turnout response.
- Pack familiar food, water, documents, and safety equipment well before travel day.
A checklist should support good judgement rather than replace it. If Archie is sore, unusually tired, off his feed, or behaving out of character, the correct response is to pause the normal plan and seek qualified advice. No competition timetable is more important than identifying and addressing a health concern promptly.
The routine also helps me appreciate the quieter parts of eventing. Winning a class is memorable, but so is a sound horse walking comfortably back to the lorry, eating hay after a long day, and recovering well the following morning. Those outcomes are built through hundreds of ordinary decisions made between competitions.
I keep this checklist where I can use it at the yard, update it as Archie’s needs change, and review it before every eventing week. Consistent care, thoughtful training, and early attention to small details give us the best chance of arriving at the next dressage test, show-jumping round, or cross-country course prepared to enjoy the day.