Why I changed Archie’s feeding routine before a three-day event
Preparing Archie for a three-day event made me look at his feeding routine in a different way. At home, his meals were built around a familiar pattern that suited ordinary schooling, hacking, and shorter competitions. A longer event, however, would ask him to travel, settle into a new stable, work across several disciplines, and recover between demanding phases.
The biggest change was not simply adding more feed. It was about making his nutrition more predictable, supporting steady energy, and reducing anything that could unsettle his digestion. I wanted Archie to arrive with enough fuel for dressage, show jumping, and cross-country without feeling overexcited or uncomfortable.
That meant considering forage, concentrates, water, electrolytes, timing, and the practical limitations of feeding away from home. I also had to distinguish between what Archie genuinely needed and what I was tempted to change because the event felt important. A sound plan had to be calm, gradual, and based on his normal behavior rather than last-minute guesswork.
Why his everyday ration needed a second look
Archie’s usual routine worked well for regular training. He had access to forage throughout much of the day, with measured hard feed divided into meals. On quieter days, that ration provided enough energy without making him sharp. His weight stayed consistent, his coat looked healthy, and his droppings were normal.
A three-day event creates a different workload. The horse may spend more time standing on a lorry, walking around a busy venue, warming up in unfamiliar surroundings, and completing strenuous exercise. Even when a phase lasts only a few minutes, the overall demand includes travel, concentration, muscle recovery, and the stress of a changed environment.
I did not want to increase calories automatically. Extra concentrate can be useful for some horses, but a sudden increase in starch may contribute to excitability or digestive trouble. Archie needed usable energy, yet he also needed to remain rideable in dressage and careful enough for the jumping phases. I was looking for a steady supply rather than a dramatic boost.
The review also reminded me that a feeding routine includes more than what goes into the bucket. The time of each meal, access to hay, water intake, salt, and the length of the gap before exercise all influenced how he felt. Once I considered those details together, the changes became more modest and more purposeful.
Building the change around forage
The foundation of Archie’s revised plan was forage. I increased the attention I paid to how much hay he received, when it was offered, and how easily he could eat it while travelling. Keeping forage moving through his digestive system was more important than trying to replace it with a large concentrate meal.
Before the event, I weighed several hay portions rather than estimating by eye. That gave me a better idea of his daily intake and helped me prepare enough for travel. At the venue, I used familiar hay wherever possible. If the local forage looked different, I mixed it gradually rather than presenting an entirely new type on the first evening.
Small-hole hay nets were useful because they extended eating time, particularly when Archie had to stand on the lorry or in a temporary stable. I still checked that he could eat comfortably and did not make the net so restrictive that he became frustrated. The aim was steady access, not an artificial reduction in forage.
For the same reason, I avoided giving him a large concentrate feed immediately before fast work. A forage-based meal was less likely to leave him feeling full or unsettled. I also kept his last substantial feed well separated from exercise, following the advice of my vet and feed nutritionist rather than relying on a generic timetable.
Adding energy without creating fireworks
Archie did need some additional support for the event workload, but I introduced it several weeks beforehand. The increase was small, split across meals, and monitored alongside his body condition and temperament. I wanted to know how he responded during ordinary schooling before taking the new routine to a competition.
Rather than chasing a high-energy result, I focused on a balanced feed with controlled starch and suitable fibre. That approach seemed more appropriate for Archie because he can become mentally busy when too much is changed at once. A feed that provides calories gradually is more useful to us than one that makes him feel powerful for a short period.
I also considered whether he was receiving enough quality protein and minerals for muscle maintenance and recovery. This was not a reason to add several supplements indiscriminately. I checked the base ration first, then discussed any gaps with a qualified nutrition professional. The final plan included only what had a clear purpose.
The new routine was tested after harder schooling sessions, including hill work and jumping days. I watched for changes in enthusiasm, stride quality, sweating, recovery, appetite, and droppings. My hill conditioning plan also helped me judge the difference between genuine fitness needs and energy that might come from feeding.
Timing meals around the event schedule
The event timetable was another reason to adjust Archie’s routine. Dressage often involves an early start, while cross-country may require a longer warm-up and a carefully planned preparation period. Show jumping can take place after a night of recovery, yet the horse may still be carrying fatigue from the previous day.
I wrote down likely meal times for travelling, arrival, each competition phase, and the evenings between sections. This did not mean I followed the clock rigidly. It gave me a framework so that I was not making decisions while tired, rushed, or distracted by changing times.
On the morning of work, Archie received a familiar, smaller meal with access to forage. I avoided experimenting with new treats or a large bucket feed. After exercise, I allowed him to cool properly before offering his normal recovery feed, forage, and water. Once he was settled, I could assess whether he was eating and drinking normally.
The evening ration was especially important after cross-country. The priority was replacing fluids, encouraging forage intake, and supporting recovery without overwhelming his stomach. I divided his feed rather than serving everything at once. That also meant I could check him several times during the night and notice whether he was comfortable.
| Feeding consideration | What I changed for Archie | Why it mattered |
|---|---|---|
| Forage | Prepared weighed portions and used familiar hay | Supported digestion and reduced the risk of a sudden forage change |
| Hard feed | Increased calories gradually and split them between meals | Provided extra fuel without one large starch-heavy serving |
| Water | Offered frequent opportunities to drink during travel and at the venue | Helped maintain hydration and encouraged normal appetite |
| Salt and electrolytes | Kept his usual salt intake consistent and used electrolytes only as planned | Avoided impulsive supplementation while supporting fluid replacement |
| Meal timing | Matched feeding to travel, warm-up, and recovery periods | Reduced long gaps and prevented heavy meals close to exercise |
| Monitoring | Recorded appetite, droppings, attitude, and recovery | Made it easier to identify whether the routine suited him |
Preparing water, salt, and electrolytes
Water was one of the easiest things to overlook when concentrating on feed bags and competition equipment. Archie is usually a good drinker at home, but some horses drink less when travelling or using unfamiliar buckets. I took several clean containers and offered water regularly instead of assuming he would drink whenever he needed it.
I also brought water from home for the journey and first hours at the venue. Gradually mixing it with local water could make the transition less noticeable if the taste or mineral content differed. Archie did not need encouragement to drink flavored water, but I had options available rather than discovering a problem after a strenuous phase.
His ordinary salt provision remained consistent. For electrolytes, I followed a predetermined plan based on workload, weather, sweat loss, and professional advice. I did not use them as a substitute for water, and I avoided giving a product for the first time at the event. Any supplement needs to be familiar, correctly dosed, and appropriate for the individual horse.
After cross-country, I paid close attention to whether Archie continued to drink, eat, and pass normal droppings. A horse that refuses water or feed, appears depressed, develops unusual gut sounds, or shows signs of colic needs prompt veterinary attention. Feeding changes should never be used to mask a health problem.
Keeping the routine practical at the venue
A plan can look excellent at home and fail at a competition if it is too complicated. I therefore packed each meal in clearly labeled containers, with written instructions for anyone helping me. The labels included the amount, the approximate time, and whether the feed was intended before or after exercise.
I kept the ingredients as close as possible to Archie’s home ration. Travel is already a major change, so I did not want new chaff, unfamiliar treats, or a different brand of feed adding another variable. I packed extra hay as well as spare feed portions in case the timetable shifted or the journey took longer than expected.
The routine also had to fit around stable checks, tack preparation, course walks, and sleep. I arranged the feeds so that I could monitor Archie without rushing. His appetite and droppings gave me useful information, but his general demeanor mattered too. A horse who is quietly eating and resting is showing me something different from one who is tense, pawing, or repeatedly calling.
I made sure the people around Archie knew what was normal for him. Clear instructions helped prevent well-intentioned extras, such as an additional scoop because he had worked hard or a handful of treats because he looked tired. Consistency was more valuable than generosity during a demanding few days.
What I monitored before making the final decision
The feeding change was successful because I treated it as a trial rather than a last-minute fix. During the weeks before the event, I kept brief notes on Archie’s weight, condition, manure, appetite, energy, and recovery. I also recorded what he had eaten before training so that a poor session was not automatically blamed on the ration.
His body condition stayed stable, which reassured me that the extra energy was appropriate. He remained forward without becoming difficult to settle. His recovery after harder work improved as his fitness developed, but I did not assume every improvement came from feed. Conditioning, rest, weather, tack, and the quality of the session all played a part.
I was careful about making changes when Archie showed a normal variation. A warm day, a noisy venue, or a delayed start can alter appetite for a short time. The useful question was whether a pattern continued. If I had seen persistent weight loss, repeated loose droppings, poor appetite, unusual fatigue, or changes in behavior, I would have involved my vet rather than adding more calories.
The final routine was therefore less about finding a magic competition feed and more about reducing uncertainty. Archie went to the event with food he knew, meal sizes he had already experienced, and a schedule that respected both digestion and workload.
The routine I would use again
The revised plan gave Archie a dependable base for a physically and mentally demanding weekend. He had regular forage, measured meals, familiar ingredients, planned hydration, and enough flexibility to respond to the actual timetable. I felt better prepared because I understood why each part was there.
The most useful lesson was that feeding changes should begin well before the lorry leaves home. There is no safe opportunity to test a new high-energy ration, supplement, or electrolyte product once the horse is already under pressure. A gradual trial reveals whether the horse stays comfortable, whether the rider likes the way he feels, and whether the routine is manageable in real life.
My key principles for future three-day events are:
- Keep forage as the foundation and prepare enough familiar hay for the entire trip.
- Make calorie increases gradually, using divided meals rather than one large feed.
- Match meal timing to exercise while avoiding substantial feeds immediately before hard work.
- Plan water, salt, and electrolytes in advance, and monitor drinking after every demanding phase.
- Record appetite, manure, attitude, body condition, and recovery instead of judging the ration by energy alone.
Changing Archie’s feeding routine did not transform him overnight, and that was exactly the point. It supported the training already in place and helped him cope with travel, competition, and recovery without adding unnecessary excitement or digestive risk.
For us, the best preparation was quiet and repetitive: familiar forage, measured buckets, sensible timing, and careful observation. I will carry that approach into the next event, adjusting only when Archie’s workload, condition, or veterinary guidance gives me a clear reason to do so.