EVENTING FOR DUMMIES - Part Three

By Sharon Ridgway - B.H.S.I.I. and N.C.A.S. level II

All your hard work and preparation for your first proper One Day Event is nearly complete and this month we will put together an all-important checklist to help you plan a smooth debut outing.

Four weeks before enter your chosen event and book stabling and accommodation. The relevant information should be available in your Horse Trials Handbook or on the entry form. Some events may be just for the day but most require an overnight stay. Check the close of entry date well in advance to avoid disappointment, as most events will not accept late entries. Check all your gear for any repairs that need doing, remember you will under go a gear check at the event and all stirrups etc must be stitched correctly.

Two weeks before check your horses shoes, a nice fresh set of new shoes with stud holes would be great, as studs may be required depending on the ground conditions at your event. Book in your farrier for early in the week leading up to the event, always avoid shoeing the day before just in case your horse is a little uncomfortable in his new set.

Organise a couple of extra lessons with your coach; a cross-country schooling session would be very valuable the week before to iron out any bumps. A dressage lesson where you can run through your test is also a very good idea, hopefully by now you will know your test off by heart. Remember eventing tests cannot be called; you must perform it from memory. There are several clever ways to learn them, doodle them on paper or on a purpose-designed wipe off pad with the arena marked out. (Available in most tack shops) Another option is to mark out your kitchen floor with paper letters secured by any useful object available like soup cans or tins of baked beans! You then proceed to dance around them tracing out your test hoping that none of your neighbours can see in and think you've gone potty! At this point I always find the dog joins in and it all ends in disaster with pieces of paper and bean cans everywhere! Try and see if your coach can set up a whole course of show jumps for you in a lesson so you are familiar with finding your way around the many twists and turns.

One week before check you have enough feed and some hay available to take with you to the event. Your horse will spend a significant amount of time hanging around either in a yard or tied to the float, some nice hay is a great way of keeping him amused and more importantly keeping you in the good books! Remember he will be missing out on his normal grazing time so hay is a useful substitute for his bulk intake. I always pack some molasses, as I have found not all horses will drink strange water when they are away from home. It is vital to their well being that they don't get dehydrated so a little molasses in the water often sweetens it and does the trick to get them drinking again. Do a washing check on your show gear, are your white saddle blankets clean and your show jumping and XC boots clean and ready to go? Some basic checks regarding your float are best done the week before, if hiring one book it in advance and check to see if you require electric brakes on your car. Most modern floats do require them as a safety measure and it is a relatively simple and cheap option to have them fitted to your car. If borrowing one check your car and the float are compatible, there a couple of different electric fittings and occasionally the chains are not quite long enough. Also in the lead up week I like to do any trimming up that is required. You may wish to pull or neaten up your horses tail, trim his fetlock hair and any unsightly whiskers that are sticking out of his chin and ears. Be careful you can get a little carried away trimming, God put most of that hair on your horse for a reason so beware of making him look like a skinned cat, but a little less like a bush pig would be nice!

The day before is always a busy one, make sure you have left ample time to ride, wash, plait, clean your tack and load the car and float and pack your own riding gear. I love to have everything organised the night before so I can just get up on the morning of the event and load my trusty horse up and get going. Sometimes it is nice to stable your horse the night before you go, this will keep him clean and tidy and save time in the morning. Beware that the occasional horse becomes uncharacteristically wild after a night of solitary confinement so make sure you have practiced it once before, some also get very unsettled inside if they are not used to it, so play that one by ear. Another time saving trick is to plug your stud holes the day before, this will allow you to avoid wrestling with dodgy dirty feet on the big day. A piece of cotton wool dipped in Vaseline will push easily into a clean stud hole with a clench (horse shoe nail) and can be quickly and efficiently removed the next day as you need it. Studs should never be put in the day before as the horses can cut their elbows when lying down or badly rip up the rubber on the floor of your float or truck.

As a summary I will now provide a checklist for your first event and don't forget to enjoy yourself!

Happy Eventing!

Event Checklist

• Enter event.
• Book stabling and Accommodation.
• Check gear for repairs.

• Book farrier - stud holes.
• XC school with coach.
• Ride a Show Jump course in lesson.
• One Week Before:
• Learn Dressage test and practice in a lesson.
• Order feed and hay.
• Clean show whites.
• Clean XC boots etc.
• Trim hairy bits!
• Organise float and check compatibility.

• Ride.
• Wash.
• Plait.
• Clean gear.
• Plug stud holes.
• Stable horse if suitable.
• Pack clothes in car.
• Pack car and float with:
• Gear including saddles, bridles, girths, breastplate, boots etc.
• Feed and feed bin.
• Hay and net.
• Change of rugs (prepare for all weather)
• Competition whites. (Saddle blankets, boots and bandages)
• Grooming kit.
• Stud box.
• Hoof grease.
• Whip/spurs.
• Bridle number set.
• Bandages and wraps for on the way home to ease tired legs.
• Ice tight/Swell down.
• Medical kit for horse and rider.
• Buckets for water (2)
• Washing bucket, sponge and scraper.
• Medical armband.
• XC back number holder.
• EFA documentation if required.
• Times and info with number etc.
• Horse Trials Handbook.