One of the Pony Club Team was lucky enought to be crewed by members of the British Young Riders team at Cirencester last weekend. She has come back with lots of useful tips which we thought we’d share ……….
- put map case on under the number bib, it doesn’t then do “loop the loop’s” and tie you in knots
- fill all “end of ride” buckets when you first get to venue and put them under the trailer, then you can refill containers if required
- Some rides will let you “vet in” with hoof boots in situe (saves time between vetting and start time.
- stay really relaxed with horse at vetting (hrt rate) then really up your energy for trot up.
- Look directly at vet when trotting back to him/her (keeps you on line)
- Smile at all times around the vets – makes them think all is fine even if you are worried
- If some outside your control occurs when heart rate is taken (red arrows! / loose dogs / laughing crowd) – you are able to ask to have heart rate redone.
- After initial cooling then concentrate on front end of horse and inside thighs (back and rump muscles quickly stiffen up if over cooled – lameness)
- If at all worried your horse might be unsound – don’t wait full 30min before presenting, go early and take hit on heart rate not lameness (a “completion” is better than an “elimination”)
- Allow calm grazing up to 5 min before vetting especially if stopping horse grazing stresses them
- allow enough time to very calmly walk to vetting
- get off straight after booking out with time keeper and start cooling straight away (crew to meet you there)
- pure apple juice may get horses to drink if they don’t like water
- keeping drinking (water/isotonic drinks)
- Don’t have to remove hoof boots for trot up
- Train horse to lower head at vetting – drops the heart rate.
- “endurance” bridles last longer.
At the Lion’s Tail we also discovered (the hard way) that….
- If your horse loses a shoe at the last minute and is not lame you do not have to put it back on to vet and can even have the pair removed to even the horse up. It’s your decision!
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