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| so cute. so tired. |
Especially if you're new at it.
Which we are.
I forget if I mentioned this or not, but Courage was totally wiped out after our super exciting dressage show.
And coming up this weekend, we have an exciting pony fun day at our old barn and our next meeting with the (omg!) ground poles event derby. Plus hopefully a jumping lesson.
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| most attractive outfit ever. oh well. |
Whew. So are we just wimps? Who else has down time around shows/clinics/lessons?
I always try to give a day or two off after a show. I lease and my trainer also uses my mare, so it doesn't always work, but I try :) definitely a downside to leasing - I lose that control over my horse's schedule.
ReplyDeleteI give the day off before and after a show. Before the show I want my pony relaxed and rested, and afterwards he deserves the mental and physical break.
ReplyDeleteI always give the day before and usually two days off after, too. Less if it's a smaller show or just a class or two, but I like for my horse to be fresh and happy, and he likes having a break.
ReplyDeleteI give the day off before and after show day, too. After two weekends in a row of showing after this upcoming one, Bobby will probably get three days off since next weekend there's nothing going on. Even fit horses need the mental break I think.
ReplyDeleteHorse Show Hangovers are real. Miles always gets at least one day off after a show, sometimes two depending on how many divisions we do.
ReplyDeleteHaha that's the perfect description for them! I really never give my horse the day off before a show, but always the day after. Usually I'll go out and hand walk and check for any soreness from the show or travel.
DeleteI definitely give at least one day off after a show, and depending how strenuous it was, sometimes two. Although I do feel like sometimes the horse benefits from a stretchy ride two days after a competition to help relieve the muscles a bit.
ReplyDeleteIn that vein, sometimes I even do that (give a day off or do stretchy ride) after a hard lesson/XC school, which in some ways is more physically demanding than a show!
Shows are EXHAUSTING. I definitely give a day off early in the week before a show, and two days off or so after.
ReplyDeleteWhere did you get Courage's noseband? Its so cute on him!
ReplyDeleteI'm in love.
Deletehttp://www.tackshackocala.com/race-tack-custom-strapgoods.html
Right now, Roger has at least 2 scheduled days off per week to horse. I think it's important to give his baby brain time to relax and process stuff, and to make sure that he doesn't get sore or ring sour. #HorseShowHangover is totally real, and I fully support taking a day (or 3) off after something like that to recover!
ReplyDeletei may or may not have woken up in a panic this morning trying to figure out when i could give my mare more of a rest. i've been so gung ho about planning ALL THE THINGS that there isn't much time for her, other than her regular days off. this worries me.
ReplyDeleteThe struggle is real. I always do a few extra days off after a show to recover, but can't do too many because my trainer says we lose progress haha.
ReplyDeleteThe horses always have 2 days off after going cross country, usually only one day if it was only a dressage show.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite things about distance riding is that nobody thinks it's weird if I crash in my hammock for an hour (once the horse is squared away) instead of immediately heading home.
ReplyDeleteWhen I evented, I usually hacked lightly (trail-ride hacking, not flatting) the first day after; I found that gave the mental break while keeping the physical stuff happier than a full-on day off. Usually then gave the second day off because I needed it!
Wasn't a fan with this horse of time off leading up to the event, but I did prefer to hack (with, actually, do a blow-out gallop if possible) the day before rather than schooling.
(That said, my guy worked harder at home than he did at most events and mentally, he handles competition stress beautifully. So my scheduling choices were less about rest and recovery purposes than about trying to peak at the event. And rest/recovery for his much wimpier rider (meeeeee).)
ReplyDeleteI gave penny two days off after her dressage show last weekend, she is more eager to go back to work after the break
ReplyDeleteafter a show, Hafl gets some time off - and when I am on holiday ;)
ReplyDeleteHorse Show Hangover is totally a thing. Even though I am certainly not exerting as much energy as the eventers do, I still feel totally wiped out after a show.
ReplyDeleteRico had a ridiculous amount of time off with shows- if the show was on a Saturday (and mind you, he was doing ONE class- fifteen minutes of warm up and eight minute test), he would get his last day of work on Wednesday, a light ride on Thursday, and a day off on Friday. Then he'd get a day off on Sunday and light work on Monday before going back to work on Tuesday. Spoiled. Baby horse gets worked the day before and gets the day after off, then back to work.
ReplyDeleteI totally feel exhausted about shows too. Right before every single show I ask everyone "why do I do this to myself? I hate showing! It's so stressful, it's so tiring." And then right after the test I'm like "shows are fun! When's the next one?" Ugh.
Leisure with a horse is a great time!
ReplyDeleteThe last time I gave Tucker a few days off he seemed even more tired then before the time off. I now think that it's more important to put in the conditioning rides prior to an event and give him time off after.
ReplyDeleteI'm still getting to know Hannah and figuring out what works best for her, but Hemie needed to get ridden every single day for the 3-5 days before a show in order to be his most manageable self! Then he'd get a day or 2 off because *I* needed it (I doubt he did!).
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