Georgia Clifford

Greg Smith

Normally after I have got a young horse to the stage where he is confident with the work I am asking at home. I will find a local show somewhere (ideally with a relaxed atmosphere) where I can introduce my youngster to the exciting world of competition.

It may be advantageous if you also happen to own a nice quiet companion horse that your youngster gets along with. This 'companion horse' can sometimes help to keep stress levels down. For the trip to the event as well as the time you are there. Keeping him happy with a familiar face from home for the first couple of times out could also help avoid your horse forming bad habits such as: pawing at the float, breaking free, not eating or drinking, feeling insecure, not loading onto the float for the journey home, sweating up or being tense under saddle. Seeing his mate from home happily eating away at his hay net could be all it takes to make your day a successful one.

For a youngsters first event outing I may not necessarily enter in any events on that particular day, it all depends on the individual horse. Sometimes I just like to give them a big day out but remove the stress of competing. Instead, just have an everyday training session while we are at the show. Sometimes it's good to see the horse's behaviour in the warm up arena with dozens of horses cantering around everywhere and see how the horse trusts and listens to me with all the excitement going on. I like to feel that we have a solid partnership in a competition environment just as we do when we are working together at home. It's a great way to confirm all your training is on the right path. This gradual introduction to the competition scene takes more time and effort but again, it all depends on the horse.

Young horses can sometimes get very excited at their first show especially horses that naturally have a lot of energy. You may find it better to give your youngsters a bit of time on the lunge to get things out of their system before you hop on. Again, you want to form good habits. You want your horse to remember that the minute you are on his back he has to be 100% with you. So a bit of 'me time' for the horse to release all that built up energy that competitions can give can be very beneficial. Your horse's diet here can make all the difference. It definitely pays to speak to someone like Stephanie Howe for advice on the best way of managing your horse's energy levels.

Some horses can be settled at their first event with a 20min warm up. Others might need 1/2 hour on the lunge and then another hour before they are ready to jump or do a dressage test. It's all about knowing your horse first and finding out what makes him happy. How much of a warm-up he needs at shows can vary from show to show. Developing a feeling or instinct for your horse is the best way to make his first outing one he would like to do again.

It definitely makes sense to go out of your way to ensure that your youngster is relaxed from his very first event. This extra effort definitely pays off down the track. It also leaves you less stressed and with more energy to focus on competing and enjoying yourself. Danielle Harvey

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Georgia Clifford - Eventing

A first one day event can be quite an overwhelming experience for a young horse. Before taking the horse to his first event, it is worthwhile to slowly build up to the day. It is time consuming, costly and disappointing to try and tackle a horse's first event without having first ensured that he is ready to do so.

A good first step is to take the horse off your property and out of his natural environment to either a friend or instructors property. Some horses will take this totally in their stride and others will find it quite stressful. Once you have done this, you will be able to gauge how much more of these kinds of days your horse will need before he is confident enough to enter into a competition environment.

The next step is to look around for a local dressage day to enter. There are usually plenty of affiliated and unaffiliated dressage days and you will usually be able to enter two or three tests. By doing more than one test, the horse (and you) will hopefully begin to relax in the arena and you will be able to practice the things that you have been working on.

I also really like to take my horses show jumping. The first step for a youngster is to look around for a 'freshmans day' or a jump club. The benefit of these kinds of shows is that they are unaffiliated and you will often be able to do more than one round at the same height. This is great for young horses as they will often be a little green and 'spooky' the first time and I find that their confidence will really build by the second or third round. Once you are feeling confident at these kinds of days, look around for an agricultural show to go to. Agricultural shows are often a real hive of activity and give the horses plenty to look at. Lots of Agricultural shows have two rings and so cater for all levels of horses. I always try and have the horse show jumping at a level higher than they need to tackle their first event. 

Hopefully before your first event you have also been cross country schooling. The first time you take your horse cross country schooling it is worthwhile trying to rope in a friend with a more experienced horse to use as a lead. I find that young horses are much happier to follow a friend into water and over a ditch for the first time!. Once your horse is happily popping over small ditches, natural obstacles, up and down small banks and can confidently canter into and out of water, you will be ready to take him to his first event.

Ask around and try and choose an event that is appropriate for a horse doing his first event. I would try and ride the horse at least once before the dressage test, expecting that he may be a little nervous in that environment. When in the showjumping ring, be very aware that even if your horse has done lots of jumping at home, he may still find the course spooky especially with equipment he is unfamiliar with. Ensure that you are sitting in a position so that you are ready! With a young horse on the cross country I just try and pick up a nice rhythm early in the course but never worry about what the time on the course is. In fact, I rarely wear a watch at one day events on young horses and prefer just to ride in a nice rhythm. When walking the course, try and think about the fences that are likely to spook him and ensure that you are in a secure position so that you are able to positively ride the horse forward.

Don't worry too much about where the horse is placed following his first competition; focus more on whether it has been a positive schooling experience because if it has, the ribbons will eventually follow!    Georgia Clifford

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Greg Smith - ShowJumping

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Jenny Gherke - Dressage

Taking a horse to its first competition is a milestone event. Your primary goal should be that it is a positive experience for both you and your horse. The best way to ensure that this is the case is to be extremely well prepared.

The first thing to do is to make sure you and the horse are ready to compete. To do this you need to set some goals for the day. For example, you could set your goal to be that you are able to "complete the test and do all the movements at the markers with the horse remaining calm and forward." When you can do a test and achieve this at home then you are ready to select an event to aim for.

It is a very good idea to make sure that your horse travels well before your first show. Avoid trying to get your horse on a float for the first time the day of your first show. This is a one way ticket to disaster. Take your horse to different arenas for rides. You could go to a friend's arena or to a local riding club. Get the horse used to working with other horses in an environment similar to that where you will be competing. If you know the warm up arena is in a big open paddock then try to find a place similar to that to work your horse before the big day.

Once your horse starts to behave the same way whether you are at home or out, then he is ready to go to a competition. Try to select a show that you feel comfortable with. The less uptight you are the better the day will be for both you and your horse. Don't enter you horse in classes that are too demanding. Try to make the level that you compete at a step back into your comfort zone. This will help your horse to be confident when you go out.

Once you have entered the competition and received the times that you will be riding then you can begin to plan the big day. Learn your tests inside out and practice all sections of the tests so that you able to anticipate any problem areas and plan your ride accordingly. Try to ride your horse at similar times of the day to what you will have to do at the competition. Horses love routine so try to stick to one as closely as possible. Avoid using different tack than what you would use at home.

Plan to get there at least two hours before you have to compete. This will give you time to take the horse for a lead around the grounds to familiarize him with the environment. Allow the horse time to stand and relax. If your horse is tense then sometimes it is a good idea to lunge the horse for a while to let them settle. Of course you should only lunge your horse at the show if they lunge well at home. Competitions are not the place for training, they are a place to test your training.

Avoid leaving a young horse tied at the float unattended. Pulling back at the float can cause injury and at the least give the horse a bad fright. Make sure that you warm your horse up the same way that you would at home. Don't forget to warm your horse down after the class as well. The horse will need this warm down time to relax. Allow some time between when you get off and when you head for home, at least an hour if possible. If you have done the right preparation then the horse should be confident in you and relaxed with the environment. It would be unusual for a horse to not be at all different at their first show. Remember that some tension can be a good thing! Good luck with your first outing!

Jenny Gherke

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