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Preparing for your first 3DE - GEORGIA
CLIFFORD | |
If you are contemplating entering a three day event, then you have already competed in several one day events. I thought an article discussing some of the differences that you are likely to encounter in a three day event as compared to a one day event might be helpful
Preparation - additional fitness requirements.
The first thing to consider when entering a three day event is the higher fitness requirements for your horse. Whilst the roads and tracks and steeplechase phases are no longer included, the cross country will still be longer than you are used to at a one day event and it is important that your horse be conditioned appropriately.
At the higher levels of the sport, many riders work on a program where their horses will do fitness work on every fourth day. I don't necessarily think that this level of preparation is required for a pre-novice or novice level three day event but I would certainly be looking at having one day each week devoted specifically to fitness work.
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There are lots of different ways of getting a horse fit and much will be dependent on the facilities available to you (ie a big hill, or a big flat paddock) If you have not competed at a three day event before then I would recommend speaking to a more experienced rider who can assist you with outlining a more detailed program.
I generally commence a three day event preparation about 8 weeks from the three day event (for a horse that is already in full work. More time would be required for a horse coming off a break).
With all this additional work, I also ensure that the horses regularly get electrolytes such as Regain. It is also important to consider whether you need to increase their feed. I generally look at starting to introduce a more high energy feed such as Release.
Once you are at the competition
One of the main differences between a one day and a three day event is the vet's inspection or what is commonly known as "trot up". A vets inspection is held at the commencement of the competition and also on the morning of showjumping.
At the vet's inspection you will be required to present your horse to the ground jury so that they can assess whether the horse is fit and sound to compete. Basically all that is required is that you walk and trot the horse away from the Ground Jury on a hard surface and then back towards them. It is your first opportunity to impress the ground jury so present the horse as you would for the dressage but minus a saddle! Riders generally wear smart casual clothes including shoes that you can run in!
It is worth practicing this a few times at home before you get to the competition as there is nothing worse than seeing a rider drag their horse away from the ground jury especially on the third day.
Course Walking
I usually walk the cross country course at a three day event several times.
I find that it is useful to do the first course walk on your own or with a trusted friend. The benefit is that you are able to make an independent assessment of the course and how it will suit your horse without the influence of others. The other benefit is that you are not so distracted and so therefore are able to get a clearer view of the way that the course will likely present to your horse on the day.
I generally take a long time on my second course walk to really walk the course in some detail. It is on this walk that I try and form a view about the lines and routes that I plan to ride. It is at this walk that I will also take the time to study all the options so that not only do I have Plan A but also Plan B and perhaps Plan C! I also spend some time looking at the lines between fences as these can a great opportunity to save time.
By your final walk, you should know your plan for each fence.
Minute markers are really useful for ascertaining whether you are travelling at the correct speed. Given the additional time that you have at a three day event before cross country, I think it is really useful to use the time to wheel the course and ascertain where your minute markers are. Whilst riders competing at the higher levels will almost always have markers for every minute of the course, if you feel that this is going to be confusing and overcomplicate things, it can still be useful to identify a marker for half way and perhaps 3/4 of the way around the course so that you know if you need to hurry up a little bit.
After cross country
As your horse will have probably galloped further today than he has at other events, it is important to make sure that you look after him properly after cross country. He needs to trot up sound before the ground jury the following morning and so you will need to make sure you have done what you can to ensure that he is not stiff and sore.
The first thing I do when the horses get back from cross country is to give them a Hygain Recuperate Paste.
After being unsaddled, I generally give them a good wash to get rid of all dirt, grease, sweat. This also gives you the opportunity to go over them carefully to ensure that there are no cuts or bumps that need to be treated. The horses' legs are then iced 3 times for twenty minutes each time and with a twenty minute break between each icing.
After icing, they go out for a walk and a graze just to stretch their legs. If everything seems fine, I would trot the horses up once in the early evening and once just before bed so that we can check that they are not getting stiff or sore.
Showjumping morning
As discussed above, you will need to present your horse to the Ground Jury on the morning of show jumping. In my experience this is always a much busier morning than you anticipate so leave plenty of time. The horses need to be plaited again and it is important to get them out for a good walk and even perhaps a short hack to loosen them up for the trot up.
After trot up, its showjumping as usual
Otherwise, good luck competing at your first three day event!
Georgia Clifford |
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