A Day In The Life - A Typical Day At A British Eventing Competition

Amateur Eventing - Becky Slowley

With the eventing season in full swing many of the competitors are getting used to the early starts and long days. Our very own full time sales & admin eventer Becky took us to one of her events so we could follow what she gets up to on the day and the products she uses to help her warm up, compete and cool down.

5:30am The day often starts at 5:30am when we arrive at the yard, during this time we feed all the horses, and turn out the ones not needed. To help us prepare we often bath the day before and make sure she has a combo stable sheet this is to protect her from any stable stains. In the morning we plait up and give her a good groom to make sure that she is clean and ready for the event.

6:30am Depending where the event is and the times given for each discipline the time we set off to the event can vary. Each time we travel we make sure that we give ourselves plenty of time. Libby is always travelled in the Magnetic Horse Rug inc Neck, this is to help warm her joints up. I also feel that after Libby has had the Magnetic Horse Rug on she is much more supple and easier to warm up.

Magni-Teque Magnetic Horse Rug - Libby

For travelling Libby wear’s: Magnetic Horse Rug inc Neck, Ballistic Knee Pro-Teque Travel Boots (If it is cold we also put a cooler rug on)

9:00am The time we get to an event can again vary on what time we are competing. Once we have arrived at the event we like to get our bearings so we have a walk around so we can locate the dressage and showjumping arenas. We also head to the secretary office to pay our start fees and get our numbers.

9:30am We begin our warm up for our dressage 30 minutes before our test, as she doesn’t need a lot of warming up. During the warm up I make sure that she is bending round my leg and I have the supple bend. I also find that if I warm up too much she begins to predict what we are doing and ends up cantering when we are meant to be trotting. For dressage Libby wears: Plain Cotton Dressage Square and Tech-Grip Pro Anti-Slip Correction Pad.

10:07am After my test we cool down, wash her off after dressage and put back on the box so she can eat her haylage whilst I go and walk the showjumping and cross country (although this can vary depending on the times of the other disciplines). Before my showjumping I watch a couple of other competitors riding the showjumping course to see how it is riding.

Kevlar Airtechnology Tendon Boots - A day in the life blog

11:45am I always make sure I am ready around 20 minutes before the showjumping. For showjumping Libby wears Kevlar Airtechnology Tendon and Fetlock Boots in black, the European Cotton GP/Jump Square, along with the Tech-Grip Pro Anti-Slip Correction Pad. Before the showjumping I also put her Premier Equine Cold Water Boots into soak so they are ready for when we come back from the cross country.

Kevlar Airtechnology Tendon Boots - a day in the life blog showjumping

12:20pm Once we are back from showjumping you often don’t have long before the cross country. We quickly get her tendon and fetlock boots changed for the Carbon Tech Air Cooled Eventing Boots in navy. We then head down to the cross country warm up where I wait until there are about 5-6 horses left to go before me where I then will start my warm up properly and begin jumping.

Carbon Tech Air Cooled Eventing Boots - a day in the life blog

12:32pm After the cross country round we walk Libby off for around 20 minutes, as she can come back quite excitable, this is often around the venue and we wait until she is cooled down and her breathing has gone back to normal. Once she has been walked off we wash her off, and put the cold water boots on for around 10-15 minutes (I like to keep checking the boots as they can get warm from Libby’s body heat). After 15 minutes we take the cold water boots off, apply ice cooling gel and put some stable boots on to prevent any swelling if she has knocked herself. During this time we also allow her to have a graze.

Carbon Tech Air Cooled Eventing Boots - Cross Country


Eventing Equipment

Thank you Becky for giving us an insight to your days out eventing.

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