Before we start this blog we have to let everyone know that Rebel finished the recent Sydney International Three Day event CCI3* in fifth place riding her super star mare Hillgrove Enviable. We’ll find out more about that in her next blog coming up soon but in the meantime Rebel takes a look at goal setting and feeding, which in reality go hand in hand.
Clowning around at Scone with Simone Kann- it's good to have Simone back to be the eyes on the ground
Ahh … I feel human again. The eventing season has well and truly begun and it’s nice to be working towards my goals for the year. It’s something I’m trying to foster with my students, goal setting and planning for riding. I realise not everyone is striving to get to the Olympics in 2014, (though many of my juniors tell me they’re going), but it’s still important to have some direction and know what your goals are. It might be as simple as wishing to finish on your dressage score, or to move up from introductory to prelim. Once you have a goal in place you can start planning out the events for the year and how you plan to get there.
Personally Enny (Hillgrove Enviable) and I are working on dressage, dressage, dressage. It doesn’t mean the other aspects of eventing fall by the wayside, but I know where I want to be at the end of 2014, and improving my dressage is a fundamental aspect to ensure I achieve that. Simone Kann is back in Queensland and it’s nice to have a consistent pair of eyes on the ground.
Recently I’ve been reviewing the feed and the supplements my horses are on. Just as it’s important for a person who’s working hard to have multivitamins, a performance horse can’t be expected to be at their peek week-in week-out with out a little extra help. So I’m adding a horse multi-vitamin into the mix for my brumbies.
Hopefully I'm inspiring the kids here at a clinic held in Burpengary
This year I’m offering rider planning sessions to my students. Our focus at the moment is looking at the importance of planning feed for the horses needs. Which goes back to goal setting. If you’re working towards the Queensland International three-day event in Warwick, then you’ll have quite a few one day events to go and you’ll be pushing the horse in terms of work load and fitness. So of course they’ll be hungry and needing extra fuel.
By the same token, if you’re horse is having a month off, or your job means you can only ride on the weekend, your horse might not need two hard feeds, hay and grass pick. When we get rain there’s bound to be extra grass in the paddock, so you may be able to reduce the amount of hay you’re feeding.
It’s easy to get trapped in a routine of feeding a certain way because that’s what you’ve always done. I had a student recently whose horse was jumping out of its skin and I suggested she just give it hay and cut out the hard feeds for the three days prior to her event. She was so concerned he’d lose condition. If your plump pony has so much energy it’s not behaving in it’s lesson, a few days without hard feed won’t see it reduced to rib and bone. (PS I’m not suggesting you starve your horse if it’s naughty, but they’ll cope with reduced rations)
Look at what’s in your feed mixes and think, does it fit my horses age, work load and temperament.
Dressage at scone
I had my first event of the season at Scone. It’s such a nice venue and it was good to be with in cooee of my old stomping ground … the Hunter Valley. The horses were good too and I was thrilled with my youngster Adam Bomb who won the EVA95.
Last weekend was Sydney and I was proud of Enny’s effort in the 3*. She’s such a super mare and we finished in fifth place. Anyhow, now it’s back to reality. I’ve got a big trip ahead back to Queensland which means I’m on the road again …
Till next time … Happy riding
Rebs
