Making the Most of Your 30-Day Training Break
Mar 24th 2020
The 30-day suspension of horse shows by USEF and FEI due to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) came as a surprise to many in the equine industry. Faced with this new reality, professional riders and trainers are taking advantage of the horse show furlough to fine-tune their horse management program and reinforce the basics with low impact training.
We asked our Featured Riders how they plan to manage their horses during the coming weeks.
Ian Millar
Millar Brooke Farm
"We've shipped a group of our horses up to Canada and are keeping the remainder in Wellington for the time being. At the end of the winter circuit we give them a break. This break will simply be a bit longer.
We always ship on ProtEQtor to ensure their immune systems are supported during travel. Combined with GastroEase EQ, their condition upon arrival has markedly improved. Both products are absolutely essential to our horse management program.
We'll continue to work on our horse's overall fitness during the time off. We'll rely on TRF Tendon Repair Formula to ensure their tendon and ligament health is supported during work. We want them sound, comfortable and ready to go once the furlough is over."
Jessica Jo Tate
Team Tate Dressage
"When you're in this kind of holding pattern, it's important to support the horse's muscle health so you don't lose what you've been working towards.
To help mitigate muscle soreness, I feed Lactalex powder daily whether we're training or showing. Muscle soreness can hold back their progress, and with Lactalex we're able to continue with our training because their recovery after intense work is much quicker."
Jen BauersachsSpring Hill Farm
"During the show season, I always give my horses a tube of GastroPrep EQ half an hour before showing to eliminate any gastric jitters. During the 30-day break, I'll be maintaining them on the daily powder form, GastroEase EQ. It keeps their gut in check when the temperatures change and allows them to maintain weight and condition. Plus, it's the most economical per day compared to the other gastric formulas out there.
GastroEase EQ has always helped with the transition from training to the show ring, so it's more important than ever to continue feeding it as part of our ongoing horse management program. Once we're given the green light to resume showing, we'll be able to hit the ground running."
While the 30-day horse show hiatus is unprecedented, high level riders and trainers are not only adapting, but taking advantage of their now open schedules to recoup and fine-tune their horses. If you are looking to maximize your horse's training progress during the break, add Perfect Products formulas to support your specific training goals.
Once the horse show furlough is lifted, your horse will be set to head back to the show ring prepared, focused, and ready to perform.