How to make the most of limited facilities

  • July 21, 2016

Not all of us are lucky enough to have access to brilliant training facilities at home, however this doesn’t have to put us at a disadvantage when it comes to training horses and preparing for competition. Here are a few top tips to help you make the most of limited training facilities and ensure that you are ready to compete:

  1. Pass your trailer or lorry test

Travelling is an essential part of competing and is vital if you don’t have facilities close at hand. By learning to drive a lorry or trailer yourself you will not have to rely on others and can therefore get out and about as often as you wish.

  1. Find local training facilities near you

Equo has a wide range of events at different venues across the UK that you can take your horses to. Whether you are competing or just want to get out and about, Equo’s postcode search tool allows you to filter results so you can see venues that are close to home. Regularly attending different venues is a great way of keeping your horse used to the atmosphere away from home.

  1. Buddy up

It’s a great idea to find people locally who might be happy to share the cost of hiring an arena or cross-country course. Additionally you can also share travel costs – and it’s a lot more fun to go with a friend!

  1. Join a riding club

Joining a riding club is a great way to meet new people who may be willing to hire arenas with you or take you to shows. Riding club members often get reduced rates for training sessions too, so this is a great way to keep costs down.

  1. Practice makes perfect

Be organised and focused: plan your schooling sessions and pick out certain things you want to improve rather than trying to do everything. Using Equo’s calendar tool is a great way to plan your upcoming events.

  1. Make every hack count

Try to keep these as varied as possible and don’t slop along on a loose rein. Your horse has plenty of time to relax once he gets home. If you’re schooling in a field, try not to go over the same ground repeatedly and make sure you poo-pick regularly.

  1. Be realistic

Choose a horse who can adapt easily to your routine and how you plan to keep it.

Equo has a wide range of events available for you to enter quickly and easily online at www.equoevents.co.uk.