Whether it is your first time or your fiftieth time, attending the All American Quarter Horse Congress tends to bring feelings of anticipation, excitement, and delight. The sounds, the smells, and the feeling of the crisp October air are something that brings goosebumps to those who make the journey to Columbus, Ohio year after year. Exhibitors, spectators, and vendors all gather to show, watch, and shop. The fairgrounds turn into a city for a month, buzzing with golf carts, horses, and people.
Of course, most people will agree it is the toughest place to get your horse ready to win a big prize. You must overcome cold weather, long nights, lack of sleep, dealing with flapping flags, loud noises, getting sick, juggling school/work, and showing…the list goes on and on. To say it can be stressful is an understatement.
Over the years, we have asked competitors for advice on showing in Columbus. Now we are taking a closer look at how trainers and exhibitors keep their horses from becoming stressed. Do they have any tips or insightful advice for others? Do they do anything different for Congress due to the length? Long nights? Weather?
Alyse Roberts – Great question. We always do double stalls for our big hunt seaters, since they aren’t able to get their normal turnout at the shows, the bigger stalls definitely help keep them in a better mind frame. We keep a hay bag in front of them at all times so they can graze as they want. I also pretty much only ride at night during the Congress because the arena congestion during the day is a lot for our younger, greener hunt seaters. I also feel like you can’t really get anything accomplished in those practice arenas during the day, so I utilize the night schedule. I also pretty much only longe at night because 1) I hate standing in line to longe and 2) at night, you can give them a bigger circle. I’m also big on wrapping, icing legs, and doing the salt spa/cryotherapy and PEMF to help keep them feeling as good as possible. I also spray Witch Hazel and Apple Cider Vinegar mixture across their backs…a little tip I learned from Beckey Schooler years ago.
Missy Thyfault – I do try to keep the routine similar to what they are used to. We definitely ramp up the saddle time, but try not to over-prepare and trust in what we have been doing that has been successful. Because it is such a marathon, I will peak them on show days. On a physical note, we do mats or blackboards to help with being on the concrete for so long. We do more doctoring than usual. Which may include poulticing, wrapping with liniment or back on tracks, magna waving, and cold water treatments. I call it the horse spa. Anything a client wishes to do that will keep a horse comfortable and performing it’s best is usually okay with me. We bring lots of show coolers to deal with the weather. Rain, polar fleece, and heavy quilted. I try to stay as organized as possible to cut down on any extra excitement. Such as having scheduling clear as far as riding times and show times. We keep equipment organized and the work area kept clean. We keep the numbers ready in advance. All of this helps lead to an enjoyable show experience. We go a little overboard on the lounge area because I want to create a home away from home atmosphere that will lend to people having a great time and a comfortable place to land amid the chaos. We have all the furniture and a kitchen with food waiting. And we also have a bar! This year we have a dressing room. It all helps to make the Congress our favorite show of the year. Also, very important to the horses staying mentally sound is to try to ride when it is less busy whenever possible. Earlier in the morning. Later in the evening, it is usually more quiet.
Brent Maxwell – I think the biggest thing to keep stress at a minimum is don’t change your routine. Knowing your horse and what it takes to get him prepared for each event is key as some horses take more preparation than others to perform at their highest level. The Congress, of course, is a different beast than a weekend horse show as events are spread out and horses have to be prepared more than a couple days in a row like a weekend horse show. Any extra rehab such as TheraPlate, salt water spa, MagnaWave, etc. will help keep your horse happy and keep back, muscle, and leg pain at a minimum. Medications such as Bute and Equioxx of course help to and need to be monitored for times given and number of days administered to stay within drug testing guidelines. As far as late-night rides in the show arena, try to keep them short and productive if possible. Not all horses are easy, of course, and require extra time to settle in. As far as the Congress weather goes, it can be a multitude of temperatures. Living here in Ohio, our horses see cool nights and early mornings more than someone from the south, but nonetheless, those cool days definitely make for brighter horses, so plan on spending a little more time expelling that extra energy. So, best of luck to all the trainers and to their stress levels…Cheers!
Sarah Lebsock – Luckily for me, I live just outside of Columbus, so I bring my horse in as late as possible to the Congress and leave as soon as I can. Up to the Congress, he’s outside in his pasture enjoying being a horse. At the shows, we try to let them be as much as possible and be effective with our work and riding. We know what we want to accomplish in that ride and try to make sure our horses are happy at the end of it. I’m a firm believer in treating our horses like athletes. He eats well, gets magna-waved, chiropractic work done, vibe plates, massages, and my favorite product, Perfect Prep’s Lactalex to help his muscles recover. Making sure they have great nutrition and food in front of them as much as possible helps create that “at home” feel, too. I also think it’s important to maximize your time. If you know you have a day or two off, let them rest and maybe put them on a lunge line to just stretch their legs, but keep it minimal. My biggest advice is always to just keep it simple and effective and make sure your horse stays happy.
Alyssa Casa – We have a long drive to Congress, so all the horses wear soft rides and are on electrolytes. We also keep everything on GastroGard and a digestive supplement to help keep their stomachs happy with the stress and weather changes. Overall, it’s assessing each horse to make sure they’re acting like themselves and if they need to be pushed more or backed off with the long days and nights.
Clayton Jerrell – We keep them on UlcerGard daily at the longer runs and try to keep hay bags filled for them as much as we can. I will send owners out to graze their horses at shows as well. We always get mats for the horses and bed them pretty deep so they can hopefully sleep well. If there’s a show that goes late, and there’s announcing late, we will sometimes keep earplugs in them to help them sleep at night. You just have to make sure that you are giving the ears a break from the earplugs so they don’t rub them.
Evie Doles – Honestly, Moose doesn’t get stressed. Which is great, because I do! My big thing is keeping myself calm so he doesn’t feel my nervous energy. I meditate, do mindfulness exercises, and run through the pattern in my head to stay focused and collected. I do tend to get more nervous at the big shows like Congress, NSBA, and Youth World, which can be challenging. I like to walk the patterns on foot to help with some of the nerves as well. I talk through the pattern with my trainers, Chris and Melissa Jones, to clarify anything I’m confused about. If I am feeling extra stressed, then some Moose cuddles quickly abate them. He’s the best love bug and adores the cuddle time.
Kelly McDowall – We do it basically the same for all shows long or short. Daily UlcerGard for stomach ulcers. EquiShure for hindgut ulcers. Hay bag in the stall 24-7. Wrap legs with Draw It Out every night. Put up lights in the stalls. MagnaWave about every 3rd day. Cryogenic or salt water spa for those with leg issues. Rubber mats and deep bedding on the stalls. Rubber mats in the aisle. I’m sure there are more things, but these are the basics.
Katie Grossnickle – There are several things I do to help my horse from getting stressed at Congress, or really any show. I have a MagnaWave so I will do several sessions on them. I’ll wrap legs at night to help keep them comfortable. We always give UlcerGard to help their belly. We try to keep mats in our grooming areas. I’ll try to not do several night rides in a row. Oh, and of course, lots of peppermints.
Julian Harris – We keep a routine at home as we do at the shows. Our horses are used to us and we each have bonds with them. We know what they like and don’t like and make sure that they feel the best they can on the inside. Do as much as you can to prepare at home.
Manita Defoor – My horses get booster shots and they are given omeprazole to hold down any stomach issues.
Anne Shafer – We do a lot of walks and grazing if we can find some grass. We also turn them out if we can find somewhere to let them roam. The saltwater treatment is also very relaxing for our horses. We also change up our feeding program and give them hay four times a day since they are not on grass like at home. But, each horse is different and you just have to figure out what keeps your horses comfortable and happy while on the road.
Megan Vanderslice – Long shows are hard on everyone. To keep my horses from getting stressed, I try to keep them on a routine like they are at home. Mine get turned out every day and I know that’s impossible on the road, so even if they get to just play on the longe line, I know that helps. They all stay on UlcerGard, electrolytes, and extra hay. Lots of extra bedding. I try to regulate their temperature as much as possible, even if it means changing from sheets to blankets to coolers all day. I try to pamper them as much as possible with MagnaWave, chiropractor, and cryotherapy. I’ve got some that love to gallop so I try to keep them on a regular gallop schedule. The overnight riding is probably the most stressful for them, but we make sure they get to rest before they spend the day showing. It’s so important to have people on your team that make sure the horses are extremely well cared for. Ours are so spoiled and loved, and we do that even more on the road.
Farley McLendon – We ride a lot at home in general, so hopefully it’s not as much different in the riding department. For my big horses, I always make sure they have bigger stalls so they don’t feel cramped. Constant hay in front of them, I’ll add sucralfate for their stomachs. Make sure they have time to play on the line since they get turned out at home. I try to schedule my nights according to my show days and go to my trailer to get away from the stalls so they can rest and I can too. I think that’s important.
Samantha Gately – I think at a show that is as long as The Congress, it is important to keep them physically comfortable to help maintain their stress level. We like to use Salt Water Therapy and Bemer Therapy. As well as a visit from our chiropractor, we also use products like UlcerGard and Gut Health to help keep their stomachs comfortable.
Cheyenne Augsburger – We keep all of ours on some sort of gut supplement. All of our horses are on 100X Equine Gut, Joint Flex, and Osteomax to help them during the long shows, as well as UlcerGard. We try to get ours into the saltwater spa as much as possible during long shows to keep their legs feeling fresh as well.
