Getting Into Eventing

Hey,

Well since Chinga and I headed to our Sporting Night, we were told by a few people there that with a good instructor we both could become very good at Eventing, we have a wonderful instructor who pushs us, but will not push me into something I don't want to do. So I was wondering, what type of training can we do to get us to become the best we can.

I would really like to get into eventing competitivly. So any advice would be great.

Thanks Maddie,

First of all, you need to get on the cross country course. You can't just do showjumping and call it good then go to a competition. Cross Country is the most dangerous and to me- the most important of the three phases. I personally have a dressage trainer and a jumping trainer. But it isn't really necessary if you are just having fun and/or your instructor is an actual event trainer.

You won't find a 3 day event in the US until training level (which is like 3 foot 3 inches) and I believe it's the same for Australia just different level names. So, two day events and one day events are the only options.

One day events are usually cheaper.... way cheaper. And they are a real test of the horse's fitness. I think they are harder than two day events because you do everything in one day, as opposed to getting a break between cross country and showjumping.

Anyway, if you have any other questions feel free to ask. But that's all I can think of off the top of my head as far as basics.

Good luck!

Make sure you have a certified vest, and your horse has boots before you go off on a XC course. I have an eventing trainer who does my jumping, XC, and dressage training. Ask your trainer if there is a way to go and school a XC course somewhere near you. Is your horse trained in Dressage, and been on a XC course?

^ Yup, you will only be doing ODE's at the lower levels.

Join your local Pony Club.

See PC is good, but it requires ALOT of parent involement and moving your horse to different yards often and such, at least around here it does.

I am sure it is the same still, I'm 33 now and have been out of Pony Club for eons, but I will tell you, PC sure did get me started strong in Eventing.

I have a dear friend in Australia who is a phenominal Eventer and she is a Coach in her local Pony Club. She is in the B area for level wise *not sure what that equivilates to in Australian* and PC is the way to go if you are just starting out.

But when I was in PC, my parents weren't involved at all, but I remember other parents were.

In AUS, PC is the best place to start. What do you mean by moving yards???

She means hauling around. Hauling to this place for a lesson, this place for a clinic, this place for rally's, this place for testing.

Oh ok. You will have to haul to events anyway... But hey.

Yep, PC runs off volunteers, but if you really don't have supportive parents people will help you out. It really is the best place to begin - You can get instruction from top instructors for a fraction of the normal price, make friends, get lots of training/practice time, cheaper events...