The following is provided through a partnership between STRIDER and the USEA. As part of our commitment to diversity, enabling access, and building capacity throughout the industry we are pleased to provide this content to benefit the sport of eventing.
Time is precious. Time with your horse even more so. If one of your resolutions for the New Year is to spend more time in the saddle or more time enjoying the barn, you’ll want to implement these best practices to minimize stress and make the most of 2023.
Map it Out
Take some time to get familiar with the schedule of recognized events in your area, as well as schooling horse trials, combined tests, jumper and dressage shows. Use a desktop or mobile calendar app to catalog your target outings in a specific color. Having a loose plan for the year, or even just the coming season, can help you make the most of your time and avoid last-minute preparation scrambles.
Some resources include the USEA Calendar and Eventing Nation’s “What’s Happening” Page (which also includes clinics and other educational activities).
Prep Your Paperwork
Check that your memberships are up to date. (If you need to renew your USEA membership, be sure to click here). It can be helpful, too, to create an easily-accessible document with your and your horse’s registry numbers.
Create a folder on your desktop and your smartphone with your horse’s current coggins and flu/rhino vaccination record, as well as any other information you might need to have on-hand for horse show or clinic entries.
Many entry software providers, STRIDER included, enable cloud-based document storage. With an account, you can store your horse’s coggins and other important information as well as create horse and rider profiles to save time when it comes to submit entries.
Having those details readily accessible is especially handy if you are managing multiple horses!
Automate Where Possible
Consider the paper processes involved in your life with horses. Handwritten schedules, paper records, and check payments can all eat away at time spent with your horse. There are infinite options for streamlined communication and time management through digital tools - so many that it can feel a bit overwhelming! Take time to research the tools that will work best to replace your current system - it will be time well spent.
To get started, you might want to consider a shared calendar and scheduling app such as TimeTree. For record keeping in the barn and clear communication surrounding vet and farrier records, check out a software tool like StableSecretary.
Find out which of your vendors (veterinarian, farrier, et cetera) will accept online payments. You can even schedule automatic payments to save time on fixed costs associated with your horses.
However you choose to start saving time to get a jump start on your year, your horse will thank you for cutting out some stress and maximizing your time together!
STRIDER is the leading entry platform across disciplines for the equestrian industry.
From enabling riders to discover and book the perfect opportunity to helping equestrians across the industry grow and run their businesses, STRIDER fosters connections to top-tier experiences. Please visit www.striderpro.com to learn more about the suite of software products and services available.
Connect with STRIDER on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
From horse trials in her home state of California where she prepared herself and her horses to take on the best in the nation and around the world to five-star events overseas where she represented the United States on some of eventing’s biggest stages, Tamie Smith had a remarkable season and finished 2022 as the Bates USEA Lady Rider of the Year for the second year in a row.
TerraNova Equestrian Center in Myakka City, Florida, held its first CCI4*-S competition in the fall of 2021 and is now gearing up for the location’s third-ever FEI event and inaugural spring event this weekend during The Event at TerraNova which takes place March 30-April 2.
Are you following along with the action from home this weekend? Or maybe you're competing at an event and need information fast. Either way, we’ve got you covered! Check out the USEA’s Weekend Quick Links for links to information including the prize list, ride times, live scores, and more for all the events running this weekend.
Many riders across all levels have found that working with young horses has provided them with the most valuable experiences in eventing. The opportunities for young event horses have never been more exciting. The Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse East Coast and West Coast Championships continue to grow in profile as the culmination of a calendar of qualifying events is expanding to more areas of the country. More American riders and their young horses are aiming for the FEI WBFSH Eventing World Breeding Championships at Mondial du Lion in Le Lion D’Angers, France, particularly thanks to programs like the Holekamp/Turner YEH Lion d’Angers Grant. That’s become one of the most attended sporting events in the entire country. It’s given young event horses from the United States a chance to represent the growth of the American eventing community’s dedication to properly developing talent in the sport.