United States Eventing Association

Less than two months remain until the start of the Nutrena USEA American Eventing Championships Presented by VTO Saddlery (AEC). The trip to Texas for the 2015 AEC may seem like a daunting journey, but we’ve once again collected some cost- and stress-saving tips from the experts – travelers from the last two years!

• Use the USEA’s Ride Share Listings to find a travel partner to share a trailer with. In addition to splitting gas costs, your horse will have a travel buddy and so will you!
• To keep your horse overnight without breaking the bank, look into local or state fairgrounds. There are lots of stalls that are typically very cheap, and there is plenty of peace and quiet when the facilities aren’t being used for a fair or horse show. Most fairgrounds have arenas where you can let your horse stretch his legs. If you are up for camping in your trailer or RV, you can also inquire about an electrical hookup.
• Check out sites like www.horsetrip.com, or www.horsemotel.com for more ideas on where to keep your horse overnight, including layover farms. Some layover farms have accommodations for the two-legged travelers as well!
• Consider buying the Nationwide Overnight Stabling Directory & Equestrian Vacation Guide: www.overnightstabling.com.
• If you need somewhere cheap or free to hang your hat overnight, CouchSurfing.com has become a popular resource. For a cheap hotel room, avoid tourist or metropolitan areas as high demand drives up prices. Call the hotel directly, as they may have a less expensive room than what is advertised online.
• Enter on opening day via Xentry and you will be entered into a drawing for gas cards, courtesy of the USEA.
• If you have several horses, consider contacting a shipping company. Shipping costs decrease per horse when you are able to fill a rig, and this is often less stressful than hauling a rig full of horses yourself.
• Make a trip out of it! There are plenty of sights to be seen on the way, which can add that extra dose of fun and excitement to your journey.
• To save some cash on lodging once you arrive, stay in one of the USEA-sanctioned hotels for the best deals. Some of the hotels require you to book early to receive the special rates! Camping and RV hookups are also available. Learn all about AEC lodging.

Before you hit the road, listen to some travel tips from the 2014 Adequan USEA Gold Cup Champion Buck Davidson on the USEA Podcast. Buck’s main concern is keeping the horses from getting overheated and making sure there’s a lot of air circulation in the trailer. He puts the horses in big stalls and opens all the windows, while also hanging water buckets for the duration of the trip.

Buck states, “I just think that if you only give them water when you stop, it's almost like you're forcing them to drink. As we all know when we're driving cars, it's not like we just get to drink and then we drink it all down and then it's gone. You kind of put it in the cup holder and you drink a little bit, you might not touch it for a couple of hours and you need another sip. I think the horses are exactly the same. If I can make it so that I just hang the water up and they can drink when they choose, then I think it's better for them.”

Be sure to also listen to the travel tips from the 2013 Adequan USEA Gold Cup Champion Laine Ashker on the USEA Podcast. For hauling long distances, Laine stresses about knowing your horse well. While her 2013 Gold Cup Champion Anthony Patch, or “Al,” is a frequent traveler and takes the long trips in stride, she has known of other horses that will not drink while traveling and may even need intravenous fluids administered upon arrival. Another tried-and-true tip is bringing your own water from home for finicky drinkers.

“Every time I stop to get diesel, I try to not be in and out, but to stop for a while, whether its 10 or 20 minutes, just to give the horses a break,” she says. A well-ventilated trailer can be made even more comfortable on hot days if the trailer has fans installed. Laine also recommends the use of a trailer camera (a camera in the trailer that feeds to a monitor in your truck) for the safety of the horses and peace of mind. Pro View Equine Surveillance will be on-site at AEC, so make sure to stop by their vendor space to learn more about this technology.

Another vendor to check out at the AEC is Horse Hydrator. Horses have a keen sense of smell and taste and often won't drink foreign water with unfamiliar tastes, smells and contaminants. Horse Hydrator creates filters that take out these varying factors, supplying purified water for the horses, which has proven to increase their overall consumption of water.

Some preparation and planning ahead can go a long way in reducing both the cost and stress of travel. Get familiar with your route, plan your stops, and arrange your overnight layovers in advance. Should the unexpected occur, be familiar with what kind of roadside assistance is available to you. Check your tire pressure before hitting the road, fasten your seatbelts, and we’ll see you in Texas!

The opening date for entries this year is August 11th, with a closing date of September 8th, however post entries will be accepted. To review the qualification criteria, go here.

Did you miss the 2015 AEC Preview in Issue 3 of Eventing USA? Get your copy here. Then, learn more about the 2015 AEC prizes here.

The USEA would like to thank all of the generous AEC Sponsors for their support.