11/30/2025
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฌ: ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ง
As much as we love the thrill of show season; the long hauls to places like Kentucky and Missouri, the excitement of World and National Championships, and the joy of watching our riders and horses shine, thereโs an equally important part of every competition year that often goes unseen: ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐จ๐๐.
For many of our horses, especially those with heavy workloads, endless practice hours, and weeks spent on the road, the show season asks a lot. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. The lights, travel, new environments, repeated performances, and the pressure of competition all add up. Even the most seasoned โbeen-there, done-thatโ horses feel it.
Thatโs why at the end of each season, we make it a priority to give our veteran horses 4โ8 weeks of true downtime.
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ค ๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ
๐ก ๐๐ก๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ
Show horses are athletes. Just like human athletes, their bodies need time to heal micro-strain in muscles, joints, and soft tissues. This rest period helps prevent long-term wear and tear and ensures they come back sound, strong, and ready to perform at their best.
๐ต ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ญ
Competing at high levels requires mental stamina. Horses spend months being incredibly โtuned inโ to their riders, routines, cues, and ring environments. Time off allows them to decompress, settle back into being a horse, and maintain a positive relationship with their job.
๐ก ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐จ๐ซ/๐๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐ฌ
In programs like ours, where so much of the workload falls to juniors and amateurs, our horses give even more of themselves. They must be patient teachers, confidence-builders, and steady partners. That emotional labor deserves a break just as much as the physical work.
๐ต๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ?
Our young or green horses typically stay in some level of work to maintain consistency during critical development phases. But our well-educated veterans, the horses who carried riders through big moments this season, absolutely earn their vacation.
๐ก๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐๐ค
Most horses will begin legging back up somewhere between December 1 and January 1, after their time to just โbe horsesโ. Turnout, rest, extra naps, extra cookiesโthey come back refreshed, happier, and more willing to go to work.
This quiet window after the final show of the year is one of the most valuable training tools we have. Rest isnโt a luxury. Itโs part of producing sound, confident, long-lasting partners who love their jobs.
Hereโs to a well deserved off season for our four legged teammates. May they enjoy every minute of it. โค๏ธ๐ด
