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One is always exhausted when one gets home after a long day at a show. Of course so is your horse, and the correct care of your horse the afternoon after a show can save you numerous veterinary bills in the future. So even if you are exhausted it pays to sort out the horses before you throw yourself in a hot bath and relax.
Inevitably shows are devoid of an excess of shade so horses end up spending a lot of time either being ridden in the sun or standing around between events, again in the sun. This can sap their salt stores in the body, especially if they are sweating a lot or are young and excitable as they utilize their salt and water supply faster than older, quieter horses. Horses are a lot like people in that they are also susceptible to the sun and its effects and need the water in their bodies to be replenished. Always make sure that there is sufficient water for your horse throughout the day and when you get home add Epson salts to his water, as this will make him drink more to top up his water levels and prevent dehydration. A horse with heat exhaustion is a sorry sight. One of the local riding schools has a mare that cannot take the sun at all and gets heat exhaustion during all the shows in summer. This means she is constantly off work, and has to be kept in the shade (her stable) as much as possible even at home.
If your horse is still sweating and excited from the day let him out into the paddock to cool and calm down before putting him to bed. If it is already dark then ensure that you have the area well lit so he doesn’t go through any fencing or hurt himself in the dark. Rather let him settle before putting him into his stable so that he doesn’t ‘box-walk’ (walking around in his stable) all night.
Try and avoid shoeing your horse the day before a show as he may be a little sore as he gets used to his new shoes and my be lame. It is also possible your farrier may ‘prick’ him, and to avoid wasting costly entry fees (as well as having a sore horse off work for a few weeks), try and shoe at least three days before an event.
If your horse has been show-jumping, eventing or doing any other discipline that takes its toll on the legs, then make sure you water his legs down for about 15 minutes a leg with cool water. This will help prevent swelling and can aid in the prevention of wind galls or splints. The legs on a horse tend to take quite a lot of bashing about, especially if he has knocked jumps that day, and to prevent any lasting problems it is a good idea to treat them regularly. It is also a good idea to do this after a particularly hard lesson, or when jumping at home, especially if you have been doing exercises or jumping big courses. An alternative to this is using a cooling gel such as ‘Freeze Gel’ or ‘Fridge’. This can be applied to the legs after a brief watering period or just before bandaging for the night. A poultice the night after a show can help to keep your horses legs healthy. Use cotton wool, and dot with Epson salts and water before applying the bandage or use watered down Methylated spirits (this acts as a cooling agent) on the bandage pad or cotton wool before bandaging.
The day after a show try to take your horse out for an outride as this can help to walk off any stiffness in the joints. Allowing them out into a paddock for an extended time can also help. Adding a cup or two of barley is a healthy and natural energy booster for your horse and will help to replace lost nutrients. By the second day after a show your horse should be back to his normal self, of course by this time you may need to sleep for a week to recover!
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