Planning For A New Show Season
Click here to read the complete article
274 – March/April, 2025
By Kory Kumar
Going into a new horse show season requires careful planning and essential consideration. From selecting the right events, setting competition goals, and preparing horses, riders and teams, every detail plays a critical role in setting up a smooth plan of action. A well-organized approach not only enhances performance but also fosters a positive environment for growth and achievement for all involved in the journey.
What Are Your Goals?
Before diving too deeply into which shows are placed on the annual schedule, it is important to consider personal goals for the new year. There will always be a show to attend, so giving thoughtful contemplation to personal goals is a very big factor in planning the new show season.
When considering her next year’s show season, Amateur Dee Slade likes to thoughtfully reflect and examine how her schooling has been going and what previous success or areas of growth opportunity she had in the last year. “I like to compete, and I want to ride against people who are going to help me grow as an exhibitor,” she says. As someone who is relatively new to showing, Dee has a personal goal of learning something new at every show. “Showing and finding success in my rides just really means a lot to me,” Dee explains.
Trainer Amber Duckett feels that having open and honest communication with clients is best when it comes to setting their goals. She says, “I set goals with my clients so we have things to work toward. I will work with the horse and client to reach those goals, while also remaining flexible and honest. For example, I don’t want to push my horses to do things they are not ready for, so I am not going to make a baby horse go and show just to fill my trailer. Success is the objective, so helping clients to understand the progression of learned skills for their horse in the long-term versus getting a short-term win is very important to me.”
Training team Beckey and Todd Schooler spend a lot of time matching horses and riders so the riders can achieve what they have in mind. “If it isn’t going to work out, we talk about it and try to regroup to find a different horse, when possible,” Beckey explains. “Futurity horses tell you when they are ready, and sometimes the goals we set just don’t match up for a horse at that time. We have learned to be patient with the horses, and also be as flexible as needed,” she insists.
The Calendar
Click here to read the complete article
274 – March/April, 2025
