How can I stay cool while showing my horse???

Question

I'm going to show my horse next week for the first time and its supposed to be in the upper 80s-90s. The newspaper says it's supposed to be rainy with some sun and clouds.

I'm riding my horse english so I'm going to have to wear the jacket, breeches, gloves, helmet, boots, etc.

How can I stay cool and not get over heated??? I want to be as comfortable as possible while showing and before/after I show.

We're packing water bottles, pop, and other stuff.

Also, how can I stay calm before I show my horse?? Since this is my first show, I'm probably going to be pretty nervous (I tend to get nervous OVERLY easy) Nervousness, and heat don't go well together!

Any advice??

Thanks!

Answer 1

Get yourself a hat and a battery operated clip-on fan that clips onto your hat.  It will look ridiculous,but you'll have the benefit of both the shade from the hat and the breeze from the fan.   Also stay away from any kind of sugar or caffeine the night before and the day of the event.  Stick to sugar free foods and beverages to help ease your nerves

Answer 2

The day of the show look around and find places that are shady. While your waiting for your classes stay in the shade as much as possible. also drink plenty of water and take your jacket off between classes, make sure your horse is getting enough water too

    And don't worry. about being nervous. i had my first show a little over a year ago. the truth is your a little more excited than nervous. at you first show it is really more about observing more experienced showman and just having fun with it, if you win you win, and if you lose, you now what to expect and what to work on for next time. Alsoif there is a little area right outside the show ring just casually ride your horse around. this will help relaxe you and your horse. because the more you tense up and choke, the more nervous your horse will be and he might choke too b/c he can sense  that you are nervous

  i really hope this helped, good luck and just remember to have FUN!! :-)

Answer 3

You are not the only one that needs to worry about staying cool!  For you, when at all possible strip out of your jacket and wear a short sleeved show shirt, sometimes they will excuse jackets though and if they do, a long sleeved shirt is a must!  Water bottles kept cool and small, personal fans are a huge help, you have to keep hydrated, no soda, ice tea, or otherwise sugary drinks, the only exception would be flavored pedialyte, great at keeping you hydrated, you can also dump some of this in your horses water bucket to help him stay hydrated as well.  You can also keep a damp bandanna around your neck, dip it in icy cold water then wring it out well and this will keep you chilly.  For your horse, frequent sponging with a brace mix, one part water and two parts liniment and then immediately scrape him down, do not allow him to stay wet, the body cools itself by evaporation and you will speed that when you scrape the brace off.  Everyone has nerves at a show, they are unavoidable, but remember, your livelihood does not depend on the ribbon you win, you are there to have fun!

Answer 4

In addition to the usual stuff - water, shade, relax, etc. - I like my home remedy.

The night before, take a paper towl, fold it into quarters, then get it sopping wet.  Put it in a zip lock baggy, then in the freezer.  Make as may of these as you want.

The day of the show, take them with you in an icechest.  When you're about to put your helmet on, put one of these on top of your head first.  It'll last about 15 minutes, and keep you cool a bit longer than that.  Cooling your head this way, particularly inside your a black helmet that's like an oven, helps cool your entire body!

It's cheap, it's easy, and it's invisible, but it really works for me.

On nervousness...  don't sweat it.  We all get nervous, and trying not to get nervous makes me more nervous.  So try to really concentrate on what you're doing when you're on the horse, and try to really concentrate on what's going on when you're not.  Use positive self talk - in your mind, tell your self "this is fun, i'm doing fine, it's not about winning it's about having fun," and so on.  It really helps.