The season ended with a bang for Team Rimmer, and now the horses are off on their holidays while Jess hits the chores list
Wow – it’s the end of the season… how did that happen? October is a bit of a transition month for eventing folk, as we see out the final events of 2024. Our personal final runs were at Swalcliffe and Bicton, which brought some fab results – Max was 2nd at Swalcliffe, Elsa 6th and Jimmy 8th. Then at Bicton, Elsa jumped the fastest double clear of her class to finish an exciting 3rd in the 3*S – my best result at this level to date!
These guys will now enjoy a well-deserved break … which brings me nicely into this month’s topic, horses and holidays!
At the end of the season we have to decide what to do next with the horses. With no events now until March 2025, there are two options: they can either be turned away (which literally consists of some R&R in the field), or they can continue training through the winter – and there’s no right or wrong answers here, it all depends on what will benefit each individual horse.
The Rimmer holiday season
So what does that look like in terms of the Team Rimmer horses? Max and Jimmy, being on the younger side, have changed a huge amount this season, both mentally and physically. So they will spend November together in a big, grassy field, allowing everything they’ve learned to sink in, and giving their bodies time to strengthen up.
Mattie and Elsa are older, more established horses who know their jobs: for them, their holiday is less about absorbing information and more about giving them a physical rest.
On the other end of the spectrum is Henry … like any ten-year-old boy, his brain doesn’t particularly enjoy a quiet break – he’ll start bouncing off the walls! He likes to be kept thinking, so he’ll stay in work throughout November, and we’ll continue practicing dressage, show jumping and some arena cross-country to prepare for 2025.
We talk a lot about the importance of routine for the horses – obviously turning the horses out in a big field for a month is a big change for them, so it is something we do gradually over a week or so. Since their final events, we have slowly reduced their workload and changed their diet from the more energising competition feed onto a Spillers balancer, to ensure they get all the vitamins and minerals they need, without the extra competition oomph! They have all had a final physio session to ensure they feel tip-top, and the farrier will take off their shoes before they are turned out. Not only does this decrease the risk of injury, but also gives their feet time to grow out and strengthen.
Jess’ exciting plans
So how will I be spending my November, if most of the horses are on holiday? Although it is quieter, I will absolutely not be bored – life is so hectic through the season, it’s difficult to find time to regroup. So I have some exciting plans: we have lots of rugs to wash, tack to sort, lorries to clean and all sorts of repairs to do! My favourite saddle has finally been sent off to Devoucoux to be restitched, too – I refuse to part with it while I’m in the midst of the competition season as I hate riding in anything else, so now is the perfect time.
And don’t worry, there are lots of horses continuing with their training over the winter here at Fox-Pitt Eventing, so I’m still going to get my riding fix!
