Winter (show season) is coming - are you ready?

It's October and Florida is finally starting to cool down. It's a nice relief for horse and rider. And the pre-season is in full swing at the showground in Wellington. You can more or less show every weekend until the official twelve-week-long Winter Equestrian Festival starts in January. Many equestrians - juniors, amateurs, professionals - are getting ready to move South to flee the winter weather. If you are one of them, here are a few questions to consider:

1. Are you going with your home trainer or joining another program for the season?

If your trainer is going to spend the season in South Florida, logistics will be much easier as you will be able to tag along with your barn and program and not have to worry about setting up your own ecosystem. Your trainer will likely collaborate with some local trainers and / or offer the opportunity to join clinics with other professionals during the season. 

If your trainer isn't going, they can likely point you to trusted colleagues who would accept you in their program. If you are looking for a trainer by yourself, make sure to study their qualifications, try to visit and watch a lesson, and speak to a few of their students and the trainer to assess if their program is a fit for you. Decide if what kind of experience you want - a serious, performance-focused program or a social, fun environment with other horse enthusiasts? Usually, each program consists of training fee, stabling fee, and show Fees. Make sure you understand all the costs and any exclusions and inclusions. 

2. Are you bringing your horse or leasing one locally?

If you are only going for a few weeks and live far from South Florida, the hassle and stress of shipping your horse might be too much. In that case, you can explore leasing a horse for the period of time you plan to be in Florida. If you want to fulfill your dream of showing at WEF or WEC but don't have the financial means to be there the whole season, you can explore a show lease. Likely, your trainer can help find the right fit and local Facebook groups are a good start.

If you are bringing your horse, make sure you have a trustworthy professional service for safely shipping them for the long-distance and prepare them appropriately. 

3. Which shows do you want to compete in?

While WEF is the most famous show series, it is by far not the only one. If you stay a bit further North, you can of course show at the beautiful World Equestrian Center in Ocala (WEC). WEC is definitely worth a visit and won't disappoint horse enthusiasts with great pastries at Emma's, great sports during the Saturday Night Grand Prix or the Longines Cup of Nations, and lots of opportunities for shopping. 

Another show series is Terranova, in Myakka City. It's a beautiful showground and they have many amateur and young horse friendly classes during the weekends. Their jumping winter series is shorter as they also offer dressage and eventing shows.

Fox Lea Farm in Venice is another option that's great for amateurs. The classes are smaller, and it has a more casual, friendly vibe that doesn't primarily cater to professionals. 

Last but not least, another option in Wellington are the shows at The Ridge in Wellington. Similar to Fox Lea, these shows are a lot more casual and relaxed, providing a great atmosphere for young horses and riders to learn the ropes of showing. Their footing, jumps, and courses are top-notch but show fees are significantly lower than WEF. Most of their rated shows are during the week though.  

4. How can you make the most of your time in Wellington?

Besides showing, there are other great ways to further your horsemanship and skills. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Training Days at Jim Brandon Equestrian Center, usually on Tuesdays, give you the opportunity to spend 2.5 min in the ring and do whatever you and your trainer think is best. Jump it like a show? Check! Ride the tricky line twice? Check! Super useful if you want to work through something with your horse in a show setting without the show pressure and off your show record
• Clinics and educational events. Many facilities and trainers offer in-house and on-site clinics. Check social media and talk to your trainers or the show office for recommendations. The Ridge and EyeCandy usually host events open to the public
  
• If you want to work on your seat without adding more stress to your horse, join Danielle of Precision Strides for a training session with the Racewood Equestrian Simulator. This is a great way to work on your seat and experiment in a safe environment with real-time feedback

Winter is coming - the team from CanterCart wishes all of you a great and fulfilling season ❤︎