adventures into eventing!

[blob]

I'm hoping to make it to my first ever 3-phase show this fall/winter. I'll only being doing amoeba or tadpole at a schooling show, so nothing crazy--but it's still new to me!

We've been practicing our jumping and we've been out to school xc twice this year. What else can I do to get us ready? I don't have access at my barn to tons of space to ride out, but there are a few paddocks I ride in to get some varied terrain.

Also, anything I should know about doing a 3-phase? My main worry is MM will be tired after being dragged out of her stall for the third time in one day. I also worry a little about xc being last. But luckily, because I'm doing a lower level, we likely won't need much warm-up to get ready for the dressage (I think the test for tadpole is intro C), so I can keep that entire part short. I'm also worried I'll forget my course , but we'll just have to cross that bridge when we get there!

[Flight]

Have fun!!! I miss doing eventing. While I say eventing, I was only doing the newcomers courses (60cm). I found my horses used to worry more about the jump judges on their first outing or changes in the ground.
I think with these events, make sure you have enough time to pack everything that you need and time to walk your courses. I used to have to walk the xc like 3 times and take pics on my phone of the jumps to remind me when I'd go through it with the map afterwards.
I have fat dressage horses and they were fine, I just didn't overdo any warmups. My friends on TBs couldn't do long warmups as their horses would get wilder, mine would conk out

[heddylamar]

Unless MM is a complete lazybones, she'll be fine. Fitness doesn't start to become a problem until Training/Modified. Just don't school her through the warmups — you just need to get her moving and paying attention.

As for the courses, the jumps will be numbered, and have red flags on the right. I normally walk cross country twice, once to study distances, once to learn the order.

[blob]

thank you both--this is helpful and reassuring. MM can sometimes be a complete lazybones! But usually not for stuff like this. I had thought about doing my first 3 phase back in August, but the weekend of that schooling show the temps were in the high 90s with tons of humidity and so we just practiced our third level test instead.

The baby level I'll be doing is 12-18inch fences and the dressage test is just the intro b (walk/trot test). So, I can basically use the dressage test as a warm-up and not really spend much time warming up before it other than walking and stretching. And if i'm lucky we'll have a bit of a break between the SJ and XC rounds.

I just ordered a pinny bib and am collecting all our green things so we can have a properly coordinated xc outfit

[Flight]

So fun! I hope you can get some photos!

[Ryeissa]

no worries- the jumping and dressage are super pared back so not very taxing. Practice schooling going out on course alone. You have to memorize the dressage test and can't have a reader (USEA). A lot of people use the same boots for XC and jumping at this level, so it makes life easier with less to take off and on.

and yes, photos mandatory! have fun
If you are schooling third you are way way way ahead and the canter work will be super helpful for all your jumping