It’s April 1—April Fools’ Day, yes—but for eventing fans, the first of April kicks off our coverage and countdown to our favorite event of the year—the 2025 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event. The CCI5* entries were recently posted and will include many of your favorite eventers including James Alliston, Bec Braitling, Jennie Brannigan, Buck Davidson, Hannah Sue Hollberg, Ema Klugman, Boyd Martin, Tom McEwen, Lauren Nicholson, Caroline Pamukcu, Jessica Phoenix and Sharon White. (Click here for the full list.) Be on the lookout for new training articles from top eventers and everything you need to know about this year’s Kentucky Three-Day.

Additionally, check out our full April to-do list for a plethora of other exciting events this month, including our upcoming livestreams; plus, eventing training advice, pasture and tack checks and tips for healthy hauling.

Events

• The Oaks Premier 1: April 2 – 4; San Juan Capistrano, California
• TerraNova Dressage I: April 3 – 6; Myakka City, Florida
• Ocala Spring Classic III: April 9 – 13; Ocala, Florida
• Scottsdale Spring Festival: April 9 – 13; Scottsdale, Arizona
• Spring Nat’L Hunter: April 9 – 13; Monroe, Washington
• The Oaks Premier 2: April 9 – 13; San Juan Capistrano, California
• Equine Affaire: April 10 – 13; Columbus, Ohio
• Golden State Dressage Festival: April 11 – 13; Rancho Murieta, California
• Temecula Valley National Premier I: April 15 – 19; Temecula, California
• Wellington Spring Classic: April 19 – 20; West Palm Beach, Florida
• Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event: April 24 – 27; Lexington, Kentucky
• Temecula Valley National Premier II: April 23 – 27; Temecula, California

New Livestreams

Don’t miss our upcoming livestreaming events! Register for free and watch live on EQUESTRIAN+.

• The Oaks Premier 1: April 2 – 4; San Juan Capistrano, California
• The Oaks Premier 2: April 9 – 13; San Juan Capistrano, California
• Temecula Valley National Premier I: April 15 – 19; Temecula, California
• Temecula Valley National Premier II: April 23 – 27; Temecula, California

Watch & Learn on E+

Develop Good Cross-Country Habits: Olympic eventer Phillip Dutton shares tips for creating sound habits on cross country to improve precision, adjustability and confidence. Check out his series on EQUESTRIAN+.

Prep for Spring Horse Trials: Learn how to get your eventing horse ready for competition with this video series on schooling strategies for dressage, cross country and show jumping.

Break Down Your Equitation Courses: Learn how to break down your equitation courses into manageable pieces to ensure you and your horse are show-ring ready with this series featuring Stacia Klein Madden.

Develop a Quality Canter and Straight Track: British Olympian and top eventer Tom McEwen underscores thinking and simplicity during his recent clinic at Galway Downs in Temecula, California. This series is coming soon on E+.

To Do

Blanket inventory: Check your horse’s blankets and sheets for any rips, loose straps or damaged hardware and make repairs as needed. Wash all blankets and store securely for next winter.

Donate: If you have any blankets or turnout sheets past their prime, donate them to an equine rescue organization. Volunteers can often get creative with makeshift repairs. Many dog and cat shelters will also accept them as bedding for their animals.

Update your membership info: Make sure all of your membership information is up to date with US Equestrian and any other affiliate organizations you belong to.

Blood work: Your horse’s annual exam should include a wide spectrum of blood work to check for mild forms of anemia, the effectiveness of your deworming program and the presence of any lingering low-grade systemic infections. These days, it’s also wise to check for diseases such as EPM or Lyme, especially if prevalent in your area.

Create or update your show-day checklist: Reduce unnecessary pre-competition stress by creating a reliable show checklist. Click here for ideas to get you started.

Adopt a smarter deworming program: You may have heard that rotational deworming charts are old news. But there are other new parasite-control recommendations you should follow to protect your horse. If you need to reevaluate your deworming plan, click here.

Healthy Hauling

Especially if you’re going to be traveling a lot this spring for shows, keep these tips in mind to ensure your horse is healthy and happy on the road.

• Encourage hydration: Provide access to clean, fresh water at all times to ensure your horse remains hydrated during travel. Check you horse’s water source every few hours. If you’re hauling in excessive heat, you might also consider giving him electrolytes to replenish any key nutrients he’s lost through sweat.
• Provide hay snacks: Offer your horse hay during his travels to give him something to do and to keep forage in his stomach to help stave off any digestive problems that might arise due to travel stress.
• Air flow: Maximize ventilation in your trailer to prevent hot, stagnant air or exhaust fumes from building up.
• Ulcer prevention: If you horse is prone to ulcers or even mild gastric upset when he’s on the road, consider giving him an ulcer-prevention treatment before you travel.
• Tidy up: Every stop, pick out manure and thoroughly wash out all manure and urine after a trip.
• Allow for rest time: If you’re traveling long distance, try to arrive at least several days (ideally a week) before a big competition to give your horse plenty of time to rest and recover from travel stress.

Inspect Your Tack

Conduct a rigorous safety examination of all your riding equipment.

• Bit: Check your bit for tiny cracks or areas that appear worn down, as these are signs it might be close to breaking.
• Cheekpieces: Make sure the leather is in good condition and replace any keepers that have stretched so much that they no longer “keep” the cheekpieces.
• Reins: Undo the reins from the bit and inspect the internal stitching next to the hook stud or buckle that fastens the rein around the bit. The stitching should still be complete, and the hook stud or buckle itself should still be solidly fixed on the inside of the rein. If the leather piece that wraps around the bit is beginning to show a groove, it’s time to replace them.
• Saddle: Thoroughly inspect your saddle for cracks, worn stitching, excessive wear, broken hardware and make sure stitching on the billet straps is sound and the tree is in good condition.

Check Pastures

• Regularly walk your pastures to check for any changes in grass or weeds, harmful plants or other hazards like downed tree limbs or holes.
• Provide sufficient space based on the ratio of horses you keep on a particular pasture to prevent overgrazing (which can also leave horses more exposed to parasites).
• Keep pastures mowed and weeded.
• If possible, rotate pastures or section off portions to give them time to “rest.”
• Consider having your soil tested to determine its pH level and nutrients (primarily nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium). Your local cooperative extension, Natural Resources Conservation Service or conservation district office can advise on how to get your pasture’s soil tested and can often recommended various fertilizers that might be necessary to correct pH levels.

Happy April from Your Friends at Practical Horseman!

Thanks to Kent Nutrition Group and Blue Seal for our coverage of the 2025 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, including lead-up events, rider interviews, competition reports, horse spotlights, photos, videos and more!