Details That Matter During Summer Competition Season
Life Stage : Mature - Performance
Care : Seasonality
Long hauls, changing routines and busy competition schedules can challenge even seasoned performance horses. Discover how elite horse owners build routines that help support hydration, recovery and gastric comfort all summer long.
If you ask professional horse trainer and Purina ambassador Cierra Erickson what gets packed first before a rodeo road trip, she’ll tell you the obvious things: saddle, saddle pad, bridle.
Then comes the routine that matters just as much.
The feed. The supplements. The water buckets. The little details that help her and her husband, professional steer wrestler and Purina ambassador Ty Erickson, keep their horses feeling good from one stop to the next.
Long hauls. Hot days. New stalls. Different water. Late nights. Early mornings. Back-to-back runs. For competitive horse owners, summer often becomes a balancing act between managing constant change and helping horses stay comfortable, hydrated and ready to perform when the schedule doesn’t slow down.
Ty has learned that lesson over years on the road.
“Just consistency, whether it’s how we ride or what we feed, we make sure everything stays the same,” he says.
That may sound simple. But in the middle of a busy competition or show season, consistency takes planning.
Even a weekend competition can mean changes in schedule, turnout, forage, water and rest. Add heat and humidity, and those small changes can start to matter even more.
Purina equine nutritionist Karen Davison, Ph. D., says competitive horse owners are right to pay attention to the details.
“Horses thrive on routine. When so much changes during show season, consistency becomes one of the best tools owners have,” she says.
That’s why many experienced competitors work so hard to make the road feel as familiar as possible. They feed at the same times. They pack hay from home when they can. They take breaks to give water. They watch how much their horses drink. They notice when a horse doesn’t clean up a meal.
There’s a reason that phrase has stuck around.
When horses travel, compete or adjust to a new environment, some may drink less than normal. Different-tasting water can be enough to make a picky horse hesitate. Hot weather can increase fluid needs. And even cooler mornings or late nights at summer competitions can still affect drinking patterns when horses are tired or off schedule.
“If you’re struggling with a horse eating when on the road or somewhere new, a hydration supplement like RepleniMash® is one of the first places to look,” Davison says.
That’s one reason Purina® RepleniMash® Product is a useful tool when on the road.
It is designed to encourage hydration with added electrolytes and water-holding capacity while also giving horses a tasty mash that feels like a little extra care during busy stretches of travel and competition.
It also includes Purina® Outlast® Gastric Support Supplement, which means one product can help support hydration, recovery and gastric comfort as part of the horse’s routine. The Purina® Outlast® technology supports gastric comfort during stressful situations like stalling, travel, exercise and new environments, helping horses stay comfortable.
For Cierra and Ty, RepleniMash® fits into the everyday management details that keep their horses comfortable on the road.
“I think it really comes in handy because they’re not only drinking but getting electrolytes and a little bit of something in their bellies,” she says.
It’s not flashy. It’s not complicated. But for horse owners hauling through July and August, helping a horse stay interested in eating and drinking while supporting their gastric comfort can be one of the most important parts of the day.
One day blends into the next. Horses may be asked to perform, haul, rest and do it again. That’s why recovery support is not something many top horse people think about only after a hard run. It’s part of the daily program.
For the Ericksons, Purina® SuperSport® Amino Acid Supplement is one of those steady pieces.
They feed all 10 of their performance horses SuperSport® every day, whether that is their three-year-old colts or their 14-year-old 2024 AQHA Horse of the Year, Finding Meno, aka “Crush.”
“It’s a crucial way we support their recovery,” Cierra says.
SuperSport® is built around a targeted amino-acid profile because amino acids are the building blocks horses use to support muscle development and recovery. That distinction matters. This isn’t just about adding more protein to the bucket. It’s about supplying specific amino acids at meaningful levels to support hardworking horses over time.
Muscle and recovery support is not a one-week fix before a big event. It is a commitment to proper care and nutrition over time, according to Davison. She notes that when adding muscle-support supplements to the routine, it takes time to see results. You have to stick with them and be consistent for the best results.
For horses working hard through the season, SuperSport® can be part of a consistent plan designed to support muscle development, recovery and performance over time.
She recommends looking for products backed by research, appropriate ingredients, feeding rates that make sense for horses and results owners can observe over time.
For Purina’s performance supplement routine, the jobs are distinct:
Learn more about supplements or sign up to try a Purina supplements trial to see the results for yourself.
If you ask professional horse trainer and Purina ambassador Cierra Erickson what gets packed first before a rodeo road trip, she’ll tell you the obvious things: saddle, saddle pad, bridle.
Then comes the routine that matters just as much.
The feed. The supplements. The water buckets. The little details that help her and her husband, professional steer wrestler and Purina ambassador Ty Erickson, keep their horses feeling good from one stop to the next.
Long hauls. Hot days. New stalls. Different water. Late nights. Early mornings. Back-to-back runs. For competitive horse owners, summer often becomes a balancing act between managing constant change and helping horses stay comfortable, hydrated and ready to perform when the schedule doesn’t slow down.
Ty has learned that lesson over years on the road.
“Just consistency, whether it’s how we ride or what we feed, we make sure everything stays the same,” he says.
That may sound simple. But in the middle of a busy competition or show season, consistency takes planning.
Why does routine matter on the road?
A horse doesn’t have to be competing under the bright lights of a national event to feel the effects of travel.Even a weekend competition can mean changes in schedule, turnout, forage, water and rest. Add heat and humidity, and those small changes can start to matter even more.
Purina equine nutritionist Karen Davison, Ph. D., says competitive horse owners are right to pay attention to the details.
“Horses thrive on routine. When so much changes during show season, consistency becomes one of the best tools owners have,” she says.
That’s why many experienced competitors work so hard to make the road feel as familiar as possible. They feed at the same times. They pack hay from home when they can. They take breaks to give water. They watch how much their horses drink. They notice when a horse doesn’t clean up a meal.
Why won’t my horse drink on the road?
Every horse person knows the saying: You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.There’s a reason that phrase has stuck around.
When horses travel, compete or adjust to a new environment, some may drink less than normal. Different-tasting water can be enough to make a picky horse hesitate. Hot weather can increase fluid needs. And even cooler mornings or late nights at summer competitions can still affect drinking patterns when horses are tired or off schedule.
“If you’re struggling with a horse eating when on the road or somewhere new, a hydration supplement like RepleniMash® is one of the first places to look,” Davison says.
That’s one reason Purina® RepleniMash® Product is a useful tool when on the road.
It is designed to encourage hydration with added electrolytes and water-holding capacity while also giving horses a tasty mash that feels like a little extra care during busy stretches of travel and competition.
It also includes Purina® Outlast® Gastric Support Supplement, which means one product can help support hydration, recovery and gastric comfort as part of the horse’s routine. The Purina® Outlast® technology supports gastric comfort during stressful situations like stalling, travel, exercise and new environments, helping horses stay comfortable.
For Cierra and Ty, RepleniMash® fits into the everyday management details that keep their horses comfortable on the road.
“I think it really comes in handy because they’re not only drinking but getting electrolytes and a little bit of something in their bellies,” she says.
It’s not flashy. It’s not complicated. But for horse owners hauling through July and August, helping a horse stay interested in eating and drinking while supporting their gastric comfort can be one of the most important parts of the day.
Does recovery start before the trailer door opens?
Summer competition can make recovery feel like a moving target.One day blends into the next. Horses may be asked to perform, haul, rest and do it again. That’s why recovery support is not something many top horse people think about only after a hard run. It’s part of the daily program.
For the Ericksons, Purina® SuperSport® Amino Acid Supplement is one of those steady pieces.
They feed all 10 of their performance horses SuperSport® every day, whether that is their three-year-old colts or their 14-year-old 2024 AQHA Horse of the Year, Finding Meno, aka “Crush.”
“It’s a crucial way we support their recovery,” Cierra says.
SuperSport® is built around a targeted amino-acid profile because amino acids are the building blocks horses use to support muscle development and recovery. That distinction matters. This isn’t just about adding more protein to the bucket. It’s about supplying specific amino acids at meaningful levels to support hardworking horses over time.
Muscle and recovery support is not a one-week fix before a big event. It is a commitment to proper care and nutrition over time, according to Davison. She notes that when adding muscle-support supplements to the routine, it takes time to see results. You have to stick with them and be consistent for the best results.
For horses working hard through the season, SuperSport® can be part of a consistent plan designed to support muscle development, recovery and performance over time.
Are supplements just one more thing to pack?
Davison encourages owners to be critical.She recommends looking for products backed by research, appropriate ingredients, feeding rates that make sense for horses and results owners can observe over time.
For Purina’s performance supplement routine, the jobs are distinct:
- Purina® RepleniMash® Product supports hydration, recovery and comfort during travel and after work.
- Purina® SuperSport® Amino Acid Supplement supports muscle development and recovery over time.
- Purina® Outlast® Gastric Support Supplement supports gastric comfort during stressful situations like travel, stalling, exercise and new environments.
Learn more about supplements or sign up to try a Purina supplements trial to see the results for yourself.
