Navigating the indoor show circuit: Tips for a healthy horse-and-rider team
The indoor show circuit is exciting, intense, fun, and stressful. While the highs of this competition season can make it all well worth it, we know that all of the stress has a powerful impact on the minds and bodies of both horses and humans. Biologically, stress affects the gut, brain, adrenal gland, muscles, circulatory system, and hydration.
Ashley Worthington and ‘Last Call,’ 2024 PNHS Happy Horse Award recipients
Tips for your horse:
Soaked hay pellets
In addition to flaked hay and your horse’s regular feed, offer soaked forage pellets (alfalfa, sainfoin, Timothy, or orchard grass) to help with hydration. I recommend using a ground feeder for the forage pellets, so that your horse is eating with his head low/as if he were grazing.
Hydration supplements
Have a hydration supplement handy in case your horse needs additional hydration support. BioStar’s Alixir EQ™ paste (works great as a tack trunk grab-and-go) and Star-Lixir EQ™ powder are my go-tos.
Electrolytes
Even in cool weather, horses can benefit from electrolyte supplementation, especially when competing. When possible, avoid electrolyte products with artificial colors and flavorings; these kinds of additives can negatively impact the gut microbiome.*
*Read the blog post Effects of Preservatives and Additives on the Gut Microbiota to learn more!
Keep your horse moving
Get your horse out of the stall for in-hand walks as many times per day as feasible. Moving around is critical for whole-body (particularly the gut) circulation. Remember: wild horses cover 18-20 miles per day!
Probiotics
Because stress causes imbalances in the GI tract microbiome, giving a probiotic can be incredibly beneficial for supporting the gut microbiome and the gut-brain connection. Start offering a probiotic two or three days prior to shipping your horse, and continue to give it throughout the indoor circuit.
Probiotic strains are either cooling, neutral, or warming to the GI tract:
If your horse has loose or runny stools, choose a warming yeast probiotic.
Ulcer support
Gastroguard®, misoprostol, and sucralfate are commonly given during competitions.
Dividing grain offerings into three or four portions per day rather than twice a day is often helpful, because small meals are easier on the GI tract.
Keep hay in front of the horse! The horse’s stomach should never be empty for more than four hours in a 24-hour period.
Offer additional foods that benefit and protect the gut:
Omega 3 oils
Manage your own stress
Make sure your stress doesn’t tip over onto your horse. Horses pick up on external stresses (whether from a human or another horse) very quickly. Even if you feel nervous and tense, try your best to stay neutral around your horse, and smile at your horse frequently. Animals read our facial expressions like we read social media posts.
Team BioStar’s Greg Crolick and ‘Chappy’ at the 2024 National Horse Show.
Tips for the rider:
Protein
Protein is as important for riders during stressful periods as it is for horses.
David™+ protein bars offer 28 grams of protein in only 150 calories. They’re also sugar-free and gluten-free.
If you’d rather drink your protein, try Atkins™ Strong high protein shakes+: 30 grams of protein packed in 11 ounces.
For a more wholesome, plant-based choice, go for Remedy Organics™ Wellness Shakes+: 16 grams of protein, gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free. They also contain ashwagandha, which is wonderful for regulating cortisol from stress and helps to increase calmness. Note: these do have sugar.
Product photos courtesy of the vendor websites.
Stay hydrated yourself
To put it simply: drink plenty of water!
Laugh
Laughter is a great stress reducer; it releases endorphins and decreases stress hormones. Watch some of your favorite comedians on YouTube or funny TikTok videos on your phone. Avoid malicious gossip, backbiting, and drama.
Kindness and empathy go a long way and benefit your gut microbiome.
Stress-relieving teas
Showing the indoor circuit comes with a lot of pressure. Take some time in the evenings or after late-night classes to drink a beneficial tea made with/from ashwagandha or tulsi (also known as holy basil). The herbs in these teas help reduce cortisol, increase serotonin in the brain, and balance the mind-body.
I highly recommend the Tulsi Turmeric Ginger tea by Organic India®+ (with a bit of honey). The ginger and turmeric support the gut, and the tulsi is the mind-body balancer.
Thankfulness
Our love of horses and our passion for the equestrian sport makes us very fortunate. There are so many who have never touched a horse, smelled a horse, wrapped their arms around the neck of a horse, or cried into a horse’s mane. Whether we win a class, place in a class, or end up last, we still are lucky… because we get to spend time with these incredible four-legged beings.
+Recommended products can also be found on Amazon!
Stephanie Bulger and ‘Chief,’ 2024 Happy Horse Award recipients in the A/O Hunter 3’6″ Winners Stake division at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show
2025 Happy Horse Awards
BioStar’s Happy Horse Award shines a light on those whose deep love and care for their horses is made obvious in the show ring: a true testament of just how beneficial devoted care for the horse (and rider!) can be. We are proud to present four hunter/jumper Happy Horse Awards for the second year this fall, celebrating genuine harmony between horse and rider — even in the throws of the intense indoor show circuit:
Pennsylvania National Horse Show – Harrisburg, PA
Junior Hunter 3’6″ Winners Stake: October 10, 2025
Amateur Owner Hunter 3’6″ Winners Stake: October 16, 2025
Professional Hunter 3’6″-4′ Winners Stake: October 14, 2025
National Horse Show – Lexington, KY
National Horse Show Hunter Classic: October 30, 2025
Photo credits (in order of appearance):
Tips for horses: Ashley Worthington and ‘Last Call’ by Megan Giese Media for the Pennsylvania National Horse Show
Tips for riders: Team BioStar’s Greg Crolick and ‘Chappy’ by Mane Source Media, LLC for Phelps Media Group
Happy Horse Award: Stephanie Bulger and ‘Chief’ courtesy of the Pennsylvania National Horse Show
About the Author: With over 30 years experience in the equine and human supplement industry, Tigger Montague knows nutrition from the synthetic side as well as the whole food side. She started BioStar US in 2006 with formulas she created in her kitchen. Before she started the company, she was an avid rider and competitor with eventing and show jumping, until she got hooked on dressage in the late 1980’s. She has competed on horses she’s owned and trained all the way from training level to Grand Prix.
