Just curious on how you guys prepare for a big barrel race, I have one that starts today and I will be running once a day today, tomorrow, and Sunday. I typically leave his magnetic hood and sheet on all night, and I will be claying his legs tonight also. What do you guys do? The stalls are concrete unfortuantely, but I will be bringing mats and put at least four bags of shavings in there as well. I also have a magnetic massage curry I will be using on him too. Anything else I could add? He will get more hay than usual too, I give a small flake or two throughout the day while we wait. He will also be getting oxy-gen mag 44 paste before we run today and tomorrow, but I do not have any more for sunday. Maybe get probios paste for sunday? If they have booths set up there, they usually have gut health, I will look at those too. If some of you haven't read my other posts, he does get hock injections so should I clay or linament the hocks or leave them alone? (Please don't give opinions on whether I should or should not be injecting him or running him with injections, this post is not about your opinion on injections.) He got injected for the first time in August, so I am new to this. I don't know if people just leave the injected area alone or what. I just want to make sure I am doing everything to keep his stress level down, and his body feeling good. 

Edit: He is in shape, and we have been to weekend shows like this before and I don't really have issues with him acting like he's sore or anything. I just want to see if there was anything I could add for him. He also is getting equioxx for this weekend. The vet didn't say I had to do that, I just requested it since he is an older dude. 

Sounds like you have a pretty good plan already laid out.

I make sure to get mine out a few times a day to walk and hand graze for a little while or let them roll just to get out of the riff raff of the barn. Sometimes I just kinda walk around the grounds bareback (if your horse is one of those you can do that with safely, of course) to keep their legs loose and from stocking up. I really feel like the most time you can spend with them and keep their legs moving the better they will feel on Sunday. 

I'd try to track down some oxy-gen mag 44 paste, and something for gut for peak performance since you already plan on giving it Friday and Saturday, but I dont think it's a complete deal breaker if you dont. 

Most importantly, GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN! 

Like above response, get him out and walk him. I walk mine a lot during weekend events. I usually ride in the morning, just walking for 30 minutes & maybe a little trotting here or there. Just to loosen them up from standing all night, especially on concrete. Or you can hand walk or lunge. One trick I've found with concrete is the pellet bedding works so much better for keeping a heavier cushion base. I just take a watering can & wet them down enough to puff them out. Usually 3-4 bags & then I put a bad of shavings on top. It makes a wonderful cushion. I use the interlocking puzzle squares & they can pull them apart when they get up & down, which become a mess trying to fit it back together. They don't do it with the pellets. I'm sure you already have your bedding set for the weekend, but for future thought. Keeping hay under him as much as possible is good. Clay doesn't work very well unless it's wrapped, so I'd just do it where you wrap. I prefer Draw It Out for mine, just for the less mess & it doesn't need wrapped. I'd switch to a liniment & get rid of the clay, but thats my personal opinion. The liniment would be good for hocks. 

Also Previcox/Equioxx takes about 3-4 days to take full effect in their system, so make sure you're always giving it the days ahead of the race & not just days of the race. I usually start it Tuesday morning for the weekend & give it the day after I come home too  

The only problem with taking him out of the stall and taking him outside is he will throw a fit lol...he is very buddy sour with any horse. And thank you!

We aren't allowed to use the pellets there unfortunately, what tyoe of linament do you recommend? I have abosorpine right now. For the equioxx I started it on Tuesday, I don't give a loading dose though, just single pill each day. I usually don't give it the day after I come home though so I will do that!

I use Draw It Out, it seems to work the best & has no smell like the rest. I use it before and after a ride, plus then another coat when I put them to bed at night. I give mine the Equioxx the day after because I'm sure no matter how well we take care of them there's going to be some residual soreness after running 3 days, standing in a stall, & being on concrete. I think it just helps alleviate some of that the day after as well. My main mount is in his 20s so I like to do what I can for him 

Oh really! Just curious, does he still run fast like he did when he was younger? Some people say the older horses lose their speed, but I've seen some pretty wicked fast older ones. 

Mine is 18, and runs much better NOW that she did when she was 8 - 10 because I am much more educated on proper vet care, chiro, I'm a better rider in that I have MUCH better hands than I did a decade ago, etc. She feels great and doesn't look get age.

I should say she WOULD run much better. I'm having a hard time mentally getting in the game and so I've been the issue lately.

Anyway, you say you can't walk him or he throws a fit. I'd definitely find a way to get him out of the stall and let him stretch his legs if you can. Have a friend walk their horse with you perhaps? And then work on the buddy sour issue at home first. 

That's how I feel about mine, except I didn't get him until he was 13 and now he is almost 15 almost 16 so I guess I can't say for sure. I'm still fairly new to barrels, if he had a more experienced rider on his back I feel he could very well hit 1D or be very close at large shows. I've hit 1D at smaller ones though. I can say he's aging like fine wine though, he looks a lot better now than he did when I first got him hahaha. We have a show here called best of the best every year, you have to get like 1st or 2nd place in the 1D at qualifying shows to be able to qualify. I saw a 26 year old horse qualified! I thought that was awesome. I get most horses probably can't run anymore when they are that old, but even the late teens/early 20's I feel like people just assume they can't do it anymore and don't give them enough credit. I understand if they really can't handle it anymore, but I mean if they are still good to go and they enjoy it then why stop? I can't get him out of the buddy sourness, he just won't. I mean I can ride at home by myself and everythinig and he's fine, but at shows/parades/vet etc he needs to be by other horses or he can be a nightmare. He used to be awful at home too when I first got him but he isn't that bad now. I cannot turn him out alone though hahaha. He has always had more of the anxious/nervous personality since I first got him.

He still clocks the same as long as I keep up on his maintenace. He wasn't broke to ride until 7 so he's got a little bit less wear & tear on him. Been running him since he was 9. 

For your horse with his anxiety at place with being alone, I usually always do my hand walking in the warm up area. Maybe he'd be fine in there with the other horses riding around. 

I will see if someone else will walk with me with their horse or something. I can't walk him around in the warmup either because he will get anxious in there as well. I keep him away from the arena until it is almost my turn so I can run him and get out.

I have an old lady too. She gets her hocks injected and I just started doing it when she was 18 when she showed some signs of soreness. I use Equithrive daily as a suppliment. It is expensive but I have seen good results.

I use clay like you and I clay after every run. Before I clay I cold hose her legs and hocks for about 10min each leg. If I run early in the day I clay and use no bow standing wraps to wrap her legs. I dont use the brown paper because I dont like how it wrinkles. I just wet the no bow and wrap it. Then after a few hours or right before I am putting her up for the night I spray off the clay and dry her legs. Then I have Back on Track no bow standing wraps and wrap her for the night. I also put on Back on Track hock boots. If the floor is concrete I use stall mats, bedding, and I have Impact Gel boots that I put on. 

I always get her out and walk her as much as possible as she is not used to be being stalled. I feed her throughout the day like if she was grazing because that is what she is used too. 

I'v been using No bow standing wraps since I was 15 and I am 34. I have only had sucess with them and I highly reccomend them. My old HS Rodeo horse stocked up all the time and once I started using them he never stocked up.