Resilient—this Thoroughbred just keeps going. Since his U.S. team debut in 1999’s Pan-American Games, Poggio II has run in the 2002 World Equestrian Games (team gold), 2004 Olympic Games (team bronze), and 2006 World Equestrian Games (individual bronze).
Owner-rider Amy Tryon of Duvall, WA., says, “With him, for me the most gratifying part is that he’s been competing Advanced so long. And he continues to get better and still enjoys his job!”
This year is the eighth that Poggio has competed in eventing, beginning in 1998 when he started winning at horse trials in Preliminary and Intermediate levels. A 1992 Thoroughbred (Polynesian Flyer--Waves Club), he raced at ages 3 and 4. The bay gelding switched to eventing after a short career working on the mountain trails.
Amy has managed his career carefully, each year focusing on major events. Her strategy combines everyday turnout with gradual buildup to peak at championships.
After her success in Aachen this August, we talked to Amy about how she’s maintained Poggio over the years. She describes her approach to his care, and how they prepare for the eventing season.



Daily Turnout

“He’s staying out 24/7 with a 3-year-old, in a five-acre grass pasture,” says Amy. “He gets furry and round, and he’s brought in every day to be groomed.”
When he returned home from Germany in September, he went right back into the pasture. “He’s turned out every day all year ‘round, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and generally all night.
“We keep the same routine. I’m a firm believer that you minimize every risk, but you let them be horses.” She doesn’t use boots on him when he’s turned out, “and he runs around every night.”

Feed

Besides grazing, Poggio is fed supplements daily. Amy feeds him reduced grain during his time off. “I use SmartPak, with all the Adeptus products: a joint supplement, coat supplement, high-fat products, MSM, and hoof supplement. The grain is Showtime, from a sponsor, LMF Feeds. It’s high fat and low protein.” When he’s in fitness training and competing, he also gets electrolytes.

Conditioning and Schooling

“I do three or four weeks just hacking. I ride 30-45 minutes on the trail to get us thinking about going back to work. I supplement with a little lunging.
“After one month, I go back to basic flat work. He’s 14 and fairly well-trained, so we work on the quality of the movements. I aim to get him back to full work by Christmastime.”
Amy works with Captain Mark Phillips in training sessions on both coasts. Planning for the first session in February, she resumes jumping schooling late January.
In dressage, she aims to build Poggio’s strength and coordination. Twice a month, Jeremy Steinberg coaches her on the flat. U.S. eventers also have clinics with trainers and show jumping experts George Morris and Laura Kraut, and dressage veteran Robert Dover.
Regarding fitness, Amy describes hill work as “my tried and true method for getting him fit. Six weeks before my first event, I start once a week on a hill that is a 20-minute drive from where we live, and then twice a week we go to the hill. We start out trotting, then cantering slowly up the hill. The fastest I go is 500 meters per minute.
“He’s funny—he’s very much a professional about it these days. He lopes up on a loose rein. And when he gets out of the trailer, it’s ‘Yeah, we’re going up the hill again.’”
Tryon uses this routine in January and February. “Then when we travel, I know he has a really good base.” In 2002, Poggio won the best conditioned award at the Rolex Kentucky event.

Shoeing

“He wears regular, plain shoes, a size one in front and a zero behind. I’m really lucky—he’s got great feet. We occasionally put pads on him if it’s rocky out.”
When she travels to the East Coast, she uses Pennsylvania farrier Steve Teichman. “At home, farrier Alan Burrado flies every six weeks from San Diego and shoes the horses. He used to work for Steve.”
“He’s been a tough little horse,” says Amy of her 16-hand partner. “His feet weren’t good when I first got him, but now they are better.”

Competition Planning

“I’m very careful where I run him. I don’t run him quickly at a horse trial. That’s something I very much believe in: that a horse has only so many miles in him. Generally at a horse trial I run him in Intermediate. We take him enough places to keep him happy. We very much enjoy the shows.”
Amy consults with Phillips about the spring and fall seasons. “When we wind up the year, Mark and I sit down and map out the next year.”
Preventive Treatments for Competition
Every spring, Poggio has a thorough veterinary examination. “My vet flexes him all the way around and does x-rays to keep a running tally on anything we have to keep maintained. Then after a competition, we do ultrasound and x-rays, and then again in three weeks, so it’s a double scanning.
Amy explains, “I spend a lot of money making sure he stays healthy. He doesn’t owe me a thing!”
“He gets Adequan and Legend every four days leading up to a competition. When he’s not competing, it’s only once a month.
“I use a magnetic blanket on him when he’s competing daily,” the rider continues. “I use the laser on him to treat any places that are sore or cut. I haven’t felt he’s needed chiropractic work. Wendy Furlong does some acupuncture on him when he’s competing, concentrating on points of relaxation.”
Poggio did incur a serious injury at the 2000 Rolex Kentucky event, fracturing a hind cannon bone. He recovered completely, with his most notable championships after that setback.

Transport

Amy hauls Poggio in a Featherlite gooseneck trailer, a five-horse head-to-head with living quarters. “He travels very well. I did notice a huge difference the first time I used GastroGard, in 1999 before the Pan-American Games. I continue to use it when competing. It helps a lot keeping him up when we travel. Now I use UlcerGard, starting with a full tube the day before traveling.”
Poggio has been flying overseas for the past seven years. “Overall he’s a really good shipper,” says Amy. “He isn’t fond of when they bang the pallets around when they’re loading.
“His biggest thing is he likes being with his friends. He would not be happy traveling alone. He’s been three in a pallet and two. He prefers being in something where he can lean against the wall, so his comfort zone is a stall and a half.”

Personality Quirk

“He’s the world’s worst cribber, and he cribs on the four-rail PVC fencing,” Amy relays. “We tried putting a collar on him, and it didn’t work. So it was, ‘Why are we fighting it?’”
And what’s next for this exuberant Thoroughbred? “I’m happy to ride him as long as he wants to play the game. I would love to go to Badminton in the spring—it’s the one Four-Star he hasn’t done. And the Olympic Games in two years would be great.”