One Size Doesn’t Fit All — Sporthorse Longevity Starts With Smart, Individualized Care

Turning Crisis Into Preparedness

The importance of having the right emergency supplies became clear during a tense moment at Burghley. Brannigan's FE Lifestyle star FE Lifestyle, affectionately known as Foxy, experienced tying up mid-competition. Boyd Martin's groom Steph Simpson stepped in with a packet of Gallagher's Water for horses, and Foxy drank it immediately, stabilizing quickly.

That incident reshaped how Brannigan travels. She now keeps Gallagher's Water always within reach at shows, knowing that rapid rehydration can make a critical difference when horses face the physical stress of competition.

Good horse photography almost always gets easier when the plan gets simpler.

Mimicking Natural Lifestyles Under Competition Conditions

Upper-level eventing demands a lot: extended periods on transport trailers, prolonged stall confinement, and very limited opportunities for fresh grazing. Brannigan works hard to counterbalance those constraints by keeping routines as close to nature as possible, even when logistics make that challenging.

She considers daily turnout non-negotiable because equine bodies are designed for constant movement. When competing, she makes sure Foxy and the other horses spend time outside their stalls, often arranging hand-grazing sessions whenever the schedule allows.

Managing Individual Health Concerns Without Overcomplicating Feeds

Foxy is prone to tying up, which means unrestricted pasture access can trigger another episode. Brannigan solves this by limiting grass exposure and deploying a grazing muzzle during periods when forage sugar levels run high, letting him enjoy outdoor time safely.

Because restricted turnout also limits his vitamin E intake, she supplements with SmartPak's Smart & Simple Vitamin E Liquid. This targeted approach means she addresses his specific vulnerability without adding unnecessary products to his routine.

Using Calorie-Dense Forage Strategically

Some trainers avoid alfalfa, fearing it will make sensitive athletes overly energetic. Brannigan discovered the opposite: for upper-level horses needing extra calories, alfalfa proves far more useful than escalating grain portions.

Isabel and Brannigan found that swapping in alfalfa instead of piling on more concentrate delivered steady energy without unwanted excitability, making it a practical addition for demanding competition horses.

Protecting Joints Through Movement, Not Just Supplements

When Polyglycan injections are warranted, Brannigan still treats them as one piece of a broader maintenance plan. She emphasizes that consistent low-impact exercise matters just as much as any injectable treatment.

Her horses receive regular hot-walker sessions alongside daily turnout, and Brannigan insists on thorough warm-up periods. Coaches early in her career drilled into her the habit of walking every horse for at least 15 minutes before asking for trot work—a simple practice that gives stiff muscles time to respond and prepares the frame for harder efforts.

Feet First: Building a Hoof-Health Foundation

The old warning that poor feet undermine performance holds especially true in eventing, where repetitive impact tests every structure. Brannigan points to Comic, a Thoroughbred who arrived with severely substandard feet from his racing days, as proof that dedicated care can transform outcomes.

She pairs attentive farriery with a balanced supplement program containing biotin, amino acids, copper, and zinc. The combination ensures hoof growth receives the key building blocks while proper trimming addresses mechanical issues.

Letting Data Guide Fitness Decisions

Brannigan partners with the New Bolton Center at the University of Pennsylvania to track cardiovascular metrics, gathering detailed heart-rate records and gallop-elevation data over multiple years. Those numbers give her an evidence-based picture of fitness rather than relying on feel alone.

Before major destinations like Kentucky, she reviews that longitudinal data to confirm her horse is peaking at the right moment, avoiding both under-preparation and overreaching.

Prioritizing Longevity Over a Full Calendar

Knowing an athlete deeply changes how a trainer approaches competition selection. Brannigan argues that horses who recover properly and compete at only a few carefully chosen events each year build a stronger fitness base and sustain longer careers.

That philosophy has paid off personally. Most of her current string, including Comic, came to her around age four. Despite starting with physical limitations from the track, Comic retired at sixteen in happy, sound condition—exactly the outcome Brannigan considers the real measure of success.