João Moreira works hard for his first Olympic Games

Article written by Paper Horse’s Sarah Eakin for Horsegrooms.com

Portugal’s João Moreira is in Versailles for his first Olympics, grooming for Brazilian team member Stephan De Freitas and his mount Barcha Chevaux Primavera Imperio Egipcio. João, 38, was with Stephan when he won Gold at the 19th Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile in November of last year. Tomorrow Stephan takes the stage for the first day of the individual show jumping medals at the Paris Olympics. João took time out from his busy schedule in Versailles, to give us a brief insight into his grooming world.

Nothing like being at the Olympics for the first time!

Is your family involved with horses?

I started working with horses when I was ten years old. I didn’t come from a family that is linked to equestrianism but I grew up riding and grooming, competing with two horses.

Why are you mostly in Europe?

You have to be in Europe in order to be part of the biggest competitions and to be in the part of the world where the best riders and horses from my country are also based.

What do you like to do as a feeding routine for your horses? Do you have specific things you do for leg care? Any special tips for keeping a horse happy?

When it comes to feeding, I like to feed each horse according to their needs. I am very strict about the quantity and quality of the feed that is being fed.

I take care of my horses’ legs daily with ice, massages, hydration and medication as needed.

To keep horses happy it is important to give them freedom during the day – turning them out in grass paddocks where they can relax and be in their natural habitat. This is what keeps our horses happy and healthy. We have to give them the best care so that we can get the best from them too.

How have you prepared for the Olympics?

For a long time, we have been preparing a routine for the Olympics as it is not easy to prepare a horse for the Olympics in a short period of time. We focus on improving technique and getting the horse physically prepared for competition.

This is my first Olympics. I am very confident in our preparation and believe the hard work will pay off.

What do you think about HorseGrooms? And what do you think needs to change to make life better for grooms?

Horse grooms are an extremely important part of the entire process of maintaining and preparing a horse for competition – especially the Olympics and the HorseGrooms platform is a great help to our world of grooming. Grooms should be treated with the respect and value they deserve in representing their team. Without grooms, nothing is possible.

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