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From the Olympics: João Moreira Worked Hard to Prepare for his First Games

Portugal’s João Moreira is in Versailles for his first Olympic Games, grooming for Brazilian show jumping team member Stephan de Freitas Barcha and his mount Chevaux Primavera Imperio Egipcio. Moreira, 38, was with Barcha when he won individual gold with the mare at the 19th Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, in November of 2023. In France, Moreira took time out from his Olympic schedule to give us a brief insight into his grooming world.

Is your family involved with horses?

I started working with horses when I was 10 years old. Although I didn’t come from a family linked to equestrianism, 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. 

“We have to give them the best care so that we can get the best from them too,” said João Moreira. Photo courtesy of Luis Ruas.

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. 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?

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.

August 4, 2024

Sarah Eakin 🇬🇧

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