Valerie Vizcarrondo Pride of Blue Clover Eventing in West River, Maryland, has spent her whole life in the saddle. As a six-week-old infant, she experienced her first horseback ride while sitting in front of her mother in a Western saddle. Within a few years, she was riding on her own. Later, after her family moved to Maryland, she joined Pony Club and quickly became enamored with the sport of three-day eventing. 

In addition to a busy competition schedule, Valerie is constantly on the move riding and training horses and coaching other aspiring eventers. She works with approximately 12-15 horses per day, from green four-year-olds to accomplished FEI-level horses. One of her current competition mounts is Favian, a 2008 Oldenburg gelding bred by Anita Nardine of Hidden Springs Ranch in California.

“Favian is tall, dark and handsome,” Valerie said. “I’ve had him for quite a few years now, bringing him up through the levels, and it’s fun to see him on his way. When it comes to cross-country, he’s the right amount of brave and confident. This year will be my first time competing at the Land Rover Kentucky 5* event, and I’m going to feel pretty good looking through his ears as we head out of the Kentucky start box for the first time. I think every Pony Clubber and every little girl dreams about riding around Kentucky one day, so this is a pretty big milestone for me.” 

Valerie relies on great products and companies like Draw It Out to help keep herself and her horses healthy and happy during competition season. She joined #TeamDiO in early 2021, and Draw It Out has quickly become a mainstay in the Blue Clover Eventing tack room and trailer.

“I learned about DiO through Mythic Landing Enterprises. They helped redesign my website recently, and then we started talking about what I do and the products I like to use,” Valerie said. “They asked if I’d ever heard of Draw It Out, and it sounded like something I’d vibe with. It’s become a big part of my program very fast because it is a natural product. It doesn’t have a fake color. It doesn’t smell funny. There’s no fake tingle. It’s all natural, and that’s important because my eventing horses are pretty sensitive. None of our horses have reacted to any of the Draw It Out products.”

“We use Draw It Out Horse Liniment Concentrate before rides to alleviate soreness, and if we’ve had a big workout, we’ll automatically bathe the horses in it afterwards. We’ll use that nose-to-tail for prevention of soreness in the horses,” Valerie said. “Eventing horses are unique because we ask them to expand and compress their toplines in all three phases. They’re almost like accordions that way. First, they have to perform collection and self-carriage during dressage. Then they have to expand their toplines and develop a really big stride to go fast during cross country. Finally, during show jumping, we’re asking them to be super careful and maintain this perfect shape with their backs and necks to jump. That means they’re really working their whole toplines, and that’s where we feel the Draw It Out products can really help them perform better.” 

In addition to using the pain-relieving products, Valerie loves to use DiO’s Triple Action SuperClean Stall Cleaner at home and on the road.

Although Grayman has now become Gracie’s little brother’s mount, she still has plenty of horses to ride at 4P Arena. Gracie uses Draw It Out Horse Liniment Gel and Draw It Out PLUS Horse Liniment on her horses in training.

The Rapid Relief Restorative Cream has also been a lifesaver in the Blue Clover barn when it comes to preventing a case of scratches.

“The Stall Cleaner is our secret weapon on the horse trailers,” Valerie said. “You can hook the hose right up to the bottle and it is so satisfying to use. You can immediately tell which half of the trailer you’ve cleaned. It’s instant gratification.”

“We’re close to the water in Maryland, so our paddocks can get pretty wet during rainy weather,” Valerie said. “We’re always on the lookout for scratches and other cases of funk. DiO’s Rapid Relief cream is a great product with the right amount of stickability, so we can turn our horses out night and day and know that the salve is providing a buffer between the horses and the moisture. It’s been really helpful.”

Whether you’re riding high-caliber horses in competition or caring for your heart horse after a long day on the trails, Draw It Out has the right product for you. Find a dealer near you here or purchase online today!