Successful eventing horses possess unique traits and temperaments. They must be supple and well-mannered for dressage, strong, bold, and aggressive for the cross-country phase, and fit and balanced for stadium jumping. Kent Allen, DVM, of Virginia Equine Imaging, discussed the triathlon of equestrian sports–eventing–during the in-depth emergency care session at the 2008 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, held Dec. 6-10 in San Diego, Calif.

In general, event horses are subject to tendon and ligament injuries, lacerations and trauma, hyperthermia (overheating), hypoxia (low oxygen), tying-up, electrolyte depletion, exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage, and other speed-related problems.

For eventing, the FEI (Fèdèration Equestre Internationale) is the worldwide rule maker, and the Technical Delegate, Veterinary Delegate, and the Ground Jury with its President execute specialized duties for the organization. The Veterinary Delegate acts in cooperation with Ground Jury members, who serve as judges at the competition. The jobs of the Veterinary Delegate are to advocate for the horse, determine if horses are "fit to continue" in soundness and metabolic health; implement passport control, medication control, and advice; attend to necessary paperwork; and plan for emergencies.

While an event veterinarian should be ringside at all times, this is often difficult since there might be multiple rings or phases going on at any given moment. It is important to know drug and medication information to comply with United States Equestrian Federation (national governing body, USEF) and FEI regulations. If unsure of a drug rule, the event veterinarian should contact the USEF office so they only give accurate information to a competitor