Preparing for a Show

I guess the first thing I do when preparing for a show is to write lists. I do a list of everything I will feed for me under different headings. Under RIDER I put down everything I will need. when I am sitting on my horse and when I am between classes. This includes the different types of spurs I will take. Then each horse that I am taking will have a heading under it's name. This is all the equipment that they will personally need while they are been ridden. Then I have the headings STABLING which has everything I need for the all of horses while they are in their yards. So haynets, 3xbandages and wraps, the different covers they will need, water and feed bins. The final heading is FEED and this is just the feed they need, grain, hay and supplements.

Then I have to pack it up. The process is simplified by having lots of bags and bins. I have three big bins from the warehouse that all my riding gear gets thrown in- bits, whips, spurs, girths, boots, bridles, breastplates, stud kit. The saddles go on the saddle racks and things like my showjacket and shirts stay in the truck year round anyway. I find the plastic bags that synthetic winter rugs come in are awesome for saddle blankets, bandages and wraps and show rugs. The actual rugs they will wear in their covers in their yards, (Which reminds me that I need to buy a set of woollen rugs) just go into the chest bins of the truck as do the sacks of feed and they hay either goes into a chest bin or is stacked againts the far wall if we have three or less horses on.

The warehouse bins with equipment go into the living quarters of the truck, and sleeping stuff and my bags of clothes go into the luton of the truck. I have to say having a truck has really simplified this process. When we had the car and float we would end up with gear scattered everywhere as we always seemed to need the one item underneath everything else. I still do forget things thats a given, but the bins and bags mean everything is there just to be picked up and taken to shows.

It is always helpful to be nice to people in case you need to borrow something off them haha!I also like to take lots of extras. I generally take most of my bits because you never know when you are going to need to change it and if you don't have it with you, then you have to buy it and thats always cost proibitive. also important, have your horses identification papers, there are fines involved. Also, you must have the markings page of your horses registration filled out before they will re-register it for the next year, so you only have one years grace. And finally, this year they are bringing in a numbering system so that at all times every horse on the ground has to be wearing this number that it will be assigned at each show. So now I have to buy three sets of number holders and numbers but nevermind eh. Both the numbers and the papers are probably the sort of things to stay in a cupboard in Truckie for most of the season anyway.

so basically I guess you could say my system involves taking every piece of riding equipment I have and storing it in the truck lol! Also take spares!