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Ready Set Show...
Your Ultimate Guide to Packing for a Horse Show
By Samantha VanSickle
Packing, it’s something many of us tend to leave to the last moment. We’ve spent time preparing our horse, filling out entries, studying the rule book and counting down the days until it’s time to hit the road. Before we know it, it’s time to leave and that little voice in the back of our mind starts up with all the things we might be forgetting. Shows can be stressful enough without all the last-minute panic and this is where “The List” get its chance to shine! Check lists, class lists, packing lists, schedules, the “list” goes on and on! Being organized is the foundation to a winning performance and lists are one of the key components of good organization. Below we have compiled a comprehensive check list of the items you will need for a multi-day show or event. This can be modified to meet the specific needs of you and your horse but it’s a great place to start.
Paperwork:
It comes with the territory and it can be so easy to misplace when you are in a hurry. Putting together a binder to organize the paperwork listed below will help to keep everything together and in easy reach so you can focus on other things.
o Copy of your horse’s registration papers
o Coggins & Health certificates (if needed)
o Membership cards (copies are normally fine)
o Show Premium & Class Schedule
o Copies of the entry forms you mailed in
o Rule book for this specific show/event
o Map/directions to the show facility
o Contact info for show secretary, stall manager, etc…
o Lodging information (Hotel booking conformation, RV reservations, etc…)
Tack & Equipment:
Clean and fit your tack before you pack it, so you don’t find yourself in an unnecessary time crunch at the show. There are a wide variety of cases and bags on the market to help you keep your show tack clean and organized while traveling. Luggage tags are a great way to identify these cases with who they belong to and what’s inside them. This will save you time when you need to find a specific piece of tack in in a hurry between classes.
o Show halter & lead shank
o Saddle(s) (appropriate for the discipline you will be showing in)
o Saddle pad/blanket
o Cinch/Girth
o Bridle/Headstall
o Breast collar (if needed)
o Whip/crop (if needed)
o Extras in case of breakage (reins, chin strap, latigo/off billet, stirrup leathers, girth/cinch, chicago screws, etc…)
o Leather Punch
o Stable Sheet and hood/slinky (if needed)
o Fly mask/sheet
o Cooler (if needed)
o Shipping boots (if needed)
o Halter and lead rope (two of each)
o Shipping halter (with fleece if your horse tends to get halter rubs while trailering)
o Tail/leg wraps (if needed)
o Lunge line and whip
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