Horse shows can be very stressful depending on what level you are, classes you do, and horse you’re riding. There are so many factors that go into competitive riding, and this is coming from someone who has done it for over eight years.
First things first, you have to make sure your horse is well washed and groomed; if you walk into a show ring and your horse is dirty, the judges won’t even waste their time looking at you. This might sound dramatic but it’s completely truthful, especially for Hunter classes (Hunter classes are based on the horse; the judge watches the way they move at the walk, trot, canter, jump, and if they are well kept).
So you must make sure your horse is looking spotless before even loading it in the trailer to go to the show. Horse shows vary in length; it’s all depending on where you are going. As an example, I recently went to a week long horse show.
After making sure the horse is spotless, we must get our stuff ready to be loaded into the trailer. There is a long list of supplies you need to pack your trunk (Large wooden or plastic box to make travel easier) with. Here is a video that explains in detail all the things you should have for a six day horse show!
After packing, you should load your tack box into the trailer and move on. Your horse will be living (for 6 days) in a different stall and barn. Normally you just buy shavings and hay at the horse shows so they can be there when you first arrive and just be throw in the stall so the horses can get out of the trailer as soon as possible to stretch their legs and drink.
After the stalls and horses are all set, then it’s time to unload your trailer and bring your tack box plus extra supplies inside the barn. After setting up the exterior of the stall with all your equipment then you can go part your trailer in the back or “Trailer Only” parking.
At this point you should get your horse out to stretch its legs by taking your horse on a hand walk around the show grounds; this will allow them to see the tents, and the surroundings that could potentially be scary to them as the classes progress.
After getting them back you should begin to tack up for warm-ups and then get your horse out to the ring to see the jumps and hop over a couple before your real classes.
Post warming up, your horse could use a good bath before the show the next day; they need to get clean and make sure the judges don’t ignore you due to a dirty animal.
At this point it should be dark and you will be feeding your animal before you go to bed. You need to make sure your horse is dry, wrapped (if necessary), and blanketed as needed for the weather with the appropriate feed and water for the night.
You’ll need to wake up nice and early to feed, lunge, and learn your courses for the day ahead. After those activities it should be show time! Tack up and off into the ring you go!
