Some might suppose that I should have learned my lesson from planning too far in advance (or at all, really, given my luck)... but it's in my nature so it's what I do. Plus nobody ever regrets being prepared, right?
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| seriously in love with these bits. both Herm Sprenger KK Ultras, one is aurigan and the other is technically a bradoon bit (and slightly narrower) that Izzy goes SUPER well in for dressage. both scored off eBay for a song |
So right now my big shtick is getting all my ducks are in a row for the Jenny Camp HT this weekend. All tack is getting deep cleaned and conditioned. Same goes for my truck (the thirsty glutton that it is!) and trailer, with the added step of freshly lubed hinges and hitches etc.
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| the innocent bridles await their doom. crazy how quickly i've amassed mountains of tack... |
The next step will be organizing my apparel. The only new stuff debuting this weekend are my stock tie / pin and some SP sun shirts that will be tested for show gear worthiness. I also picked up a pair of white breeches on sale this winter (Tredstep Sympony, my fave!) - but feel kinda silly wearing them for the lowest of the low unrecognized divisions. So they'll have to wait a little longer.
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| you're next, princess! |
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| sure, nearly as many things are crossed off as are written in... but still looks like a fun month to me! |
I'm trying to be super organized about this so I can lay the foundation for a solid routine to be replicated and improved upon all summer long. But we'll see. I don't exactly have a list lol so maybe that should actually be the first priority....
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| standing for the farrier so ridiculously relaxed (unusual for her) that her lip was all droopy and drooly haha |
What about you - what's on your 'must have' packing list for shows? Any tips or tricks to share?
I always pack double of everything. I also take an extra halter and leadrope with me in the car (not packed away) in case of an emergency. But, other than that, I just pack the standard stuff :)
ReplyDeleteI'm like you - I like to get started early!
doubling up is such excellent advice - and definitely a rule to live by! i add a second bridle to the mix too (complete with reins) bc i live in fear of snapping my bridle/reins while out and about and then being totally screwed haha
DeleteI always plan waaay in advance and it always dominates my thoughts!
ReplyDeleteanticipation is half the fun, right??? :D
DeleteBeing prepared ahead always makes things go smoother :). You'll be fine! So excited to hear about it!
ReplyDeletei agree completely. i like to have a pretty clear idea of how things will go. it rarely ever turns out that way... but that's usually ok too haha
DeleteLists are my life! At home, at work, for horse shows....I cannot function without a list!
ReplyDeletei adore lists - love love love them. and yet never make them.... maybe i should hire you as my list maker lol
DeleteHah. I half-assedly clean stuff the night or two before and shove what I think I might need into the trailer moments before loading Archie. I should work on that.
ReplyDeletei like your style!! my end goal is to find a balance between intense ocd preparation and lackadaisical nonchalance. i want all the pieces of preparation/packing to be so etched into habit that they require no thought. we'll see how that goes lol
DeleteI clean my stuff a day or two before the show, put some extra shine on my boots the night before, and back when I took myself to shows, I used a modified version of my old Pony Club rally packing list. (You can find a current iteration of USPC's list here: http://www.ponyclub.org/?HMRallyreqequip) I don't bring stirrup leathers and irons or a hammer and nails, but it's SUCH a good list.
ReplyDeleteum that list is genius - thanks so much for sharing!! also a little pleased to see that i already had a lot of it, but definitely some things to add to my arsenal. thanks!
DeleteFoster also goes in a Herm Springer bradoon bit :) And I have one that was slightly too small for him that would probably be Izzy sized, if you want to add a different model to your collection!
ReplyDeletethey really are awesome bits! i think i need to hold off on adding any more of the same bit to my collection tho haha, but did just sell one that was too small for izzy on eBay and got more than i paid for it, so at least there's a good resale market!
DeleteAlways be over prepared and take more crap with you then you will ever need. If you don't bring it or do it, you'll wish you had!
ReplyDeletemy thoughts exactly! i actually didn't like the cap on my truck at all and figured i'd ditch it immediately. but now i LOVE having all that free space to toss stuff without worrying about it flying around haha
DeleteI have a bunch of stuff that permanently lives in my trailer in a big plastic 'tack' trunk - water buckets, hay nets, a complete grooming kit, towels, whip, chain shank, etc. So usually only need to pack the tack & equipment I need for the day's activity! I like to clean tack the night before a show, usually with a beer in hand for relaxation purposes. Everything I need is clean and packed or at least set out (clothes) the night before. I am a pretty light packer, and tend to only bring the essentials and not many back-up items.
ReplyDeletei like that idea a lot but have been hesitant to do something similar. my trailer doesn't have a tack room, and i never lock the cap on my truck bc it'd be so easy to smash open anyway and i'd really rather that not happen. it's *probably* safe enough to leave stuff in my truck's cap (and i already leave most of our bucks and saddle racks and stuff there)... but i'm just too hesitant to leave anything of value...
Deleteall the same tho - yes to laying everything out the night before!! most of my ride times have been later in the day, but i somehow my brain stops working as well the closer to show time we get, so it's better to have stuff done ahead of time lol
My trailer doesn't have a locking tack room either, but I don't keep anything valuable in it all the time! Tack goes in the back seat of the truck :)
Deleteah that makes much more sense - the inside of the truck is definitely way safer imo. my next truck will have a back seat too :)
DeletePlanning really is half the fun for horse people IMO. I'm jealous of your bit finds! I may wander over to ebay myself... *wallet whimpering*
ReplyDeletei buy wayyyyy too much stuff on ebay haha - tho lately i've been trying to sell too so i guess it evens out? sorta? maybe?? haha maybe not but oh well :)
DeleteI always tell myself I'm going to be prepared... But I never am. I'm one of those that yeah I'll spend the night before cleaning tack and bits... But I end up throwing everything in a duffel bag saying, "If I forgot it, I don't need it." Saddle, cinch, saddle pad, bridle, helmet...
ReplyDeletehaha yea there's really only so much you can do, and at some point i say the same thing - ready or not here we come!
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