How to keep your show day stress-free

It’s almost time to start showing again! Show season comes with a lot of excitement and a little bit of nerves… Ok a lot of nerves. But preparation is key to helping fight pre-show jitters. Let’s go through some things you can do to get you and your horse ready for the big day.

Ways to prepare before your horse show

Prepare your wardrobe

A big part of having a good show day is looking and feeling your best. Show day wardrobe needs a little extra planning and upkeep before the show. First of all, make sure you know the rules for what to wear in your discipline. It can be intimidating to shop for your new wardrobe, but we’re proud to carry show gear at every pricepoint. 

Whatever gear you’re rocking, make sure to bring:

• Your show attire and a backup outfit, including breeches, show shirt, jacket, boots, hair net, stock and stock pin, helmet, and gloves 
• Air-vest, spare C02 canister & tools to replace it
• Grooming apron or coveralls
• Hat brush, boot polish and rags, and towels
• Hair comb or brush, spray and/or gel, bobby pins, and mirror
• Rain jacket and boots
• Stain remover and a sewing kit with scissors

Prepare your boots

Another important aspect of your show ensemble is a good, clean pair of boots. Again, the type of boots you’ll wear depends on your discipline. We’ve covered each type and how to fit them in previous blogs. Once you’ve got your perfectly fitted pair of tall boots, follow the steps below to clean and polish your boots.

Step 1: Start by wiping off all the excess dust with a dry rag. Then clean the boots with a damp sponge or rag. Do not use any saddle soap as it will dry and weaken the leather. If necessary use a leather conditioner to soften and re-hydrate the leather. 

Step 2: Apply a thin layer of your favorite boot polish (we love Effax Polish) all over the boot with a rag, except for the inside of the calf. If you apply polish to the inner calf, the leather will become too slick to maintain a good grip in the seat.

Step 3: Let the boot polish dry completely.

Step 4: Time to buff! Using either a buffing brush or towel, buff the polish in a back and forth or circular motion to maximize the shine.

Step 5: Store your boots in a boot bag with boot trees when not in use. This will keep them clean and protected until it’s time to ride again.

Prepare your horse’s mane and hooves

The day before a show is usually the biggest spa day for your horse. Typically, this is bath day and a good day to pull your horse’s mane. The mane and hooves are two important areas to focus on when grooming for a show. If you use a braider, you’ll definitely need to get them scheduled the day before the show. If you’re pulling the mane yourself, we highly recommend taking a look at our YouTube video to get a refresher. When you pull your horse’s mane, you’ll follow these steps:

Step 1: Brush out the mane and make sure there are no tangles. Do not add any hair products or detangler because that will make the hairs too slippery to hold.

Step 2: Get your mane-pulling comb and start at the bottom of the neck. Hold a small section with the longest hairs from underneath the mane.

Step 3: Gently backcomb the excess mane you’ve taken hold of up to the base of the mane until there are only a few long hairs left.

Step 4: Place your comb as close to the roots as possible and wrap the remaining strands of hair around the comb.

Step 5: Firmly pull the comb downwards in a smooth movement and the hair should fall from the roots without too much resistance.

Step 6: Repeat until the whole mane is the thickness and length desired. Take time with your work so that everything is even.

Step 7: Stand back and admire your work from afar. You’re ready to take on the ring!

You’ll also need to make sure your horse’s feet are clean and their shoes are up to snuff before the show. Pick and brush the hooves, and make sure there are no sticks or stones lodged. While you do this, check the state of the hooves and shoes to make sure they are in good shape. Closer to when you’ll take the ring, give the hooves a final good polish.

The day of your show will just be reserved for final grooming touch-ups. Wipe down your horse with a clean cloth, brush out his tail, and braid his mane if you didn’t do that the night before. Take time tacking up, and make sure both you and your horse look your best. You’re ready to go!

Prepare your trailer

A couple of days before the show, you should check your horse trailer, make sure everything is working and clean it out. The time to lay new shavings and fill up your gas in the truck is (contrary to my belief) not the day before… or even more chaotically the day of. We certainly hope that nothing is wrong with your ride, but if you do have an issue with your trailer, checking everything a few days before will make sure you have time to fix the issue or borrow a friend’s.

Once you know everything works, clean your trailer. Remove any old bedding and hay and give it a good scrub down before your next road trip. Hang a hay bag in an easily accessible spot and keep it filled. This will encourage your horse to enter the trailer and keep him entertained on the drive. If you need any supplies for your horse trailer or safety gear like shipping boots, a head bumper, a tail cover, a shipping halter, or bar covers, we’ve got you covered.

Prepare your tack 

You also want to clean your tack before the show.  Grab a sponge, some warm water and glycerin saddle soap. Make sure to get under the skirt, flaps, billet guard and billets of your saddle. Wipe clean with a soft cloth. This process removes any preservative or wax coating. Then, condition with good quality conditioning saddle soap. No oiling needed.

Ways to prepare the morning of the horse show

Ok, it’s the big day! If you’re attending an overnight horse show, you actually started your hard work the day before. You’ve already gotten your horse to the barn and settled in, but your trainer may need some help setting up or tearing down your assigned area.

If you’re arriving to the show the day of, buckle up ‘cause it’s going to be an early morning. As tempting as it may be to absolutely chug coffee, just be aware that it’s going to add to your show day jitters. And if you’re a parent on show day, feel free, but keep your kid away from the sugar. 

Then it’s time to load up your horse. We’ve got several blogs with loading tips, but these steps are a shortcut to a painless loading experience:

• Pull the dividers to the side, open the windows, and lower the ramp.
• Walk your horse into the trailer.
• Close the divider.
• Secure your horse into the trailer with a trailer tie, and detach the lead rope.
• Close the back of the trailer and any drop-down windows. Keep sliding windows open for ventilation in warmer months.
• Note that when using a straight load trailer, the horse should be loaded on the driver’s side. Most paved roadways are crowned toward the middle of the roadway, so hauling a single horse on the left side helps keep the load balanced. If you’re hauling one horse in a slant load, place the horse in the first shipping stall, closest to the tow vehicle. 

Before you take the ring, you’ll want to get in some practice. It can be a little nerve-wracking to take to the schooling ring. After all, there’s dozens or riders working in the same space. But, take it from us, it’s way better to work out any kinks before the judging starts! Ultimately a good practice run will help reduce nerves for you and your horse.

It’s a good idea to get to the ring as soon as you’re settled. Depending on when your class is, you don’t need to be wearing your full show gear. Try to stay with others of the same speed and give faster horses right-of-way. Try to pass other rides from left-shoulder to left-shoulder. If there are jumps, should call out which way you’re headed. Similarly, you can call out by a rider’s clothing, number, or horse to let them know you’re passing by.

If your horse starts to act up or you need to quit early, walk to the center of the ring and stand quietly, if you can. If things get ugly, the class can be asked to halt so you can exit by yourself. But we know you’ll have a smooth run and probably won’t need to know that!

Ways to prepare during the show

Focus on the fun of the day! 

When you’re showing, you’re with the best of the best, so winning or losing can be a matter of just a few very picky points. Remember when you’re competing that just getting to the show is an accomplishment. It helps to keep expectations reasonable so that any disappointments on the day can roll right off you. 

Last year during pony finals, we asked you for your must-haves on show day. You had some very practical advice as well as some wholesome reminders of what the day is really about. Check it out!

Yvonne Rijk Pankow says, “Be sure to be patient and have good sense of humour. Give your best effort and remember you got this far so win or lose be proud of yourself and your horse. Enjoy being there and you always are taking your best friend (horse) home!!”

Mary Uhrik Taxter says, “Enjoy the experience and keep expectations realistic. Be a team, do your best, and if something goes wrong, pat the horse, gracefully exit the ring and remember this is an amazing privilege that we are so blessed to be part of. Don’t forget to watch & cheer for other riders!!!”

And after the show, don’t miss out on any events with the other riders and families. Once the day is over, many barns go out for dinner as a team to rehash the day. Post-show dinners are a fun way for your barn family to engage as a team and support each other. It’s also a great opportunity for young riders to make friends with other riders.

We hope these tips can help you grab your next show day by the reigns. Stay tuned to our Facebook and Instagram pages all show season-long for more tips, tricks, and humor to keep you feeling like a winner.