Top Tips for Horse Show Life

How to survive your first horse show with Miramar Sport Horses!

Show Entries and Trainer Fees

You will be responsible for submitting your show entry even if your horse is going to be ridden by Miramar Sport Horses. Discuss which classes to enter, especially for rated shows where both your horse and rider need to be registered with relevant associations. Don’t forget to read our pages about Eventing, Hunter/Jumper and Dressage shows for more detail there.

At the show you will be charged a per-show rate for coaching over the whole show. with a lot of horses to ride and coach, this can be a challenge to schedule, so be flexible!

If a trainer rides your horse on your behalf, there will be a fee per ride. For example, if your trainer rides in two classes, you will pay the fee for two rides.

Getting to The Show

Trailering to the show may be available - just ask Sigourney. Trailering fees are based on distance, so they will vary.

You will be responsible for having your horse ready to load at the times Miramar Sport Horses requests. Your horse should be in a leather or break away halter, wearing any travel boots they need. You don’t need your own hay net for trailering if Sigourney transports your horse.

Arrive at the show before your horse does so you can lay down bedding, hang a haynet and last of all hang your water buckets. When your horse arrives they won’t have to wait on the trailer while you set up the stall: very often there is a queue of trailers trying to drop off horses so the faster this can happen, the better it is for the horses.

Feeding your horse

You’ll be responsible for feeding your horse each day at the show. Remember that at home, horses are fed and watered at 8am, midday and 4pm. At shows we try to stick to the same schedule, with the addition of an evening checkup when extra hay is thrown, and water buckets topped up. If you’re not able to make these times, coordinate with teammates to help you.

Hay: If you are trailering with Sigourney she can order hay for the trip but you must arrange that with her at least 3 days in advance of the journey. If you know your horse will require extra hay, indicate that. If you’re trailering yourself, contact the barn manager and state the exact time and day you’re leaving, and returning, so he can have hay ready for you to pick up.

Grain: Pre-bag your grain and supplements so you can easily feed them while at the show. If your horse is on any approved medications like Ulcergard, pack them and be prepared to administer them.

Things you need to take with you:

  • Two water buckets that can be hung safely in the stall

  • Hay bag that can be safely hung

  • A feed pan or bucket of your horse gets grain or supplements

  • Bucket straps, clips & twine to hang the buckets and nets.

Tack Room

There may or may not be a tack room organized for everyone to share. If there is, you will be expected to pay a sum towards the cost of that tack room. Bring a hook over saddle rack for your saddles. Keep the tack room tidy! Equipment left everywhere makes it hard for you and your teammates to find what’s needed in a hurry.

Bring a small tack trunk with you and hooks/racks that can be safely hung on exterior of stall so your saddle and bridle can be hung during the day - you’ll need to take them home at night if there’s no tack room to safely store them in.

Volunteering

We encourage everyone to volunteer for a shift at shows, if possible - you might even get a credit for future show entries or schooling. Without volunteers, many shows could not be held, so talk to the show office if you can spare a few hours. Similarly, always be kind to volunteers and thank them for their work.

Stalls and Bedding

You will be responsible for booking and paying for a stall in advance of the show. Discuss which nights you will need with Sigourney. You can generally order bedding from the show for your stall in advance of the show AND order additional bedding at the show. Minimum shavings for just one night is three to five bags of shavings, with an additional bag added each day you’re at the show. Some shows include one free bag with your stall, others don’t.

Mucking out of stalls daily is your job too. Offer to muck out a friend’s stall if they take their horse out to compete as it’s the perfect time to clean when the horse is not present. At the end of the show, you don’t need to clean out the stall unless the show specifies - you can just remove the horse, buckets and haynets and walk away!

And remember that at home, your horse gets turned out each day. At a show it’s your responsibility to hand walk your horse several times a day, or even lunge them, to make up for the lack of movement, and prevent sore muscles.

Other Top Tips

Your show number MUST be worn on your horse’s halter or bridle at ALL times that the horse is outside its stall - even for hand grazing or bathing.

If you are showing in dressage, make sure your number is on the side of the bridle that the judge will see first. If you are doing a test where you track to the right from your first center line, then your number needs to be on the left and vice versa

You will be walking a LOT…make sure you have comfortable footwear

If you are NOT riding in the show, you are not allowed to ride your horse at any gait above a walk anywhere in the show grounds.

You will need to sign a waiver in order to be present at the show and handling horses. This paperwork is usually completed online in advance but check with the show office that everything is in order.

And lastly: read the rule book! You will be able to find the rule books for the governing body of your show online. Don’t get caught out because you didn’t understand the rules.