8 essentials you need to pack for your next stay-away horse show

Stay-away horse shows are a fun, exciting, slightly nerve-wracking endeavour for you and your horse, and whether you’re an amateur or a seasoned pro that feeling is unlikely to go away. With so much excitement and emotions running high, it can be easier than usual to forget something when you’re packing up the lorry ready to hit the road.

Amongst all of the important things like your saddle, feed, and (most importantly) the horse, it can be so easy to let the nit-picky bits slip through the gaps. Annoyingly, we all know it’s these very things we end up needing… as soon as we don’t have them to hand.  

Derived from multiple oh s**t moments, here are 8 essential items you need to remember for your next stay-away show. From sunscreen to hole punchers, make sure you don’t get caught out and have absolutely everything (and more) that you need for a super successful show.

But most importantly, good luck and kick on!

Documentation

This certainly isn’t one of the most exciting aspects of packing for a stay-away horse show, but a necessity, nonetheless. Having all the appropriate paperwork for you and your horse is the best way to ensure a stress-free stay-away experience (well, as stress-free as horses ever really get).

By law, a horse’s passport should be always with it, at all times. Usually, passports are kept on or near the yard, but it’s important to dig them out for travelling away from home- particularly if that’s for a stay-away show.

If you happened to leave your horse's passport at home (I know, we’ve all done it) then the passport must be provided to enforcement agencies within three hours of it being requested. So remember, if you’re travelling further than three hours, you’ll want to make sure you have it to hand!

Before you head off to your event, make sure you’ve filled out any health declaration forms required for your horse. Some affiliated competitions are asking you to confirm your horse’s health and take their temperature readings. You’ll need to double-check if this is something you need before setting off, if you’re going to an international event, it will likely be a requirement so make sure you’re well prepared.

Extra buckets

There is no such thing as too many buckets, you will always find a use for them! Make sure you bring a few for each stable, so your horse or horses can have access to plenty of water throughout the night. If your horse has a habit of upending buckets, then try hanging them from the bars on the stable. A nifty piece of bailer twine (aka. the toughest material on earth) will come in handy for this. Alternatively, you can purchase specially designed straps for your buckets, Kentucky Horseware makes a popular one. If you do decide to hang your buckets up, make sure they have a flat back so they can lie flush to the wall without swinging. The Stubbs ones are always a firm favourite.

Having a spare bucket or two by your lorry or stable can come in handy for dunking bits or cleaning tack to save yourself that extra bit of time when you’re busy rushing around getting everything organised for a successful stay-away show.

First aid essentials

As we all know, anything can happen with horses, so it’s best to always be prepared. Bringing a condensed version of your first aid kit will come in seriously handy to treat any minor cuts, scrapes, or knocks.

For the horse…

• Disinfectant and antiseptic to clean any cuts

• A good wound ointment or dressing works wonders creating a barrier and helping cuts heal

• Sterile dressings

• Gamgee, cotton wool, or Soffban (lots of it!)

• Vet wrap; perfect for wrapping up a leg or holding your breaking boots together

Please remember that this is only for treating minor cuts or knocks, anything serious should be consulted with your vet as soon as possible, so make sure you have their number to hand!

For you…

• Antiseptic cream

• Plasters

• Tubigrip

• Blister plasters

• Pain killers

• Insect repellent

There’s a high chance that the unpredictable British weather will bless you with rain at your stay-away show. Make sure you’ve packed all the essentials to combat the wet weather so you and your horse can stay dry, and most importantly, clean!

A waterproof exercise sheet is a fantastic item to include on the checklist. Perfect for warming up, or exercising your horse on a day off, with one of these you’ll be ahead of the curve should the heavens open. There’s nothing worse than spending hours making your horse pristine, or meticulously carving out the perfect quarter marks, only for the rain to turn your horse into a glorified bog pony the moment you leave the stables!

Whilst most stay-away shows do take place in the spring and summer months, they can still be on the chilly side, particularly if you’re up and out at the crack of dawn. An exercise sheet will come in handy for keeping your horse nice and toasty if the air’s feeling a bit nippy.

Sunscreen

On a similar thread, and true to form, making sure you’re well equipped for an uncharacteristically sunny stay-away is also important.

A suitable sunscreen should be a top priority! There’s no doubt you’ll be outside, and on the move a lot whilst you’re away, so keeping your skin topped up with a high SPF will help to reduce the risk of burning and the effects of sunstroke. You can even purchase some lightweight show shirts in a sun-protective material to ensure maximum protection from those harmful rays.

And don’t forget your horse! It’s just as important to pack a decent sunscreen for them too, particularly if they have any pink skin exposed on their nose. This can easily burn in strong sun, so keeping an eye on their little noses and reapplying sunscreen regularly will prevent this from happening.

Whilst you can purchase sunscreen specifically for horses, human sunscreen is just as effective. Try a few and see what works for you and your horses- just make sure they’re void of any strong chemicals which could irritate your horse’s skin.

BBQ essentials

Stay-away shows aren’t just about the horses or the competition. Think of them as a break away from home, so find little ways to enjoy them whilst you’re there. If you’ve got the room on the lorry, pack a small BBQ so you can make the most of the warmer evenings. Everybody loves a classic BBQ, so you take to opportunity to invite your neighbours in the lorry park over for a burger and a chat, you share a common passion so who knows, you might make some great new connections! If you can’t fit a full-blown BBQ in, there’s no need to worry, the disposable tray BBQs available at most big supermarkets do a fantastic job (and they’re super lightweight too!).

Just make sure you’re allowed to have a BBQ at the venue you’re staying at before you start lighting them up.

Something to toast your success and celebrate your stay-away show is a lorry park essential! If you’ve got some spare champagne flutes lying around, and space amongst everything else to pack them, then don’t forget to throw them in (gently). If you don’t, then why not grab a few of the disposable ones from the supermarket too?

Now you’ve got your glasses, it’s even more important to remember something to put in them!

Miscellaneous bits and pieces

No matter what, there will always be something random that you need, and haven’t got. So here are a few things worth throwing in just in case!

• Hole puncher

• Scissors

• Spare lead ropes

• Dog poo bags

• Flip flops or water shoes for showering (if using the venue’s facilities)

• Extra towels

• Dry shampoo

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With love

Px

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