You've got the qualification and been preparing like mad to ensure you do your very best on the day. Your tack is gleaming and your boots are polished, rugs cleaned and you've worked out your route.
But what do you actually need for a stay-away show with your horses?
The first time you take your horse away from home for more than a day at a time can feel like a daunting task - what if there's something of significance that you use daily, but you completely overlook? We know the feeling of anxiety that can occur in the weeks leading up to an adventure away and have pulled together this list of things to take with you:
£20 note - you will have to pay a stable deposit upon arrival and it is beyond frustrating if you have to turn back and find a cash point after a long journey.
Tack locker/storage box -we don't all have a lorry or fancy tack lockers to keep our things pristine but there are ways to keep white saddle cloths clean and to keep things in place. Bridle and boot bags are hugely convenient and definitely worth the investment and cheap storage boxes mean you can keep rugs, numnahs, your horse's boots in one, dry place.
Shavings - it's far cheaper to take shavings with you and means that you can immediately build your horse's bed so you can stable them whilst you unpack the rest of their belongings.
Hay - we've always bought wrapped bales of hay from the feed merchant which means we aren't having to prep 367 hay nets before we leave and also means it's much tidier to travel. Do remember your hay nets though!
Buckets - the stables are COMPLETELY EMPTY so please, please remember a water bucket. You'll also want a couple of spare buckets to carry water back from the tap and a one or two for washing.
Pre-made feeds - far easier to make your horse's feeds in advance, adding any oils/wet ingredients on site. This saves on space and means you an fit a long weekend's worth of meals into one feed bucket thanks to polybags.
Mucking out tools/wheelbarrow - if you have a giant gorilla bucket you use for skipping out, and are short of space in your vehicle, you may choose to do this but if you have a wealth of room then transport your wheelbarrow which will make life so much eaiser. Either way, you won't find any tools available at a stayaway so will need to take implements with you (brush, fork, shovel) to ensure you can keep your horse's bed comfy.
Hooks - the stable and outside of it are completely bare so you may find some of the over door hooks come in handy for headcollars, tack etc.
Shampoo etc - particulalry necessary if you have a grey! Most stay-away venues have an area where you can wash your horse so this is helpful if you need a last minute bath whilst away.
Sharpie/piece of clean paper or name plaque - it's important to write your horse's passported name along with your phone number and vehicle registration plate (in case of poor signal and particularly if you're staying on-site) so that you can be contacted should anything go wrong.
Rugs, tack . . . of course this is all on top of the all the normal paraphenalia you would carry, from grooming kit to rugs to tack. It's normal to look like you're emigrating.
Remember that it's possible you will be in an uncovered stable block so you may need to keep the majority of your belongings in your trailer/lorry - or bring some sort of water proof cover (tarpaulin not recommended for obvious reasons).
It's no mean feat preparing for a show but there is something truly special about travelling with your horse and staying at a competition. Hopefully this PADDOX list is useful and will be a help if you're planning stay-aways this season. And if you're not, don't forget that PADDOX has the UK's most comprehensive list of equestrian events so get scouring for a competition that could see you qualify for a stay-over next year!
PADDOX is the UK's only comprehensive equestrian event listing website. If you want to find an event for you and your pony we probably have one in our database.
Here is just a sample of our UK-wide listings - or why not Search for an event near you