5 everyday essentials for horse show veterans

Throughout the horse show season, horse lovers from every equestrian discipline may be found hauling their prized ponies and heroic horses with care to and from rodeos, horse shows, fox hunts, horse races, polo matches, steeplechase contests and other events. How do equestrians prepare for these equine excursions?The smartest equestrians pack strategically for horse shows and other equestrian trips. Horse show participants fill grooming totes with brushes and curries. We fill our horse trailers with tack trunks, bridles, saddles, saddle pads, splint boots, lunge lines, and other needed equipment. We clean out buckets and hay nets and fill them with the appropriate supplies. We clean and press our best horse show clothes. If we are wise, we include emergency first aid kits, extra hay bales and even refreshments for riders and crew.Are we missing anything?What everyday essential items must a horse show participant pack, regardless of his or her equestrian discipline? A handful of everyday household items can prove quite valuable, in a pinch, on the horse show circuit. Here are five everyday essentials no show-worthy equestrian should be without. Some of these items may seem surprising.This content is copyrighted. Please feel free to share the http/link, but no cut-and-paste copying or republishing without permission of the National Equestrian Examiner.1. Baby powderBasic baby powder is an equestrians secret weapon at the horse show for several reasons. First, baby powder can help the rider keep his or her cool, under all that hot equestrian show apparel, on a sticky, summer day. In addition, baby powder is ideal for quick cleanups of white markings on a spiffy show horse. Finally, in the warm-up ring at the horse show grounds, a trainer or ground assistant may shake or spray a bit of baby powder to help build a less-than-motivated horses energy level, if needed.2. Baby wipesA savvy equestrian will never leave the home stables without a big tub of baby wipes. These disposable cloths are handy for last-minute tack cleaning or wiping horse show grounds dirt from fancy equestrian boots. Of course, baby wipes can also be essential for personal cleanliness at a horse show, either for hand washing, for cooling hot faces or for more private purposes. (Many horse show facilities have portable bathrooms only.)3. Baling twineEquestrian stables often discard miles of used baling twine each week. A smart horseback rider will reserve at least a few lengths of baling twine, coiled up neatly, for quick fixes. Baling twine can be convenient for fastening broken halters and lead ropes, hanging water and feed buckets in horse show facility stalls, fixing errant stall gates, and other emergency jobs. Many horse show participants string baling twine along the tops of their stalls at show grounds, so they can hang stall drapes or horse show class ribbons on display. If strong winds pick up suddenly, baling twine can help horse show participants keep folding chairs and other supplies from blowing over and spooking horses.Baling twine generally comes in two forms. The nylon baling twine tends to be more durable, making it ideal for hanging or fastening items. The old-fashioned natural fiber baling twine is a better choice for creating cross-ties or fastening trailer ties, as it will break, if needed, should a horse pull hard on it suddenly.4. Duct tapeDuct tape can fix nearly anything thats broken, at least temporarily. This may be particularly practical at a horse show. Black duct tape is ideal for quick mending of stall supplies or trailer accessories. On occasion, horseback riders have even lashed duct tape to broken tack, when no other option is available on the spot.5. Hair gelWho would think of bringing hair gel to a horse show? Heres an equestrian secret. Plenty of people grab their own hair gel for grooming their horses. Horse show braids stay affixed neatly with a bit of gel. Hair gel is also useful for taming the top of a horses tail, where stray hairs may try to stand up from the tail braid or naturally flowing tail. Adding a little hair gel, right before a horse show class, can help to preserve a horses show-ready appearance.This article originally appeared (in an earlier form) on another publishers property, which is now closed. All publication rights reside with the author.None of these five everyday essentials for horse show participants is expensive. However, at the horse show, an equestrian without these supplies might prove unprepared for the show ring, or even the trip back to the home stables. The results could be costly.