Pre-Show Work
A lot of the stress people experience on the day of the show can be easily eliminated by just doing some pre-work at home! Pictured to the left (click to enlarge) you can see some of the pre-work I had done for my last show.
I made custom spreadsheets for all the divisions I was showing in, printed out a show packet, made my documentation, booked my hotel room, and filled out my tags.
So, let's cover the at home pre-work in greater detail to help ensure there are minimal "surprises" come show day!
I made custom spreadsheets for all the divisions I was showing in, printed out a show packet, made my documentation, booked my hotel room, and filled out my tags.
So, let's cover the at home pre-work in greater detail to help ensure there are minimal "surprises" come show day!
- Assign Breeds and Names to your Horses - This is kind of a no-brainer, but we often forget things such as picking up a new model show day. If you've got any new arrivals that'll be there by the day of the show, make sure you have them named and a correct breed assigned to them.
- Print out the Show Packet and Class List - If you don't have a printer, Staples will print documents off of a Flash Drive for something like 15 cents a page. I like having a hard copy of the show packet to review the rules (such as what kind of tags are used, and how they're to be filled out) and classes so I can make sure I have all my ducks in a row and get started on making my class lists. NOTE: Check your show's website again the week before the show to ensure there were no last minute changes.
- Assign your Horses to Classes - I do this by means of a spreadsheet in Excel. You can see my spreadsheet fanned out in the above image. I have one page for each Division, and regardless if I'm showing in the class or not I put it into the spreadsheet so I can cross it off as the class is called to help me keep on track! If I have documentation with the horses, I bold their names to remind me. Even if you don't do the spreadsheet thing, it's still important to have your classes planned out before the day of the show.
- Fill out your Toe-Tags or Index Cards - First, check to make sure you're properly labeling your horses by checking the show packet or the show's website. NOT ALL SHOWS TAG THEIR HORSES THE SAME. Once you figure out the type of tag (index card or toe-tag), figure out how they want the information put on the tag. Some want all information on the front (Horse's Name, Breed, Gender, and Your Initials) but others want only the Breed and Gender on the front, with your Initials and Horse's Name on the back. If your show uses index cards BRING A LOT OF EXTRAS. When the judge pins the class they TAKE your Index Card! So, for the call backs you will have to go back to your table and re-write another card! I had to fill out 5 separate index cards for one of my horses because he won all of his classes and groups! So, it was one card for the class, one for the group call back, one for the division call back, one for workmanship, and one for Best in Show!
- Sort your filled Toe-Tags or Index Cards - Some people (myself included) carefully tag our horses before we pack them for the trip to the show hall. Be very careful if you wish to do this, as the ink from the tag may transfer to the horse. If you choose to wait until show day to tag your horses, have all your pre-filled tags sorted by Division or Division and Groups so you can find the tags you need in an appropriate time.
- Pack your Totes according to Division or Group - This is a tough one to pull off, as it's easy to just start slamming horses into totes when hastily packing. Make an effort to try to pack your totes according to Division and Group. There's nothing more irritating to me than when I can't find a small foal when the foal divisions are first. Or when I'm stuck with a drafter floating around my table all day when their group comes after the Foal, Light, Sport, Stock, and Gaited groups. So, I do my best to keep the horses grouped in an easy to locate sort of way. (Note: I show over 100 horses, which is why this is important to me. If you show only 20-30 you could probably unpack everyone at once!)
- Label your Totes - Ohmygosh seriously if you don't do this it will be a huge headache for you trying to find your horses. I tape a sandwich bag to the side of my tote (NOT the lid, as the lid can be taken off and put on another tub!) and when I'm packing, I write the name of the horses going into that tote on a piece of paper. When the tote is full, I will put the paper in that baggie so it is clearly visible. For those who don't want to tag their horses before packing, putting the tags in this baggie might be helpful. (Note: I show over 100 horses, which is why this is important to me. If you show only 20-30 you could probably unpack everyone at once!)
- Make Documentation (If applicable) - Pre-printed documentation is so much nicer than hastily written documentation on an index card. So, if you're showing performance and want to explain your set up, write something nice up before the show so it's not scrawled in ball point pen. Additionally, if you have a horse that's got a tough breed to document take the time to make up nice documentation. You can get it printed at Staples if you don't have a printer.
Don't forget the Supplies!
This is a very basic, bare bones "Oh Sh**" showing kit that you should have at every show. It consists of:
- 2 Dust Cloths
- 3 Make-up Brushes
- Scissors
- Permanent Marker
- Ball-point Pen and/or Pencil (not pictured, D'oh!)
- Blank Toe Tags (or index card, depending on your show)
While I think it's pretty obvious the purpose of these supplies, this is why I recommend these if NOTHING else. The cloths are great for prepping your horses for the ring. I have two because I often misplace one somewhere on my table. The make-up brushes are great for removing dust in little nooks and crannies. The scissors are for cutting tags off if they get knotted. The Permanent Marker is for emergency ear/tail rub cover up on my darker horses. The Pen is for marking off my class list as well as writing down placings and fill out NAN cards. The blank toe tags are in case you get a new horse at the show or decide to change the breed or gender of one of your horses.
- 2 Dust Cloths
- 3 Make-up Brushes
- Scissors
- Permanent Marker
- Ball-point Pen and/or Pencil (not pictured, D'oh!)
- Blank Toe Tags (or index card, depending on your show)
While I think it's pretty obvious the purpose of these supplies, this is why I recommend these if NOTHING else. The cloths are great for prepping your horses for the ring. I have two because I often misplace one somewhere on my table. The make-up brushes are great for removing dust in little nooks and crannies. The scissors are for cutting tags off if they get knotted. The Permanent Marker is for emergency ear/tail rub cover up on my darker horses. The Pen is for marking off my class list as well as writing down placings and fill out NAN cards. The blank toe tags are in case you get a new horse at the show or decide to change the breed or gender of one of your horses.