What to take to the Horse Show
Whether you are competing in dressage, show jumping, eventing, endurance, carriage driving, or showing, we have compiled a list of essentials for your horse to ease competition day stressors (available for you to copy, paste and print at the end of this blog post).
As a team, we at Discount Equestrian have competitive experience in an array of disciplines. However, if there are any items you feel should be added to the list that are not mentioned, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!
To begin, we all agree it’s our horses whose mood we can’t control – after all, we humans are used to dealing with stress every day. Unfortunately, despite their impressive level of intelligence, we cannot simply explain to our horses exactly what’s going on and ask them politely to be on their best behaviour. Well, we can try, though it is highly unlikely to have an impact.
As riders, we do try our best to avoid it, but our nerves naturally seep through the reins to reach our horses at lightning speed. Unluckily for all involved, horses can easily mistake our competition nerves for anxiety that something terrible is about to happen. A fast-acting calming formulation might be the answer, to translate to them that the only thing in danger is their rider’s constitution. Here are a few of our favourites:
** We advise asking your vet’s advice before administering calmer! **
* Animalife® Vetrocalm Intense Instant
This calmer gets to work in 20 – 30 minutes and takes the edge off excessively excitable behaviour. Free of banned substances, it’s ideal for competition and can be used every 2 – 3 hours as required. However, it tends to work best when taken on an empty stomach, which is not ideal for horses with gastric ulcers; since they need feeding little and often with plenty of forage to regulate levels of acid in their stomach.
* NAF® Five Star Instant Magic
Many of our team have found this calmer effective, particularly for horses who stress whilst travelling. Bonus is this fast-acting formula is excellent for horses who are upset by visits from the vet, farrier, and dentist too. Although it does contain magnesium, this calmer is competition legal. We have found that whilst it works well, it is a short-term solution – if your horse is of a stressy disposition, it is worth speaking to your vet about longer-term assistance in the form of a feed supplement such as NAF Magic.
* Supreme Products® DeFuse
Suitable for a variety of situations, DeFuse is a vitamin-based calmer that works by reducing adrenaline levels. It does have to be administered 2 ½ hours before the stressful event, which can be a little challenging to time correctly when rushing around getting ready. Though we’re pleased to report that its effects last a few hours, which means it is particularly helpful when handling over-excited horses.
There are, of course, many types of instant calmer and calming supplements available. If in doubt, please ask! Take a look at our range of Horse calmers here on our Horse Calmers page.
We have decided how to calm their nervousness; now, it is time to get our horse competition clean. Here are a few of our absolute favourite shampoos:
* Carr & Day & Martin® Gallop Extra Strength Shampoo
This shampoo is extremely effective at removing stubborn stable stains from light-coloured coats! You can actually watch it working, which we don’t have to tell you is one of the most satisfying aspects of bathing a filthy horse. It does have a thick consistency though, so you have to make sure you are exceedingly thorough when rinsing your horse’s coat – since residual shampoo can cause skin irritation.
* HySHINE® Magic Dazzle Whitening Shampoo
As it says on the bottle, this shampoo really does make your horse dazzle. We’ve found it works phenomenally well on pale tails that tend to get yellow over time. It’s also brilliant for getting white socks and stockings sparkling. This shampoo has the bonus that it’s of a gentle formulation, meaning it is great for sensitive skin.
* Lincoln® Fly Repellent Shampoo
This shampoo is ideal for preparing for summer competitions. As well as bringing out a glorious shine on your horse’s coat, it repels flies well. The team has differing opinions about its scent, though since it keeps flies away, it is agreed that it’s beneficial for horses with sweet itch or sensitivities to flies.
There are hundreds of shampoos and conditioners available – if you have a favourite we haven’t listed here, please let us know about it. Take a look at our range of Horse Shampoo and Bathing products.
We cannot forget that encompassing feeling of dread upon arrival at the competition, only to discover your horse has cleverly managed to drip poop stains down their hind legs. We’ve narrowed down our favourite stain-removing and last minute ‘touch-up’ products we find invaluable on competition or event days:
* Gold Label® Spot Off Wipes
As well as being impressive at removing stains from your horse’s coat, these wipes are hypoallergenic, so they are suitable for even the most sensitive skin. They’re available in a pocket-sized pack too, meaning they’re easy to carry around to clean those stains that inevitably happen between classes.
* IV Horse® Foam and Dry Shampoo
This foam shampoo is the business! It is ideal for cleaning stubborn stable stains in an instant – and it can be used on textiles like saddle cloths. An extra benefit is that this instant foam shampoo smells lovely too.
* Shapley's® Easy-Out No Rinse Shampoo
This no-rinse shampoo is fabulous for removing stains, cleaning away mud, and keeping dirt at bay. It takes minutes to work and even enhances your horse’s natural coat colour! In fact, some of the Discount Equestrian team use this product during cold winter months to clean mud from their horses’ legs to save the need for hosing all the time – which helps to prevent issues such as mud fever. An added feature is it is suitable for use on your dog as well, so no need to panic about them getting into your car all muddy from their day at the show.
Finally, to finish off your horse’s immaculate presentation, here are a few of our favourite coat conditioners and mane/tail detanglers:
* Carr & Day & Martin® Canter Coat Shine Conditioner Spray
We advise using this spray after your horse has been bathed. Although, it can be used on dry coats too; provided your horse’s coat isn’t dusty, this spray will still work wonders. Not only does this spray give their coat a glossy sheen without being greasy to touch, but it also prevents stable stains! It is a mess-free option, though the bottle can be a little bulky to travel around with on a show day.
* Cowboy Magic® Detangler & Shine
If you want your horse’s mane and tail to glisten, this is the product for you. Its conditioning formation reduces grooming time significantly, leaving more time for you to plait, polish, or panic about remembering your dressage test or show jumping course. This product doesn’t make your horse’s mane slippery either, which helps when you want plaits to last all day.
* Absorbine® ShowSheen Detangler Gel
It’s the day before your competition, which coincidentally coincides with the exact day your horse decides to get burrs tangled in their mane and/or tail. This detangler does a wonderful job of working out the most difficult knots from even the thickest manes and tails. Its non-oily formula also leaves your horse’s mane and tail with the loveliest shine.
There are so many other items vital to keep competition days running smoothly for both horse and rider. Please pop over to our ‘Competition Essentials – Rider’ blog post, which you can find at Essential items for Horse Riders at Competitions, where you will discover a helpful list of event day essentials for yourself too.
Why not take a browse of our ranges of our Grooming Tools, Horse Care and Veterinary products to help familarse yourself with what is avaible.
Below is a handy check list to help make sure you have packed your essential items for the Horse Show.
Horse Competition Essentials List
- Water Container & Bucket
- Leather Headcollar with Lead Rope
- Haynet
- Cooler / Sweat Sheet (possibly Rain Sheet / Waterproof Exercise Sheet)
- Travel Boots / Bandages
- Tail Bandage
- Fly Repellent Spray / Wipes
- Eye & Nose Wipes
- Stain Remover Wipes / Spray
- Towels & Cloths
- Grooming Kit with Hoof Oil & Brush
- Plaiting Bands / Plaiting Thread with Plaiting Needle
- Bridle (plus Martingale / Breastplate)
- Saddle (plus Girth & Saddle Cloth)
- Brushing / Tendon / Overreach Boots
- Passport
- Equine First Aid Kit
- Extras: ……………………………………………………………………………………
