I went to a show last year and due to One Thing and Another I found myself 2 hours away from my dressage test with no dressage saddle. Cue panic.
The brand rep, when messaged on Insta, suggested some riders at the show who might have a similar model, and the first one I cringed my way up to offered her brand new $6,000 saddle to a total stranger.
I took it, rode in it, cleaned it, and returned it with an even greater appreciation for her and eventing as a whole.
What are your similar stories?
New eventer in cross country warm-up, near end of the day in a low-height unrecognized class. Not so many people were left in warm-up when the steward and TD noticed that New Girl’s bridle did not have a noseband. No cavesson. Open-faced bridle.
New Girl (an adult) said she normally rode western (open faced bridle is common in casual riding), but had prepared her horse for this low-height round of eventing just as an exercise in horsemanship, knowing they both could do it. Had had lessons and schooling days with an eventing instructor/coach. Instructor felt they were ready. Although New Girl was alone at the horse trials, her instructor not there, but they had walked the course the day before and she was ready.
This was about 10 or 15 minutes from New Girl’s time to go out of the startbox. A loud little chat across the warm-up ring ensued, everyone with a thought involved themselves, no privacy necessary. TD said yes it was an unrecognized division BUT she wanted a noseband on the bridle. She had reasons.
The 10 or so random people all began trying to figure this out for New Girl. Everyone was agreed that this girl had to do her cross country that she came to do.
Totally random young adult rider who had just finished her cross country round (finish was near warm-up) took the cavesson off of her horse’s bridle. Threaded it on to New Girl’s bridle, got everything adjusted and buckled. Both bridles stayed on the horses for this transfer. It took her only about 5 minutes.
Then she waited at the finish line to retrieve her cavesson after New Girl finished her round.
New Girl had a great ride and was exhilarated at the whole eventing process, as was her horse. She was extremely grateful to everyone.
I don’t remember the exact piece of equipment, but the first time I had a client that wanted to event (also an unrecognized level IIRC), we were 3 hours from home at this show grounds and realized we were missing something essential. As we were discussing it, our neighbor overheard and waltzed right over with whatever it was saying “oh I have an extra!”
It was my first experience with eventing and made me fall in love with it, and the competitors. 
So much better than the H/J crowd we were used to!
Also every time I’m out schooling XC, everyone else that’s schooling is so friendly and welcoming, both on course and back at the parking lot. It’s a great group!
My first experience was a local “eventing” derby, and not knowing that my blow up vest was not good enough, I needed a proper safety vest. And before I could even ask, people were coming up and offering up their vests… knowing I was about to sweat all through it and they needed to wear it next. I was like WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?!
But my real love for them came, I was at my first horse trials, an out of town experience, going down with new friends (and by friends… they shared the same coach and would haul into my barn to ride at times). We ended up having a very traumatic incident happen just before my dressage test, so I just needed to get through it… so I talked my very scared pony through it the entire time… knowing I was knocking points off… my usually overly round ball of a pony was still ptsd’ing from minutes ago, so was very much not on point. But I was just happy to get through it.
During this time, there was apparently some rail birds that were being hunter princesses and talking trash… and my new friend… she took them to town, and explained what I just went through and this was my first show and in essence put them in their place.
Coming from h/j world, my “friend” there would have just joined in and stuck that knife deeper into my back… but this person and the rest that I met… there is no time for that sh*t… they just are truly amazing people who care for their horses and find the good in everyone.
I would never go back to h/j again after seeing the other side!
I had to lend my breeches to someone once after I rode! It was a 90 degree day, too, so they were pretty gross. Now I try to always throw in a backup pair.
Or, you need to find better friends at your H/J shows. There are great people there too.
I was heading to my first horse trial in years. My husband was supposed to come with me but ended up having to work. I was nervous about being totally alone. I posted something about that on social media … the next morning a local eventer and her partner showed up for no other reason but to be my ground people. They pampered and coached me through the whole day. I’m not sure I would have survived without them! They didn’t need to do that for me.
Awww that’s amazing!!
I was at a schooling horse trials and overheard my trailer neighbour, who apparently was brand-new to eventing, realize she needed a vest to run XC (she didn’t even own one). I lent her mine after I was done, helped her adjust it, sent her off to XC, and met her back at the trailer to collect my vest.
I don’t remember her name but hopefully she continued to event!
I always keep an old halter and lead rope in my car for any kind of horse related emergency I may come across. But in addition to that I’ve given the halter away several times to people whose horses broke their only one at events or paperchases. Then I just get another cheap used one at the tack shop for next time. This is an easy way to both be prepared and help others out.
Oh yes!! So glad you had a wonderful person help. Eventers are the best.
I shared this on forum before but my first recognized event as a teen I forgot my girth. 2 Hours away like you, no barn mates or friends there. The most amazing soul in the trailer next to me lent me her girth.
Now I keep extras of everything on my trailer, and always make sure to repay the favor where I can. 
I have at various times had to borrow a show coat, a girth, and once a dressage saddle and shadbelly (at our first CCI - no pressure). I’ve also lent my XC vest, boot pulls (yes, I still have them), and various other things over the years. I show by myself quite often, so it’s nice to know that I can probably find help if I need it.
I also always have extra halters in the trailer (and everywhere else) after the memorable attempt to go cross country schooling that started with getting the trailer stuck, then a tree somehow between the truck bumper and the trailer, and finally with my horse breaking the only halter we had - thus was born the three strikes rule, and the requirement to have extras of important things like halters 
This is something I do too. I always have a spare halter that is for that purpose, free to give away and no expectation of getting it back.
We were at an event when some people whose stalls were on the end close to where our trailer was parked hunted us up and told us we had a flat tire on it. Then the 2 husbands w their group proceeded to change it for us! We all ended up drinking beer together for the weekend.
I do, too. So easy to have something happen to a girth, bridle, halter, etc. I don’t have a whole extra saddle, but otherwise I started carrying spares of literally everything else, because stuff happens. Don’t want to be in that position!
I’ve lent them out more than once. It isn’t often, but eventers know that if they are suddenly short a critical piece of equipment, they can go trailer to trailer, stall to stall, and beg! Someone will help! Everyone knows what it is like short of something important, at some point in time. 
One gal forgot her stirrups on her jumping saddle. She had taken everything off to clean the saddle very thoroughly. Somehow the stirrup leathers were replaced without the stirrups. Yep, someone quickly put their stirrups on her saddle.
I was helping some friends at an event this summer and they had forgotten a pony sized long girth. They asked around and some strangers were kind enough to let them borrow one. When friends went to return it, the strangers said to keep it as it lived in (the strangers) trailer for 20 years without use and that way my friends would have a trailer girth should they forget a girth in the future 
Bridle numbers! I had to borrow one of the universal numbers at my first ever event and now I always keep a spare in my bag to loan out. I also volunteer in the dressage phase a lot and keep my numbers on me in case anyone needs one. There’s always someone who forgets theirs or (oddly frequently) comes down wearing the wrong number, and they’re cheap enough that if they don’t get returned it isn’t the end of the world.
Many (many) years ago, tiny Marigold was very small in age as well as stature. I had parents, and they had even shown up that day, but they were not horsey and while very kind, they wouldn’t have even been able to tell what each end of my lovely borrowed pony did. Said pony was on a trailer I had begged a ride on, alone as all compatriots had already headed off to higher level warmups, and as the case may be the chest bar was stuck.
I was far too small to make any meaningful progress, and my parents were too unsure of the situation to help, so my mother walked off to “find someone strong” who could do something. I almost fell over when she returned 5 minutes later with a US team rider who had just come home from competing at the Olympics a month or two earlier (she, of course, had absolutely no idea who he was). He walked in with a toolbox, freed my pony, stuck around to make sure our little chaotic group wasn’t going to need any other basic assistance, and wished me good luck with my rides.
Over the years, there have been countless other moments (the 5* rider I’d never met that helped me walk the biggest course of my life; the time a horse overheated in the trailer parking and every single competitor emptied their coolers to bring his temperature down; the strangers who jumped in and supported me in the vet box when I had no ground people at my first three day; and so, so many riders who come off course, come back through the warm-up, and warn you about the slippery spot by jump 5 or the weird shadow over the ditch at 12), but that day was my first introduction to eventing and what a true representation of the camaraderie and heart of the sport it was. I fell in love and have never looked back.
Oh yes. Been there, done that, replaced the halter!
My old gelding’s first event we were the last dressage test of the day in the ring off by itself. He’s a very looky/spooky boy so our warm up was more of looking at everything and realizing we wouldn’t die especially as the number of horses in the warmup ring dwindled. He was sure they knew something he didn’t know and were leaving before getting eaten by the invisible monsters. The person with the test before ours took pity on us and hung out in the warmup for our test so at least we weren’t completely alone which helped immensely. So now I try to return the favor and hangout for the last few tests of the day, we’re usually towards the end of our division anyways.
When I’m at one of the local events volunteering, if I have some free time, I try to wander over to the port-a-potty bank near the warmup arenas so I can hold horses for those that need a quick bathroom break and don’t have a ground crew.
How tremendously thoughtful! And I am sure greatly appreciated. I’ve had that dilemma before!
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