I am so jealous. I’m at a barn that has a strict no alcohol policy. . .So I either have to trailer myself or live without. My old barn we used to make baked goods and bring a whole bar to enjoy. Granted at this barn I’m the only adult surrounded by tweens and kids.
[QUOTE=phoenixrises;8835064]
I am so jealous. I’m at a barn that has a strict no alcohol policy. . .So I either have to trailer myself or live without. My old barn we used to make baked goods and bring a whole bar to enjoy. Granted at this barn I’m the only adult surrounded by tweens and kids.[/QUOTE]
This is why thermoses and flasks were invented. 
IME it has more to do about the venue and any specific liquor laws that might adhere to that venue. Mind you I am in Canada and our liquor laws are only one inch off from being puritanical.
For instance several of our show take place at a facility within a provincial park and liquor is only allowed at campsites. So while that eliminates the “open carry” there is still plenty of discreet tack room imbibing going on.
Pony Club is alcohol free which I guess I understand but really, what better reason to drink than a Pony Club show?
Shows that take place at a higher end private facility usually have their own bar and may not permit people to walk around with their own as they want to sell their own drinks.
But frankly, I have never been to a show (other than a Pony Club event) that did not feature some low key tack room end of day imbibing, regardless of discipline, and this includes dressage. YMMV depending on the culture of your barn.
Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy in the summer is my fave horse show beer. Their Harvest Patch Shandy is great for fall (yes, it’s pumpkiny. I dislike most other pumpkiny things, but I do love this.)
My favorite post-show shower beer is a Red Stripe, when it’s hot. Or a Fat Tire.
Hard lemonade or Cider is fairly awesome as a grazing drink, and we usually have some in the mini fridge at the barn. Although, one of my barn buddies makes a mean basil Prosecco drink, which we all just shared in the tack room to celebrate her new horse.
[QUOTE=phoenixrises;8835064]
I am so jealous. I’m at a barn that has a strict no alcohol policy. . .So I either have to trailer myself or live without. My old barn we used to make baked goods and bring a whole bar to enjoy. Granted at this barn I’m the only adult surrounded by tweens and kids.[/QUOTE]
Oh no poor you! Real conversation from the show last weekend:
Me: “I can’t do this, I’m too tired to do another course.”
Trainer: “When you finish your round you can have beer.”
Me: trots off happily…
Can I just say how happy this thread makes me. My DH gives me such a hard time about shower beer–to know I am so very not alone!!! :lol:
[QUOTE=BITSA;8835637]
Oh no poor you! Real conversation from the show last weekend:
Me: “I can’t do this, I’m too tired to do another course.”
Trainer: “When you finish your round you can have beer.”
Me: trots off happily…
Can I just say how happy this thread makes me. My DH gives me such a hard time about shower beer–to know I am so very not alone!!! :lol:[/QUOTE]
Real conversation last weekend about 10 minutes before getting on my horse that I haven’t ridden in close to a year and the last attempt a few months ago resulted in him dumping me at the mounting block (third time he’s done something like that. Grrrr!):
Me: I have a bit of anxiety about this, especially getting on him. G’ah!
Trainer: Well, there is beer in the fridge. Perhaps that will help?
I <3 my trainer. 
(Ride went great…mounting was a little sketch, but not too bad)
Just got home from a long day at the track (I know, not a show. But still horses.) and had a wonderful shower beer, thanks to this thread. Turns out Shiner ruby redbird is a perfect shower beer.
TBH, any beer is a perfect shower beer if you’re hot and tired enough.
As an aside, can I just say that I simply do not understand this “mustn’t drink in front of children attitude”. What exactly does that teach children? That consuming alcohol is something you do in secret? That it is slightly shameful and only done at wild parties? Isn’t it better to show responsible drinking done in moderation? A glass of wine with dinner, a cold beer after a hot day?
Doesn’t that send a better message than this warped “people do this in secret so it must be naughty so of course this will be part of my adolescent rebellion” message?
I was raised by European parents so I don’t get this puritanical approach to alcohol…
[QUOTE=Mozart;8836691]
As an aside, can I just say that I simply do not understand this “mustn’t drink in front of children attitude”. What exactly does that teach children? That consuming alcohol is something you do in secret? That it is slightly shameful and only done at wild parties? Isn’t it better to show responsible drinking done in moderation? A glass of wine with dinner, a cold beer after a hot day?
Doesn’t that send a better message than this warped “people do this in secret so it must be naughty so of course this will be part of my adolescent rebellion” message?
I was raised by European parents so I don’t get this puritanical approach to alcohol…[/QUOTE]
I agree, Mozart.
[QUOTE=Mozart;8836691]
As an aside, can I just say that I simply do not understand this “mustn’t drink in front of children attitude”. What exactly does that teach children? That consuming alcohol is something you do in secret? That it is slightly shameful and only done at wild parties? Isn’t it better to show responsible drinking done in moderation? A glass of wine with dinner, a cold beer after a hot day?
Doesn’t that send a better message than this warped “people do this in secret so it must be naughty so of course this will be part of my adolescent rebellion” message?
I was raised by European parents so I don’t get this puritanical approach to alcohol…[/QUOTE]
Me too!!! There is a huge difference between drinking at a show and getting drunk at a show. I really like European thinking when it comes to drinking. They are much more of a free thinker type mentality. Maybe we should all move to Europe and make hunters a thing!!
Said by a young amateur in my barn while we were sitting around drinking wine and waiting for the GP at the end of the day: “I’m never riding in a junior barn again.”
I think it may appear that there is less drinking at a h/j show, because 90% of riders/family stay at hotels and at the end of the day they go out to dinner. Because of that, people will leave as soon as the show is over to take a shower and have several drinks in their rooms before having several more at dinner.
I guarantee you that the h/j crowd are not teetotalers — not even close. We just have gotten in the habit of drinking back at the hotels, rather than at the barns.
[QUOTE=izzy98;8834955]
Heeeere! Love them both. Chicago has spoiled me because there’s always a Goose Island on tap nearby. If I have to BMOB I always bring a big bottle of Sofie.[/QUOTE]
Ugh I have been on a QUEST for the Matilda and nobody haz.
:no::no::no:
I am always surprised about the weird attitude toward drinking, too. My barn is actually an eventing barn and we have some great kids (one of whom leases my older horse and events him), with fabulous parents. At events they bring the whole set-up- canopy, coolers with food and drinks, etc.- and there is almost always some alcohol of some sort for the adults. Sometimes I’ll bake a cake with Guinness in it, or whatever, for the tailgate. Everyone’s cool with it.
A group of us go down to Aiken every winter for a few weeks and usually a couple of the teens will come down, too- their parents aren’t worried about them staying with us and becoming degenerates!
I grew up showing in the 1970s and 80s and I used to go along to the shows all the time without my mom. There were lots worse things going on in the tack stalls than a few beers when the day was over, but that didn’t turn me into a cokehead. There is a perception of fragility and susceptibility that I think becomes self-perpetuating when aspects of normal adult life are treated like shameful secrets.
