Staying overnight at shows

[Draftmare]

This will be my first year doing big USDF shows. Most of these shows are 2+ hours away, so I will likely haul in Friday evening (unless I have a later ride time on Saturday), and then show Saturday and Sunday. Right now my plan is to sleep in my trailer. I don’t have a living quarters, so my plan is to sweep out the horse area as best I can, and set up something like this to keep bugs away from me while I sleep: http://www.cabelas.com/product/camping/outdoor-living/camp-furniture/cots/pc/104795280/c/104755680/sc/104267880/i/104280480/cabelas-deluxe-tent-cot-single/1591313.uts?slotId=3. I figure being inside my trailer will offer me some privacy and protection from the elements.

Already checked and all the venues I will be at have showers on site, so at least I will be covered there. Only other thing I can think of wanting is a battery powered fan to keep air moving inside the trailer. For those of you who have done this before, do you have any tips or tricks you wish you had known before your first time?

Also would love to hear any suggestions on products you have discovered that have made weekend shows easier. I plan to get a hay bale carrying bags, and possibly one of those collapsible canvas wheelbarrows to help lug things back and forth between trailer and stall. Would love to hear any other suggestions!

[luvmyhackney]

I used to sleep on show grounds in my younger days. Its fun to a point. If you feed in nets, its easier to put the hay in nets at home and just carry the nets in the trailer. We used a hand truck vs a wheel barrow and used a muck tub bungeed to the hand truck for stalls.

Make sure you take your own hose, I prefer the pocket hoses as they are really light. Don’t count on the showers working or hot water being available. BTDT so pack baby wipes as a precaution.

How are you storing your water, snacks, food (available on the show grounds)? Cooler? Also, where are you keeping your tack at?

[Foxglove]

Camped for 14 days in the back of my horse trailer --but it has screened windows so bugs were not a problem. Here’s one tip that worked well --buy a tarp about the size of your trailer floor --after you sweep out shavings, lay down the tarp. I put a small rug over the tarp to stand on in the AM to keep my feet warm. I used a fold up cot that I kept in the truck and a sleeping bag --oooh --and maybe not necessary for you --but I LOVED my “Luggable Loo!” --we were camping in bear country and I did not want to go to the (always far away) bathroom (outhouse) at night. Put a small trash bag in the luggable loo --kitty litter or sawdust --drop in the trash in the AM --no late night trips outside! Like you, I had a small electric fan and I also had a portable LED lamp that hung off my trailer roof inside. AND I wore scrubs (buy a few sets at GoodWill) for PJs. Should I need to check on a horse at night, I was “dressed” --half the people camping thought I was an MD, the other half thought I was a vet. And scrubs are great for pre-show grooming --don’t have to worry about getting dirty. .

[Tanny98]

Most important thing you can pack? A travel buddy. Seriously. Showing long distance can be tough and expensive. All rated shows for me are 5+ hours away in any direction where I live. They help pitch in for gas and can split a descent room. I’m not into camping out, I need a room at the end of the day. Also, God forbid something happen vehicle or animal wise, you have a helping hand. You do not want to get stranded alone. We’ve had a few breakdowns. Not to mention emotional support and help for show day, it’s stressful enough as it is. If we don’t split a tack stall then at least you have someone who can jump in the truck to go grab things from the trailer cause lord how many hours of your life can be wasted going back and forth, I promise. And don’t worry, you can pack all but the kitchen sink and STILL wind up at a Tractor Supply or Wal- Mart for something. It’s just a lot to take on by yourself. Do you have any friends who can go with you?

EDIT
Ok I’m reading others’ replies… Apparently I’m a wuss. LOL

[LetItBe]

I have a Coleman portable toilet that was kind of a joke but comes in handy on longer hauls and I would bring it if camping in the trailer as well. I have the non-tent version of that cot that we got when we were waiting for our furniture and without a mattress they are NOT comfortable. While in a pinch I could plan on sleeping in my trailer at a show, I would not do it without bringing one of the dogs for safety, just something about being out there at night alone with no real locks like a camper provides.

I have one of the small folding wheelbarrows for stall cleaning but recommend more of one of the folding carts for bringing things in and out from the trailer. More durable and you can make less trips.

LetItBe

[ThreeFigs]

Ooh, LOVE that cot/tent thingie! All the previous responders have had excellent suggestions. I have a couple of those battery-powered fans-- fair-sized ones – and use them all the time at shows with no electrical outlets by the stalls. They won’t move the air as well as a regular box fan but they’re good enough.

Get a policy with US Rider. AAA will not help you if you’ve got livestock in the trailer. US Rider can arrange to have both your (God forbid!) broken-down truck and your horse/trailer to the destination of your choice. They saved my bacon a few years ago when my radiator went out. Truck got towed to my dealership for repairs, Horse and I got back home.

I have had no good experiences with collapsible wheelbarrows, but maybe mine was especially cheesy. You may find a small collapsible hand truck or rolling dolly just as handy.

[ThreeFigs]

Oh, almost forgot – bungee cords. They are handy things for hanging the aforementioned fans and other stuff that needs securing.

[demidq]

If you are doing this in the summer, I wouldn’t go with the tent/cot idea. I bet it would be really stuffy! Get a camp bed and use a mosquito net hung from the ceiling (you could use a plastic hook stuck on with double sided tape, they aren’t heavy). If you have a little camp stove, it’s nice to be able make a cup of coffee or tea, heat up soup or that horseman’s staple food- ramen noodles - to avoid high cost show food.

[Dutchmare433]

I usually sleep in the trailer, mine’s a gooseneck, so a different/probably easier set up. I would not count on being able to park your trailer close enough to the stabling that you’ll be able to make trips with a wheel barrow. Bring a head-lamp and a kindle/book/tablet for something to do at night.

I arrive at show, bed down stalls, hang nets and some hay on ground, throw water and feed buckets in the stalls, throw horses in stalls. Unpack the rest of the not-so-tempting stuff (trunk, muck tub, saddle pads, bridles). I leave pre-bagged grain, hay cubes, hay bales, and extra bedding in the trailer. Drive back, park trailer, and chuck my saddle etc in the truck and drive back to barns. (I show with a group of people and we usually don’t get tack stalls, so the less in front of the stalls, the better.)

In the mornings I drive back to stalls with grain, a bale of hay, and some bedding in the bed of the truck, and keep all of my stuff in the cab of the truck (if I’ll be away from the stalls a lot). If you don’t have a truck, I’d get those canvas hay bags and maybe stick a few bales in those big plastic garbage bags inside the canvas bags to protect your vehicle. (If you’re sleeping in your trailer, you generally have enough of a head start on everyone else that you’ll get a parking spot fairly close.)

I bring lots of water and power bars, but depending on venue, tend to hit up a Panera or something for dinner, or go out with people I’m showing with if they’re sticking around. Competitor parties are also usually an easy free (early) dinner, if you don’t mind snacks for a meal.

Bring baby wipes and dry shampoo just in case…or just for after you ride, especially if it’s dry/dusty.

[J-Lu]

Oh gosh, I suggest finding a closeby motel/hotel! For a good nights sleep! But that’s me!

I suggest lots of water and healthy snacks. Fruit, if you like it. Nuts. Stuff that will sit well on your stomach until you can get a good meal. A good mirror and bobby pins/hair net so you can do your hair on show day at your trailer. Copies of your tests. A list of your actual show times, of when you have to get on, when you have to saddle, when you have to dress, etc. A timeline is very helpful.

I highly suggest contacting the show grounds for stabling info. I currently live in NC, and the Raleigh show grounds are the first I’ve been to that have NO hooks or any kind of hardware in the stalls, so bringing loop screws are the only way anyone can hang water and feed buckets, a stall guard, etc. I bring a long screwdriver to twist them in the holes. Bring a manure bucket and stall rake, extra shavings, extra cleaning stuff, etc. Grain in baggies. I bring a bale of hay and load it into the haynet as needed.

Some shows offer nighttime checks on your horse. That’s something to consider because it at least will give you peace of mind while you sleep. Speaking of sleep, I bring my phone and a separate alarm clock so I get up on time. Because, getting up early is not my forte…

Lastly, bring a sense of humor, because what you don’t think will go wrong will go wrong. I brought my current horse to shows in Raleigh previously, but the last time we were in the stalls overlooking the arena. NICE, I thought. My horse was nervous all night and paced his stall…which had no mats…and was on red clay…and he was next to the tack stall. EVERYTHING was covered in red clay the next morning. Seriously, if you picked something up in the tack stall, it left an outline of red clay. My horse was red. We had to laugh (well, later, we laughed).

No lastly, try to stable next to people you know or get to know your neighbors. People are really great at shows. You can help them and they can help you. At the least they can make your time fun and you meet other dressage riders.

Have fun!

[leheath]

I slept in my trailer for years at shows and clinics. It is fine as long as the weather isn’t extreme (hot or cold!). I like a heavy, folding, camping “mat” for the floor - nicer for the feet and doesn’t shift or make as much noise as a tarp. I have a folding cot and a good sleeping bag. My trailers were always fully enclosed, so bugs weren’t a big issue, but I would definitely get mosquito netting and hang from the ceiling if bugs are an issue. I had a little folding camping table, folding chair, and a small propane stove for cooking and eating which made everything feel more civilized! This could be inside the trailer if the weather was bad and outside if it was nice. Eventually, I got tired of cleaning out the trailer, wanted to sleep in a “real” bed, and wanted a heater (it is often cold at night where I live/show) so I now have a lovely little truck camper that is fabulous.

If you rely on your phone (especially as an alarm clock), make sure you have a way of charging it that doesn’t require an electrical outlet. I have a whole bunch of the small rechargeable battery packs than they can keep me going for many days. You will also want a battery powered, rechargeable camping lamp - better than a flashlight as it can be used in the trailer at night (while dressing, reading, etc) as well as while walking to bathroom/stabling/etc after dark.

Canvas hay bags are pretty much the best invention ever (imho!) - they make it easy to move bales of hay around (especially once open) and keep hay dry if it rains and you don’t have a tack stall (I’ve never had a tack stall - too expensive!).

I also strongly recommend the US Rider plans for roadside assistance - they are super helpful if you ever get stuck for any reason and they work whether you are in your truck with a trailer and horse or just in your everyday car/vehicle. Price is comparable to AAA too.

Enjoy!

[ladyj79]

I brought hay to CSI 5*s in a black plastic garbage bags. Don’t think you have to buy stuff like hay bale carrying bags.

I wouldn’t get a collapsible wheelbarrow, if you have space in truck or trailer a decent smaller wheelbarrow will be a million times better for toting things and cleaning stalls. But not the tiny tiny ones because those are awful. A muck bucket on a muck bucket cart is better than a tiny garbage wheelbarrow or the collapsible ones.

I’ve slept in horse trailers as a kid and in trucks for up to two months at shows. I’ve also stayed at the Hilton. Let me tell you, unless you really want to save money or live in your trailer, I would get a hotel room. Sleep and showering and climate control really can make a huge difference in your mood. And your horse will be fine. Make friends with the people around you so everyone can watch out for each other. It really does work.

and good luck and have fun!

[Texarkana]

Something I found incredibly handy when I was showing a lot was a good toolkit, including a battery powered drill. This is not as imperative if the show grounds has pre-fab temporary stalls… but places with permanent wooden stalls can be nightmares. I always seem to get the stall that some previous jackhole used as a tack stall and left behind the 743 protruding nails they used to hang their “essentials.” Personally, I usually just use baling twine to hang buckets, fans, etc. if I’m only going to be there for a weekend. Makes it easy to cut them down when I leave.

Also, pack a stall guard, screw eyes, and snaps. This may sound bizarre, but some show grounds don’t have doors on their stalls. Usually there is a note in the program to bring a stall guard, but I’ve been rudely surprised. Back in the day, I had a lightweight aluminum stall gate similar to this, since I had horses I did not trust with a stall guard alone in a new location.

When I was a teenager/young adult, I used to sleep at the showgrounds all the time. Usually it was just in a sleeping bag on the floor of the dressing room, on hay bales in the tack stall, or in the cab of the truck. Sometimes I lucked out and hauled in a GN so I could use a mattress/air mattress. I didn’t find it bad then so long as the show grounds had a proper restroom with showers. But these days, I think I’d just splurge for a motel/hotel room so long as the prices weren’t ridiculous. Although that’s easy to say when multi-day shows are a rarity for me anymore.

[Draftmare]

I’ve already been scoping out hotels near the venues I will be showing at, and sleeping in my trailer will save me $400 - $500 per weekend, so a significant amount in my head. If I wanted to stay 15+ miles from the venues then I could save a bit more.

I am hauling in a one horse trailer with a SUV, so space is at a premium. Anything that I can collapse will be helpful. I can fit one bale of hay in the tack compartment if I take everything else out and put it in my car. My car is a 2017, so I was going with the hay bale bag to try to try to keep my car cleaner. My trailer is fully enclosed, but doesn’t have screens on the windows. I figured I would probably have the windows open for air flow, so would need some way to keep the bugs off of myself while I sleep.

For those of you who don’t do tack stalls, do you feel safe leaving your tack in front of your stall? I would be devastated if something walked off. I plan to pick up some of those S-shaped hooks for hanging my water buckets. I have a rubber tub for grain. Would love suggestions to get my mare to drink at shows too! We have only been off property twice for overnight things. The first one was a big AQHA show where I had to do buckets and she didn’t drink hardly anything. The second was a barn with automatic waters in the stall and I saw her drinking several times so evidently she liked that, but I know that will be a rarity at venues.

I am the only dressage rider at my barn. Most of my dressage friends show GMO level shows, and won’t be joining me in my USDF adventure, so I will be going to these shows alone and taking care of everything myself.

[AltersAreUs]

@Draftmare

For those of you who don’t do tack stalls, do you feel safe leaving your tack in front of your stall? I would be devastated if something walked off. I plan to pick up some of those S-shaped hooks for hanging my water buckets. I have a rubber tub for grain. Would love suggestions to get my mare to drink at shows too! We have only been off property twice for overnight things. The first one was a big AQHA show where I had to do buckets and she didn’t drink hardly anything. The second was a barn with automatic waters in the stall and I saw her drinking several times so evidently she liked that, but I know that will be a rarity at venues.

You don’t leave your tack in front of your stall, at least not overnight. My rule (and I show mostly alone) is that if I can’t afford to lose it, it doesn’t stay out in the open. My saddle & bridle gets locked up in the truck each night. During the day, it’s locked up in my big plastic trunk. Sure, someone COULD roll the whole trunk away while I’m at the bathroom but that seems less likely than someone just snagging my bridle off a hook and going with it. I’ve had too many friends “lose” things at shows to leave anything valuable unlocked and unattended for long. That also goes for day shows … if I’m not at my trailer, the tack room is locked.

The trick I use for getting water into my mare is gatorade. Ms. Mare is convinced water at shows is poisoned, even the water I bring from home. I buy gatorade by the bulk and when it’s on sale. It doesn’t go bad. Buy the clear ones or the the white ones, stay away from the technicolored orange & reds, ask me how I know. My mare LOVES the stuff and I add about 1 quart’s worth to a bucket of water as long as she’s drinking. If it’s wicked hot or I’m concerned about her intake, I mix up a batch of super soupy mash that’s half strength just to get liquid into her.

[mmeqcenter]

Do you have a super supportive non-horse friend or family member you can bribe to come along?

I personally would sleep in my truck/vehicle before I’d sleep in the trailer, but I can sleep anywhere and don’t need a real bed or cot to get some good zzz’s.
I would definitely lock up all your tack and equipment in a secure location - i.e. vehicle or trailer, and since you’re showing alone, keep it locked up during the day too since you’ll be away from the stall riding. I would not leave a trunk outside your stall, even with it locked.

For water I’ve heard of the gatorade thing, kool aid, etc., anything to give the water a yummy flavor and smell. For the more difficult ones, I’ve heard of people feeding them watermelon, and of course soaked hay pellets/cubes, so they’re at least getting water if not actually drinking it.

[Samantha37]

As someone who doesn’t sleep well, I really would not stay in your trailer. Horse shows are long and physically and mentally exhausting. Having a real bed in a room with AC/heat helps me. I get it is a huge expense. I try to room with friends at shows so we split the cost and then it is nice because I have companionship also. You can always post on FB looking for people who are going to the same show.

Do not get the folding wheelbarrow. They are cute and handy… until you try to dump them. They are a nightmare to dump and don’t hold enough to make it worthwhile. Use a muck tub.

You can use a few handfuls of sweet feed to encourage your horse to drink - just throw it in their water. It is basically horse quencher.

I wouldn’t use S hooks to hang buckets - just get double ended snaps. Buy a bunch of them because they are super handy to have around. I also keep extra twine in my trailer which helps when it comes to hanging stuff.

I have a trunk that locks that sits in front of my stall at shows. If I don’t have a tack stall with my group, I lock my bridle in there at night and either take my saddle with me in my car, or lock it in my trailer. Things will absolutely “walk” at shows.

I would probably put the hay in a trash bag before I’d spend the money on a hay bale bag, but that is just me.

If your horse lays down a lot at shows, you may end up needing to switch to something other than shavings (for more padding) - I would recommend straw if it comes to it. You can spend a fortune in shavings quickly and straw is cheap and provides a LOT of padding.

[Draftmare]

Oh, hadn’t even thought about my trunk. I can’t use a trunk at my current barn, but I still have mine sitting in my garage. Its a Husky trunk on wheels, so pretty easy to move, just kind of a pain to get in and out of the trunk of my car. If I could figure out how to secure it in my trailer, I bet it would fit in front of the chest bar. Would be handy to help haul tack and all my odds and ends. I could get a lock for it too. Hopefully the lock, and its size, would deter theft.

@Samantha37 Why not use the s-hooks? I figured they would be a safer bet then hoping that there is something in the stall to hook things on to.

[betsyk]

The one-horse trailer and SUV makes the whole question a little different. Prioritize the space in your SUV for your tack, show clothes, purse, and anything you don’t want to have wander away. Bring familiar hay, buy bedding. Bring a muck bucket - it can be small, and you don’t necessarily need a cart (folding cart saves space). If you’re staying on grounds, you can plan to clean the stall more often and refill a single water bucket more often.

We camp at events in our gooseneck or in a tent, and we love it. We love being there with the horses, we love the late night checks and early morning walks and sitting around with friends. I don’t particularly love going several days without a shower (in the absence of generous friends with LQ trailers). I don’t love camping when it’s really hot, really wet or really cold. Personally, I would not love at all sleeping in the horse compartment of our trailer because we are not very good about cleaning it out! We use the horse compartment as tack room, changing room and occasionally, late night portapotty.

The very simplest and cheapest way to go regarding food - bring an extension cord and a coffeemaker and a cooler. The coffeemaker can make hot water for oatmeal or instant stuff (an old fashioned hot pot works great for mac n cheese, but nobody has hot pots any more). Pack yogurt, sandwich food, fruits and veggies in the cooler and you can eat for a weekend with the occasional meal out with friends. If you like to experiment, an electric frying pan would let you make eggs, quesadillas, or lots of other things like that.

My compromise has been that we pick one night to stay at a hotel so we can get a nice long shower and an uninterrupted night’s sleep. We’ll either pick the coldest/hottest/wettest night, or the night before the last day, to streamline packing up.

[AltersAreUs]

@Draftmare

@Samantha37 Why not use the s-hooks? I figured they would be a safer bet then hoping that there is something in the stall to hook things on to.

Because Murphy’s law states that your horse, even if they have safely coexisted with S hooks for YEARS, will find a way to snag their nostrils on one at a show and you’ll get that horrible call from the night check team saying they’ve already called the vet and your show season will go down the tubes while your horse tries his hand at cosplaying Frankenstein.

No to S hooks, yes to binders twine and double ended snaps.

Seriously, you have to look at your show stall with an eye for all the ways your horse can hurt himself, even if he’s normally not accident prone. New place, stressful circumstances, other horses acting up within hearing range … all of that has a chance of making your guy more prone to pacing and fidgeting than normal. Until you know what he’s like & how fast he settles, you should plan on using the “child safe” version of everything in his stall.

I carry a couple large eye hooks and a large screw driver to put them in with, just in case, but most places I’ve been too either have something already in the stall or metal grates on the windows/doors. I just use twine & snaps with the grates.