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Staying overnight at shows

Dressage
#41

If you’ve never done a USDF show before, or been to one as a spectator, I would highly recommend visiting a show at the venue, sans horse, as a spectator, before you plan to show.

Get the lay of the land. Check out the stabling. Watch how the show is run. Check out what the warmups are like and what the traffic situation is. Get a feel for where you will camp, where you will park, what food is available onsite / in the area, what the drive to/from is like, etc. Watch the competition. Enjoy sitting in the sun and spectating some dressage.

Knowing these things will make your showing experience better and will help to keep pre-show jitters and anxiety at bay.

This is coming from somebody who stepped up from GMO shows to USDF shows by myself, without a trainer, a few years ago. It is a VERY different experience, especially in our region. The hustle and bustle of a multi-ring show full of warmbloods and pros can be a bit overwhelming. Use this gate, not that one! Which warmup am I supposed to be in? Is this ring a bell or a whistle? OMG George Williams is in the same warmup ring, aaaghhh I just accidentally cut him off, what a moron I am!!

When I made the leap, my success and mental health and confidence in the show ring was entirely dependent on having been to the venue before, knowing the layout and situation, having a feel for what I was getting into.

It may feel like a “waste” to drive a few hours, skip competing at the first show of the season, etc. but it is ONE SHOW out of a lifetime of showing. You owe yourself and your horse a good first experience in the big time, and at the $$$ cost of a USDF show, do you really want to feel unsure and unprepared your first time out? Nah. Do your homework so that you can enjoy your “showcation”.

4 Likes
#42

Ask the show management. Many places already have multiple holes in the walls and doors for screw eyes that you can use. Clearly, they expect you’ll want to hang a bucket for water, feed and a hay net! They are stalls! Phone or email for clarification. You can’t go wrong with saving baling twine!

I would NOT leave my tack out overnight unsecured. If something disappears, you’ve lost the money for the show and the tack. I wouldn’t leave brushes out unsecured. I would either lock in in a a) very heavy tack box or b) a lockable box that you can lock to something else or b) put it in your SUV or trailer, cover it if necessary at night.

Once, my friend and I had a tack stall and a separate lounge stall, where we had a microwave, refridgerator, table, and a cot for naps (yea, we know, overkill). Might a cot in a tack stall be another option for you if a hotel/motel is out??

#43

Not to mention the mosquitos…and the horses whinnying all.night.long :stuck_out_tongue:

1 Like
#44

Hehehe, being from New Zealand, sleeping in our trucks or trailers is what we do. I’ve got my first huge away show in a couple of weeks, and I’m ‘away game’ rusty. I have written extensive lists of what I need. But having said that, I am lucky in that I can plug into power when at various shows so I have it quite comfortable in my trailer. I take two of the dividers out, swing my tack locker out (and lock it!), then put the ramp up and the rear lift up door down, and I have quite a lot of room, comfort and privacy. I have a small portable fridge that is plugged in to the cigarette lighter in my 4WD while driving, then plugs in in the trailer when I arrive. I blow up my airbed and settle in for the show. I take a toaster, jug and slow cooker for meals, and hair dryer and fan, cos I can.

2 Likes
#45
  • Zip ties/cable ties
  • Muck bucket cart *This helps for both mucking and hauling water buckets if you’re far from a hose
  • Collapsible canvas utility wagon

This rolling organizer cart also looks amazingly useful for so many things, not just horse shows.
https://smile.amazon.com/ECR4Kids-MemoryStor-Universal-Rolling-Organizer/dp/B007CDOXO2/

The more things you can roll vs. physically carry the better. The trek back and forth between the trailer can be a killer physically and time wise depending on where the trailer parking is vs your stall.

1 Like
#46

personally I would get a second stall and make that a tack room / sleeping area. You will solve the issue of security for your equipment and a bit more comfort and space for you. Take a floor mat / rug / tarp, a folding chair and your sleeping cot. You can store feed, bedding and equipment and yourself in a 10x10 no worries. Post portable stalls have grill fronts and you can clip 2 buckets to that.

#47

This is the style tack trunk I have: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-37…9261/203668066. I just read on another thread about using a bike lock to lock the trunk to the front of the stall. I might go that route to keep from hauling it back and forth. That way I could keep things like saddle pads, bridles, helmets, grooming things in there and handy. My saddle, however, would stay with me.

For a muck bucket, I may go with something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Suncast-LC125…ck+bucket+cart

For hay…has anybody ever felt the need to worry about having hay stolen? I have only been to one overnight show in the past, and I just put my hay bale in front of my stall and ended up using it as a bit of a shelf to hold some things.

I am use to GMO shows where I legit leave my car unlocked, purse, phone, and keys pretty easy to find, and have never felt the need to worry about anything.

#48

I did find a picture of the stalls at the venue I will be doing most of my USDF shows at: https://imgur.com/a/2yhaD

That style stall complicates how I am going to hang buckets…

#49

Get a tack stall, a tarp for the floor and a hammock …very easy sleeping and your stuff is safe, etc. a tack stall with a chair, a hammock, a cooler and a coffee maker can make your weekend a lot easier

2 Likes
#50

Baling twine. I have never heard of so many people screwing in eye hooks and worrying about buckets! I groom at FEI level, and even we use baling twine! I like to clip to it instead of tie directly so I can dump bucket throughout the weekend. I always bring at least 5 strands of twine for a horse show plus whatever is on the bales. We also zip tie a lot of things up, including buckets sometimes. I usually zip tie the bridle racks.

Never had hay stolen.

I would MUCH rather sleep in my trailer than a tack stall. Horses make so much noise at night. Never had a problem in the trailer, but the one time we were parked right next to the stalls I got maybe an hour a sleep every night because the horses were so noisy.

I also recommend a good pair of slippers. I always do night check in my slippers.

The trunk is perfect. That’s the one I have but I have the keys to it so that’s how I lock it.

2 Likes
#51

Although I’ve never personally had hay stolen, I know of people who have had hay and grain stolen. I wouldn’t put anything out of the realm of possibilities and would just rather lock everything up to be safe.

#52

I never lock up hay and grain. I never have an issue.

You make a loop with the baling twine around the board. You snap your double ended snap to that. You attach bucket to other end of snap.

many places you cannot sleep in the stalls. I would also not sleep in the stalls. I’m not sure how hot/muggy it gets in the summer where you are, but I sure wouldn’t be sleeping anywhere without air conditioning in many places I’ve lived.

1 Like
#53

I have the keys (somewhere…I hope…) and would lock the lid and then lock the whole thing to the front of the stall with the bike lock. I snooped up more pictures and it looks like there posts are regular intervals along the front of the stalls, so in theory I will be able to lock my trunk to a post.

Hay I will probably just take my chances with. Grain should be easy enough to lock in my trunk. Its a huge trunk, and I don’t for see having enough to fill it by any means.

#54

I have spent as many as 3 days camping in my bumper pull. I have a ghetto electric hook up for spring shows but in the summer I don’t bother with it. I have a coleman cot that came with a mattress, then I cut a memory foam mattress to fit. Buy your thickness on Amazon. Its pretty comfy. I have an awning, a grill, and a stove with propane. Theres nothing like sitting around eating a burger after a show. Most show grounds have showers and toilets. My horse loves her 10pm hay check by flash light.

#55

I usually leave the grain at the trailer and bring a small bucket with their meal from the trailer. You could probably do that with hay nets as well.

#56

[LIST=1]

  • GET A TACK STALL. You will be anxious, exhausted, worried about all sorts of things. Get a tack stall. it is also the best place to just sit down in piece and meditate, think through your test, drink some water, just CHILL.
  • Figure a way to make lightweight totes from Home Depot your friend. I literally have what I call a 'show in a box'. Everything from horse shampoo, scissors, my banding kit, a little first aid kit, baby pins, snaps, baby powder, more snaps, extension cord (for phone charger and fan) a length of chain and a combo lock for the tack stall door lives in that box). another smaller tote has show gloves, boot clean up stuff, clean rags, etc- IOW, the people stuff. You'll have to figure a way to take a muck tub and cart.THese totes can be stacked on the empty muck cart and rolled over to your stall[LIST=1]
  • In the first trip from truck to stalls: muck cart with feed buckets, feed and horse supps. Leave in tack stall.
  • next trip, bring the hay and put in tack stall. People are all the time letting dogs pee on hay left in the hall. Set the horse up with hay and water and leave them alone.
  • next, big show in a box.
  • last trip, clothes and people stuff. Done. Bring cheap floor rugs so you can be barefoot and stay clean. [/LIST]
  • Buy the hanging straps to hang your buckets- those slat-front stalls are easy to hang buckets off of. Heck just buy 6' of rope and take scissors and snaps and make them when you get there.
  • I sleep pretty well on a cot, but girl, you aren't going to get any sleep. bring a battery powered fan for white noise I hope this experience is a good one, but you are making this pretty hard on you, given how new this is to you. I wish for you that this first round, you'd get a room! [/LIST]
    • 1 Like
    #57

    Back in the day I alwasy got a tack stall. Hung curtains around it had a chain and padlock and that’s where I slept. I’ll give you the horses are loud but by day two I slept soundly. Of course at the time I was early 20s. Now if I don’t have climate control I’m a horrible wench to be around…

    #58

    I am coming over from the AQHA and reining world and am curious about sleeping in a tack stall. Every show I have attended leaves barn lights on 24/7. Is that not the norm for dressage/USDF/ etc? Just curious because I couldn’t imagine sleeping under those bright lights.

    1 Like
    #59

    oh, that’s right. I can’t think of a venue that doesn’t leave them on all night. I know some folks set up popup tents inside the tack stall for that reason.

    #60

    Depends on the venue. Most will shut lights off at a certain time or whenever the last competitors are leaving. But, they get turned back on for some 4 rounds of night check, plus whatever competitor needs to get there at 4am to start braiding or who does night hay at midnight because they were out to dinner.

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