Summer Show Season is Coming

Spring is finally here and with that many of us equestrians start thinking about one thing: Horse Shows! After a long winter, there is plenty to do to prepare for show season, so let’s  go over some things to get you prepped!

The Horse

This one is pretty obvious. Is your horse ready to show? If you live in a place where winter is a thing, then your horse may not be quite ready for public display. The most important thing to tackle first for your horse is their fitness. Work with your vet and your trainer to come up with a plan to safely get them back to where they need to be physically.

We may also need to tackle your horse’s appearance. That scruffy coat needs to be shed out! The best way is with some elbow grease and a curry comb (or shedding blade), but that’s not always the right thing for every horse. If that’s the case for you, a good body clip will do the trick. A bath or two is definitely in order as well. Also (if you ride a hunter/eq horse) check in with your braider about your horse’s mane condition. They may want to help you get that prepped.

Tack

Now that your horse is on the road to being show ready, let’s check on our tack. If your show tack has been sitting in the trailer all winter, it will need a good cleaning and conditioning. It may even be moldy depending on your climate. So pull that out and get it sparkling!

How are your saddle pads looking? Are they still show ready? They may need a good cleaning after sitting all winter. Or it might even be time to replace them if they’ve been your go-to for a long awhile. 

Another important thing to have checked is your saddle fit. Like us, our horses’ bodies are constantly changing as they get older and more or less fit. This can cause your saddle fit to change as well. We don’t want to give our horse a sore back. Spring is a great time to have this looked at. 

Truck and Trailer

If your trainer or a commercial company trailers your horse, you can skip this section. But if you do it yourself this one is VERY IMPORTANT. Get your truck in for its oil change, and make sure to have the tires and brakes checked. Safety first!

Trailers need maintenance too. You’ll want the brakes checked and serviced, but also it’s a good idea to have the floor and tires checked. You want to make sure there’s no rotting going on and that it is safe to carry your horse. Get the bearings packed by a professional. Also, a good time to give it a deep cleaning since you’ll have the shavings cleaned out for the floor inspection anyway. 

The Rider

Like our horses, we need to do a check-in on our own fitness. Might be time to add in some cardio and weight training to get our bodies fit to compete. A good way to get stronger is to add in a few minutes per ride of no stirrups work. We expect our horses to be fit, and we can help them best when we are fit too!

Spring is also the perfect time to make sure our show clothes are in good condition. How are the boots? Get them cleaned up and ready for the ring! And if they aren’t show ready anymore, now is the time to get that new pair broken in so they are comfortable for your first show and not distracting you. The same goes for your clothing. Make sure everything fits and that it is in good condition. 

Those are some of the main things to focus on to get ready for the show ring. If your tack or show clothes are in need of replacing, you don’t have to break the bank. Consignment shops are a wonderful place to find new to you items. An even better place to check out is our Marketplace on TurnoutHQ! Now that the weather is improving, head on out to the barn and start tackling this list!