*Exclusive* Be ready to win with expert tips on last-minute planning and polish to ensure a successful show ring debut in 2025
Over the past few weeks, you’ve worked hard to transform your woolly mammoth into a sleek and polished show animal. Your prep has paid off, and now it’s time for the final countdown to show day – your first big event of the season. This stage isn’t about making big changes; it’s about fine-tuning your plans, perfecting the little details, and ensuring that both you and your horse are set up for success.
Here’s your week-long guide to getting show-ready, complete with a handy checklist and expert advice to help make your first outing of the season as smooth and enjoyable as possible.
Final countdown to show day
The week before: planning and polishing
Pack the lorry or trailer
Packing in advance is key to avoiding last-minute stress. Follow our handy checklist to make sure you have all the essentials on board.
Final touches on your horse’s turnout
This isn’t the time for drastic changes but rather subtle refinements.
- Tails: tidy the length and rake to achieve a polished look.
- Trims: neaten chin hair, fetlocks, and stray hairs in line with the rules you are showing under. Avoid excessive trimming at this stage.
- Shoes: ensure your horse’s shoes are in top condition. A quick check with your farrier earlier in the week can avoid unpleasant surprises.
Checking shoes are in good condition will help avoid an unpleasant surprise. Credit: Horse & Hound Archives
Riding practice
Balance is key during this week. Avoid drilling your show routine every day – it can lead to anticipation or tension in your horse.
Instead:
- Vary your workouts: combine hacking, pole work, and exercises to maintain fitness and suppleness.
- Focus on position: use this time to fine-tune your own posture and apply any tips from recent training sessions.
- Confidence boosters: if you’ve attended a clinic or practice show, revisit the advice you received to reinforce both yours and your horse’s confidence.
The day before: polish and prep
The day before the show is all about finishing touches and making sure everything is ready for a seamless morning.
Bath time
- Products: use whitening shampoos for socks and light-coloured areas, and conditioning treatments for a glossy coat.
- Drying: ensure your horse dries thoroughly with a drying rug or heat lamps to prevent chills.
- Protection: use tail bags, leg bandages, rugs, and Lycra hoods to keep your horse clean overnight.
Plaiting perfection
A well-plaited mane can transform your horse’s appearance.
Plaiting should enhance a horse’s topline, so make the most of it. Credit: Andrew Sydenham
Measuring tips: mark your plaiting comb with a band to ensure even sections.
Adjust for proportion: add a few extra plaits to give the appearance of a bigger front or position them slightly on top of the neck for an illusion of more topline.
Use plaiting spray or gel to tame flyaways and practice using thread for a neat finish. Invest in a stitch picker to unpick plaits without damaging the mane.
If you plait the night before, cover with a Lycra hood to keep everything clean and secure.
Plan your journey
Route check: use a sat nav or map to plan your journey, accounting for traffic and unfamiliar routes.
Plan your route to the showground in the peace of your own home, rather than in a last-minute stress in the driving seat. Credit: Alamy
Review the show’s information pack for details about stabling, parking, and collecting numbers. If bedding or hay is required, confirm where to collect it.
Ensure your lorry runs safely, MOT and tax are up-to-date, and you have valid breakdown cover.
Show day: calm, confident, and ready
Start the day right
Fuel yourself: don’t skip breakfast – a substantial meal will help you stay focused.
Stay calm: early-season shows can be nerve-wracking, especially with big qualifiers. Create a “show morning” playlist to keep you calm and motivated.
Familiarise yourself with the showground. Arriving early gives you time to get your bearings. Walk around to locate the rings and warm-up areas. If possible, watch a class in your ring to get a feel for how it’s run and where key points like line-ups and individual shows are likely to happen.
Warm-up routine
Every horse has a different routine that works best.
If your horse is excitable, a quick lunge or groundwork session may help them settle before tacking up. If you prefer to warm up under saddle first, ensure your grooming and plaiting are spot-on beforehand, but have someone on hand for the last minute pre-ring polish.
Some horses benefit from a short lunge before they start ridden work at a show. Credit: Lucy Merrell
Personalise your routine, so that you adjust your warm-up to match your horse’s temperament and the conditions of the day.
The final polish
Minimal product use: judges love a natural shine but will be put off by a horse dripping in oil.
Quarter marks: enhance conformation with clean, precise marks. Apply a holding spray and add marks at the last minute if it’s cold to prevent rubbing off.
Quarter marks add a final polish to your horse’s appearance. Credit: Hamish Mitchell Photogprahy
Baby wipes: keep these handy for last-minute spills or stains.
Enjoy the day
Most importantly, remember to enjoy yourself! Stay positive – even if things don’t go exactly to plan, every show is a learning experience. The ultimate goal is to enjoy the partnership with your horse and celebrate your hard work.
Don’t forget to record the moment. Ask someone to video your class so you can review your performance and cherish the memory.
Big smiles – remember to have fun! Credit: Hamish Mitchell Photography
By following this guide as your final countdown to show day and and staying organised, you’ll be ready to step into the ring with confidence. With all the prep work done, it’s time to shine. Good luck, and may your season be filled with success and fun!
Competition kit checklist
Travelling
- Travel boots/bandages
- Tail bandage
- Clean headcollar and rope (pack a spare rope in case one snaps)
- Travel rug or Lycra bodysuit if your horse travels in one
- Haynet for the journey
Lorry/trailer essentials
- Horse water
- Water buckets (for drinking and washing)
- Spare hay
- Muck skip and fork, brush
- Sponges and sweat scraper
- Mounting steps
- First-aid kit (human and horse)
Grooming kit
- Brushes (dandy, body, face)
- Curry comb
- Mane comb
- Plaiting bands/needle and thread
- Tail brush
- Detangler
- Make-up or gloss
- Shine spray
- Trimming clippers
- Baby oil
- Baby wipes
- Ear plugs
- Quarter mark spray and tools
- Fly spray
- Hoof pick
- Hoof oil and brush
- Leg whitener (if needed)
- Hole punch
- Scissors
- Towel or cloth
Tack and horse kit
- Show saddle
- Show bridle
- Bits
- Curb chain & lip strap
- Numnah
- Girth
- Working-in tack (if different from show tack)
- Martingale and breastplates (if needed)
- Lunge line
- Spare stirrup leathers and reins
- Working-in boots or working hunter boots
- Tack cleaning kit
- Cooler rug
- Waterproof sheet
- Fly sheet
- Bandages and wraps
Rider clothes
- Riding hat
- Jodhpurs/breeches
- Shirt
- Tie and collar pin
- Bows or scrunchies
- Hairnet
- Boots
- Spurs (if necessary)
- Jacket
- Gloves (and spares)
- Body protector (for working hunter classes)
- Schooling whip
- Show cane/whip
- Number elastic
- Evening performance outfit (if required)
- Overcoat/waterproof
Paperwork
- Horse passport
- Lorry/trailer breakdown insurance documents
- Entry confirmation (and horsebox pass)
- Society membership cards
- Copy of the schedule and timetable
- Catalogue (if sent beforehand)
If everything is planned to perfection, all that’s left is to load the horse and enjoy the day. Credit: H&H Archives
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