Every little girl’s dream is to have the perfect pony. Once you’ve found your unicorn, that dream evolves into wanting a fancy lorry to transport them in. We all watch those gorgeous Oakleys pull into a show; you know, the ones with the pop-out living area, and imagine ourselves parking it up, sliding gracefully out of the cab and proudly pushing the button to trigger the ramps decent.

While that would be wonderful, a bigger lorry doesn’t necessarily mean a better rider, and there are some massive plus points to a reliable 4×4 and trailer. For example, a 4×4 owner is much more likely to tow themselves out of a boggy car park while Mr Oakley waits for the kind tractor driver to rescue him.

When it comes to packing for a show, we are all a bit rusty after a long break with minimal equestrian outings (thanks, lockdown). So, in part one of our Perfect Packing mini-series, we will run through our essentials to get your kit organised and maximise space in your car and trailer for one-day events, shows, and training clinics.

First things first, let’s talk pre-show-prep. Organisation is key and prevents that whole “running around like a headless chicken, half an hour before you are supposed to leave” saga.

First thing’s first, write a list of everything your need for the trip. Ideally, do this the weekend before so you can check if anything needs to be cleaned or replaced. Starting early also gives you plenty of time to decide what colour of matchy-matchy you want to wear, if required. You’re going to need a list for yourself and a list for your horse; You can use our packing lists here, or make it on the notes section of your phone so that when you randomly remember something you need to take, you can whip it out of your pocket there and then.

Once everything is clean and ready, you’re going to want to pack it into your car and trailer using a system; try to resist the urge to open the boot and chuck everything in!

Reserve the back seat for your stuff so that you know everything is there, ready to go when it’s time to get changed.

Hang your show jacket and body protector on the grab handle above the door and keep everything like your breeches, shirt, belt, socks, helmet, hair net, number bib, etc., together. We highly recommend using the Tidy Tack Room Kit Bag; you’ll be amazed at just how much you can keep in this massive holdall. It comes with a carry handle, meaning you can effortlessly lift it from the car and carry it into your trailer to get changed before your class. We can also print a checklist onto the top, detailing everything you need to pack to ensure you never forget anything again- how cool is that?

The boot is ground zero for your horse’s tack and competition gear. Pop your saddle in (on a saddle rack or resting gently on the pommel) and lay your bridle bag on top. Double/triple-check that your stirrups, stirrup leathers, girth, bit, and reins are all attached before going any further. Protect your spotless white show numnah and/or your jazzy XC saddlecloth in one of our Saddlecloth Bags and slide it down the side of your saddle for safekeeping.

Our Stable Bag is the perfect bag for holding all your ‘bit and bobs’; for example, studs, fly spray, hoof oil, brushes, plaiting bands and a spare headcollar and lead rope. It slides effortlessly in beside your saddle and opens from the front to allow easy access. You can even stack them should you need more than one.

Sick of boots (your horses, that is) rolling around in your boot? We also have Boot and Bandage Bags that keep a set for each discipline safe and secure. Pop this in on top of your stable bag, and just like that, the boot becomes an easy-access game of equestrian Tetris.

Okay, we’ve got a few more things to pack, but the car is full; where on earth are we going to put them? If you are only travelling one horse, it might be a great idea to ask a handyman to install a storage trunk in the unused side of your trailer, which creates a whole new world of storage for your rugs, buckets, and water containers.

Due to the unpredictability of the British weather, it’s always safe to take a good variety of rugs with you. We recommend using our Show Rug Bag, which holds up to three lightweight rugs, so you can easily fit a fleece, a cooler, and a rain sheet or fly rug.

Tah dah! Everything is clean, packed and has its place, ready to quickly and easily lift out and use at your destination. All you need to do now is remove your travel boots from their Travel Boot Storage Bag, pop them on your squeaky-clean horse, and off you go.

Remember, it is essential to tidy as you go throughout the day. Your groom/happy helper can help with this and give the area a quick tidy once mounted. Putting things back where you got them will help you stay organised, which helps keep everything clean and minimises stress levels. The first rule of Tidy Tack Rooms is to never put your foot in the stirrup with a cluttered mind. A tidy, organised environment helps to minimise stress, setting you up for the best possible ride.

Oh, one last thing. If you’ve packed a picnic, make sure it is in the car with you on the way home; there’s nothing worse than getting on the motorway only to realise your post-competition feast is just out of reach!

There is a huge difference between being tidy and being organised. You can be organised and untidy and you can also be tidy and unorganised.

If you are struggling with getting yourself to where you want to be it’s a good idea to take a step back and have a look at your surroundings, because what is seen on the outside is often a reflection of what is going on, inside.

1. Is your tack room tidy on the outside and look organised but everything has been shoved away in a jumble, do you spend ages rummaging through bags, boxes and drawers looking for things, you know you have it, you just can’t find it. Whilst things are out of site there is no organisation or system in place.

You’re the person other people look to for guidance, because you really seem to have your stuff together — but the pressure to be perfect all the time can be overwhelming and you may sometimes feel like a fraud for not being as organised as everyone seems to think you are. Meaning you may find it hard to set goals because of fear of failure, feeling you have to have the latest matchy set to keep up appearances, getting very nervous before a competition or feeling like the yard problem solver because everyone comes to you for advice.

• Is your tack room really untidy with stuff strewn about everywhere, but you know where it all is and can locate it easily – apart from having to move stuff around to reach things. Do you find stuff damaged and broken from not being properly stored?

People who have chaotic, messy or not-so-clean spaces tend to be less task-orientated. Meaning you are more likely to be running late or struggle to complete tasks and achieve goals. This can translate to issues like, skipping riding due to lack of time, because you were late and held up, on your way to the yard, or wasted a lot of time looking for equipment in your tack room.

Not booking lessons because you are always too busy to fit one in, or having a lesson but finding it very stressful because it was such a rush to get to the yard and get ready on time. Any of these sounding familiar???

Having a look at your environment and then taking time to really think about how you feel can really help you to get back on the right track. If you identify closely with number 1. Then think about setting boundaries for yourself and others. Start by trying to step back away from sorting other people’s problems and instead focus on where you want to be, look at resources you can use to help you, a supportive trainer to help you set goals and keep you accountable. Riding camps where you can meet a new group of people and be away from any drama or issues at the yard. Also look at some online competitions or a sponsored ride to set a goal without the pressure involved in a big competition.

If number 2 is more like you take some time out to sit down and get a timeline scheduled in place. Set a small goal that you are commutable with make sure you write everything down and schedule dates into your calendar so you block out that time. Look for a riding buddy to keep you to scheduled rides and a supportive instructor, to help you set goals and keep you accountable. Look at where you save time, use the weekends to prep for the week ahead, bulk make haynets and feeds. Put clean bedding in banked up the back of the stable to pull down in the week. Set up a grab bag/box with your weeks riding gear in there sorted.

If you do need any help or advice with your tack room or routines please get in touch, we are here to help.

Cassie xx

There are a lot of things we can do on the yard to create a more eco friendly environment. Making a place that is not only more environmentally friendly but can also save money too. This is the first blog in our series of ways to make your yard more environmentally friendly. Why not try a few of the suggestions and see the difference it makes? :

1. Switch off lights, or consider changing to motion sensor timed lights. This is especially important in a shared tack room where people are in and out a lot. Maybe put a Sign in an obvious place reminding everyone to turn off the lights every time.
2. Turn off plug sockets and make sure things like heaters and fans are not being left on overnight.
3. You can also look at switching over to LED bulbs which use a lot less energy, and also look into fitting solar panels for providing some of your energy requirements. If your yard is very dark in winter look into things like LED strip lighting along the floor to the muck heap, or solar powered garden lights for lighting areas not in consent use. This will mean bigger lights will not need to switched on for someone to empty their wheelbarrow etc.
4. Menage lights – look into using solar powered lights if possible. Make sure people are only switching the lights on when they are riding, many people leave the arena and leave the lights on whilst they are untacking and putting everything away, meaning lights are left on and not in use for a long time, which equals a lot of wasted energy and a big bill. Some yards now have their lights on a meter and you pay per use, so the lights only stay on a set amount of time and then turn off themselves. This kind of lights are really good if you do have problems with lights being left on when not in use.
5. Bulk Buy – Get together with others on your yards, or other yards locally and have your feed and bedding delivered together in bulk. This will save everyone on the yard making individual trips to the feed shop and you may also get a discount for placing a big order. Also look for companies that use recyclable or paper bags. More information can found in the blog: Eco friendly Feeding
6. Try and go paperless – switch the diary for a planner drawn on a whiteboard, and also see if your livery bills can be emailed over, rather than written out on paper. Also look at having another white board for daily notes and school bookings.
7. Get together with others on your yard or local yards within hacking distance to arrange a clinic day, where an instructor can come to the yard for a day to teach everyone. Again saving on petrol. You can also look into this option for things like vets visits for inoculations and also farrier visits.
8. Look at having a swap shop with your friends on the yard and swap things like rugs and matchy sets instead of buying new, or look for second hand items on Facebook and eBay. Also look at donating unwanted things to equine charities rather than throwing away. If a rug is past its best and un – usable look at cutting off the straps and buckles first to use as spares.
9. See if you can switch to Eco friendly products where possible there are more and more companies creating products that are made from natural ingredients. Things to look at changing are saddle soap, shampoo, yard and stable cleaners, tea bags, fly spray. Also look for an alternative to sponges. Most Sponges are made up from plastic and are not recyclable and when it comes to horses we use a lot of sponges for tack cleaning, bathing, washing buckets………The list goes on. Try switching to Eco friendly sponges, such as bamboo ones, or other products that can be recycled.
10. Plastics – The biggest problem is single use plastics that are non recyclable. There are ways around this however, you can do this by looking for feed that comes in recyclable bags, paper bags or is delivered in bulk in storage containers, Chestnut feeds offer this option, and they collect the empty containers and reuse them. Look for sprays in metal bottles, or check for companies that offer refill pouches rather than buying more bottles. Switch to soap bars in the toilets. Check that paper feed bags are recyclable, as waterproof paper that is a mix of polymer sandwiched with paper is not recyclable in the UK. More details can be found in the blog: Eco Friendly replacements for plastics.
11. Have a go at online competing where you film your self at home riding a dressage test or individual show and then upload it to the competition website, this saves on fuel taking the lorry out and also save you having to get up early and re – bath for a show, as you can film at a time that suits you. Why not get a group of friends together and all enter and make a fun day of it.
12. Saving water: Yards use an insane amount of water on a daily basis, and a lot of this does get wasted. From thing like leaky taps to the hose in the hay soaking bucket getting left on. There are loads of easy changes to make to save water and hopefully money on the water bill. Things include checking all taps and pipes for leaks, switching to automatic water drinkers, steaming instead of soaking hay, bathing with buckets instead of the hose, getting your rugs washed in bulk instead of doing it individually. These ideas and more can all be found here in the blog: Saving Water on the yard.
13. Grooming kits when you are looking for a new one, try getting ones made from natural materials such as goat hair or horse hair and on a wooden backing/ handle. These are not only made from natural materials that can be recycled but also give amazing shine to the horses coats and are really good at brushing stains out, which also saves on water, as there is less washing. Good kits to check out are Renwick and Sons grooming kits, which are all made in the UK from ethically sourced wood, and are designed to last a lifetime. Borstiq Brushes are also wooden backed and made from natural and Eco friendly fibres. Hy Equestrian also have a range of wooden backed brushes with goats hair, horse hair and pig bristles, that are widely available from many stockists.
14. Bedding now most of us muck out our horse and have it collected by the farmer and taken away, it is then either burnt or used for spreading on the fields and using as fertiliser. All of which seems pretty Eco Friendly right? well yes most of that is Eco friendly DEPENDING on what bedding we are using. Some of the wood pellets actually create a huge carbon footprint during manufacture and also if they are outside of the UK there is a lot of energy used getting them here. Also some of the cheaper wood pellets that are not meant for the equestrian market may contain plastic particles. The good news is that there are lots of companies in the UK producing Eco friendly horse bedding, Sorbeo horse bedding make Eco friendly wood pellets here in the UK and even travel them by boat to further reduce their carbon foot print. Ecobale manufacture cardboard bedding here in the UK, their bedding is 100% recyclable, bio degradable and comes from a sustainable, renewable source. The Pearce group offer ECObed which is a cardboard shavings bedding, that decomposes very quickly and can be spread as mulch, it is also dust free. You can also look into reusing your much heap to spread on your fields as fertiliser, instead of having the much heap taken away and then buying in separate fertiliser.
15. Poo pick using a fork and barrow, rather than a quad bike or other motor vehicle, you can also keep the poo and spread it around the fields as fertiliser too.

These are all a very brief over view of small daily changes you can make to help become more Eco friendly. If you have other idea of making the yard a more Eco Friendly place please do share them with us.

Cassie xxx

5 reasons why having an organised tack room is so important:

1. It reduces stress – A calm organised environment = a calm and organised mind. Messy, cluttered and dirty areas are not only chaotic to look at they also cause stress levels to go up. That is before you have even started trying to find something that you need in that area. Having a tidy organised tack room will significantly lower your stress levels when you are in there. Putting you in the right frame of mind for spending time with your horse.

2. It saves time – and lots of it ‘for every minute spent organising, an hour is gained’. When you are no longer spending ages rooting about in boxes and on shelves to find what you need, you have lots of extra time to spend with your horse.

3. It saves money – Knowing what you have got and where it is, stops you from having to buy replacements because you cant find what you are looking for, or finding it is broken or unusable, because it has not been stored properly. Also by know what you have, you know what you need. Allowing you plenty of time to get things in advance and take advantage of seasonal sales, without having to panic buy and pay extra for faster deliveries.

4. It increases Productivity – When you are in a disorganised environment your brain gets distracted by everything it’s taking in. This lack of focus increases the time it takes to accomplish the most basic tasks. Like getting your tack together, or trying to bulk prepare feeds and hay-nets. Creating a system and routine will make day to day life easier and allow you to focus on what matters most.

5. Help you achieve your riding goals – Why? Because accomplishing your goals is about creating systems and sticking to them. A daily or weekly routine, a consistent application of even small habits, will transform your life. make your riding dreams a reality and put some organised systems and routines in your tack room.

Are you now inspired to start organising and creating your perfect system? Check out the Starter Sets for the perfect way to begin.

Cassie x