Prepare Your Horse
Whether your horse is a seasoned competitor or new to showing, you need to prepare him/her for showing.
Practice loading and unloading your horse from the horse trailer you will be using. If possible, load your horse, let the horse stand on the trailer for a few minutes (with hay), drive a short distance, let your horse stand on the trailer for a few minutes, unload your horse, then repeat on the same day and on different days. Give healthy treats to encourage good trailering behavior. If you have trailering difficulties, consult your trainer/coach and/or hire a trailer loading professional.
If you have the opportunity to visit the venue with your horse, do that. As a minimum, hand walk your horse around the venue. If allowed, ride your horse in the arena. If all this is not possible, trailer your horse to another farm and pretend it is the show venue; the more often you do this, the more your horse will be prepared for a new venue.
If you will braid your horse for the show, braid the horse at home so he/she gets used to the procedure (and so you can perfect your braiding technique).
If you will be using special tack for the show, ride with it a few times to ensure it is in good shape, it fits your horse, and your horse is happy with the change.
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