Where do you sleep at shows?

[garyo]

Gary and I get teased by our friends about spoiling our horses. When we go to multiple day shows we really worry about leaving them. Other people tell us not to worry, but last year I stayed at one particular show site while Gary went to pick up our son at the airport. An adjacent building to the barn had been rented out for a party. Several very rowdy teenagers began to wander through the barn until they saw us there. They could have easily helped themselves to expensive tack, let horses out of stalls, or fed horses anything including alcohol.

We have never observed paid security at any show facility. What do you guys do? We have seen the beautiful stall curtains that people had at Nationals completely closing off a tack area. Do you stay there?

 

[susanne]

We've camped in our van and our truck (only when using a trailer for Mingus!), rented a hotel room, and stayed with Keith's mother...all have their advbantages and disadvantages.

We may rent an extra stall at some shows this year and bring our super-duper air mattress...figure that for the cost of a cheap motel or less, we'll have a tack room, dressing room, safe feed storage and a cose place to take a nap during the day...

Keith and I have numerous friends in Eugene, Oregon, who want us to stay with them for the Oregon Gold Show. I hate doing this, as people never understand the tunnel vision I develop during a show...I feel like a very ungrateful house guest...

As for security, the first year we went to the Oregon State Fair, I arrived late and alone with Mingus, with nobody around but the security guard. He fell in love with Mingus and kept coming back to talk with him. I felt completely at ease, knowing that at least for the night he had his own personal security detail.

 

[Leeana]

Well we normally stay in a hotel but this year we will probably just rent a tack stall or most of the shows that are longer. Most of our hows this year are 1-2 day shows exept for area II and Congress and Derby City. Hotels become $$$$$ reallly fast, a LQ trailer would pay for itself in now time.

We are however renting hotels for ASPC Congress bc of the heat and Ohio World as the rats there are HUGE and i dont really trust that area

.

 

[shalamara minis]

We have a 9.5 self contained camper that we stay in. the shows for the NWMHC are mostly 3 day shows. we get there the day before. So we are in the camper for usually 4 days. Most of the places we go to for shows have RV parking on the grounds. Once in a while we might stay in a motel but not very often, this would be more for Regionals or worlds.

 

[Alex]

We havent been to many overnight shows, but we have a camper, and I also would not mind sleeping in a stall...

 

[Riverdance]

I bought a living quarters trailer and stay there. Then I am close to the horses if needed. I have a 3 lb Yorkie that goes to all of the shows with me, I kid and say I bought the trailer for her, so that she had a good place to stay while I am showing. (really thought, it is the truth. I bought the trailer for her)

 

[The Simple Life Farm]

I am the same as RiverDance. We bought a LQ trailer for the dogs. I usually take 2-3 dogs with me, so it gives them a quiet place to stay. I like being close to the horses, as I am an early bird at the shows. I am usually the first one in the barn.

 

[mondak]

Anyone who has ever been to a show I was at knows I am the last one out of the barn at night and the first one in the barn in the morning...that got tiring on my dad when I was a youth so we got a LQ trailer so I could come and go as I pleased while he slept in, LOL

Courtney

P.S. I lOOOOOVVVVVEEEEE our LQ. If you are thinking of getting one, you won't be sorry, they are great!

 

[Fred]

I either stay in the trailer or in a tack stall. At nationals I stay with the horses. A couple of years ago I had a horse have a severe allergic reaction and could have lost him so I now do not leave any horses alone at a show. The kids love it its like camping out for them so we stay with the critters. Linda

 

[sedeh]

I stay in my camper.....now that I have one!!

Longer shows I'll rent a motel room for one day in-between to take a break/swim and have a good shower......though there are usually decent showers at the fairgrounds.

 

[SHANA]

Depends on the show. I usually sleep in my stock trailer, and put a huge tarp over it in case it rains. Though have rented a tack stall and slept there, as well as slept in my parents motorhome.

 

[Echo Acres]

When we showed big horses it was mainly one day shows, but we went to a 2 day show one time and slept in our truck. OH! Never again. It was so uncomfortable that we got no sleep. And it really got to me that all these people with fancy trailers and living quarters didn't even stay in them, they went to a hotel.

Now that we show minis and are gone 2-3 days we got a trailer with an extended dressing room. It is the size for the weekend package minus all the stuff (no room if you had it put in). We have a matress over the gooseneck and a cabinet to store things like cereal, crackers that sort of thing. We pack a cooler and bring lunch meat, orange juice and milk. We eat breakfest and lunch out of our trailer and go out for supper. It saves a lot of money. The kids enjoy it too, they think it is neat camping in the trailer. We even set up the pack n play for my daughter. This year we hope to ad a small fridge, so we don't have to buy ice every day when it is so hot.

As far as nationals goes, in 2006 we stayed in the trailer for 6 days with me, my mom, my son who was 5 and my daughter who was 4 months old. People thought we were crazy, but it was just fine. They have nice showers and it was much cheaper than a hotel. In 2007 we didn't take horses, but went to watch. Then we got a hotel because it was just as cheap as driving the truck and trailer.

To each his own I guess, but it works for us! Would I turn down a trailer with living quarters,or a motor home, of course not. But this is what we got and it works fine.

 

[txminipinto]

I stay in the camper portion of my GN. I have slept in tack stalls (once at Nationals in the OLD racehorse barn!) and slept in the back of trailers. I prefer the GN.

However, if I'm concerned about a horse or concerned about theft I will stay in the tack stall (with it locked from the inside!).

 

[minimomNC]

We also stay in the dressing part of our horse trailer, it has heat and air and lights. As long as the facilities has a great shower area and restrooms, we are fine. Plus I can lock Tate in the trailer when I can't hold him or when we go eat. So yes its partly for the dog too.

 

[River Wood]

We have done it all I think, tent, sleep in the stalls, hotel, motor home.

Have a new horse trailer with living quarters that we stay in now.

 

[Sandee]

I used to have a trailer with a weekender set up when I showed the big horse. Then we got the minis and a truck camper with a smaller trailer. The camper is very nice but it's a lot of work to get on and off the truck and is NOT a one person job. Plus I don't like driving the camper since it's top heavy and really catches the wind. The camper has air which is for my hubby. When I went without him I swept out the trailer and ran an extension cord into the stall for a fan and stayed there. Of course we've also rented motel rooms.

I guess you could say I've tried it all except sleeping in the tack stall which I've been told is nearly impossible with all the lights and noise. I like to be close to my horses in case anything happens. So I don't know what I'll do this year. Given MY choice I'd take the LQ in a roomy trailer but then I don't always get what I want!

 

[hobbyhorse23]

We had our fill of staying at hotels when I was showing in my teens! I had to do it again for Ram Tap in CA last spring as there was no way we were driving both the truck/trailer AND the RV all the way down the West Coast and it was awful, we hated being away from the horse all night. Now when Mom can't make it to an event with the RV I sleep in the cab of the truck. It isn't fun but I'm right there and it's easy to get out of bed in the morning as the sun peeks in and wakes me up early.

I'd love to get a small camper or at least camper shell for the back of the truck but Mom couldn't get up the steps easily.

Unfortunately I can't sleep in the barn due to allergies or you'd probably find me camping in Kody's stall.

Leia

 

[MiniHunterHorseFan]

We stay at motels but if we had a LQ in our trailer we'd stay there. Our little dressing room in our trailer, unfortunately, is a little small for 3 people. LOL But I would really like to stay in a LQ much better. There is the less stress of driving back and forth.

 

[Bess Kelly]

Haven't been showing for years but we used to drive a motor home. Nice to be on the grounds and near the animals. Right now, I'd sleep in the back of my Jeep

A tack stall would work depending on the action at night....to sleep and all. The back of a truck with a shell and some kind of mattress would work!

If you really think about it, there is little time for more than catching some sleep! The showers are usually good at the larger sites. Most people get a tack stall, use a cooler for some food/drinks, I've even seen microwaves & coffee pots, etc. Look, you don't have time to get a decent meal! Take some healthy snaks, sandwich foods, leftovers to heat. The snack bar gets boring, pricey, time consuming -- don't miss a class! OH!

Generally you are there at daybreak to feed and check and prep for showing. All day you show, run around, etc. The shows run late, you feed and look for a place to drop and catch some zzzzzz's.

For MOST show people, the expense of a motel is very pricey for the few hours they use it. And they are a huge expense along with eating out. It's like camping out -- which I used to love & did a lot.

 

[macy--red carpet minis]

We usually stay in an RV. Occasionally, we will go ahead and get a hotel if the show is only for a one night stay or something like that. However, I would choose to stay in an RV any day of the week.

It allows us to check on our horses periodically throughout the night, put the dogs in there when they need to go somewhere out of the dirt and heat, grab snacks and drinks that are already bought and payed for, change clothes if something (which as we all know these somethings always happen at horseshows) is to happen to our show clothes, never forget anything and if we do then we can just go run and grab it, etc. They are just really convenient. I am very fortunate to have a father who owns an RV Dealership.

If yall (or anyone else) is interested in an RV for the show season then just click below:

http://www.rvsuperstore.net/

They also carry units called "Weekend Warriors" and some others that are just like a mini horse trailer with live-in quarters. Just ask for Jeff and tell him that you're a friend of Macy's

RV SuperStore will also be sponsering the breakfasts' at the ECMHC Spring Fling, so if yall are there then come on over to get breakfast and check out some RVs!