Now that the horse show season is upon us, the ribbons will be proudly making their way home! Here are a few tips to keep those hard-earned prizes from becoming clutter.

Consider displaying your ribbons by hanging them ribbons from string, wire or fine chain on the wall. True Champion Displays has some great products for displaying ribbons and so does Award Keeper.

Ribbons can collect dust and fade when exposed to light. If you wish to display the ribbons long term, consider framing them in shadow boxes with special UV blocking glass. The ribbons not on display should be placed in archival boxes for long-term storage.

Regardless of how you display your ribbons or even IF you display your ribbons you should keep track of the prizes you’ve won.

I’ve prepared an interactive spreadsheet that will allow you to not only keep track of all the prizes you’ve won, but which horse shows you’ve attended and the judges at each horse show.

Download the Horse Show Ribbon Organizing Spreadsheet here!

Tip for Horse Show Managers

Keep your ribbons clean, dry and organized! Check out this great idea I found at Fallowfield Farm! It is lightweight, easy to transport and keeps the ribbons from blowing away in the wind!

Do you have tips or ideas on displaying ribbons and trophies?

Share them here!

I have often wondered why stuff disappears from the stables. Over the years I guessed that in every stable there were several portals that interrupt the time-space continuum and suck hoof picks (and mane combs, brushes, shedding blades and the occasional bandage) into another dimension.

However I read about a group of epidemiologists from Australia who published an article in the British Medical Journal documenting the disappearance of teaspoons from their lunchrooms. They purchased both high and low quality teaspoons and distributed them throughout the lunchrooms of their research centre. They examined teaspoon disappearance in common lunchrooms and private lunchrooms.

They found that in private lunchrooms half of the teaspoons had permanently disappeared in 11 weeks. However from communal lunchrooms, it took only 6 weeks for half of the teaspoons to disappear. The researchers concluded that in order to keep their employees satisfied with the amount of teaspoons available, the research centre should purchase over 250 teaspoons per year!

I believe that if the same study was done using hoof picks in an equestrian centre instead of teaspoons in a research centre, the results would be similar: hoof picks (and mane combs, brushes and shedding blades) would disappear.

The study on teaspoons leads us to conclude that hoof picks disappear faster if left in a common area and the more people that have access to them, the faster they disappear. By organizing your stable and simplifying stable procedures, you can minimize the loss of hoof picks. Here are some different ways to do this.

Have one person responsible for cleaning hooves every day.
PROS: An experienced person will ensure hooves are cleaned properly and be able to evaluate hoof health. One person is responsible for the hoof picks and they are not accessible by the general barn population.
CONS: It is very labour intensive for this one person. It may not be possible for the hooves to be cleaned before and after the horse is ridden.

Have the instructor clean the hooves of each horse in the lesson before and after each lesson.
PROS: Experienced person will ensure hooves are cleaned properly and be able to evaluate hoof health. There is limited access to hoof picks by the general barn population.
CONS: It is very labour intensive for this one person. If the horse is not ridden its hooves may not get cleaned.

Assign each horse its own hoof pick with name tag.
PROS: Hoof pick is easy to find and anyone grooming the horse can pick out hooves.
CONS: Hoof picks stored in a communal location disappear regardless of how they are labelled. The horse owner (not rider) is responsible for replacing hoof picks. Hoof health may not be properly evaluated by novice equestrians.

Each rider has his/her own hoof pick.
PROS: Each rider learns proper hoof care. Rider should take care of own equipment to ensure riding privileges.
CONS: Hooves may not be cleaned because the rider does not own a hoof pick. Hoof health may not be properly evaluated by novice equestrians.

Microchipping and satellite tracking of hoof picks.
PROS: Hoof picks will be able to be located anywhere on the planet.
CONS: Extremely expensive to the point of insanity and who wants to root through the manure pile for a 99¢ hoof pick anyway?

While all the systems listed above may work for you (with the possible exception of the last one), nothing beats a system where the hoof picks have a designated area and clients and staff are taught to put them back. The teaspoon study has indicated that expensive hoof pics disappear just as quickly as inexpensive ones so save your money and buy ones that good enough to do the job.

Do you have items in your home, office or stable that keep disappearing? What steps have you taken to ensure these items get put back in their places?

I know it is hard to think about show season with the freezing temperatures and snow but here are some tips to get you organized so that you’ll be ready when the show season starts.

Register with your local or provincial equestrian associations as soon as you can. You will be sure to have all your paperwork in hand when it comes time to register for the shows. You may also be eligible for discounts on showing fees or have the opportunity to participate in clinics and workshops at a discounted rate.

Update your horse’s health record. Make sure your horse has all the necessary vaccinations. The University of Guelph Equine Research Centre has a great facts sheet on immunization guidelines and you can even create a customized vaccination planner for your horse!

Schedule a Coggins test with your veterinarian a few weeks before the first horse show so that you will have the results before you register for the show. Make sure the results of the Coggins test remain valid until after your last horse show of the season.

Set up a training schedule with your coach to help you achieve your goals for show season. If you don’t have a full-time coach, consider hiring a coach for a few sessions to help you build a training regime for you and your horse. You will be more likely to succeed when you’ve got an expert to consult with.

Decide how many shows you will be attending based on your training schedule and your budget. Mark those dates on your calendar now to avoid conflicts with other events that may be happening over the summer season. Remember to mark the registration deadlines for those shows on your calendar too!

Does your horse look like he should be in a ’80’s heavy metal band? Start getting his mane in shape for braiding. Pull the mane a little bit every time you groom your horse. You won’t be going crazy pulling the week before the show and your horse’s neck won’t be sore. Keep your fingers in shape and do a few braids every week too.

Check your horse show supplies. Make sure your shipping bandages are clean and in good condition. Budget for any new equipment you’re likely to need and make a list. Keep your eye open at the tack shops for sales and watch the classifieds for any good used equipment.

If you have to hire a horse shipping company or borrow a horse trailer to take you to the shows, start calling around now to negotiate prices. If you’ve got your own trailer, make an appointment with the mechanic to have a full inspection before you start the show season.

If you’ve got more show season tips please share them!