Save on the go

Get your important documents and to-do lists for the National Show/Youth World Championship Show done now, and you’ll have more time—and less stress—come show time!

Place information for your Appaloosa into a three-ring binder or briefcase and store it in your traveling rig. By consolidating important paperwork, you’ll have all you need in one handy satchel to whiz through state inspection stations and speed up your check-in process at the show grounds.

Pack original registration papers; proof of current negative Coggins, signed and dated by a veterinarian on or after June 23, 2007; veterinary Certificate of Health, dated on or after May 23, 2008; brand inspection papers (if required by your state); and your ApHC and specialty event membership cards.

Tip: If your horse is traveling with another hauler, or if you’re hauling someone else’s horse, exchange a homemade “Proof of Ownership Haul Release” prior to travel for smooth sailing through state inspection stops. List the horse and owner information as it appears on the health certificate along with a permission-to-haul statement signed and dated by both parties.

Gather important show and travel information for yourself—include your ApHC rulebook, hotel or RV reservation confirmation number, maps of the Mississippi State Fairgrounds, and driving directions to the grounds (found on pages 29 and 31 of your premium book). Place this information in your personal briefcase, suitcase or purse so it travels with you.

Finally, review your horse’s vaccination, de‑worming and shoeing schedule. If any maintenance falls during travel or show time, consider taking care of it before your horse heads to Jackson, or—in the case of farrier needs—schedule an appointment with the show farrier that fits your show and shoeing schedule. Likewise, take a look at your entire June to-do list, and reschedule personal appointments and activities as necessary.

SUPER SAVER

Laminate to last.Keep your show numbers fresh and clean by laminating them. Purchase a laminating pack and apply to your numbers per package instructions, then trim edges to match number size. In less than five minutes, you’ll have sturdy numbers that hold up to multiple tack and equipment changes.

Important: Do not laminate your number at the National/Youth World Championship Show until after you’ve completed the inspection process, because the inspection stamp doesn’t stick to laminate!

REAL PEOPLE, REAL SAVINGS

Who: Champion trainer Heather Runyon, Wagon Road Farm, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

What: Her three favorite time savers: hot walker, Internet, and pre-show preparation

Detailed time savers: Heather uses her hot walker to warm up her training horses, replacing time-consuming individual rounds on the longe line with a four-at-a-time go on the walker. Result? She has several mounts ready for riding in the same time a longe could ready just one.

* She’s an avid fan of Internet marketing, and utilizes several sites to showcase for-sale Appaloosas. “YouTube (www.youtube.com) is great for posting sale videos, saving time for both buyer and seller,” she notes.

* Heather’s habit of show-grooming her horses at home, instead of at the show, saves her time in preparing horses for competition. All clipping and bathing is accomplished before the horses ever get in the trailer. “Get that prep work done before you leave home,” she says. “I see so many people clipping and bathing their horses at the show, when their time could be better spent practicing patterns and preparing for events.”

HAY SAVINGS FOR NORTH CAROLINA

Help for hay seekers just got a little easier in North Carolina. The state’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) recently established a Hay Alert web site to assist folks in their search for hay. A database of available hay can be found at www.ncagr.com/hayalert/emergencyhay.htm. No Internet? No problem. Call the toll-free hotline at (866) 506-6222.
You don’t live in North Carolina? This could engender a “light-bulb moment” for your state’s agriculture department, horse council or equine welfare group!

Tip: To end your “When’s my class?” worries, take your show schedule to an office service center where you can make poster-board-sized copies of the schedule. Then either laminate the schedule (so you can pin it to a stall curtain) or glue it to poster board (simply attach string and hang near your tack room). You’ll never have to glance at a tiny-print show schedule again!

Editor’s note: Thanks to Heather Runyon and John Hardin of Wagon Road Farm for their assistance with this article. By Patty Brumley