Don’t get caught out: H&H’s ultimate eventing checklist for competition success

Your horse is bathed and plaited, stud holes tapped and plugged, now comes the seemingly impossible task of remembering every last piece of kit you need in order to successfully compete at a one-day event.

To help you out, here is the ultimate checklist for everything you need to go eventing:

Travel gear

Travel boots/bandages
Tail bandage
Leather headcollar

Things you need on your horsebox/trailer

Horse passport
Horse water
Water buckets (for drinking and washing)
Haynet(s)
Muck skip and fork
Sponges and sweat scraper
Steps to stand on to tidy any plaits/mount from
Human and equine first aid kit
Lorry/trailer breakdown insurance documents

Grooming items

Brushes (dandy, body, face)
Curry comb
Mane comb
Plaiting bands/needle and thread
Tail brush
Detangler
Trimming clippers
Stable rubber
Baby oil
Fly spray
Hoof pick
Hoof oil and brush
Event grease (if necessary)
Hole punch
Scissors

Stud kit

Studs
Tap
Magnetic dish
Cotton wool
Nail/plug removing tool
WD-40
Spare set of shoes

Horse clothes

Travel rug
Cooler rug
Waterproof sheet
Fly sheet
Bandages and wraps
Cool boots

Tack

Dressage saddle
Dressage bridle
Dressage pad
Dressage girth
Jump saddle
Jump bridle/bit(s)
Jumping pad
Jumping girth
Martingale
Breastplates
Lunge line
Spare set of stirrup leathers and reins
Jumping/cross-country boots
Tack cleaning kit

Rider clothes

Dressage/jumping breeches
Stock shirt
Stock and pin
Hairnet (if applicable)
Dressage/jumping/cross-country hat
Boots
Spurs
Dressage/jumping jacket
Gloves
Body protector
Schooling whip
Jumping whip
Number bib
Cross-country colours

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Miscellaneous

Start fee
Copy of the dressage test/rule book
Your start times
Stopwatch (if you want to wear one)
Postcode of the event
Towels
Dog poo bags and lead
Bottled water
Snacks (healthy if you’re feeling noble)
Cash to buy cheesy chips/ice cream/favourite professional photographs from the day
Suntan lotion/wellingtons depending on how friendly the weather is
Champagne flutes (and something to put in them)

Gemma Redrup

H&H features, racing and point-to-point editor

Gemma is an experienced journalist, having been part of the H&H team since 2014, who is passionate about all equestrian sports, including racing and point-to-pointing. She has enjoyed riding out for top trainers Nicky Henderson and Charlie Appleby and took part in a charity Flat race at in August 2018. Gemma’s reporting talents have taken her to numerous five-star events around Britain and Europe, as well as European championships.