Equestrian Trails, Inc.

How to Put On a Successful Horse Show

  • Decide if you are having one show or a series, High Point or Standard.
  • Acquire a venue.
  • Order your insurance certifications from the ETI office. Give a copy to the venue manager.
  • Put your Premium together. Set classes, age groups, if you are having a high point of the day, set prices and fees, the time the show will start, when lunch break will be, set the rules you will follow. USEF is the most common (if you amend the rules make sure your premium reflects the change and your judge and contestant understand it).
  • Hire qualified judges and put your judges on your premium.
  • Send out your premium, advertise it in the ETI magazine, local tack and feed stores, e-mail it to horse enthusiasts and other ETI corrals.
  • Order your ribbons, awards and numbers.
  • Organize your staff. You will need a show chair, announcer, cashier, registration person, ring steward, results person, grounds crew & clean up crew.
  • Organize any additional equipment you will need that pertains to particular classes such as jumps, cones, trail equipment, patterns.
  • Provide or hire a food vendor.
  • Organize your office supplies such as registration forms, stapler and staples, paper clips, safety pins, contestant’s numbers, calculator, cash box, money for change, ink pens.
  • Make sure your arena is prepared.
  • On the day of the show give your judge the patterns, post your patterns and make sure they are clearly understood.
  • Provide your judges needs such as water, food, breaks & shade.
  • Keep your results records current throughout the day.
  • After the each show track and report your results to your Show Chairman. If it is a High Point show send your results to the High Point Chairman with ETI National.
  • Send in your drug fees and report to the state agency.