Be the Cliché!

When I pack for a show, I always check the forecast for the city the venue is in. The forecast can change, so I check it a couple times, including just before I start packing. I know most of the venues well enough now to know if the office, announcers stand, and arenas are shaded, have air flow, or if they are inside or outside. Looking at all these things helps me decide if I'll need a couple layers, lots of layers, the straw or felt hat, a scarf or headband, gloves with or without fingers, hot hands, or a space heater. Of course, the length of the show has an impact too. Is it a single day show? A weekend show? Am I staying at a hotel, in a camper or driving back and forth?

I consider all these things carefully… and then, I pack for every option anyway. Over the years I've learned you never know what you'll need until you get there. Even for a single day show you'll find multiple layers in my car. Its normal to bring my heavy Carhartt coat, thick insulated raincoat, lighter insulated windbreaker, and an uninsulated jacket. I'm typically wearing 2-3 layers under the coats too. I wear a tank top, light shirt, then sweatshirt or thick top. And, depending on the time of year, I have thick leggings under my jeans. If its super cold, I have insulated boots. To be honest though, I am normally the coldest person in the room. I would rather be too warm than shivering. I know, a woman overpacking is a cliché, so I guess I'm a cliché. I'm ok with that. All the layers I take to a show come in handy, and not just for me. It’s not uncommon for judges or other staff to need an extra layer. The temperature can change fast when the sun rises and sets.

Wisconsin weather in May is lukewarm typically, but unpredictable. One show Lynn and I were working was no exception. It was 55 degrees at its best and the outdoor arena we were using isn’t covered. One of the judges was from Hawaii and didn't own a heavy coat or gloves. By the first break he was visibly shivering. We tried to offer him a spare coat from our stash. He politely declined. He held out until lunch break. He is a medium height, slender guy. We had Lynn’s heaviest Carhartt with us, he is 6' 5". When the judge put it on, it went to his knees, he was swimming in it, but he was warm. He wore Lynn's coat the remainder of Saturday and all-day Sunday. I offered him my spare gloves, but he was perfectly comfortable with Lynn's thick work gloves that he discovered in the pockets. No more shivering for anyone, mission accomplished!

On another occasion, we were working a show in late October and the weather unexpectedly changed on us for the worse. We showed up Friday morning to sunshine and a warm breeze and as the day went on, the weather declined a lot. The sky clouded over, and the warm breeze became a cold wind. Luckily, we were showing inside, but the building was unheated. By the time you get to October shows the gear in the car not only includes multiple layers of coats and gloves, but it also includes blankets and a space heater. The judges and other staff did not have spare layers with them. Lynn emptied the whole stash from the car and piled all the coats and blankets on the announcers stand. The judges and staff borrowed what they needed, and the space heater was plugged in under the table on the announcers stand. We all stayed warm and the show went great!

One more story, why not? Once in a while the weather surprises me and goes from chilly to warm. I was caught off guard one day last fall. Saturday had been cold and rainy, exactly as predicted. Sunday was supposed to be cloudy and chilly, but dry. I put on a light top, heavy top and a coat. I knew the announcers stand would be chilly, but I had my space heater going. By noon the sun had come out and the clouds were gone. The coat was gone and the space heater was off. I was still too hot, even for me. Especially when I stepped off the stand. The challenge was, I couldn’t take off my warm top. Yes, I’d rather be warm than cold, but I was starting to bake. My thick top was mostly black. My light shirt had an open pattern that it was effectively transparent and I did not have a tank top on. No indecent exposure for me. Oh well, I survived and have laughed about it since. I’m guessing it will happen again.

My point is , there's no such thing as overpacking for a horse show in Wisconsin. The weather may change from morning to night. Hot to cold and back again. Rain, sleet and snow on the same day. I say, pack for all of it! Be the cliché. Do you pack for every kind of weather? For you? For your horses? Let me know in the comments. I bet I’m not alone.