Packing Your Tack Trunk for a Weekend Horse Trial

Whether you're heading to Boneo Park, Sydney Eventing, or a smaller club trial out near Toowoomba, the weekend away starts long before the horse floats roll out of the driveway. The order you load your gear, the small things you chuck in last minute, and the things you forget are what shape the whole competition. After enough trips, you start to build a rhythm, and the trunk becomes a quiet kind of map.

Most eventers I know fall into two camps: the ones who pack two days out and write lists, and the ones who swear they'll do it properly "tomorrow night" and end up throwing damp saddle pads into the ute at midnight. There's no shame in either approach, but a few habits make the whole weekend feel calmer, for you and for your horse.

Build a packing system your future self will thank you for

A tack trunk works best when it has zones. I split mine into roughly four: rider gear, horse gear, medical and feed, and the floating-around bits that always seem to multiply. Labelled bins or recycled bakery crates inside the trunk make it easy to pull out one section at a time without dragging half the truck's contents into the warm-up arena. If you're heading somewhere like Melbourne International Three Day Event with stabling that's a long walk from parking, this kind of organisation saves your back and your patience.

Lists sound boring, but they are the single thing that has rescued me from the panic of "where is my air vest?" more times than I can count. I keep a master packing list on my phone, and every event I add the small things I forgot last time. By the end of the season it's a long, slightly silly document that includes "extra hairnet" and "spur strap that doesn't ping off mid-test." When you pack it back in after a weekend, anything missing goes straight onto the next list.

Think about the order you'll need things, too. The first thing you want when you arrive isn't usually your show jacket. It's water, hay nets, and a halter. Keep those within easy reach at the top of the trunk or in a separate bag. Then comes the things you need for the horse to settle, then the gear for the actual phases. When you're packing up on Sunday evening, you're basically packing in reverse, and if the system works both ways, you've got it right.

Tack, rugs and boots: the horse half of the trunk

The horse gear is the part everyone thinks they have sorted, and yet half the eventers I know have once turned up to a dressage test with one white glove. Pack two of everything that comes in pairs: gloves, brushing boots, studs, sock bandages, girths. Even if you only use one, the spare saves the day when something breaks or gets covered in arena sand.

For a weekend eventing trip, you want enough rugs to cover any weather the BOM can throw at you. Australian conditions have a way of going from a sunny 28 degrees to sideways rain in the space of a cross-country round. A cooler, a rainsheet, and a winter rug will get you through most of it. If you're going somewhere notorious for wind, like the Adelaide Hills or parts of regional NSW, a hood or an extra heavy rug earns its spot. Keep them clean and folded flat, not stuffed in like a sleeping bag, because nothing flattens a good rug like a weekend in the boot.

Studs, stud holes and a stud kit are non-negotiable. Pack your full set in a small tool box or a hard case so they don't migrate through the trunk and end up in someone's boot at the end of the trip. Add a spare girth, a spare set of reins if you own two pairs, and at least one spare bit. If you're schooling on Friday before dressage, you'll want a schooling bridle and a martingale or breastplate depending on your horse. It's easier to throw the optional extras in than to drive back home on Saturday morning.

Boot up your horse's legs with care: brushing boots or galloping boots, overreach boots for cross-country, travel boots for the float, and stable boots or thick bandages for the night. I pack an extra set of each in case a hook or a clip decides to give up halfway through the showjumping round.

Rider kit and the art of looking like you tried

The rider side of the trunk is where neatness really pays off. Hang show shirts and jackets where you can, even if it's just on a couple of clip hangers inside the trunk lid. Creases in your show jacket aren't the end of the world, but they don't help either. Travel with your helmet in a proper bag rather than the bottom of a backpack. Same goes for your body protector or air vest, which often lives in its own carry case.

Stock the small things: stock tie or stock pin, gloves in your size plus a half size up or down, hairnets, a clean belt, two pairs of breeches if you're schooling and competing, and a clean pair of socks for each day. Riders underestimate how quickly a pair of socks becomes unrideable after one cross-country round and a hose down at the wash bay.

Footwear matters more than people think. Riding boots in and out of stirrups, a pair of rubber boots for mucking out and washing off, and a comfortable pair of sneakers for the in-between hours. If you're camping at a venue like Wallaby Hill or a regional club, gumboots or a sturdy pair of leather boots will do the job across the whole weekend. Pack a small sewing kit with spare buttons, a needle and thread, and a few safety pins. They have fixed more rider outfits than any saddler.

Feed, water and the great supplement scramble

Feed is the easiest thing to forget because horses get the same scoop every morning at home, and the brain stops registering it as something to pack. Write it down: hard feed, chaff, hay, any supplements, electrolytes, and a scoop for each horse. If your horse is on anything remotely fussy, like a specific chaff blend from a local produce store, buy it the week before and don't rely on the local stockfeed to have it. Most event venues have a stockfeed on site or nearby, but the brands you know might not match what they sell.

Hay for the weekend is worth thinking about as its own little project. A weekend away usually burns through four to six small hay nets depending on the horse and the stabling. Pack them clean and folded, plus a couple of spare nets just in case. Water is the same story. Some horses will scoff at strange water, so a couple of big containers from home or a flavoured electrolyte in the drink can save you a colic scare. In the Australian summer, water is even more important. If you're heading somewhere inland or up into the QLD heat, think about how you'll keep buckets cool in the middle of the day.

Supplements, treats, and the miscellaneous bits like apple cider vinegar or oil all go in a separate small container. Label everything if you're sharing a truck with a mate, because mixing up the ginger mare's calming paste with the warmblood's gut supplement is a fun way to learn the hard way.

Hoof care, first aid and the bits that actually save you

Farrier care is the kind of thing you only really notice when it goes wrong. Tracking each cycle, knowing when your horse was last shod, and keeping that information somewhere reliable makes it easier to spot a problem before it turns into a three-day-event disaster. Why I Document Every Nail in My Farrier Schedule is one of those habits that's saved me more than once at an event.

A weekend away is not the time to discover your horse has thrown a shoe in the float and you've got no farrier contacts in the area. Keep a small hoof kit in the trunk: a pick, a brush, a spare shoe if your farrier leaves you one, and a tube of hoof filler.

First aid for the horse should cover cuts, knocks, and the unexpected. A small kit with saline, gauze, vet wrap, a poultice, iodine, scissors, and a thermometer will handle most situations. Pack any prescription medications, including phenylbutazone or any sedation you've discussed with your vet, clearly labelled and with the relevant paperwork. Add a human first aid kit too, because blistered heels from new boots and a twisted ankle from an awkward dismount are a very real part of eventing life.

Don't forget the paperwork. Your horse's registration with Equestrian Australia, your rider card, your horse health declaration if the event requires one, and any waivers. Most Australian events are moving to online check-in, but it's still worth having paper copies in the glove box in case the Wi-Fi gives up halfway through the office queue.

Camp comforts, creature comforts, and the ute

The non-horsey bits of the trunk are what make a weekend feel like a weekend rather than a survival exercise. A chair, a thermos, sunscreen, a hat, fly repellent, and a change of clothes for after the cross-country. If you're camping, a small esky with your lunch, snacks and plenty of water is worth more than any expensive piece of tack. Australians know that an event without a decent thermos and a cold drink in the arvo is a sad event indeed.

Think about the practical stuff as well. A head torch is invaluable at unpowered campsites or when you're checking on the horse at night. A multi-tool, some gaffer tape, a spare halter, and a spare lead rope all earn their keep. If you're floating with a mate, agree on what lives in whose vehicle so you don't end up with three eskys and zero hoof picks.

Plan your ute or float load carefully. The trunk should sit somewhere it won't slide, ideally secured, with the heaviest items low. Hay bales if you're bringing your own go on the bottom layer, gear on top. If you're heading somewhere with a long drive, like Sydney International Equestrian Centre from regional Victoria, plan fuel stops, water for the horses, and how you'll manage breaks. Horses need to come off the float for a stretch every few hours on a longer haul, and that means having a halter and lead within easy reach.

Final load-out and the morning of departure

The night before you leave, do a final walk around the truck or float. Open every box, look in every compartment. Check that your bridle is in its bag, your rider cards are in your pocket, and your horse is actually in the paddock, not the neighbour's. Pack the things you'll need first thing in the morning on top: headcollars, hay nets, water buckets, and feed. Anything that lives at the bottom of the trunk is something you'll need to dig for at 5am and you will not love yourself for it.

On the morning of departure, give yourself longer than you think. Horses sense rushed humans, and rushed humans forget things. Hook up, do a full safety check on the float, check the lights, and walk around the truck one last time. Then take a breath, climb in, and go.

The best packed tack trunk is the one that means you don't have to think. You turn up, you unload, you set up, and your horse settles quickly because everything is familiar and within reach. After enough weekends, the packing becomes part of the rhythm of eventing, almost as much a part of the sport as the dressage test itself. A good trunk gets you to the start box calmly, which is the only thing that really matters.

Share your own packing tips and the one thing you always forget in the comments below, and tag a mate who needs to see this before their next event.