🥪 Snacks & Sanity Savers

(aka how I keep everyone alive and semi-functional on show day)

Horse shows are wild. You’re up at 4am, the horse is gleaming, the kids are already sticky, and you’ve had half a coffee but no actual food — and there’s a full day ahead. Sound familiar?

I used to pack just a few snacks for myself and hope for the best. Now? I’ve got a whole system… because I’m not just fuelling me anymore. I’m feeding:

• Two small children who are somehow always hungry

• A husband who thinks a meal is a bag of lollies or a Cadbury Black Forest bar

• A teenage working student who loves a snack just as much as the rest of us

• And myself — running on caffeine and hope...

So here’s what’s actually in our show-day snack bag — the stuff that keeps us going, keeps the hangry moments at bay, and helps me make it to the end of the day without losing it completely.

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🧃 First up: Hydration (or bust)

This one’s not exciting, but it matters.

• Water bottles — one per person, usually half-full by 8am. Kidding... A 24-pack of water bottles from Woolies lives in the truck, and we just work our way through it.

• Sparkling water is my personal non-negotiable. I grab a tray of cans and stash them everywhere.

• Electrolyte packets — I love a good Berocca or a Hydrate tab.

• Juice boxes — mostly for the kids, but I’m not above stealing one when my blood sugar tanks.

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🥪 The Real Food

No fancy prep here. Just stuff that won’t melt, mush, or smell weird when left in the cab for a bit too long.

• Marmite toast (yes, even on the go) or ham + cheese wraps

• Bananas or apples — which, let’s be honest, often end up fed to the pony

• Crackers + cheese or chips and dip

• Chip, biscuit, and cracker packets — anything easy to grab when we’re rushing

• A variety of muesli bars, Milo bars, and anything that keeps the kids going

And yes — I do like to make sure everyone has a proper sandwich or wrap at lunchtime, to avoid those mid-arvo “hangrys.” Including myself, because I tend to forget I exist on show days.

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🍬 The Treat Stash

Not essential, but 100% necessary.

• Sour lollies (the kids call these “show day candy” — and honestly, same)

• Chocolate. Chocolate. And more chocolate — my personal reward system

• A few secret lollipops and random goodies stashed in the tack box or living area for bribes… I mean, motivation

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🧠 The Sanity Stuff

(a.k.a. Mum’s survival kit)

• Painkillers — for me or whoever pulls something before their round

• Hair ties, chapstick, sunscreen

• Wet wipes — for hands, faces, boots, helmets… you name it. ALWAYS.

• Mini first-aid kit for blisters, scrapes, and mystery boo-boos

• Phone charger + power bank — filming rounds = dead battery by lunch

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🧘♀️ The “I Just Need Five Minutes” Kit

Sometimes stashed in the front seat of the truck for emergency regrouping.

• Peppermint gum or anything minty — surprisingly helpful for nerves and headaches

• Earbuds — not always for music, sometimes just to drown everything out for a moment

• A notebook or scrap paper to jot down what went well… or just scribble while pretending to be busy

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🧺 How I Pack It

EVERYTHING IN.
I try to be organised, but realistically it all gets tossed into a few clear containers so the kids (and everyone else) can actually see and grab what they need.

We’ve also got a cooler bag for cold drinks and anything perishable. I aim to prep everything the night before… but usually end up stuffing it all together at 5am while trying to find someone’s missing glove.

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🍷 And When It’s All Over…

• The horse is home (or back in the stables) and hosed off

• The kids are crashed out in the truck

• The tack is… somewhere, probably in a pile

And me?
I’m pouring a large glass of wine (or a cheeky G&T), putting my feet up, and celebrating the fact that we made it through another one.

Because at the end of the day, yes — the ribbons are fun.
But keeping everyone fed, hydrated, and (mostly) happy?

That’s the real win.
🧡