Preparing for the First Event: The Essentials

The season ends, the nights draw in, the weather turns and Christmas comes and goes quicker than you can even say 'British Eventing.' Then the next season knocks at the door and it seems that no matter how long you spend preparing, you're never fully ready. Here's a few ways I attempt to prevail over being unprepared...

The transport: I have a phobia of my box breaking apart at the cab. It gives me the Heebie Jeebie's - scares the shit out of me in fact. So, I make sure the journey to the first event (and the rest) won't be disrupted by doing the following little things:

• Standard checks of the oil level, tyre pressure and lights

• Fill up the screen wash, especially if you drive an older model because it won't tell you when it's low and There's nothing worse than driving down a dirt track on a damp morning to find you've got no way of cleaning the windscreen

• Make sure it's tidy and nothing will fall under the pedals en route (another fear of mine) - I do a big clear out and leave a bag in there for rubbish

The horse: Horses are habitual animals, they like routine. Unfortunately, or fortunately if you have a horse that needs revving up a bit, this means they anticipate what is to come. No matter how hard I try, Lily always knows when we are going eventing as opposed to any other outing. For her peace of mind, I do the following in the run up to an event:

• Practice my plaiting a couple of times, or even just section the mane

• Wash her socks etc. a couple of times (weather permitting this week!!!)

• Bung her stud-holes a couple of times

• I also enter ALW as my first event each season because I know she'll settle quickly seeing a familiar place

The facilitators: You never know exactly what you need in your horse box until you realise that it would really come in handy:

• WD-40 for those stubborn studs that just won't thread

• A farrier's nail for the stone that perfectly wedged itself in a studhole

• Paracetamol and ibuprofen, because there is NOTHING worse than doing a test at 8a.m. with a headache (and immodium too because white jodz)

• A really thick sturdy rope incase you need a pull out of a muddy field

• Baby-wipes for getting the inevitable shit stain off of the tail area and the legs (nicer than cold water)

• Spare socks for when you walk the course in your boat shoes/forget your wellies