Packing for Overnight Trips

Happy Friday folks! To kick off the weekend, I want you to talk to me about your packing process for overnight trips with your horse. I'm taking Ruby on a weekend trip in the not-so-distant future, and when I sat down to think about it, I realized I've never taken a horse on an overnight trip. It's one of those things I felt like I'd done before, but when I actually sat down and mentally ran through my life experiences.... I came up empty. Oops? But I'm going to remedy that!

Not really interested in my trip if it requires work. Too bad Ruby. You're gonna go, and you're gonna like it!

We are going to be traveling to a ranch a few hours away -- the campground offers trail riding and a venue for a lot of events (typically western). Ruby and I got offered a place to crash, and since I've been wanting to check out their trails anyway, I jumped at the chance. So it won't be nearly as formal (or stressful!) as trying to pack for a show -- it's just going to be a super low-key weekend all about having a good time.

Although it's gonna be hard to leave these little monsters for a few days.

Because I'm extremely type A, I've already started making packing lists. My horse trailer is well equipped for day shows, with hay nets, buckets/bucket hooks, fly spray, chairs, a pop up canopy, spare halters, a pitchfork, etc., that permanently live in the gooseneck of my tack room. I can pack my own clothes no problem (hopefully? lol). I've got shavings and feed on my list -- several bales of hay, labeled baggies of Ruby's grain for each meal we'll be gone (including an extra, in case we run late for some reason). Obviously we'll need the tack I plan to ride in for the weekend, and it probably wouldn't hurt to bring spare stuff (I'm going alone so plenty of room in my trailer!) -- I'm tentatively planning to ride her all weekend in my western saddle, and I can throw either my endurance saddle or my dressage saddle in as a backup.

Trailer chairs!

Ruby showing off my day set-up at a clinic last spring -- no I don't really love teal and black that much... why do you ask? ;)

I think I'll plan to thoroughly bathe her before I go, although I'm not sure anyone will care how clean and shiny she is on the trails, haha. Aside from those major points.... what am I forgetting? The truck will be freshly back from the mechanic and ready to roll. DH will go over the trailer and check the tires and all that good stuff (and hopefully my new trailer screens will be installed by then). I have her Coggins both electronically and physically in the trailer. Ruby typically travels super well and does not care about strange water, new stalls, other horses, etc, so I'm not *too* worried about that.

Ruby is the queen of giving no fucks. As long as there's hay. There better be hay!

How do you pack for overnight trips? Do you have a mental checklist, or a paper one? Are you a "toss everything in the trailer and go" type, or do you methodically pack and repack, making a list and checking it twice? Have you ever forgotten anything major for a big overnight trip?