White House Goats : For Sale: Boer Goats : Northwest: Washington : Oregon : paint : colored : red

The list of things to take to a show can be as different as the people showing goats. However, for those folks new to showing who may be wondering where to start, I'm providing a list that will help you get started.

I organize my supplies into a few categories:

Essentials	These are the must have items...all else can be bought, borrowed or improvised	Goats Registration papers -- the original papers, not a copy (and letter of permission if you aren't the owner shown on the registration papers) Water buckets Food for Goats: take your own grain if they're used to it; take your own hay or make sure that the show will have hay available that is close enough to what your goats are used to that they will not scour with the change in hay Checkbook: need I say more? Even if you think you are completely paid in full, inevitably you'll want to enter one more class or buy raffle tickets (or that gorgeous junior champion doe)
Buckets and Bags		As mentioned above, Water Buckets; if you have nursing moms or are leaving the buckets unattended for more than an hour or two, make sure they are large buckets and you leave them very full -- it's amazing how much those mamas drink Grain buckets optional: bucket straps to help keep them from spilling grain Scoop for grain Hay bags: looks neater than eating off the ground
Show Box	I like to use a "portable tack rack" (available at valleyvet.com or at your local feed/tack store) to organize my show collars and leads the day of haul-in to a show. On a couple of the hooks I put my show collars and on one or two my leads. The morning of the show I usually make the rounds and fit the collars to the goat (you want the collar to be a little bigger than the neck so it's not snug, but you sure don't want it to be so big the goat gets loose). I'll clip the collar and lead to the goat's pen, so it's easy to grab the animal when the pace of the show is fast and there's not time to lose.	Show collars (dog choke chains): several extras and in various sizes Prong collars: buy two or three collars and you can interchangeably make them longer or shorter by borrowing links from each other Leads: Short "traffic" leads for showing (go to petsmart.com and search for traffic lead, or go to a petsmart store and they call them Rotweiler leads); these are not mandatory...many folks like to just lead by the collar, but the chain can be hard on your hands when there's a 200lb doe pulling into the chain with all her might Grooming spray: something like Cowboy Magic to get out spots (even if you've bathed them, they will get dirty) Brush: small bristle brush for getting rid of shavings or straw before going in the ring Roller Lint Remover: one of the ones with tape that you normally use to get pet hair off your clothes -- these come in handy to get goat hair off of your clothing before you enter the ring Baby wipes: a resealable pack of baby wipes -- these are great for cleaning up goat's noses, eyes, and cleaning off ears for reading tattoos.
Clipper Tub	I found a storage tub with an attached lid and handle (makes for easy carrying when you have a goat in the other hand)...I put all my clipping related items in that tub.	Clippers (I use Oster Turbo A2, which are fine for smaller clip jobs; I'd like bigger ones that stay cooler for doing wether clips, but they are heavier and more expensive...get the clippers that suit your needs) Clipper cooling spray Clipper oil Scissors Extra clipper blades Guards for your clipper if you use them Hoof Trimmers -- This may seem a strange place for them, but I usually trim hooves while doing the show clip, so it's logical from that perspective, and also, it keeps all the sharp blades in one place.
Decorating Tub	Depending on whether I'm going to a fair or a normal open show that doesn't require decorations, this is the part of my show packing that varies a lot. This is probably an area where you'll add something to your kit every season...maybe every show!	Farm Sign: large vinyl or wooden sign with farm name and other info; remember twine or nails to hang it Business Cards & holder Table (can be a small t.v. table) for displaying business cards, for sale info, etc. Stall cards: you can purchase farm name signs for every stall; you can also buy at office depot clear plastic sign holders that can be zip tied to the stall, and you insert a sheet of paper with whatever info you'd like -- this is great if you change info often Chairs: a couple of folding chairs to put by your table and pens are nice. Having one extra invites folks to stop by and chat. Tools: scissors, staple gun, extra staples, ladder, hammer, nails, twine, and lots of zip ties: you may not need all of these, but think about how you'll be mounting your decorations.
Medical Kit	I bought a cheap plastic tool box and use that to store my medical supplies	Pepto Bismol (or other agent for scouring) Drench Syringe 3cc syringe with needles Antibiotic Thermometer Vet's phone number Pour-on lice treatment
Wash Bucket	In a large bucket I store my goat-washing supplies; different people have vastly different ideas about shampoos and techniques. You'll have to find what you like.	Hose; I prefer the curly flexible hoses. Make sure that you have a way to turn off and on the flow at the end of the hose, whether that's through a simple shut-off valve or a spray nozzle Shampoo: you can get whitening shampoos, or just use baby shampoo or other mild shampoo Spare shoes and socks...you don't want to spend the whole weekend at a show with wet feet.
"Icing"	These are things that are nice to have but not necessary. Even if I own them I don't always take them to a show depending on room and needs.	Fitting Stand: When you're thinking about buying a stanchion, think about getting one that's light and foldable for taking to shows Blow Dryer: cattle or horse blow dryers can be nice for drying off goats in cold weather. Some people use them all the time...I almost never use mine. Water heater: I've never tried the fancy horse hot water heaters, but I have seen folks using simple electric heated buckets and heating a little water at a time that way. Ringside tie ropes: some places sell these. In reality most people use leadropes, show leads or bucket straps to tie each goat to the fence individually. Goats seem to fight and get tangled if the clips on these are too close together.

UPDATED: 10/5/07