From This Side of the Ring: The Ultimate Dairy Goat Show Box
Essential gear to make your goats glow and show days shine.
Reading Time: 4 minutes
There’s something to be said about a nice, clean dairy goat that has perfectly clipped hair, a beautifully filled udder, and a handler who’s dressed in show whites and holding onto a nice show collar. There’s a lot that goes into preparing a goat to look good in the ring, and the final touches of that preparation happen on show day. So, what do you need to have on hand in your show box when bringing your goats to a show?
After years of lugging show boxes that had way too much stuff in them, scrambling for missing show collars and wishing I had packed that one elusive brush, I’ve learned that the right tools don’t just make the job easier, they make the difference between utter chaos and calm. Whether you’re a veteran on the show circuit or prepping for your first show, here’s a breakdown of the must-have gear I keep in my goat show box and why it earns its place.
We use a plastic toolbox on wheels. It has small compartments on the bottom to put our odds and ends, and drawers in the middle for the stuff we use the most. I also love that it has a handle so I can wheel it around like a luggage bag.
On the Go Udder Care
The first thing I make sure I have in my show box is items for udder care.
- Bag balm
- Dinamint lotion for when we are done shaving udders
- Clippers with a #7 blade for last-minute body touch-ups, and more importantly, a #50 blade for udder clipping.
- Razors and shaving cream for shaving the udders
- Extra teat wipes
- Fight Bac
- A couple rolls of teat tape in my show box, as well as I have a couple of does that leak when their udder starts to fill up.
Collars, Clips, Cooling Spray and More
After udder care items are packed, it’s time to pack everything else. I have a small plastic lure box meant for holding fishing lures. No, I’m not going fishing, but I am keeping our show chain collars in that box. We have different-sized collars for kids and adults, and different clips used to clip them together while they’re around your goat’s neck. I have a really bad habit of not putting collars back in the lure box, but don’t tell my wife that I admit that!
I also keep a cooling spray for our clippers in the show box. On hot summer days, clippers heat up quickly. Your goats will thank you for keeping those clipper heads as cool as you possibly can. I also bring a 12-foot extension cord and a six-outlet surge protector. Clippers don’t do much good if you can’t plug them in
Inside my show box, you’ll also find different kinds of brushes, most of which are soft-bristle brushes to brush off any dirt, straw, or shavings stuck on your goat. It’s nice to do a once-over before they hit the ring.
Unless it’s the depths of winter, flies are a problem, so I make sure to keep a bottle of fly spray handy in my show box.
I also keep a small medical kit in my show box along with various medications supplied by my vet. For shows that last more than a couple of days, I like to keep medications to stave away scours, any respiratory ick, and pain medication for injuries, just in case.
One thing I can’t live without is my RV water filter, since sometimes my goats won’t drink water at the show unless I use the filter.
A milk bucket and a portable milk stand are good to have along.
I may keep a few other odds and ends in my show box, but for the most part, those are the essentials. As long as you have these items, you should be more than prepared for a show.
Other Odds and Ends
Don’t forget your registration book, health papers, and other necessary paperwork for the show. One thing I’ve started to add to the outside of the box is stickers offered by other herds I’ve met along the way. It’s fun to rep your friend’s herds, and it makes the show box look fun. I hope this comprehensive list helps you figure out what you need to pack in your goat show box. Just remember, everyone does things a little differently, and not all show boxes are created equal!
Jon Kain lives and breathes goats, literally. By day, he’s a superintendent of a goat and cow dairy. By “night,” he and his family raise a small herd of Oberhasli goats while chasing his 3-year-old daughter or talking about goats on his podcast, Ringside: An American Dairy Goat Podcast.
