I don't haul all of our gear to shows so people will "look at me". A lot of shows have a separate grooming area from the stall area, so it may not be practical to groom without a chute. I've also been kicked at by very gentle broke animals. A chute will prevent getting kicked in the face. It gets them off the floor, if you have a padded bottom, easier on their feet. We have 3 chutes. First two were bought used. Just bought an aluminum last year. Great investment when setting up. You can get by without a lot of equipment, but I would definitely get a chute of some kind.