Alright, 19 days until our FIRST SHOW (Huntseat Eq and Pleasure)! A couple questions:
Hoof Polish? Do I need it? Is that the proper name? APHA with white hooves...do I get clear?
Mane Braiding...any tips would be appreciated. I did my first attempt yesterday. Are they supposed to look like little hangie turds? I did a 4" braid and then folded it under. So it was a little 2" braid turd. I thought it looked funny. I used one of those braid guides that separates each chunk of hair into 3 sections. The braids seemed kind of big and fat. But my horse's mane is pulled fairly thin. Just pull thinner? If I braid the night before and put on a sleazy, will it stay until show day? Are there special products that help make braiding easier/stay better? Or just good ol' hair gel?
Tail...do I need to clip those little side hairs at the dock? Also, how far down the tail bone do I braid?
My horse won't let me near his ears with the clippers. He's getting his teeth floated on Thursday and I plan to try them again when he's drugged up. Will the ear-clip job last 17 days or am I going to need to try something else closer to show date?
Am I supposed to clip his eyebrows? Ya know, those sparse, long hairs above and below his eyes.
As for the hoof stuff, i am unsure.. I have always used hoof-blac when showing, even on white hooves.
I braid my own horses mane and tail for shows the day before.. i separate mane into 18 (for my tb that is) and tie them off, then plait each one as tight as possible. after that i then bundle them like you do a bun in your own hair, by looping it up then wrapping it around and around then securing it with another rubber band. (this method lasted a full w/e of showjumping with only 2 replaits.)
If you can use a spray can on your horse a quick douse up and down the rosettes they stay in fine.
DONT TRIM any of the tail before you braid it!! it makes it really hard! i tend to only go 3/4 down the tail bone, but traditionally the whole tailbone should be done.. i think you need to look at it for yourself, depending on the length of tail below the braid itself.
Definatly try and get a clear polish for your horse. Especially so if the legs are white.
Maybe you do need to go thinner or shorter. Do you have a pic?
A sleezy should do the job, just makes sure it fits well so it doesnt pull when the horse puts its head down. I had one rub my horses eyes once. I use a loose fitting hood and its perfect. Hair gel or spray holds the plaits well, I prefer not to put it in until after the braids are finished ( its so gross and gunky on the fingers)
General rule with tails, if you clip you dont braid, if you braid NEVER clip. I hate clipped tails, they look cheap and junky. A quick fix. A braid the full length of the tailbone is much more elegant and shows you put in the effort.
You can clip the ears when you have the teeth done if you want, even if the hair grows back they will still look neater than fluffy ears. If they dont look to bad leading up to the show, dont stress your horse with trying to redo them. Thats something you should practice when you have some free time.
A lot of people clip the whiskers from the eyes and muzzle. I dont like it, they have them for a reason. Also, check the rules for your breed, because I know that some breeds it is frowned apon ( A graded Arab shows) I think that if a judge is going to mark you down over a few whiskers they shouldnt hold a judging ticket. But the desision is yours.
Remember to clip the hair around the fetlocks to neaten the apearence of the hooves, and if the horse has long hair around the ergot clip that to (but not to short, and check rules first)
For the hooves, start sanding now! Get a fine-grit sandpaper, and work on them... You want all the ridges and blemishes gone by the show, if you are using clear polish. I believe it's personal preference which color you use - black really makes legs stand out, but if all the legs are white, I would probably use clear...
Most stock breed classes clip ALL the hair on the face - muzzle, under the chin and cheeks, long eye hairs, and ears... Depends on how big the show is. If you are going to be using baby oil or shine on the face, I would suggest clipping...
As for the tail, I have no idea! I've never clipped the tail, I just use hair spray or a Small amount of gel to tame the wild hairs... Never braided, though.
Also, make sure you trim the legs (around the coronet bank and the fetlocks). Since you have a paint with a lot of white, I wouldn't suggest shaving the legs all the way down - it would look cheesy Just make sure the fetlocks are clean and the coronet band is even.
Hope this helps! Send me a pic if you want and I could give more tips...
What kind of show are you going to? That makes a HUGE difference on how much you groom and what is acceptable. If you're going to a breed APHA or PtHA, I can help you. ^^
Otherwise... hehe.
It does make a difference. If you are doing a local schooling show, then use it as a learning experience. Braid your mane and your tail, use your hoof black, I believe paints show similar to QH, so I would assume hoof black, not clear - correct me if I'm wrong...
Clip your muzzle and your feetsies... bridle path, I don't know the rule for paints... anyone? is it an ear lenght? (I'm assuming). try your ears, if you can't and it's a local show, skip them, if it's a breed show then find someone to help you and yes, the dirt word... TWITCH if necessary but don't twist an ear - yucky bad.... Do you have showsheen and dust rags and all that?
Remember to clip the hair around the fetlocks to neaten the apearence of the hooves, and if the horse has long hair around the ergot clip that to (but not to short, and check rules first)
Bridlepath - length of the ears is standard, although do not go any longer than that. You can go shorter if it looks cleaner.
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