How to get your horse in show shape

Are you going to be hitting the local show circut? Maybe you are just going to a schooling show at your barn. Here are some tips to get your horse in "show shape".

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Clippers
• Winter Horse Blankets
• Grooming supplies
• Horse Shampoo
• Hoof polish (optional)
• Show Sheen/Laser Sheen (optional)

1. Grooming-
   The earlier you start getting your horse in show shape, the better he will look when it is time to head into the ring. If you are going to show your horse, then he will need to have a short, sleek, glossy coat. A horse's coat is a reflection of what he is being feed, and how much grooming he is getting. Make sure that your horse is on the proper diet, and then brush, brush, brush. Each time you brush your horse, it stimulates oils in his coat that make it shinny.
2. Blanketing-
   If it is cold in your climate, you will want to blanket your horse to keep him from getting a long, furry winter coat. It is very important that you are rigours about your blanketing regiment. If you blanket your horse for 3 weeks, and he doesn't grow a winter coat, and then one day you forget to blanket him - he will get sick. It is helpful to have two blankets so that you can rotate when one gets dirty and needs to be washed. You will need to choose a blanket based on how cold it gets in your area, and if your horse is staled inside or outside. You will need to take your horse's blanket off during the day (if it is warm enough), and make sure you brush him before putting the blanket back on.
3. Clipping-
   To get your horse ready to show, you will want to clip him with electric clippers. Typically horses are clipped on their legs - trimming the feathers that form below the fetlock (the "bulb" at the bottom of a horse's leg), as well as their bridle path (the area of their mane right behind their ears) and their ears, muzzle and long eye-wiskers. You must take great care when clipping a horse's eyes, to be sure that you don't injure him. Use a size 10 or 15 blade for the legs, and a size 30 or 40 blade for their face. A 40 blade is a very close shave, so take care, and you might want to practice a few months before the show so you can get the hang of it.
4. Bathing-
   It is best to bath your horse the day before the show, so that the natural oil in his coat will return and make his coat shinny. You will probably have to touch up any white legs on the day of the show. You can use a gentle scrubber pad (the green nylon one)on your horse's feet to clean off all the dirt. You will also want to wash your horse's mane and tail, and apply a coat polish to it(such as Show Sheen or Laser Sheen). Do NOT apply coat polish to the area where you saddle will go - it will make it too slippery. Once the tail is dry, you might want to braid it up so that it will not get shavings in it - a loose braid is sufficient. Put a clean, dry blanket on your horse, and put him in a clean stall until show time.
5. Finishing Touches-
   On the day of the show, you can take out your horse's tail and brush it out. There are many coat enhancers on the market - ones that make your white markings whiter, ones that enhance black coats, ect.. I like to rub a little baby powder or cornstarch into my horse's white legs, and then brush it out - it makes the white legs gleam. Another finishing touch is hoof black - you brush it on your horse's hooves and it dries to a hard, glossy finish. This polish tends to be a it drying to a horse's hoof, so I usually save this step for the larger, more important shows. Rub your horse down with a clean rag, and you are ready to head off into the show ring - looking like a winner!