Horse Grooming Show Tips

Showing horses is a fun, exciting and expensive hobby. Massive amounts of time, energy and money are spent preparing horses for the show ring, and even more more money is spent on buying and breeding animals suited for the ring. Being successful in the show ring is no accident. It is a matter of careful preparation, lots of elbow grease, and yes, some homework. This article will give you some tips on how to prepare your horse for that show winning look.

  1. Clean Your Horse

    • Begin with a clean horse. You must clean your horse thoroughly before you begin grooming for the show ring. This means two washes, with soap, until the water runs completely clear. Both mane and tail must be washed and conditioned until no trace of dirt or debris remains.

    Trim Your Horse

    • Extra body hair must go. Depending on the breed of horse you are showing, this can vary in detail, but the basic idea is the same. When the judge looks at your horse, he or she must be able to see all the lines of the horse cleanly, and the best features of the animal need to be emphasized, while the faults should be downplayed. This is where your homework comes in. You should be very familiar with the breed you are showing and know the requirements, as well as the fads and fashions, of your chosen breed. Excess body hair needs to be cut and trimmed--from the coat, legs, face, mane and tail.

    Clip the Face

    • Again, breeds vary in how this is approached, but in general, all excess facial hair and whiskers need to be removed to the skin. This must be done with great care, especially around the eyes, as a wrong move can cut the horse's eye. The ears must be clipped as well, and this will almost certainly require the use of a lip twitch or a tranquilizer. When using an electric clipper, remember to clip against the growth of the hair; this gets it down to the skin and makes the clip even.

    Mane and Tail

    • This will take many hours of patience and work. Different breeds have different fashions, but regardless of what is popular, the hair must be soft, silky smooth, shiny and very clean. The mane and tail must be meticulously washed, cleaned and conditioned, and then any number of hair dressings must be applied to smooth and untangle them. The final picture should be one of glossy beauty.

    Hooves

    • Hooves must be neatly trimmed, cleaned, shod (in most cases) and, in many breed shows, polished. The coronet band should be trimmed of excess hair so it makes a clean appearance.

    Shine That Coat

    • As a final step, the horse's coat must be brushed to a shine and polish applied. There are many types of show polish, as there are for people. Pick one that works for you and use it. Just remember, most of these are silicone based and can be very slippery. So apply it to the saddle area with care if you plan on riding later.

    Step Back and Review

    • Look at your horse from all angles. Front, back, side to side--the horse must appear balanced, polished and in blooming good health. If there is an area that needs to be touched up, now is the time to do it. In the ring, it is too late.