Hoof black for jogs legal?

[WalnutGroveEq]

I’ve done a bunch of searches on this and I can’t seem to find a source that specifically addresses using hoof black for vet inspections. Most articles on grooming for a jog mention hoof polish as a must but they don’t specify what color. I have a horse with four black hooves and another with two black and two striated. For dressage I just oil the hooves before and they usually get covered with sand anyway, but I would really like to pull out all the stops for the jog. I like the idea of winning the best turned out award, but I don’t want to make a Rookie mistake.

It sounds like anything that alters the markings of a horse is illegal. So using hoof black on “striated” (black and white striped hooves) or white hooves would be possible grounds for elimination, but hoof black on all black hooves is ok? Does anyone have any first hand experience with this?

I’ve seen people use black on the black parts of the hooves and clear on the white in open shows, but it’s so hard to get the white parts looking clean without sanding the crap out of them and I’ve heard people say that it can make your horse look like it’s moving unevenly. Definitely not what I want for a vet inspection!

I’ve read through rule book in regards to jogs but it doesn’t seem to address this issue directly. Any advice is appreciated.

[Lkramer]

Just use a neutral shoe polish and cover with clear. I’ve never heard anything about black being illegal.

[Hilary]

For FEI jogs you cannot alter the color of the horse in anyway (I think the word they use is “mask”) so you could use black polish on black hooves, but it’s safer to use clear. Same goes for using cornstarch to whiten socks. You didn’t mention what level you are presenting for, so if it is not FEI then black looks very sharp. Oil attracts too much dust to be nice for a jog, unless you are able to apply it immediately before presenting on a tarmac strip.

[WalnutGroveEq]

@Hilary

For FEI jogs you cannot alter the color of the horse in anyway (I think the word they use is “mask”) so you could use black polish on black hooves, but it’s safer to use clear. Same goes for using cornstarch to whiten socks.

I know using baby powder or cornstarch is super common and it looks fantastic. Has anyone actually gotten in trouble for this? I would argue that you are not “masking” the color, rather enhancing it. If this were illegal then using blueing shampoo to whiten could be argued to be illegal as well.

[yellowbritches]

I used clear hoof polish growing up on my Appaloosa. I groomed him according to ApHC rules, which strictly forbids enhancing or masking colors (striated hooves are a breed characteristic and they want to see them in all their stripey glory). I would use clear, or, better yet, good old hoof oil. I much prefer the look of an oiled hoof to a polished hoof. It doesn’t look as plastic to me.

[Hilary]

You could use cornstarch to cover up some redness from an infection. That’s why you can’t use it. I don’t know what would happen if you used too much blueing and turned the socks purple, but you are also not allowed to dye a tail or a faded coat.

They can use a fake tail but not dye the natural one.

I’m not sure what they think masking the color of a striped hoof with blacking could hide in terms of performance. Possibly to ensure it is the correct horse? No body doubles with a star blacked out like they do in the movies?

[Blugal]

Can anyone cite the rules they are referring to please?

[Lkramer]

@Hilary

You could use cornstarch to cover up some redness from an infection. That’s why you can’t use it. I don’t know what would happen if you used too much blueing and turned the socks purple, but you are also not allowed to dye a tail or a faded coat.

They can use a fake tail but not dye the natural one.

I’m not sure what they think masking the color of a striped hoof with blacking could hide in terms of performance. Possibly to ensure it is the correct horse? No body doubles with a star blacked out like they do in the movies?

I’ve been dying my horses tail’s for years!! Had no idea this a rule!