Minimal grooming routine for shows

[Blume_Farm]

Uh Oh! I am the laziest of groomers. For a schooling show I’m happy to just brush my horse and pick her feet!

For a rated show I will sometimes give a bath, but often not. I braid her mane (nine button braids, takes me less than 15 minutes), often not her fetlock. I show sheen her body and tail and brush it all out.

I always keep under her jaw trimmed, fetlocks trimmed, tail docked and trimmed, and edges of her ears trimmed so that I don’t do that “extra” for a show as it is already done. I don’t trim whiskers and I don’t keep a bridle path shaved.

But that is the benefit of a black horse, no white!

[oldernewbie]

I have an Arab, but he’s gray, so there is no such thing as a minimal grooming routine LOL! We have every whitening shampoo and rinse in the book!

However, I have let my guy’s bridle path grow almost all the way back. I cut a spot about 1.5 inches for his bridle - just to make it easier to bridle him.

I change my mind every year about what to do with his mane - sometimes it’s Arab show barn long and sometimes it’s pulled. I will say that if you leave it long, you may have one heck of a time getting button braids that look decent with it. I french braid his mane when it’s full length and if you practice it - it looks very nice and is much quicker to do than individual braids. But practice - I’ve known some people who’ve made a real rat’s nest out of a French braid. Does not contribute to a pulled together look!

I give my boy a little fetlock trim but don’t shave white legs or coronet band like we used to when I was showing main ring.

Final note: Arab people turn out their dressage horses very nicely for the most part. You can take the girl (or guy) out of the main ring but you can’t take the main ring out of the girl (or guy)!

Have fun!

[mjhco]

No roaching for Arabians. Per USEF rule book (unless you are showing a cutter)

[MelanieC]

OK, putting together a list of supplies:

shampoo
conditioner
shampoo for whites (socks)
two clean brushes just for show
braiding supplies (bands, yarn, pull-through - going to attempt dressage braids)
scissors
small clippers
baby wipes
spare towels
Show Sheen or similar

Will that do?

[MelanieC]

And oldernewbie, I’m a little intimidated to show at the Arab show - I know it’ll be sport horse people but I’m afraid we might look like unwashed heathens with no shaving, no grease, no bridle path. Plus he goes in a Micklem.

[sabinomare]

[QUOTE=MelanieC;8025151]
And oldernewbie, I’m a little intimidated to show at the Arab show - I know it’ll be sport horse people but I’m afraid we might look like unwashed heathens with no shaving, no grease, no bridle path. Plus he goes in a Micklem. :)[/QUOTE]

I have good friends that do the Arab shows around here that I usually tag along to as a groom (hello fellow PNWer!) and the crowd is really friendly, all very wonderful people. You won’t look like an unwashed heathen, and if you did, no one would really care

[Demera]

I’m a minimalist when it comes to presentation too!

I use scissors and only cut a bridle path the width of my bridle headpiece… so no more than 1 inch. It’s hidden under the bridle, so clippers are not required.

Scissors also do a good job of the hair over the wither, which I trim up to the point where the mane thickens enough to form a plait. If you cut with the scissors horizontal and the blades pointing to his ears, it’s just as good as clippers.

As for fetlocks, I use scissors and a comb. Comb upwards, and trim the hair on the outside of the comb. It can be done very neatly. I always do it a few weeks before a comp, never the day before.

Apart from washing and plaiting, I don’t do anything else. I use this plaiting technique: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTuvuvbGlDY

It’s quick, neat and easy, and it stays in really well.

[RedmondDressage]

[QUOTE=MelanieC;8024627]
I don’t have a real clipper - I have a set of Wahl clippers for cutting human hair that I bought for something like $14.99. This is what I used in the past for bridle path and fetlocks. Is that insanity?

If I don’t shave in a bridle path will that look hideous?[/QUOTE]

Personally I hate the Arab length bridle path… Why not just do a normal bridle path? I’m sure your Wahls can handle the 2" of clipping that takes. Scissors work fine as well. My horse used to be terrible about clippers so I just snipped his with scissors.

[MelanieC]

Oh yeah, my Wahls work fine for bridle paths. I’ve used them on fetlocks before but not when I was trying to make my guy look nice - and it didn’t look nice.

I don’t miss having a bridle path at all and am not really sure what it’s supposed to do. I mean, I get that the long bridle path shows off the neck (and it does, but I’m still glad it’s gone) but not how a short bridle path makes it easier to bridle a horse. I don’t have trouble bridling him with no bridle path.

Demera, I don’t know why I never thought of cutting off the broken bit of mane over his withers… neither of us will miss it. It might be annoying when it starts growing back in, but it looks like crap anyway since it’s all rubbed from his blankets.

Thanks everyone!

[Simbalism]

You mentioned show sheen in your list. Just remember not to put it where your saddle sits or on any place you plan on braiding.

[MelanieC]

Thanks! It seems like the go-to for nice tails?

[MelanieC]

Hey, look what I found!

http://www.arabianhorseworld.com/how-to/clipping/groom-your-sporthorse.html

I read the grooming tips for regular Arab shows first before finding the sport horse page. It was pretty intense. I don’t think I spent that much time primping before my wedding.

[oldernewbie]

That was a good article. You might also want to buy a copy of this:

http://www.amazon.com/Braiding-Manes-Tails-Visual-Braids-ebook/dp/B009R6IAVE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424827772&sr=8-1&keywords=horse+braiding

Absolutely the best explanation of every kind of braid you can imagine. Very useful!

Another tip: don’t wash the mane before you braid it. No matter what kind of braid you do, a dirty mane sticks together better than a clean one. (Of course if you have big mud clumps in it, that’s a different story!) I also use Spray and Braid or Quic Braid to keep the braids together and the ends down - or use people hair gel for the flyaways.

Face it, sport horse people are the hippies of the Arab show world. I rather enjoy our free wheeling style! It is a bunch of fun. Hope you are thinking of trying some open shows too - people have been absolutely wonderful to me when I’ve shown in the schooling show circuits around here. Even tried a little eventing - them are some fun people for sure!

Enjoy and good luck!

[J-Lu]

[QUOTE=red mares;8024590]
If you take some time, roaching a mane can/should make a neck look better. You don’t have to just buzz it off; I know some people, older guys especially, for whom roaching a mane is almost an art. Leaving it little longer in some areas, shorter in others can enhance the neck.[/QUOTE]

Yuo are absolutely right. I showed my mare up the levels doing exactly this (she had a nice neck, though). And I just used scissors. Sure beat braiding.

[Thoroughbred_in_Colo]

Schooling show:

Clean horse - If you have a lot of white to clean, it may require a full bath, but I usually just do a good curry to get the loose hair up, brush, and wipe down with a damp towel to get the dust off. Mane and tail neat, but no braids. Bridle path (I keep my mare’s clipped year round), but no other clipping.

Clean tack - I usually just wipe everything down so there’s no gunk or arena dust on it. Usually a light colored saddle pad since I try to keep my white ones good for bigger shows.

Basic show attire - Depending on the weather, either a polo or softshell on top, tan or grey breeches on bottom, since I’m a dirt magnet and I like to keep the white breeches white. Belt, usually to match the polo. Clean boots, but I don’t go out of my way to get a mirror shine. Helmet, hair neat, but not necessarily in a hairnet.

Bigger show (GMO or USDF show):

Same clean horse as above, but clipped fetlocks, ears, funky hairs along jawline, etc. I don’t clip the hair in the ears, just the stuff that sticks out. Braided mane(usually, sometimes not for GMO shows if we’re running on a tight schedule), tail brushed out and sprayed with detangler so it looks prettier.

Super clean tack. I will usually take apart my bridle and give it a thorough cleaning and conditioning. Saddle also gets a good cleaning and conditioning. White pad.

Clean, polished boots. White breeches and tech fabric show shirt. Black belt. Stock tie. Coat. Hair gel/hairnet/hairspray/bobby pins/helmet :rolleyes:. I really should just cut my hair short for show season.

[MelanieC]

Thanks for the tips on human turnout! I have a hair question, actually - I have a ton of hair. It’s very thick and I can’t really tuck it under my helmet without needing to go up a helmet size. Going up a size is not desirable because I’m already wearing a rather large helmet. Do I have options other than a show bow? I kind of hate them but am guessing having a ponytail sticking out the back will be considered sloppy.

[caper]

I always have a small bridle path so the bridle fits snug and close with no hair underneath. Especially with a wooly mane of a Welsh.

You could try french braiding your hair and just turn under the long piece and use and elastic to keep it in place. That would look neat and tidy. Not a fan of show bows.

I use Vetrolin Shine in place of Showsheen.

[SomedaySoon]

I have long thick hair and couldn’t imagine life without my show bow with attached net bag! It takes me 2 seconds to pull my hair into a low ponytail, braid it, clip on the show bow’s barrette and stuff the braid in the bag.

[Thoroughbred_in_Colo]

I also have long, thick hair. I don’t like show bows either, so I usually pull my hair into a bun at the base of my neck, put the hairnet over everything including the bun, and then put a hair tie around the bun and hairnet to hold everything together. Same result, minus the show bow.

[MelanieC]

Thanks! Sorry for the duh questions. The last time I was in a show ring, I was wearing a hunt cap with no padding that was too big to begin with, so I didn’t have trouble tucking my hair up into it. I am seriously turnout-impaired, if you couldn’t tell.