TIPS AND TRICKS

SHOW RING KNOW HOW
SHOW RING KNOW HOW
TIPS AND TRICKS
Neck
The right plaits can work wonders on the shape of your horse’s neck.
But, you need strong fingers to get good plaits that don’t come loose
and fall out. A lesson in plaiting from an expert, and regular practice is
time well spent. Show ring plaits should always be sewn in rather than
secured with elastic bands.
Roll the plaits up above crest level to beef up a skinny neck. If your
horse has a thin mane too, don’t pull it too short so there’s enough hair
to work with.
If a horse has a short neck use more plaits to accentuate the length; for
a long neck use fewer plaits. For thick manes, pull from underneath to
avoid re-growth sticking up between plaits.
We dampen the mane with water and a wet look hair gel for the best
finish.
I can’t emphasise enough, take care with combination rug hoods as
they usually have seams over the mane and are notorious for rubbing
manes - once the hair has gone, it can take months to regrow. We often
use Snuggy turnout hoods and always leave the headcollars on out in the
field to ensure that the hoods don’t slip round and get caught in the eyes.
For a finishing touch, rub a little baby oil on your hands and run them
over the horse’s crest for extra shine.
TO ENHANCE YOUR
HORSE’S CONFORMATION
with Absorbine Sponsored Rider Jo Bates
Leading show horse producer, Jo Bates,
from Banbury knows a thing or two about
getting her team ready for the showing
season following their winter breaks.
J
o, a former Young Rider
Dressage Champion won the
Small Hack of the year class
and stood Reserve Champion
Hack at HOYS 2012 with Whalton
Razzmatazz. She runs a busy
yard with daughter Holly who
had great success with the young
dressage horse, Cambridge, last
season. The pair are looking
ahead to a busy competing
schedule for the summer season.
Whilst most of us won’t have
horses of the calibre that Jo
competes, the right preparation
Jo and Whalton
Razzmatazz, owned by
Claire Cooper.
Photo: ES Photography
Chest
will help any horse look its best.
No horse is perfect, but like
the song says, ‘You’ve got
to accentuate the positive,
eliminate the negative’ and
clever turnout can help.
For the purpose of this article,
we are going to assume you are
showing in classes such as riding
club horse, where trimming is
allowed. If you have a Mountain
& Moorland to show, check the
rule book carefully as they should
be shown untrimmed with their
manes, tails and feathers intact.
There’s no excuse for rug rubs around the chest area – they look
awful. We use Snuggy bibs to avoid this, and a good
quality rug that fits makes all the difference. Our current
favourites are the Fal Pro range and Amigo sheets.
Tails
A well pulled tail
looks amazing and
can really improve
the look of a horse’s
hindquarters. You
need to be very
aware of safety when
pulling tails, and
never take risks. Wear
a hat and protective
clothing and I like
to keep something
between myself and
the horse – even the
stable door can be
used for this. As a
rule, I would twitch a
horse to ensure the
job can be completed
swiftly. I do one major
pulling session, and
then keep tidying to
maintain the look.
Tail flaps on rugs are
great for keeping the
hair flat, then you
just need to bandage
before the show ring . A little Absorbine Moisturising Detanger to the
front of the tail will enhance the shine and keep the tail tangle free.
When cutting the length of the tail, be conservative to start. You
want the end to be level with the point of hock when the horse is
going, so cut well below that, then watch the horse at work, either
ridden or on the lunge to see how much more could come off, and
reduce by degrees. For a horse with less than perfect hocks, I’d
try and leave the tail a little longer, and keep it as full around that
area as possible. We rarely brush the tails out during the winter
to avoid thinning them, we just apply Absorbine Show Sheen and
shake them out by hand to keep them tidy. For a horse with very
thin hair tail, a false tail can be a good investment – apply carefully
before a competition though, you don’t want to lose it in the ring!
Feet
Maintain your horse’s feet regularly, and work with your farrier to
ensure they are in the best condition they can be. It goes without
saying that the foot should be correctly balanced to allow best possible
movement. Our farrier, James Hiatt is brilliant, and an essential member
of our team.
I like to use a wide web shoe to give as much support as possible.
For freer movement, I use a light shoe for hunters, and aluminium
plates for hacks or riding horses. The latter wear out very quickly on
the roads, so you will have to plan your exercise regime carefully if you
use them.
You can’t use specialist shoes in the ring, but should your farrier
recommend them, you could use them during non competitive times of year.
For horses with poor horn quality, use the best hoof supplement and
conditioner you can afford.
We use Absorbine Hooflex Liquid Conditioner to maintain outward hoof
condition, and Absorbine also make an excellent product, Hooflex Frog
and Sole Care which helps keep smelly feet at bay during wet conditions.
Absorbine’s Super Shine hoof polish in either black or clear is a must
have for in the ring.
Limbs
Splints can spoil the look of a limb, and we’ve found that magnetic
boots such as those from New Equine Wear help enormously in
keeping splints to a minimum if used as the splints are forming.
If your horse’s limbs are not as straight as they could be,
use a shoe without toe clips which won’t give
the eye a central ‘reference point’ .
Feathers should be trimmed, and clipping white socks
will make them look sharper, and cleaner, but make sure
your horse is well used to clippers and work carefully.
24
FEBRUARY 2013
Holly Bates riding Mrs S
Welby’s Fair and Square.
Photo: Equinational
For the latest news visit www.centralhorsenews.co.uk
Hindquarters
We use all types of quarter markers to enhance bottoms; different
one for different types of horse. For example, a hack would
have small checks, whereas a hunter would have broad brush
strokes across the tops of the quarters. Sharks teeth flashes are
used further down the quarters, and even where you ‘finish off
’ the pattern can improve (or detract) from the shape of your
horse’s quarters. Get advice, and experiment for best results!
Backs
If your horse has a long back,
making your saddle look a little
larger can help. Showing numnahs
need to be discreet, but you could
give an illusion of a larger saddle
using one with slightly more
‘fluff ’ at the cantle. We always
use black or brown numnahs.
You need a straight cut,
brown, showing saddle which
fits your horse and which will
be comfortable for the judge. Avoid using a dressage saddle,
as apart from anything else, you need a full length girth for
showing. I recommend using a brown leather girth with elastic
insert – we occasionally use a white girth on hacks, but brown is
a safe bet. Stirrup leathers should also be brown with traditional
irons and black treads – again, ensure it will all be big enough for
the ride judge who may be a man. Check stitching regularly.
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FEBRUARY 2013
25
SHOW RING KNOW HOW
Rider
Shybont Navaho Girl,
owned by Teresa Waters
Don’t forget your own turnout. You can enhance your horse
enormously by being neat, tidy and as elegant as possible
Start with a well-fitting jacket. Get it taken in if it’s too big,
or buy another if you are bursting out at the seams!
Boots with chaps don’t really work for showing, in my opinion.
You need a pair of black leather boots in a traditional, not dressage,
style, with garter strap and spurs (dummies can be used). Such a
pair of boots is a lifetime investment – I’ve had mine since I was 18!
You will need a good quality blue velvet hat with harness;
the Charles Owen ones are popular and look nice.
Other things that will be needed include, brown leather gloves, a
tie – we like to use one with a red pattern and a cream shirt and canary
breeches. To complete the picture, make sure you have tidy hair – put
it in a bun, which can be false if necessary, and also replace the number
ribbon you are given with black elastic before you go in the ring.
Jo is sponsored by Absorbine
“The horse world’s most trusted name.”
Heads
For showing, your horse’s whiskers and ears should be trimmed
to give him a sharp, clean look.
The right bridle can make or break your look. Go for a good
quality brown English leather bridle with a flat noseband. Hunters
have a plain browband, whilst hacks and riding horses have
coloured browbands. Double reins do look better , so if your
horse is a novice, it would be worth trying him in something like
a Rugby Pelham to get the look without the full double bridle
action. The top rein should be laced, with a plain bottom rein.
Before you go in the ring, have some Horseman’s One Step leather
cleaner and conditioner handy for last minute touch ups to the bridle.
■ To find out more about Absorbine’s quality grooming products
please visit www.absorbine.co.uk or find us on facebook at
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FEBRUARY 2013
For the latest news visit www.centralhorsenews.co.uk