TURNING YOUR HAIRY BEASTIES INTO SLEEK SHOWING STARS


Last weekend, I approached the side of the big bay beast with trepidation. I regarded her nervously as I reached for her neck, rubber curry comb in hand. What was wrong? Was I feeling a bit unsure about the imposing 15hh++ Irish Draught yearling filly I had tied up? No. I was petrified at the thought of being suffocated by fluff, dirt and hair should I disturb the shaggy, moulting coat that hadn't been groomed for quite some time...

My fears were realised as oodles and oodles of hair poured off my filly. Other livery yard members coughed pointedly as they skirted around us. Anything and everything within a five mile radius- sheep, houses, lakes, small children- was now covered with a fine film of brown Irish fur.

This is a routine that we go through every year, unless you are the person that brings your horses in and immediately clips them. What tips do you have for getting rid of the winter coat and bringing out a gorgeous glossy summer coat ready for the show ring?

My approach this year has been a bit different as my young horses have been living out- one of them unrugged- and will only be taken to a few in-hand shows later in the season. However, with the older show horses and ponies, or ones that are stabled, I have always done a selection of the following:

  • You can clip your horse entirely and then rug him/her up. However, make sure you do this early enough so that you're not interfering with summer coat growth.
  • You can pile lots of rugs on to encourage early moulting. Just keep an eye on your horse's temperature- the last thing you want is for them to start overheating and losing condition
  • Many people use timed lights in their stables. Not something I've ever done (electricity bills must be huuuuge) but I have seen this technique achieve great results
  • Heaps of grooming- particularly with the rubber curry comb
  • Strapping also works wonders for both muscle tone and for the coat. There's a video link here that shows you how to do it. It looks a bit odd but has been done for years by old English grooms and it really works well!
  • Include a good dollop of oil in the diet to encourage a shiny coat (this can be linseed or just your budget sunflower oil from the supermarket, it doesn't really matter)
  • Don't overwash your horse as you will remove all those lovely oils in the coat. If you have to wash, do it at least a week before the show.
  • A squirt of baby oil in your water when you rinse your horse off after a bath can do wonders. Just make sure your horse is properly clean before you do this or the baby oil will bring up all the dirt and make the coat look scurfy and icky.
  • Finally, finish all your hard work off with one of the many coat shine products that can be found in your local saddlery. I really really like the Absorbine range as it doesn't attract as much dust as most of the other brands. The Ultra Final Touch Spray is also amazing. Just remember after all that buffing and polishing, NOT to put any shine spray anywhere near the saddle area. Trust me, you won't do it again in a hurry.....!

Happy showing!

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