Balding a horses head for show - good or bad?

[StarRidgeAcres]

We've only showed for one year and it was R only, so I don't have much personal experience. I personally didn't bald any horse that I showed nor did I have the trainer bald our mare. But, I do see it being done especially at Nationals. So, here are my questions:

Is it done to give the illusion of a smaller muzzle?

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How is it done?

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Is it bad for the horse in any way?

What do the judges really think of it? (Belinda, thoughts?) :saludando:

Overall, good idea or bad idea?

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Talk amongst yourselves! :bgrin

 

[Ashley]

ITs totally up to you and your choice wether or not to do it.

The only thing bad about it is that you have to watch and make sure they dont burn until the hair comes back.

I did a filly this year. Didnt like it but didnt have a choice at the moment either. Some horses look better with it done then others.

 

[Sue_C.]

We here, show "Open", so don't have any experience with sanctioned shows, but I do have an opinion on this fad.

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Is it done to give the illusion of a smaller muzzle? If so, it sure doesn't work, IMHO. When I look at a picture of most balded horses, that face just jumps out at me, and I can't properly look at the rest of the horse. Perhaps that is why it's done? It would certainly work to draw my eyes away from a conformational flaw somewhere else...I just can't get away from that face!

How is it done? You have to use #40 and #50, surgical blades, and also a razor.

Is it bad for the horse in any way? My opinion? YES...If the horse is turned out in the daytime, there would certainly be a high chance of sunburn, and an open invitation for insect bites, in the evenings.

What do the judges really think of it? (Belinda, thoughts?) Yes, good question. I know Judges who bald their own horses, so I would guess they like it.

Overall, good idea or bad idea? Bad. I will never do it. I find a nice close clip, and moderate shave will do as much to enhance a horses looks as taking it's entire face down to the skin...yeech... :new_shocked:

 

[minimama]

I have done it plenty. It depends where you are showing a lot too, some parts of the country do it more than others. Here, everyone balds pretty much. If you don't you are not as competitive. You have to watch for sunburn afterwards until you get a nice fuzz going. Is it bad for the horses, no more so than a man shaving his face. Or a woman shaving her legs. I have a couple of horses that really love it. They love having it done and love the feel of water on it when it is done, they play in the water and have a great time. I do agree, though, some horses do not look right with it done. It does seem to be done more in AMHA shows than AMHR shows as well.

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

I have had it done. I as a general rule dont do it for local shows but always have someone do it at Nationals and personally wouldnt enter the ring without it.

I like the look and when done properly it looks amazing. I was not a fan till I had my horse done at Nationals a few years back and wow she looked so polished and finished it really completed the grooming job.

If you walk down the barn aisles at shows you see horses standing there many with no one holding them getting there "shave" and enjoying it.

It surely isnt like you see 2-3 people "sitting" on a horse fighting with it to get it to stand still to endure torture

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It grows out fairly fast so I have never had an issue with skin issues on my horses and my horses are when not at a show turned out 12 hours a day.

 

[Jill]

I will do facials even if I decide to go to a local show as I need the practice! I think on most horses, it just makes them look more finished and beautiful. Others don't care for the look, so they may choose not to do facials. All my horses that I've done it on are very cooperative and kind of "mug" for it. I think they like it.

For sure, I am far from an expert, but I use a combination of 15, 30, and 40 blades and disposable lady razors (with that moisture strip) and baby shampoo all lathered up.

 

[horsefeather]

I'm not a judge, but hubby is. He is not 'fooled' by the razoring. If you want to do it, do it, if you don't, don't. Personaly I don't like it. If a judge is a good judge, he doesn't need all the 'foo foo' that some folks do. Again, JMO.

Pam

 

[wpsellwood]

I like the look especially on a bay horse they dont like mules any longer. The only thing I dont like is the term balding. I dont bald my legs or my arm pits. Thats just me, maybe you all bald you legs I prefer to shave lol.

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

I'm not a judge, but hubby is. He is not 'fooled' by the razoring. If a judge is a good judge, he doesn't need all the 'foo foo' that some folks do. Again, JMO.Pam

Pam...Parm. Parm...Pam.

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Sorry, just had to do that! :bgrin

Back to your post, I was wondering about that. I was thinking if I were a judge I might be kind of ticked off if I thought people thought I was "fooled" by it and by the "V" thing to make the tailset seem higher. Hello!!! I can tell what a horse's tailset is regardless of the silly V. Don't get me wrong - I leave the V on my horses, I just feel like an idiot doing it!!! But since everyone else is, I don't have to guts not to! I know, I know. What a wimp!

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[targetsmom]

I admit I don't really like it and can get away with not doing it for Pinto shows, but have done it for AMHA shows. On some horses it may make them look better, and on some it probably doesn't make a lot of difference, depending on skin and hair color. But we found out the hard way that on some horses, it is better not to do it. We have a gray pinto mare with a wide blaze, so when shaved she had a gray/white/pink/black face and it looked horrible! And she has a very nice head; we won't ever shave her face again.

 

[Warpony]

as someone who doesn't show and who doesn't go to shows even to watch, I had never heard of "balding" until this thread. I think I know what you mean just going by the comments made, I'm assuming balding is basically shaving the head... or maybe just parts of the face?

I'm just curious now, I want to know for sure. lol. Does anyone have before and after pictures of their horse that clearly shows the difference between how a horse looks done and not done?

 

[Sue_C.]

I thought people thought I was "fooled" by it and by the "V" thing to make the tailset seem higher. Hello!!! I can tell what a horse's tailset is regardless of the silly V. Don't get me wrong - I leave the V on my horses, I just feel like an idiot doing it!!!

Although this has nothing to do with balding...I'm gonna mention this anyways, just because of the common misconception of why this was initially done. No matter the breed; any horse which is body clipped, has this "V' over the tail head...not to make a pretence of a higher tailset...but very simply, so that none of the tail hairs are mistakenly cut off during clipping. By this same "rule", one should always leave about a half inch to an inch of hair unclipped around the withers, so as not to cut any mane hair. There are reasons for most things...but some, like balding, can be taken too far.

 

[ThreeCFarm]

Well, I call it razoring. I do it on certain horses, depending on their color. And like Jill, I do it for every show, as I need the practice! I'm just now starting to get good at it. The few horses I've done enjoy it, and some enjoy it too much, LOL. I've had some that fight clipping on their heads, but LOVE the razoring!

I don't razor any pink skin. I clip the pink/white areas with a 30, and clip the rest of the muzzle with a 50 and then razor it. It really helps out the bays with mealy muzzles, in my opinion. I do the same over the eyes--if it is pink/white, I don't razor, just use a 30.

 

[Wiggy]

I never used to do it when I started out... mostly cuz I just didnt know how... got some fantastic experience with it though (6-8 show horses, and four shows in 5 weeks) and will definately continue with it. The only real "danger" I think is sunburn... not an issue if you keep 'em in the barn... I'll even admit to knicking a couple of the noses and the horses didnt even flinch (though I felt horrible about it!!!!). I also do above the eyes. I like the look... and LOVE the funny "rubbery" feel of a freshly shaved nose! :lol:

 

[shminifancier]

When I was showing I would not be doing it~! Period.

 

[JWC sr.]

Persoanlly I do not like doing it as a lot of things can be hidden by the practice. It does open up the eye on a lot of small eyed horses and also can be used to shorten or lengthen the appearance of the muzzle.

I will agree with the other posters it does finish off the look of a horse when getting ready for the show ring, so we do it on every horse of ours that go into the show ring. In order to compete in the halter classes it is almost impossible to not do it if you want to compete on an equal footing with the big boys and girls.

One interestng fact though in Holland it is Illegal to remove the eyelashes of a horse and even though a few folks have recently started doing it there is a movement to require disqulafication if you do remove the eyelashes and hair around the eyes.

:saludando:

 

[mizbeth]

Hi

I don't care much for the term "balding" either. Razoring sounds nice and more like it really is. I am not good at it, and most likely never will be. I like the look tho., professionally done on most horses it is very attrractive. Even the white faced horses needs some razoring around the muzzle - nose if only "dry" razor to blend it with the rest of the muzzle.

 

[ThreeCFarm]

One interestng fact though in Holland it is Illegal to remove the eyelashes of a horse and even though a few folks have recently started doing it there is a movement to require disqulafication if you do remove the eyelashes and hair around the eyes.

:saludando:

I don't know how people can clip the eyelashes off! I'm a wimp!! Too scared to even try. This year, I was clipping my mare and she moved as I was clipping around her eye. I clipped off part of her eyelashes, which really looked stupid. I thought I'd be brave, LOL, and go ahead and try to clip them all the way off as the blunt cut just did not look right, but I couldn't do it. I showed her with her mismatched eyes and the blunt cut on her one eye.

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I clip over the top of the eye, just the normal hair, and even that bothers me if I'm doing it on a horse that likes to move around.

 

[JWC sr.]

I understand completely, so far no accidents, but I always are fearful of it every time we take them off.

:saludando:

 

[sedeh]

I show Pinto and don't need to bald. Also don't use all the make-up and goo. I do trim close with clippers and I only cut eyelashes if it's an oops! I use a little baby oil on their muzzles and upper eyelid. I think(hope) the judges are looking at conformation and not all the fluff stuff! :bgrin