Show prep

[Margaret]

What I would like to know is how do you take care of forlock and mane hair that is a fly-away or cotton texture?

What I would like to see on this yearling is a silky texture... Anybody with ideas for a good product that can do this for a show?

I really dont want to goop it up with something oily or sticky, as he is a white horse, and that wont look good. .

 

[Mominis]

Hi kdhminis. Yes it has seemed like forever waiting on him. We actually decided on him in late January and finalized the purchase in early-mid February, but it sure does seem like months, doesn't it! Between the snows here and in Ohio, it has been difficult. We dodged the snows finally, but then the transporter was committed to do work for the big sale in Texas...oh, it has been quite a wait! But finally,the transport is going to pick up two in PA (not mine) on Monday and Tuesday and then head to Ohio and get our boy. I just can't wait. With luck, that should put him here on Thursday. I have his little grooming kit all packed, a month of supplements onhand and a second month's supply on the way. I'm just going bonkers!!!

Margaret, for those fluffy baby hair forelocks, I've used Cowboy Magic Detangler and Shine. It isn't super greasy, but it does lay them down nicely. Ultra makes a product that is similar, but it is more expensive and the local TSC doesn't carry it. I think it is called Salon Magic.

 

[SilverDollar]

Great thread! Thanks everyone. What are your favorites for the following grooming/show products?

Shampoo (for coats)

Shampoo for mane/tail

Conditioner (for coats)

Conditioner for mane/tail

Coat Polish

Mane and tail detangler

Any others you would recommend?

Has anyone tried "The Trophy Line" products? I heard from one of my QH show friends that it was a good product.

 

[PrestigeMiniHorses]

I love this thread.... So much information to take in. Here are my personal favorites...

Baby oil gel- great for touch up ons faces...

Regular Baby oil- In the tail and mane to add a little extra glisten

MTG- Is amazing for tails and manes and forelocks. Even helps to get hair to grow more. AMAZING proguct

I love BOSS for my horse's coats.

I just Murphy's Oil soap in the jar to clean all my leather tack. Haven't found anything better out there.

Ziplock Big Bags for keeping everything together feed wise incase someone has to feed for me in a emergency. These bags work great works blankets too..

I think this is all I have for now....

 

[MindyLee]

For the forelock in the showring...

* I use hair moose to keep it from fuzzin up or hairs that stray.

* I also use a cute super tiny hair clip to clip the forelock to the show halter instead of just tucking it cause it usually falls out.

I had a judge commet about it once as it "looked very neat" and it was a "great ideal" and it "was'nt very noticable".

 

[Mominis]

Silver Dollar, in answer to your questions about product preferences, here are my favorites:

Shampoo (coats, manes, and tails)...for home use Suave both shampoo and conditioner (cheap and effective For shows with a light colored horse or a pinto, ShoSnow...a dog product that really leaves them white. For horses with lots of product build up, mud, or dried sweat stains from hauling that are tough to just groom out, Ivory dish soap. As mentioned earlier in the thread, the Ivory is quite drying to the coat, so a good non-silicone based coat spray after is a good idea after an Ivory bath, though we use it after all baths.

Conditioner at shows, we will usually hit them with Suave conditioner, but then follow up with a Hot Oil treatment if the coat is unusually dry or freshly body clipped. If not, we use a dilute of Shapely's.

For Finishing Spray, I like Ultra's Final Touch. It does collect dust on the way to the ring, so having them covered with a cooler and then having a chamois on hand at the gate before entering is always a good idea. We also take some good terry towels that have been well washed so they don't leave little fuzzies on the coat.

For detangler, Cowboy Magic Detangler and Shine.

Never tried the Trophy Line products, so I can't offer an opinion there.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the great ideas here folks. I'm making notes.

 

[Mominis]

I have been watching a lot of youtube videos of in hand showing of the AMHR horses and I'm curious...what do you guys carry into the ring with you to get the horse's attention in the stand up? I can't tell from the videos what it is, treats, maybe? What is permitted? Can you use your hat or shavings to get the ears or do you have to do it all with the treats or whatever it is that you are carrying? Thanks.

 

[Mominis]

bump

 

[disneyhorse]

In AMHR, pretty much anything is permitted. I've seen it all... hay, candy, crinkly peppermint wrappers, laser pointers, cat toys, whatever. People just try to find something to get their horses' attention to get a good expression.

However, try to be inobtrusive. One year at Nationals, I was in the halter ring next to a lady who had a cat toy with a jingle bell in it. She jingled that darn bell for the entire 15 minute class and it was VERY distracting.

Equally distracting are the people who stomp their foot to get their horses to back off or perk up. My shetland stallion HATES that, particularly if it's behind him or something.

Anyway, the sky is the limit pretty much but do try to be considerate.

Andrea

 

[Tab]

I'm enjoying this thread. This should be put on the best of...

 

[Mominis]

Really?? A cat toy? lol That's interesting. I can see how a 15 minute long performance of Jingle Bells could get a little annoying.

So, if they let you bring all of those things in, I know whips aren't allowed, but how about plastic bags or something like we would normally put on the end of a whip?

 

[disneyhorse]

If it is a TINY piece of plastic bag, like 2x3 inches or something, that would probably be okay.

But remember, you are pretty close to other horses. To my horses, plastic bags = liberty. Therefore I would be pretty bent out of shape as an exhibitor if I went in the ring with one of my horses and the person behind me pulled out a plastic bag! I would be willing to be my horse would NOT stand still and set up if someone was pulling out a plastic bag behind him!

Andrea

 

[Mominis]

Thanks a lot, Andrea. That gives me a few ideas.

I'm still giggling over the 15 minute performance of Jingle Bells. rofl

 

[Kendra]

I'm just reading this now, very interesting topic!

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Rose Oil Spray, I used it for the first time last year and I was very impressed! We just sprayed it on (liberally) after their bath and put their clothes on, and the shine it put on them was unbelieveable! Darkened up the colour too, even on freshly clipped horses. And smells pretty.

I would be very leary about using sharpie or shoe polish to black eyes and muzzle. I know lots of people do it, but that seems like a lot of nasty chemical to get so close to your horses eyes.

 

[Mominis]

I've never heard of Rose Oil Spray. Is it a horse product?

 

[susanne]

Mink oil spray is also great for shine. Keep in mind that shine will draw the eye, so you can use it to accent your horse's best features and use lack of shine to de-emphasize the not-so-good points.

I've found that the promise of a treat can be more effective than giving them food. Actual food causes many horses to mug and contort their faces. Crinkly wrappers (peppermint, for Mingus) are great for ears. The best thing I've found, though, is whenever I give a treat, I scrape my jacket getting it. Then, in the show ring, I bring my hand up in the same way, scraping my jacket, and he really comes alive.

Just be careful, whatever bait or technique you use, to not let it become old and expected. And, whatever you use, don't forget to wear something with pockets! (Ask me how I know...)

 

[js1arab]

A couple of things I've learned (some the hard way !)

1. I am with the "I don't like the shaved muzzle" crowd. But I do like a dark, well blended look to the eyes, inner ears and muzzle. I don't like applying things that could be harsh, so I experimented with the coloring chalk they make specifically for horses. I clip with a 40 blade around the eyes, ears and muzzle, then apply the black chalk somewhat thick. Next I take a baby wipe and blend/thin it. Just before going into the ring, I will very lightly put highlighting oil on and it seems to work very well. I don't oil the ears though, they look just fine without it. I forgot to mention, be sure to wipe the ears out with a damp rag to get the dirt/ scurf out first, then do the chalk and wipe.

2. For a finishing spray... now don't laugh... there is a product at Wal-Mart for African American hair. I don't remember the name of it and it isn't the mink oil (tried that once, too greasy and the dust clings to it) It comes in a yellow can with a purple top and cost about $3.00. I saw a Q.H. at a show once who just looked so good, the guy showed me this stuff and I've used it ever since. It really gives a shine to the coat without looking too unnatural or greasy. It makes manes and tails just absolutely shine and dust doesn't cling as bad to it as some of the products I've seen. At one show, the grass was so tall their was no way hoof black was going to work so I just wiped the dust off with a damp rag(feet had already been scrubbed clean at home) and when they dried I lightly sprayed this spray on them and it worked well. I now use it over white feet to add shine without the yellowing look clear polish gives. The added bonus is you don't have to scrub off hoof polish at the end of the day!!!!!

3. When I'm cleaning hooves I use the soap that runs down the leg when shampooing and a scotch scrubber (like the ones for kitchens) This does an excellent job cleaning up the dried skin at the coronet band without the possibility of scratching/poking them with a wire brush, and it leaves the cuticle in good shape instead of stripped like with the electric sanders. It does a nice job of cleaning the white feet too, so very little else needs to be done. Does take a little elbow grease on particularly dirty ones, but I try to do things as safely as possible.

4. And lastly since we all need a little humor. WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T TRY TO BLEND A MISTAKE MADE WITH A 40 BLADE I was clipping an Arabian for some friends many years ago. I was using a 40 (I know...dumb idea to start with) to clip under the jaw. Something caught his attention and he turned quickly, causing me to run the blade up the side of the jaw. I thought no big deal, I'll just blend it. By the time I got done trying to fix my mess, he was mostly bald from muzzle to ear

Now he wasn't down to the skin bald, just pretty short, but the poor guy, I'm surprised he didn't bury his head in the sand when we hit the arena

I tried covering with some color blend chalk, but it still was pretty obvious.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

In AMHR, pretty much anything is permitted. I've seen it all... hay, candy, crinkly peppermint wrappers, laser pointers, cat toys, whatever. People just try to find something to get their horses' attention to get a good expression.

So here's the mystery that drives me insane: how do people CARRY that stuff unobtrusively??

The one halter class I tried with a borrowed yearling colt in 2008 was a disaster. I had no appropriate jacket with good pockets, I don't know how to do my own hair so I looked awful, the colt knew I had no idea what to do so the best I got was having him hold still. I'd grabbed a tiny felt Christmas stocking out of the RV (don't ask

) as a prop and stuffed it in my pocket but it made this huge lump and was pretty darn obvious in my hand when I showed it to him. I felt like an idiot. He'd show for a shiny CD cover but I couldn't figure out how to hide one.

How do you bring this stuff in and not get people looking at you like

??

Leia

 

[Kendra]

I've never heard of Rose Oil Spray. Is it a horse product?

Yep! This is where I ordered mine. Speaking of, I need to order more pretty soon!

Sterling Star Farm

 

[rabbitsfizz]

You know that stuff they put inside the "Crinkle Bags" that are made as Kitty toys??

Line one of your pockets with it (you can make a bag and just put it in but anchoring it is better, even if it is just tacked in) then spend a few minutes crinkling it and giving a treat every time you get a pretty face in response.

Once in the ring you do not need treats at all, just crinkle your pocket and praise verbally!!

I use the disposable shoe shine things for feet...I have tried just about everything, including the hoof enamel that needs to be taken off with turps, but the cheap and cheerful shoe shine is the best and the easiest for me...at a push you can even put it over eyes or on muzzle as it dries so does not come off as grease does.....just read the label well and make sure it is not too heavily chemically based. I use Asda (Walmart) own, they cost very little.

Baby wipes....everyone has baby wipes, right??

I always wash in baby shampoo, not only does it not irritate the horses eyes but it does not irritate mine, either, when it, inevitably, gets shaken into my eyes!!!