Showing white horses = clear hooves, am I right?

[Sue_C.]

For some reason...double posted me...

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[Dona]

Just my honest opinion....but I think black hooves just look "dressier". (unless of course you want to show of striped hooves...then by all means, use clear.)

It just seems contradictory to me, to clip (or even bald) the faces and use oil & dark makeup to make the heads appear smaller and/or more refined, and to make the eyes "pop".) (in other words...not "natural") Then... use "clear" polish on the hooves because you want to show the "natural" color. If you are going to enhance the head....why would you not enhance the hooves as well?

: Just an honest question. And I'm not trying to change anyones mind on this...as I know that won't happen & it's not that important anyway....it's simply a personal preference. Just wondering.

 

[ruffian]

Appy's absolutely cannot have hoofblack. One of the points of the appaloosa breed is striped hooves.

The mare is beautiful, but she's not white. I have a white gelding, and he certainly looks better with clear hooves. I had a light palomino driving horse that had white hooves, and I painted them clear for nationals. It certainly made his action noticeable.

Although, unless you're showing on pavement the polish lasts about 2 steps into the arena any how!! :bgrin

 

[MiLo Minis]

I really think you need to use your best judgement on each individual horse. If they have short legs to begin with you don't want to shorten them any more. Black definitely looks dressier in my opinion and I black the hooves on the stallion in my avatar but he has legs. If you are going to use clear make good and sure that the hooves are spotless!

 

[Getitia]

About 90% of the pintos we show have numerous ermine spots around the top of their hooves -so solid white legs with the ermine spots resulting in solid black hooves. It is pretty interesting actually.

The ermine spots are nice as they hide my hoof black mistakes :bgrin

edited to add - a photo of one of the pintos that shows the black hooves and ermine spots.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Man your not making it easy for me to decide are you lol.

Im thinking clear might look good on him. He has white hooves, but like Dona says if I decide to goop him up or like Ashley says if he shows dark instead of pink skin I might black him.

Here is a current pic of him. He looks bad in this pic. I can't wait to clean him up this year. The color you see besides the white is dirt. Everytime you brush him and make him look nice he rolls on you lol. Showing his is sure going to be fun, but thats why he is only going to 2 shows lol.

 

[Aubrey715]

My horse in the picture is a pintoloosa and she did not have any stripes on her hoofs so there was really no need to keep them clear. It would be different if they weren't stiped, but some appys don't have striped hoofs. It looks a lot classier to paint horses hoofs black but that is just my personal opinion.

 

[ClickMini]

I personally think that the clear on a white leg visually lengthens it. If you put black on it, the hoof blends into the dirt and visually shortens the leg.

The show I did the best at last year with the stallion in my avatar, he had clear on his feet. He actually has striped hooves. I'll probably do clear this year on him.

 

[minih]

Well here is our gray app mare that we showed all the time with black hooves. Her hooves are really very ugly to look at. She did not have the destinct lines in her hooves like alot of appies have, they are smudged lines making them appear dirty.

All of our horses we use black on except for a silver dapple that had legs that went on forever with white stockings. We took some sandpaper and cleaned them very well and put clear on him. I thought it looked better that way. If it were me I would take pictures of your guy with his feet in clear and blackened if I couldn't decide.

 

[MiLo Minis]

"If it were me I would take pictures of your guy with his feet in clear and blackened if I couldn't decide."

Hey thats a good idea!!! Then put both pics on here and let us tell you which one we like better! It will probably come out 50/50 and you will still be confused! LOL :bgrin But it really is a good idea - you can look at the 2 pictures and decide which you like best.

 

[slaneyrose]

Is there a clear "nail polish" for horses that dries and nothing sticks to it??

 

[Fred]

There actually is a product called Tuff Stuff which is a hoof sealant used for horses with shelly feet. I will sometimes use that instead. Linda B

 

[hhpminis]

Well, you can please some of the people some of the time... LOL

Judges are people and they have personal preferences. When it all comes down to it, there is not a rule for this and it is based on personal preference. My personal preference is that most horses look best with black feet. Appaloosas and horses with "pretty" white feet would be my exception. My opinion is that there are not many horses with "pretty" white feet.

I once had a judge have the steward come tell a group of us that we could not bait our horses in a halter class, and he would give us the gate if we did it again!?!?!?!?! Mind you we are very discreet with our bait. Again, it is a persons opinion and preference. May not be right but they are the ones handing out the placings on that particular day.

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

Well, you can please some of the people some of the time... LOL

I once had a judge have the steward come tell a group of us that we could not bait our horses in a halter class, and he would give us the gate if we did it again!?!?!?!?! Mind you we are very discreet with our bait. Again, it is a persons opinion and preference. May not be right but they are the ones handing out the placings on that particular day.

OMG i had that happen once to not about bait but she said dont stretch his neck they are supposed to show like QH I just sort of stared blankly

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[ruffian]

"My horse in the picture is a pintoloosa and she did not have any stripes on her hoofs so there was really no need to keep them clear. "

The ApHC does not allow appaloosas, with or without striped hooves, to show in black polish. Most judges will at least mark down for appy's with black polished hooves. Even though you are showing miniatures, a lot of judges still abide with that rule.

 

[Aubrey715]

Those rules apply to ApHC not to AMHA. When I posted the picture I said this is what i personally do and I did ask for opinions on what I do. And my horse won many times with black hooves, so you can't say that most judges go by that. And I know a judge who will be judging Worlds this year and he gave me the advice to paint her hooves black. Black looked better on her and i have seen many people do this, so i am not the only person out there to paint a appy's feet black.

 

[disneyhorse]

Go with what looks best... this breed makes no rule about hoof color in either registry.

I do have to admit for liberty and driving... black feet on white legs looks very flashy and helps draw the eye to the feet on a really pretty mover.

Andrea

 

[slaneyrose]

thats what I would think too.....that black hooves on a white horse would look really nice esp. if its a pretty mover. My stallion in my avatar has pale hooves but oil or clear polish really doesnt do anything for them!!