Clipped, trimmed and pulled today...

Queenbee

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Today we had a stroke of good luck, a woman who judges coloureds at county level was at the yard... So before we got trigger happy with the clippers we had a good discussion over what to do with Ben. As you can see despite daily grooming with a shedding blade, rubber curry comb, dandy brush and body brush... We still have clip lines on the legs... Infact hardly any of his coat on his legs has moulted. We did discuss the possibility of fully clipping him out... However, she said that in judging she would not be put off by the clip lines, but would be by the stonking feathers (which were already on the list to remove) anyway a selection of today's work down below... Please note the sexy bum, I think once the tail is bandaged up it will look lovely :) Obviously due another bath over the next few days but, a vast improvement since losing the feathers, finishing off the tail and getting rid of the god awful beard and whiskers! Oh and his tail and legs arent that yellow... They were drying off:p

So here is the ongoing transformation of the hairy yak...

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You looking at me??!!

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Very smart. :-)

Thank you :)
That looks so much better, a good bath, plenty of chalk and he will be ready to go:)

I know... Huge improvement! I have a few trims and snips to do, like the hair over his chestnuts, the farrier is coming to tidy his tootsies up, I'm working on the stable stains daily, and have started the legs with wahl diamond white... Another bath should see him right! Oh and have chalk powder for the tail and legs for the night before and on the day... It's really happening!!!
Looking GOOD Ben, loving the Big Booty :D:D

He is isn't he, although that bum has grown the last few days... He now has the smallest handful of hi fi twice a day for his magic calmer, and now with the pulled tail it makes a magnificent difference!
:D
 
Looking mega smart (just teach him to put his manhood away when you are pointing the camera at him - show off!)

Good luck
 
A couple of quick questions whilst I have a captive audience... I know some people paint the black chestnuts to hilight them... His hind ones are black... What's the done thing here? Also, he has a couple of black splodges on that front coronet band... What's the best way to define this, as I think after using chalk powder on the rest of the leg it will look a bit anaemic.
 
Smart boy. Todays top tip - don't over bath. Whilst you want the coat and skin clean, you dont want to stripnit completely of natural oils as it will make the coat starey.
 
Smart boy. Todays top tip - don't over bath. Whilst you want the coat and skin clean, you dont want to stripnit completely of natural oils as it will make the coat starey.


Very valid point... I mean the hocks only, I have some of that show sheen spray stain remover where you dampen an area, spray on brush in, leave for a while then sponge out. His last bath was about 10 days ago, but with him moulting he really is quite greasy! The full body will be done on Thursday and then legs and tail dampened and chalked on Friday night along with any stain areas sorted and hot towelling face.
 
Was just about to say the same as amymay, hocks and knees etc go ahead and scrub but bodywise just water and then hot cloth him, will really bring the shine out to the top whereas constant shampooing will strip the oils and dull the coat.

Last year i managed the entire season with just one body bubble bath (ponies not me!) the rest was plain water baths and a couple of hot clothings. Manes and tails were done as necessary with shampoo but not their bodies and this yr i intend to do the same as their coats were much fresher and brighter and softer.
 
I'm getting so excited! :D He looks better and better each time you post a photo.

How long to go before the show now?


Me too!! I plan to do a bit of a timeline/stages post at the end of it all! Big show is a week on Thursday!!!!! Practice show is on Saturday... We are doing 3yrs and under inhand on a ticket as he is four and they don't have a coloureds in hand class. Then I'm going to get on and just ride him round the show ground for him to soak up the atmosphere. :)
 
Was just about to say the same as amymay, hocks and knees etc go ahead and scrub but bodywise just water and then hot cloth him, will really bring the shine out to the top whereas constant shampooing will strip the oils and dull the coat.

Last year i managed the entire season with just one body bubble bath (ponies not me!) the rest was plain water baths and a couple of hot clothings. Manes and tails were done as necessary with shampoo but not their bodies and this yr i intend to do the same as their coats were much fresher and brighter and softer.

Boysy do you add a tot of dettol to your water for hot clothing yours? I've heard others do to encourage the shine and was considering this.
 
I love his pulled tail & bottom, very smart young man!! :D


Thank you... I was actually so proud of him over his tail... He is really not keen on his mane being pulled so was dreading the tail... I did about a thumbs width on either side a couple of weeks ago, then we tidied the rest off today... He just stood for it so well... Just turned his head around as if to say... Eh? What you doing back there? And then turned back for cuddles :). He's actually got a really nice dock... His tail is nice and thick but he has a nice dainty dock... Not short and stumpy, and the hair pulls out like a hot knife through butter which makes it so much easier on both human and horse! I feel so much better now we've got today out of the way as I can really start to see what he will look like. I've still got to take a razor to his muzzle in a couple of places and the scissors to smarten up around his coronet bands, but today it was like superman going into a phone box... He went into the stable as a hairy yak and came out a smart hunter type :). Very satisfying!
 
Nope don't usually add anything to the hot water unless in winter after clipping and then i'll bung some baby oil in to get rid of scurf, i just make sure i rinse the cloth regulary and change water twice so i'm not clothing grease back into them.
 
To detract the eye from the clip lines, I would make a line from the point of hock to the stifle and clip at the back of it, it gives a very smart, slick look and will make the hocks easier to keep white :)
I put a glug of Dettol in my hot clothing water, too.
 
Looking fab QB!

With regard the ermine spots on his coronet - if you do feel they look a little anaemic after putting chalk on the white bits, then you could always touch them up with a little dab of boot polish (test it on a little bit of his hair somewhere inconspicuous first though). Try not to get it actually on his skin directly, but just on the surface of the hair. There's also the little black makeup tubes you can get - but very dear and do the same thing as the boot polish! Do a bit of a trial run with it first (given your updates, I am sure you will as you seem very organised :) ) and see what looks best - with or without.
 
Nope don't usually add anything to the hot water unless in winter after clipping and then i'll bung some baby oil in to get rid of scurf, i just make sure i rinse the cloth regulary and change water twice so i'm not clothing grease back into them.
Thank you, yes, changing water is a must... I remember the first time I hot clothed I didn't do it and you could literally see the gradient in colour difference from white to murky white on my old cob mare!
To detract the eye from the clip lines, I would make a line from the point of hock to the stifle and clip at the back of it, it gives a very smart, slick look and will make the hocks easier to keep white :)
I put a glug of Dettol in my hot clothing water, too.

Glad I wasn't imagining things! Will try the dettol then :). I do worry about clipping that line now though, as I have partially grown body, winter coat in the legs and I worry it would again look different. However, if I don't clip out the legs as planned next winter I will bare that in mind :)

Looking fab QB!

With regard the ermine spots on his coronet - if you do feel they look a little anaemic after putting chalk on the white bits, then you could always touch them up with a little dab of boot polish (test it on a little bit of his hair somewhere inconspicuous first though). Try not to get it actually on his skin directly, but just on the surface of the hair. There's also the little black makeup tubes you can get - but very dear and do the same thing as the boot polish! Do a bit of a trial run with it first (given your updates, I am sure you will as you seem very organised :) ) and see what looks best - with or without.


Thank you... You suggested exactly what I was thinking but didn't want to say as I thought I'd be shot down! No I've just paid £11 for whitener so would rather not pay out for black stuff too! But have boot polish in the under sink cupboard ;)

Moomin I am the absolute least organised person I know.... My school reports always said 'needs to be more organised!' But I've found all of this so flipping stressful that the only way I could deal with it is ensuring I organise what I can as early as possible. Over the past few months I've stressed about rug rubs on the chest, lacking topline, lacking general condition/weight, missing mane, winter coat, feet, coat shine, trimming, tack, trotting up, my outfit... The list is endless...

I can't help wondering how the pros do it day in day out, year after year and don't get ulcers...

Honestly for those who specialise in showing... Hats off to you guys!
 
Thank you, yes, changing water is a must... I remember the first time I hot clothed I didn't do it and you could literally see the gradient in colour difference from white to murky white on my old cob mare!


Glad I wasn't imagining things! Will try the dettol then :). I do worry about clipping that line now though, as I have partially grown body, winter coat in the legs and I worry it would again look different. However, if I don't clip out the legs as planned next winter I will bare that in mind :)




Thank you... You suggested exactly what I was thinking but didn't want to say as I thought I'd be shot down! No I've just paid £11 for whitener so would rather not pay out for black stuff too! But have boot polish in the under sink cupboard ;)

Moomin I am the absolute least organised person I know.... My school reports always said 'needs to be more organised!' But I've found all of this so flipping stressful that the only way I could deal with it is ensuring I organise what I can as early as possible. Over the past few months I've stressed about rug rubs on the chest, lacking topline, lacking general condition/weight, missing mane, winter coat, feet, coat shine, trimming, tack, trotting up, my outfit... The list is endless...

I can't help wondering how the pros do it day in day out, year after year and don't get ulcers...

Honestly for those who specialise in showing... Hats off to you guys!

Ha ha! Yes I had noticed the slight 'stress' you have on recently! ;):D

I am the same when I just go to a little local show - so goodness knows what I would be like a at a county! :eek:

Enjoying your updates, keep them coming...:)
 
Another good tip, if you clip the winter hair off the legs with the hair rather than against, it will blend neatly and be pretty impossible to spot :) I hope I explained that well, if not, you can bash me on the head, it would probably improve matters ;)
 
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