Final County Show Prep

[lizijj]

Hi, for those of you who have seen my previous posts, less than two weeks now until our first (and probably last) county show in the lightweight hunter class.

My rider has been schooling him once a week (I know some of you will be aghast at this but I only have so much time... :S)

I've been hacking him out in spurs and rugby pelham.

Started bathing him to get all the scurf out.

Weight wise, (he lives out and I don't give him hard feed as he doesn't do enough work) he would be classed as good - can't see ribs and backside is smooth.

Had final shoes.

To do:

Practice his gallop now we have cut silage

Practice his trotting up in hand, which he is rubbish at as he is lazy like his owner

One more practice show, to be around other horses

My final panic - I thought bathing him the day before the show and keeping him in over night would keep him nice and shiny, now people are telling me I ought to be bathing him again at 4am on the morning - really???

Any last minute advice would be really gratefully received

Thanks

 

[mrogers]

that is complete rubbish! My horses very rarely get bathed a day before a show let alone day of the show. The horse in the pic below was bathed on the Wednesday and the show was Sunday. When I bath I wet them down with a strong dettol mix to strip grease, then wash with any old shampoo and then apply a tiny pit of pig oil on a sponge when wet after the final rinse

The most important thing though is for him to be good with other people riding him as the judge will ride. Best of luck!

 

[mcnaughty]

If you have a dark coloured horse ...... you are far better to wash 2/3 days before the show all over and then just touch up socks/tail/poss mane the day before then get a lycra body suit to wear over night and to the show the next day (lays the coat nicely). Plait on morning of show. Get there very early! Lunge in a corner of the field if you can to settle him and you and get your bearings of the whole site. Tack him up and get to the ringside with around 30 mins to spare and don't forget to smile!!!

A lot of these large shows the ring is miles away from the lorry park so make sure you make a list of what you need at the ringside and take it all with you!

Top tip - get some elastic that matches as near as poss your jacket - my daughter's tweed has a horizontal red check stripe where the middle button is - it looks much more professional than the black show number tape!!! Easy peasy - measure elastic around your middle where the button is and put two little loops in the elastic for looping over the button - hey presto - invisible number tape!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Shirring-...lies_MJ&var=&hash=item79170bacf4#ht_500wt_922

 

[lizijj]

Wow! Stunning turnout Mrogers! Does yours live out? Would you put pig oil where the saddle sits or not? Mc Naughty, yes he's a lovely Bay, thanks for the tip. If he sweats up on the journey/day, just wipe him down?

Thanks for all your advice, so appreciated

 

[mrogers]

Thank you. He is kept in due to being newly cut, but my mare goes out and still gets bathed a few days before. The secret is to groom groom groom! Dont put the oil on the saddle area, you literally want a smidge on a sponge or the coat will go greasy.

If he sweats, just sponge down, wait for area to dry and the brush