Showing - Top turnout tips!

[MM&PP]

I thought I would post in general as people may have useful information, but don't show their horses and prob wouldn't see the thread otherwise. Mods feel free to move though if necessary.

I am looking for insider secrets on how to turn out my (grey) mare to her best for an upcoming show we are hoping to attend. I was hoping people may be able to advise on the best products for:

Coat: Cleanliness/shine and how to keep legs clean the night before.

Hooves: to keep them shiny for as long as possible!

Mane and tail: spray for securing plaits/shine without too much slipperyness etc

Tack cleaner:


Thank-you

 

[Bug2007]

To keep legs clean, you can use travel boots on in the stable, if you use bandages sometimes the marks can been seen.
Baby oil on the hooks and knees makes stable stains really easy to get off, same in the bottom of the tail, stops it going yellow over time too.
Fairy liquid is the best for getting white tails clean.

Hooves, layer the hoof oil over a few days. Hair spray them too, makes them lovely and shiney just wash off well when you get home.

Pig oil (little) rubbed on coat over a couple of days.

Plait to make the neck look good, not much top line plait high, big neck plair low, short neck more plaits long neck less plaits.

 

[humblepie]

Just accept with a grey that there will be a lot of re-washing in the morning however well wrapped up it was the night before. Then if working in in a wet arena or muddy warm up, there will be more washing before you go into the ring. If you don't have a lorry with warm water available, take some warm water in a flask and lots of baby wipes for the last minute cleaning.

Manes etc I have always just used some human hair gel and hairspray rather than any of the more expensive specialist horse products.

Enjoy.

 

[chico7]

keep well rugged!!
for mane, wet mane plait tight and if equal thickness of mane try to plait even sized bunches!! then secure with hair spray!!

 

[bliss87]

Just accept with a grey that there will be a lot of re-washing in the morning however well wrapped up it was the night before. Then if working in in a wet arena or muddy warm up, there will be more washing before you go into the ring. If you don't have a lorry with warm water available, take some warm water in a flask and lots of baby wipes for the last minute cleaning.

Manes etc I have always just used some human hair gel and hairspray rather than any of the more expensive specialist horse products.

Enjoy.

this

made worse when in the space of taking stable rug off to put show rug pony rolls in all the box (this was not fun at 5 in the morning)

 

[lauraandjack]

Blue rinse for yellow tails!

 

[OneInAMillion]

for hooves buy this:

Absorbine Hoof Black (or clear)
http://www.nutrecare.co.uk/Product-...rse-Grooming/Absorbine-SuperShine-Hoof-Polish

It is absolutely BRILLIANT! I'm not into showing at all but a showing friend recommended it and its the best around. Once on it stays on for 2/3 days and doesn't rub off on the grass or stick to anything.

 

[lucemoose]

greys are hard to get shining like a horse with a pigmented coat and the best thing IMHO is to have a clean, healthy horse, well groomed and add a little gloss shine as needed. Gloss eyes and muzzle to enhance the coat.

 

[dominobrown]

-For whiteness Blue bags or supreme products I think do a blue powder. Add this to a bucket of water and do a final rinse after washing. Don't dye your horse blue, but this gives a whiter than white look.
-Vanish liquid in the end of tail (being VERY careful not to touch skin) works wonders.
-When using highlighter get the stuff with sunscreen in it, not baby oil unless its a dull day, to avoid fryed horse.
-If your horse is stabled snuggy jams and stable bandages will be your best freinds. Though often I left my horse out in a none muddy field (our fields are dry) overnight with a fly rug on or LW turnout.
-Absorine black hoof paint is good. This is normally applied at the yard then before I go into the ring a coat of normal hoof oil, (or lynn russel hoof oil spray- good stuff) is sprayed over the top.
-The Lynn Russel plait spray (which is pink) is the best.
-For bridles a lot of tack cleaning products make tack go sticky. The best are NAF soft soap. The old fashioned Carr,day and martin yellow stuff in a tin, or old fashioned solid bar of glycerine soap.

 

[MissSBird]

Everyone in the showing world has their own ideas/miracle products. It can be a case of trial and error to find out what works to you.

With greys it's very difficult to get a bold shine like with a coloured horse. It is possible though. I prefer absorbine show sheen, but not under the saddle area.

Fairy liquid is a cheap shampoo and copious amounts work well. I've also find a good way to avoid stains is to religiously wash mud off every day during the show season so the coat can't become stained. A paste of chalk and water painted on over difficult areas like hock and knees works well too. Apply the night before, leaving overnight and brush off the next day. Looks rediculously white at first then dulls overnight.

Bleach carefully used in the bottom of the tail works for the yellow.

Boot up overnight with stable boots (not bandages). I also use a snuggy hood and a full neck lightweight turnout rug in the stable as my boy loves to lie down and sleep, and usually uses poo as a matress/pillow. However, best to give yourself half an hour in the morning as inevitably you will have to re-wash some part!

Hooves - absorbine hoof polish!

Tack cleaner - I like urad the best for a good shine Keeping a bridle for shows only is also a way to garuntee good shine!

 

[Janette]

If you horse has a white tail, a tail bag is a very useful piece of kit. If your horse is a mare, wash the tail frequently to stop urine stains developing, because NOTHING shifts those. (A hairdresser friend of mine tried hair bleach on Star's tail to remove some of the golden staining and it failed - miserably). Soft soap, the stuff the Heavy Horse people use is the best stuff I've ever used for getting a white tail clean.
If the staining is really bad - I have covered it up with white spray, and then put sparkle spray on top to reduce the 'matte effect'

When we have a morning class, Star wears a no-fill LW turnout sheet to keep the wet poo stains off her flanks, stable wraps to keep the legs clean and a Snuggy Hood to keep her neck poo-free. She travels in bandages as you can warm up in those and she keeps cleaner. And when all that fails (because they'll get dirty somewhere) - Cowboy Magic Green Stain Remover. It's the best, of the best, of the best!
It's difficult to see shine on a grey horse because of the paleness of their coat, so just do your best. Alva Dazzle is lovely stuff. Sparkle spray is good for instant shine. Supreme do it, and so do 'IV Horse'

When I used to plait - I found Quic Plait was fab. It's a high friction spray which really lets you get a good hold on the hair and stop it slipping out from your fingers.

Baby wipes - you can never have too many for last minute touch ups before going in the ring.

I use Stubben saddle soap and it gives the leather a lovely soft shine,

If your horse has feather - don't put chalk anywhere near it's legs- wet or dry. The chalk makes the feather go limp and attracts the dust. Limp, grey feather is not attractive.

 

[jessamess]

A secret not many people know for greys (a little arab secret)

Smother your mare tail in ketchup a 2 day/a day before a just leave it and then wash out night before and shampoo it and you will have a fabulously white tail!!!! (that is defiantly an arab trick of the trade) (also good for really stained legs)

I use vanish on white lets (check your horse isn't allergic to it first haha) and SCRUB then use blue rinse, then bandage I have lined my bandages pads with sheepskin so that you get no marks!!!

Get an aloe vera spray and cover the coat and tail in it after the bath, then get a full body lycra rug and put that on, then a cotton sheet that has long sides so it covers the legs up to the knees where the bandages pretty much start, and then tail bag on tail

(If you horse is a home) I will also go an do a skip out around 10/11 o'clock before I go to bed to reduce the risk of poo stains

xxx

 

[Drummer]

Great tip with the ketchup, I have read about it for bleached hair and chlorine damage so makes sense! Thank you - I may have to try this after being very naughty and not washing his tail for far too long!

Already mentioned but my must haves are:

Supreme blue rinse - I prefer the powder to the liquid version
Fairy liquid and a good scrubbing brush.
Supreme black matt make up
Baby oil for his butt while traveling, unless a very sunny day.
Snuggy hoods and jams or dress circle lycras better for shine!

Someone said about the coloured hair sprays, these are really good if your struggling I have used the silver before which looked good.

..and all the baby wipes in the world!!

 

[Walrus]

I couldn't believe the difference that make-up made to the head of my friend's grey horse when I went showing with them. Obviously get someone who knows what they're doing to show you how to apply is but black and white (I think) make-up applied strategically round the eyes and muzzle makes a huge difference.

 

[eirewhisper]

Most pros clip a grey horse as this gives the best coat finish. Dont bath too often either as it can make the coat very dull, try & keep the horse covered with hood/rug to prevent dirt build up and stains - prevention is better than cure!
For really white legs & tail it's worth getting a really good blue shampoo (I love Equimins Vanity Blue or Wahl Diamond White) and use a tailbag.
Cowboy Magic Greenspot remover is the best on showday for getting any marks out that happen during transport/working in. I never go anywhere without babywipes either

 

[NoCollection]

Practice your turnout before the show. The whole lot - get immaculately plaited, polished and shiny, then simply go out for a hack or a lesson. You will benefit from the practice, learn what works best for you and also how long it all takes.

 

[MM&PP]

Thanks everyone.

I am def going to practice beforehand and have started looking into all products!

I am interested RE: chalk/blue rinse/whitening powders...

Mare is dapple grey, would I still do all of the above or would that give her a 'fake' colour? I will look for a pic in a sec...

Have also heard that the black varnish like hoof oil is incorrect and if horse was to brush or catch leg and leave black mark this would be v.detrimental from a judges POV?

 

[MM&PP]

I think I will just need a decent bit of elbow grease and some shining product as oppose to whitener?

Sorry it's massive!!!

 

[MissSBird]

Black varnish is fine for all but mountain and moorland (and possibly arabs, not sure there) as they're not supposed to wear coloured makeup. By using one of the drying varnishes you eliminate the chance of smudging onto a white leg.

I'm afraid dapple greys still need a good scrub, and chalk/bleach etc makes quite a difference. This is my boy last year during a lesson, for which I gave his legs and the bottom of his tail a quick once over wash with some fairy liquid.

and then having had a proper scrubbing bath/bleach/chalk. Forgive my crappy position please, not sure what I'm up to!

I've found that rubbing a chalk block on damp legs is good for areas like my boy's back legs between his hock and his socks which arn't quite black yet arn't quite white. Allows you to brighten the white without marking the darker patches.

 

[Sessle]

Love this post, haven't found anything yet to make my mares tail whiter, but love the ketchup idea! Will be trying that!

 

[irish_only]

Having had a grey for 20 years agree with everyone so far. Not heard the ketchup trick but will be trying it.
For a really deep, silvery sparkle to the coat, if you bath (I am an Absorbine fan), rug up really really well. I can end up putting 4/5 rugs on, including neck so that they get really warm. Cooler/thermal rugs topped with stable rugs. As they start to dry, start to peal the layers off. You will have a fabulous sheen.

 

[BBP]

My top tip is know what colour your horse should be! When I worked as a groom we had a lovely 4yo 17.2hh grey warmblood arrive. I spent 2 whole weeks prior to the start of the show season scrubbing a yellow poo stain on his flank. I used shampoo, whitening shampoo, blueing, everything under the sun and the blinking stain would not go. It finally dawned that the horse had a patch of genuine faded poo coloured hair on his flank, it wasn't a stain at all. Poor soul, putting up with me all that time!