Hello, all! Today, I'm going to make a quickie list of things you will want for turn out in a Hunter show- mind you, this is only your horse's requirements. I'll make up a human checklist later.
For the greys:
-Quicksilver
This stuff is amazing. I've helped a girl show her grey pony before, and we go through this stuff like there's no tomorrow- it gets her so white (that didn't sound racist!). Also, Wonder Blue works well too- I used it on my snowflake pattern Appy's white areas, and it really made her spots stand out
-Baby powder
This is great for final touch-ups on their legs. As you well know, horses with any kind of white on their legs are notorious for getting stains. If you don't want to clip their legs to get the staining off, baby powder or corn starch work wonders. Just pour some in your hands, and rub it in all over the white. You will want to rub it in well, and walk or trot the horse some- few things are more embarrassing than having your horse leave a white trail across the arena!
-White chalk
After you braid (if you braid, you may choose to just leave the sides of the tail clipped), you can take the body and end of the tail in one hand, and rub the chalk all through it. It gives it a nice, even white color.
-Hoof polish
I've never been a fan of black hoof polish on greys, just because I think it looks unnatural, but if you can put it on well, without getting any on the hair, it can look nice. I would recommend sticking with clear if your horse has light hooves, though, or if you have a hard time keeping the polish away from the hair.
For the bays, chestnuts, blacks, etc:
-Purple Power
This stuff is incredible for darker horses. It brings out the colors of the coat better than any other shampoo I've tried. It's a wee bit pricier, but the shine lasts for days after, and it intensifies the coat color insanely well.
-Baby powder
Same as above, use it on any white markings on the legs. You can put some on the face too, just to brighten up any snips, stars, whatever- just keep away from the eyes!
-Hoof polish
With horses lacking leg markings, you can usually get away with black polish. If they have white or pinkish hooves, leave them clear.
In regards to braiding:
If you're at a rated, braid it, if you're not, pull it, if it's a Halflinger, Arab, or other typically long haired breed, leave it be, or do a running braid. For a rated, you will pull your horse's mane, and do hunter braids, like:
If you're not showing rated, you can opt to braid, but it won't cost you a placing if you don't. I always do, just because it looks more professional, and gives me something to do while I'm waiting, but this is perfectly acceptable (usually about 4 inches long, though- this is rather short):
If you have a long maned breed, you can choose to do a running braid, like this:
(Why did I end up using all greys? Odd.)As for tails, never braid the tail unless you braid the mane. Usually you only see braided tails at "A" or above rated shows (not really "on trend" at the moment), but again, if you braid the mane, you can braid the tail at any level. You can also opt to pull the hairs on either side of the dock, to give the same effect (the whole point of braiding the tail is to show off the horse's hind quarters)
Knowing how to properly turn your horse out holds extreme importance in the Hunter world. Attached are some superb links about preparing, braiding, etc:
Tail braiding:
http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-exclusives/horse-tail-braiding.aspx
Mane:
Pulling-
http://www.newrider.com/Library/Horse_Care/pulling_a_mane.html
http://www.alphahorse.com/how-to-pull-a-mane.html
Hunter braids-
http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-exclusives/horse-mane-braiding.aspx
http://www.hunterjumperconnection.com/how-to-braid-a-horse.html
Running braids-
http://equestrianhow2.com/2009/12/09/how-to-braid-a-horses-mane-with-a-spanish-braid/
http://www.exhibitorlabs.com/article_02c.cfm
Other sites:
http://showringready.blogspot.com/
For the greys:
-Quicksilver
This stuff is amazing. I've helped a girl show her grey pony before, and we go through this stuff like there's no tomorrow- it gets her so white (that didn't sound racist!). Also, Wonder Blue works well too- I used it on my snowflake pattern Appy's white areas, and it really made her spots stand out
-Baby powder
This is great for final touch-ups on their legs. As you well know, horses with any kind of white on their legs are notorious for getting stains. If you don't want to clip their legs to get the staining off, baby powder or corn starch work wonders. Just pour some in your hands, and rub it in all over the white. You will want to rub it in well, and walk or trot the horse some- few things are more embarrassing than having your horse leave a white trail across the arena!
-White chalk
After you braid (if you braid, you may choose to just leave the sides of the tail clipped), you can take the body and end of the tail in one hand, and rub the chalk all through it. It gives it a nice, even white color.
-Hoof polish
I've never been a fan of black hoof polish on greys, just because I think it looks unnatural, but if you can put it on well, without getting any on the hair, it can look nice. I would recommend sticking with clear if your horse has light hooves, though, or if you have a hard time keeping the polish away from the hair.
For the bays, chestnuts, blacks, etc:
-Purple Power
This stuff is incredible for darker horses. It brings out the colors of the coat better than any other shampoo I've tried. It's a wee bit pricier, but the shine lasts for days after, and it intensifies the coat color insanely well.
-Baby powder
Same as above, use it on any white markings on the legs. You can put some on the face too, just to brighten up any snips, stars, whatever- just keep away from the eyes!
-Hoof polish
With horses lacking leg markings, you can usually get away with black polish. If they have white or pinkish hooves, leave them clear.
In regards to braiding:
If you're at a rated, braid it, if you're not, pull it, if it's a Halflinger, Arab, or other typically long haired breed, leave it be, or do a running braid. For a rated, you will pull your horse's mane, and do hunter braids, like:
If you're not showing rated, you can opt to braid, but it won't cost you a placing if you don't. I always do, just because it looks more professional, and gives me something to do while I'm waiting, but this is perfectly acceptable (usually about 4 inches long, though- this is rather short):
If you have a long maned breed, you can choose to do a running braid, like this:
Tail braiding:
http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-exclusives/horse-tail-braiding.aspx
Mane:
Pulling-
http://www.newrider.com/Library/Horse_Care/pulling_a_mane.html
http://www.alphahorse.com/how-to-pull-a-mane.html
Hunter braids-
http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-exclusives/horse-mane-braiding.aspx
http://www.hunterjumperconnection.com/how-to-braid-a-horse.html
Running braids-
http://equestrianhow2.com/2009/12/09/how-to-braid-a-horses-mane-with-a-spanish-braid/
http://www.exhibitorlabs.com/article_02c.cfm
Other sites:
http://showringready.blogspot.com/
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