[Courtney1291]

ok this is my baby Fabio(zeus) saturday is his first show, and i figure i should groom him up really well lol. i know his mane needs work. does anyone have any suggestions on things that will make him look better? he is mostly white with a brown face, and brown spot on his side. i have pictures but they're black and white and a bit old.

he has feathers on his feet, and hair in his ears badly, but im not sure how short to cut it, and how to let me do it. almost all of the winter hair is gone, im clipping whats left. his feet are getting done the 6th.

pics:
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...06C/fabio3.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...06C/fabio2.jpg

sorry for so many questions..im really nervous. i dont want to make him look like an idiot.. or me for that matter.

[faroutfax]

First you need a bridle path. You can use sissors or clippers. A bridle path is basically a shaved area behind the ears where the halter/bridle sits (make sure not to cut off the forelock). For western it is usually 1 ear lenght in size and for english I believe that it is usually 1". As for has mane I love long manes and it would be a shame to cut it. You can either french braid it or do a diamond braid (you divide the mane into ponytails and secure it with small elastic bands that match his colour. then divide the pony tails in two and take two adjacent halves and band them together. You can either do 1-2 rows or the whole mane). Next I would neaten up his legs a bit with the sissors. next apply hoof polish to the hooves. And of course brush his body too.

For the english class you should use an english bridle and for the western class you should use a show halter if you have one. If you don't you can use a normal leather halter and lead and if you don't have that at least make sure that the halter and lead match (looks really nice if it matches your outfit)

Hope this helps

[Brina]

Okay, well first of all...he is ADORABLE! What I would suggest is to clip his feathers, clip his ears, clip his muzzle, and you can even clip his bridle path. All of this clipping will be super super short. As for his mane. I would pull it, to shorten it just a tad. I think that it would exentuate ( I can not spell this word for anything!) his neck (make his neck look more defined/better) if it wasn't longer than it (it being the neck), but thats just me. I am a short mane kinda person.

Just make sure to give him a good bathe before the show and he should look great!

[Courtney1291]

ok how do i get rid of the hair under his cheek? a bic razor like the muzzle, or clippers? what size clipper blade do you suggest? and last but not least should i trim it to the bottom of his throat? i love his mane.

also about the braiding, can i diamond braid it for western? or only english. for the english bridle can i show with just a leather halter?

thank you very much im really new to halter lol.

also lol.. i dont know how to pull a mane, i've always just let my horses manes be the way they are. where do i start the bridle path? does anyone have pictures? they would be extremely helpful

[SC Sonoma]

The area on this horse right behind it's ears is called the bridle path. See how they have clipped it.

[endurgirl]

Brina6166....accentuate.

Is your horse accustomed to clippers? For the ears, I just fold the ears and use the clippers to trim the "grandpa" hairs that are sticking out. I leave those other hairs for fly defense. I do know of some show people who trim all of the hairs of the ear. For the bridle path, I think the minis have a longer path, but you may wait for one of them to respond to your post. Of course shave the whiskers and the hairs under the chin and jaw. Also trim the feathers and I like to even up the hair around the coronet band. You'd be surprised at how much neater they look trimmed.

Be sure to add some after pics!!!!!!!!!!