[Midnight Felicity]

Does anyone have some really good tips for showing in halter and showmanship AS far as grooming and what they are looking for. Maybe a banded mane or a partially braided tail, please tell me the show is this weekend thanks

[QHGirl]

What type of horse do you have???

[Midnight Felicity]

She is a Quarab, not sure if it's half and half . She mainly looks like a QH in her body shpe but has a refined head like an Arab... so what do you think???

[horsebabe33089]

I'd like to kno too, cuz I have a QH that I need 2 kno wut the grooming standards are too...so Midnight Felicity ur not the only 1 whose not sure

[QHGirl]

That is a harder one for you MF becaue your horse is 1/2 arab (long mane) compared to quarter horses.

Take a look at some of the postings under this sub-forum about pulling manes to give you an idea how stock horses keep their mane pulled, nice and pretty.

Tails are hard. I would suggest not "cutting" you tail. The longer and fuller the better. If it is dragging the ground SOMETIMES they will do a blunt end cut a few inches off the ground (a few inches repeated) take a look at some of Halter girls's pics and even some of the other posts about grooming for showmanship. Try searching those things while we look for more things to post!!!

[QHGirl]

DO NOT braid your horses tail even halfway for showmanship. Halter can have braids in mane (nicely banded like a hunter/jumper) if you are showing English Halter, but not western. You might even get Disqualified!

[Ashleigh]

Your horse being a quarter horse/arab, i'm not sure what kind of showmanship or halter you're talking about...but i used to show a nice appendix quarter horse in some smaller shows in halter and showmanship.

most importantly, regardless of whether or not you're braiding or banding or leaving it long, you have to have your mane properly pulled. as for the tail, i always bagged it and kept it in a braid so that it wouldn't tangle, then the night before a show wet it down and combed Cowboy Magic into it then put it into several small braids then brushed it out while i was grooming him a little bit before the halter class itself with one of those plastic curry combs.

if your horse has black points, a little bit of vaseline around the eyes and muzzle can really bring out your horses features. also, trim the hair along the coronet band and do a good job of blacking/polishing their hooves.

i trimmed down his two white stockings and scrubbed them to death, and banded his mane with white elastics. it can take forever- but if you do it properly it looks awesome! if you're braiding, either make sure you can do it well enough yourself, get someone to show you how, or get someone else to do it for you.

other than that, tons of grooming, lots of shine, and know your stuff!! it's not just about how your horse looks - it's how you present them. you need to practice showmanship patterns and standing square and moving around your horse properly just as much as you need to practice your riding before a show. and make sure you're just as presentable as your horse. you should be squeaky clean too.

[horselover2005]

Since your horse is Quarab MF and looks more like QH you should follow more of the grooming guide lines for QH show horses. Short, banded manes and long full tails horse_on

[onebaymare]

Are you asking for tips on grooming only or do you also need tips on how to prepare your horse for the class as well? I would be glad to help! I just need to do a few things post back and I will share some of my tips if you wish

[jrmorgan]

QHGirl:
DO NOT braid your horses tail even halfway for showmanship. Halter can have braids in mane (nicely banded like a hunter/jumper) if you are showing English Halter, but not western. You might even get Disqualified!

Allow me to re-quote what I said on the other thread: from the AQHA rule book section for
rules for showmanship at halter, section: 471

"The mane, tail, forelock, and wither tuft may not contain ornaments (ribbons, bows, etc.) but may be braided or banded for english or western . |"

Since aqha doesn't offer "english showmanship" this must refer to regular showmanship at halter class.