[horselover0129]

lots and lots of brushing to get that shine

[dancer]

Besides a good bath...

Legs-scrubbing bubbles
White areas-rub cornstarch into them! Just not in the saddle area if you're riding later, b/c it can make the saddle slip.
Showing English one day, western the next-make sure to wet your horse's mane and tail down after taking out the braids-it'll take out the curls so it'll get straight. I'm sure most people know this, but I didn't for a while, so I'm gonna go ahead and say it.

[xoHoRsElOvErxo]

Well i have the color horse that is impossibe to keep clean for more than one minute....A grey pritty much white horse!! I am obcessed with keeping her clean even when we don't have a show. I groom just about every day and i have just stared feeding a supplemnet call glanzen GL to her. It is a hoof, coat and joint supplement. Before the show i bath her and scrub the feet and legs extra good. I have never done it before but this year i think i might put a sheet on her to keep her from getting stains. In the morning i brush all the water marks out and put shown sheen in the mane and tail and on the face. And for the feet i put vaseline on the night before and a natural hoof dressing on in the morning. For the saddle i just use leather cleaner, for my bridle and bit i use water (bridle is synthetic). I get all my things together the night before so i am ready to go. Thats all i can think up now but ill add more if i think of it.
Sorry its so long!

[Kissitgoodbye]

Bath before the show is always necessary

Then he gets his slinky and his show sheet one and isn't allowed to see or step on dirt

I mostly just try to keep him clean because he roles like a mad man ALL the time lmao!

And my secret is my mother Personal groom works the best!

[Rising Star]

Im obsessed with the fleabittens and this is my second year showing them now. last year my pony was terrible for laying own in his stall ON the poop just so he would get some nice stains in for me. Our shows here we usually get the day before to practice and put them in their stalls and finish up all the touches. we usually gave ours bathes and plait the manes just before we put them into their stalls. I would need to go really early to wash my pony quick AGAIN to get all those terrible stains off. The next day we would clean our tack and make sure everything looked perfect. then we would get our horses and finish up any little touches.

This year im not so worried about how fancy everything looks because i do competitive trail. its pretty much a bath and braids and night and then a quick grooming in the morning.

Oh and baby powder works wonders for horses.. just make sure it sticks on and its not too windy. you dont want your outfit full of it or a trail following you and your horse..lol

--Rising

[saylesgirl]

Have a friend/parent/groom carry an extra rag in their pocket to wipe any dust off your boots before entering the show ring.

[DressageGirl]

Sards Wondersoap on the white bits.

We have White make up "Champion Tails White Cover MakeUP", apply this liberally (but carefully) to the white socks etc when they are still wet, let everything dry, then give a light brush, and glow in the dark socks are yours.

Baby oil is a favourite leading up to show day, on coats, manes, tails, muzzles, adds precious oil to the coat. Dont use before show day too much as it can get sticky

To get a thicker fuller tail without using a false one, tease the inside bits of the tail, just below the dock, and hair spray. You might have to practice this a bit so it doesnt end up like a birds nest, but a little teasing on the inside, can make the tail look alot fuller and richer on the outside

I have just discovered Ultra Hot Oil Treatment, and boy, is it fantastic. Do the week before the show (or 4 days at least), and you will seriously need to wear your sunglasses to look at your horse....

Theres alot more, just cant think of them right now

[Dandy_Brush]

Bath Bath Bath!!

If your washing the tail, after the bath, spray some showsheen on the tail, then sperate everyhair so that at the end you can run your fingures through it. The tail will then be beutiful and full and flowing!!!

Ah lol a little showsheen tip, be careful of where you spray it. it may make your horse shine and shimmer, but you and your saddle will end up in the dirt if it's sparyed in the wrong place (The stuff can be slippery )

I heard watter proff mascara is great for covering scars.

If your braiding the mane, dont wash it, a dirty mane make it easier to braid, and the braids stay in better!!

Baby powder is great for a last minute whitening.

Buy a bottle of fly spray and a botle of showsheen. Mix half of each in a sperate bottle, so whenever you go to apply showsheen, you get the added bonus of applying fly spray.


Baby wipes or wet naps are great for a last minute boot shine before you go into the ring.

[lilrider]

Originally Posted by Peekaboo

Whites and greys are impossible to keep clean.

I am the master of keeping the white horses clean.. I just finished posting a loooong thing about how I deal with tails... so I will repost it here and add a few things..

1. First! Wash the mane and tail with regular shampoo (I use the $ .99 suave lol) Get all teh dirt grime etc out. Mix warm water with the regular shampoo (i just squirt it in so I am nots ure how much I use) and dunk the tail. Let it sit a little. Take it out and suds it up and rinse. This will make sure you get all the grime out so you dont waste the expensive stuff on it

2. Pour a good ammount of quic silver on the tail where the stain is especially. Scrub it in.. make sure that tail is purple lol. Let it sit (I usually am washing the rest of him while it sits). Do this with the mane as well if its also white or grey.

3. Rinse. adn repeat if necessary

4. Onc eyou get everything all rinsed out spray the horse down with show sheen while he is wet (do not spray the saddle area if you are planning to ride at the show!!). Carefully pick out the tangles with your fingers as teh mane and tail dries. When you can rinthe brush or comb through with tangles then you can use it (otherwise you will just pull out hairs).

5. Now that he is all dry put that tail in a tail bag. Whatever kind you want. I then wrap white vetwrap (make sure its white! the colors can and will bleed and you will end up with a funny tail in the morning) around the tailbone and wherever the tailbag doenst cover.

6. I now take the horse (stormy lol) and put his sleazy on (I braid his mane in large braids before hand otherwise it gets all flat..this isn't necessary if your horse has a short pulled banded or braided mane). Then on goes his sheet. Tail is already in the tail bag with his dock wrapped. Then I wrap his legs (we use pillow quilts and bandages for shipping) to keep his legs clean and so I can grab him and load him in the morning. Last but not least he gets put in his stall thats been bedded down with mounds of fluffy shavings (sawdust, we us ethe wood chip shavings variety) and lots of clean fresh water, hay, and his dinner (we don't ever stall them normally so the other two stay out)

7. Before shows (as in teh next day lol) I use World Champion Peppy spray. It really makes the white glisten. Don't use too much though it is oil based and it will makeyour horses tail oily if too much is used. Just in case that happens keep some baby powder on hand (and for helping to whiten the tail as well) If its too oily put the baby powder in. It will help to soak up the oil.

Theres other stuff... but I think I have said enough...lol

[lilrider]

Originally Posted by DressageGirl

To get a thicker fuller tail without using a false one, tease the inside bits of the tail, just below the dock, and hair spray. You might have to practice this a bit so it doesnt end up like a birds nest, but a little teasing on the inside, can make the tail look alot fuller and richer on the outside

If you want a thicker fuller tail do not use hairspray. It is damaging to horses hair just like it is to ours. It can easily cause breaking of the hairs and if at the dock that means a less full less thick tail.