to the large starch intakes that are characteristic for these horses and the tendency for people to skip exercise days. During and after an exercise bout is an ideal time to work on conformational deficits. Horses with thick, cresty necks should be exercised in a neck sweat and then be tied in the stall after exercise for a cooling-out period. The shape of a horse's neck and therefore the balance of a horse can be improved significantly using a sweat. Another quite useful tool for fitting horses is a set of side reins and a surcingle. Horses with thin, weedy necks or ewe necks (horses that appear to have their necks put on upside down, thin on top and thick on the bottom) should be exercised in side reins. This makes the horse arch the neck and can significantly change the appearance of the shoulders and neck. When reins are first used they should be adjusted loosely and only after the horse has worn them a couple of times should they be adjusted more tightly.
Now for the most important and most neglected part of fitting the horse: grooming. If a really good hair coat is to be achieved, horses must be groomed vigorously on a daily basis, although use of some supplements can cut down grooming time. Immediately following exercise is a good time for an initial grooming. If you don't sweat grooming a horse, then you're probably not doing a good job! The best tool for the job is a small, flexible rubber currycomb. The horse should be thoroughly and vigorously curried all over the body and then a medium soft brush should be used followed by a rub rag. Give a horse a bath with plain water daily and use a mild soap once a week. Manes should be washed and unruly manes should be braided or banded to get them to lie down. Tails should not be brushed unless they are completely dry. Usually once a horse is fit the only time the tail is really picked and brushed thoroughly is on the morning of a show. Yearlings and weanlings that are turned out in groups should have
their tails treated with something that is unpalatable to other yearlings (e.g., certain anti-cribbing preparations are useful for this). There is nothing that detracts more from the balance and symmetry of a show or sale weanling or yearling than a chewed-off tail. Regular foot care is also a must for young horses. By convention, Thoroughbred sales horses are shod in front and left barefoot behind with the exception of weanlings, which are sold barefoot and two-year-old in-training horses, which are sold completely shod. Even though biotin, zinc and methionine supplementation may help some horses with bad feet, nothing can take the place of regular trimming. Preparing a future athlete is incredibly hard work, but it is achievable with superior nutrition and a carefully planned exercise and grooming program.
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