available for you with your regular supplier and you’re not phoning other transport hire companies in a panic and maybe driving miles to collect a vehicle. Plan ahead and get organised.
If your horse has missed out on a trim as well as you during lockdown, then start getting him/her trimmed up and tidy.
If
his mane needs pulling, make a start on it gradually; it’s so much kinder than pulling a lot of hair out at one time. A few hairs each time you groom him is much better. Get those clippers or scissors out and trim the heels and chin (as long as they’re not going to be shown as a native!) so it shows his/her conformation to the best. Do this a week before the show so it doesn’t look like a severe haircut and looks natural.
How’s your plaiting? This is a great time to practice your plaits, if plaiting isn’t your strong point. You can’t get good plaits in a mane that hasn’t been prepared properly, so take the time now to thin and shorten it by pulling or with a
thinning comb. Make sure you have everything you need to hand including bands, plaiting thread, good large needles, plaiting spray and wax.
If you haven’t bathed your horse this season, he/she will have benefited by having a wonderful waterproof coat and the natural oils should give him a fabulous shine but you must remove the scurf by giving him two or three baths before the show. Once you’ve got him really clean, then a bath once a week or so should keep the scurf down but it will also remove the natural oils from the coat so you may need to put on a lightweight rug. You can really improve a horse’s coat by rugging them appropriately. The temperature drops at night and during the early hours, so you might want to think about putting on a lightweight rug in the evenings to keep the coat flat and to stop it getting thicker before the end of the season. Just make sure you check the weather forecast and take it off in the morning if the weather is warm. You might need to replace it with a summer sheet or fly rug if your horse is sensitive to insects.
Think about which classes you want to enter and plan your show even before you enter the ring. Have a mock show at home or in an area which is not familiar to your horse so you can have a run through. Read the class description and make sure you know what the judge is looking for. Practice your halts and make sure they are square every time he stops so it becomes natural to both you and your horse and not something just required in the show ring.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed and look forward to getting back in the show ring as soon as it’s safe to do so. Good luck and remember that good humour and smile never goes out of fashion and is the height of good manners!
Please mention Central Horse News What’s On when responding to advertisements THE SUMMER SPECIAL 2020 31
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