Turn Your Horse Into A Show Ring Superstar

Turn your horse into a show ring superstar - Turnout tips from the top; with thanks to Nettex, sponsors of the Showing classes at the Trailblazers Championships

Leading show rider Lynn Russell offers some great top tips for grooming and getting the best out of your products to have your horse looking gleaming and ready for the show ring.

Washing

• When you’re bathing your horse for a show, shower puffs are just the job for scrubbing around the awkward areas, such as the face and fetlocks, and most horses love the feel of them. They’re great for creating a good lather and for making sure you don’t miss any bits.
• To get white body parts gleaming, use a whitening shampoo such as Nettex Whitening Shampoo. Using your shower puff, work it into the white bits, particularly the grubbiest areas, then leave it to soak in for a while before rinsing.
• Keep on top of stains because if they start to build up they will be a lot trickier to remove. Use a stain remover, such as Nettex Stain Remover to make your job a lot easier.
• Take care to rinse off every last bit of shampoo, especially in the mane and tail. If you don’t, the residue shampoo can make the coat look dull and scruffy rather than shiny and sparkling.
• After you’ve finished bathing your horse, apply a rug to keep the coat clean. A hood is a good idea, too, as this will keep the head and neck clean as well as the horse’s body.
• Rather than brushing your horse’s tail every day (which removes hair and can make the tail look sparse), use a detangler daily such as Nettex Mane & Tail Detangler. This will ensure the tail will be easy to brush through when you’re preparing for a show.
• If you’ve bathed your horse the night before the show then apply stable bandages to keep the legs clean. Make sure you know how to do this properly, as over-tightened bandages can cause problems. You could choose to use leg wraps instead if you’re worried.
  

Plaiting

• If you have Hunters or Riding horses – or anything other than cobs then you will need to be up early to get your perfect plaits! Before you plait, make sure that your horse’s mane is a reasonable length and thickness. Also, try to pull the mane a week or so before so that your horse isn’t sore and will stand quietly to be plaited.
• When you’ve washed your horse’s mane it can feel silky and slippery and will therefore be tricky to plait. In this case, try using Nettex Plaiting Spray, which is designed to give you better grip when plaiting. 
• If your horse has a weak neck and needs more top line, then aim to position the plaits so they sit on top of the neck to give the illusion of more top line. If your horse has a cresty neck, get the plaits to sit into the neck, below the top line, so that you don’t make the neck look even bigger.
• Try to have an odd number of plaits along the crest (even number including the forelock) to avoid the neck looking split into two halves.
• Always stitch plaits from the front to the back so that the thread isn’t visible to the judge’s eye.

Last minute preparations

• Use a coat shine such as Nettex Hi-Shimmer Coat Spray to add a nice finishing touch, but take care not to apply it to the saddle area otherwise you will create a slippery surface.
• Warm up for your class and then ten minutes before you are due in, give the hooves a quick spray with Nettex Hoof Gloss, the coat a final mist of Coat Spray and your tack and your own boots a last-minute wipe over with Nettex Tack Cleaning Wipes to ensure you are neat, clean and tidy for the ring.
• Put on your big smile, enjoy the occasion and go and wow those judges!

Best of luck!

For stockist information, visit www.nettexequine.com or call 01634 257150.