Well groomed

WHILE TURNOUT HAS NO BEARING ON MARKS IN DRESSAGE, WE ALL LIKE TO MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION. SOME HORSES ARE MORE TRICKY THAN OTHERS TO PREPARE FOR COMPETITION, SO JANE CARLEY GETS SOME TIPS FROM PREENING PERFECTIONISTS.

Angharad Harries takes care of Ruby Hughes and her horses at shows, including the striking palomino Hilkens Showgirl, known as Lola at home.

“Her white tail and socks are the biggest challenge,” says Angharad. “I wash her tail every week TOP TIP to stop it getting If a horse gets stained, but in the droppings in a light run-up to a show I’ll coloured tail, let it dry wash it a couple of before tackling the days ahead and the cleaning. day before, using lots of conditioner.”

The tail is then plaited and placed in the leg of a pair of tights.

“I find this better than a tail bag as it’s quieter and moves with the pony better,” she explains. “It stays on when we get to the show rather than keep washing her tail.”

Angharad’s tip for white socks is to towel dry them thoroughly after washing to ensure that bits of bedding don’t stick and cause dirty marks. Stable boots also help to keep stains at bay. “I find NAF Brighter Than White paste useful, which I apply before plaiting, allow to dry and then brush off before putting her boots on. You don’t need too much.” A cotton sheet keeps Lola’s coat clean, but Angharad stresses the importance of keeping on top of any stains. “I try and brush them off if possible to avoid any streaks.” The fashionable large plaits show off the Westfalian mare’s neck, and Angharad comments: “She’s got a lovely thick mane which I find easy to plait, but I have to keep it very clean as it’s blonde rather than white, so can quickly look grubby! I use NAF Plait it Up which holds the hair well.”

• Tail brush • Damp cloth • Baby wipes

HUGHES DRESSAGE

LEFT: RUBY HUGHES AND THE PALOMINO HILKENS SHOWGIRL. ABOVE: RUBY (LEFT) WITH GROOM ANGHARAD HARRIES AND THE IMMACULATELY PLAITED CLASSIC BEE GEE.

Charlotte Crocker-Westlake competes PRE horses, with Tragus Vdos at PSG and Armas Leviton just starting his career.

The biggest challenge, she says, is that they are generally grey.

“I have to keep on top of dirt, spot washing regularly to prevent a stain building. I buy Wahl blue shampoo in 5 litre packs!”

Show preparation entails a full bath the day before, but Charlotte points out ruefully that she always allows time for more washing on the morning of a competition. “I do like to do a deep clean. Dust seems to get deep into the coat and then you get streaks!” The Spanish horse’s iconic long mane also takes some upkeep. “I try to keep manes clean and in good condition,” she explains. “I’ll also spot wash any dirty patches in the mane, which can be down below the horse’s shoulder. But manes are left in long loose braids as otherwise they can get caught under the saddle. I re-braid them every three or four days, running some hair oil through to remove tangles. I aim not to wash the mane within four days of plaiting, otherwise they are just too slippy.” ‘give a 3D effect with a lovely arch to the neck’, she explains, but with a special finish for the long mane.

“I start with a Dutch plait to about a third of the way down, and then use forceps to pull the hair through the top of the plait and braid it into the next plait. It’s really secure, so you could plait the horse in the morning and it would still look good for the PSG in the afternoon.”

• Haas brushes – the coarse hair one will help to get a stain out • Polishing brush • Farnam Laser Sheen shine spray • Emergency pot of blue shampoo • Baby oil and clear hoof oil TOP: CHARLOTTE CROCKER WESTLAKE WITH TRAGUS VDOS. ABOVE: BEFORE - A VERY LONG MANE! RIGHT: CHARLOTTE LINKS THE HAIR FROM ONE PLAIT INTO THE NEXT ONE.

Unwashed manes can look a bit scurfy after Plaiting is something of an plaiting, but 2-in-1 high oil art form, starting with a texture spray from Hairy Pony gives product to prevent ‘fly-aways’. a gleaming finish. And get “The traditional approach is some steps to stand on, a crest plait, which is kept tight especially if you are rather than getting loose like an short! arab plait, and I plait ‘under’ to keep this tight.” To give more of a ‘dressage’ look, Dutch plaits

• Three combs – one for the mane, one for the tail and one for the feathers.

“Olly has actually got a double mane, so I have to comb the underneath bit first and then the top.” • Foam mitt for stain removal and polishing • Brylcreem for flattening the top bits of mane

Try to leave the hair alone as much as possible so that it grows. I only brush out his feathers at a competition; although I’ll put conditioner on them now and again. Victoria Homden’s Olly is a traditional cob x Welsh Section D, winner of the Petplan Equine Novice Bronze class at the NAF Winter Championships.

“He has a long mane, which I plait to keep up with the warmbloods!” she says. “Plus lots of feather and plenty of white bits.”

Freelance instructor Victoria says that Olly has a selection of rugs plus a neck cover in the field to keep him clean and to avoid having to brush his mane too much.

Clipping starts in August, the first of about eight clips as he gets ‘very hairy’ in winter, and Victoria is fastidious about blending the clip into his feathers to avoid lines.

She’s also particular about stains: “I tackle any stain on the white patches as soon as it appears to prevent those orange marks appearing, particularly on areas like the hocks, using Absorbine Bath in a Bottle,” she comments. “Carr Day and Martin mane and tail conditioner used every other day helps keep on top of the tangles.”

In the run up to a show Olly will have three or four baths using purple shampoo, the final one with warm water to get him really clean, and this is the time to tackle those feathers.

“You can wash the feathers and think they are clean, but part them and there’s still dirt underneath!” says Victoria. “Once they are really clean and dry, I apply Supreme Products whitener with a paintbrush and put leg wraps on.”

On show days, Victoria reckons she needs to be at the yard two hours before leaving to tackle those last minute stains. 

BELOW: VICTORIA HOMDEN’S OLLY – LONG MANE, FEATHERS AND LOTS OF WHITE BITS!

KEVIN SPARROW

CAVALOR BIANCO WASH is here to help with those truly stubborn stains and is fantastic for white and grey horses that need to be super clean, especially for the show ring. The unique, concentrated formula of this mild shampoo removes stains without irritation and also helps to keep the coat and skin hydrated. Regular use of Cavalor Bianco Wash has a deep-cleansing effect and even prevents persistent stains.

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AND DETANGLER is not magic, it's science! The secret to long, healthy tails is to minimise the dry combing force that can lead to breakage. ShowSheen® is serious tail care and the only detangler clinically proven and guaranteed to reduce breakage by 40% - resulting in fuller, healthier-looking tails.

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adds that extra touch of glamour in the show arena, giving your horse or pony’s coat a lustrous shine to help catch the judge’s eye. A fantastic coat conditioner, it can also be used on manes and tails, helping to keep them tangle-free for up to a week. The gentle formula will keep the coat, mane and tail hydrated, which results in more volume and elasticity, anti-static hair and a healthy shine.

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