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Grooming Tips

Have you seen the horse’s coats gleam and shine. This is not just from a pre-show bath these coats are groomed and brushed daily. How can you get a coat with that show ring shine? Here are some tips to get you started.

Show Ring Shine Starts In the Stable

A healthy shiny coat starts from the inside. If your horse is unhealthy the first thing you will notice is a dull listless shine to the hair. No amount of grooming will get that coat shiny. If you are unsure of how what to do, get a horse nutritionist to balance your feed ration.

Regular deworming is necessary. Keep detailed records of date and type of wormer used.

There are no short cuts to a shiny glistening coat. Good solid elbow grease and daily care is the foundation to a good coat.

Tips For a Shiny Coat

• Avoid frequent bathing. Bathing with detergents remove the natural oils from the horse’s skin and could, in fact, dull the coat. Brushing invigorates the skin, removes dust and dirt and brings natural oils to the surface.
• Groom regularly. When showing, top horses get groomed multiple times per day. This ensures the coat is clean and the horse is at is best. Once per week grooming will leave you with a horse which looks as though it is groomed once per week.
• Remove sweat and sweat marks immediately after riding. Use a bucket of cool (not hot) water with your favourite ‘wash’ in it. Or put a 1/4 cup or vinegar in the bath water. This will cut the sweat and leave your horse clean and it will also be a deterrent from flies.
• After bathing your horse spray a coat polish or detangler on the horse’s coat. This will help repel dust and help keep the coat cleaner for longer. DO NOT use this before riding as your horse will be slippery.
• Related – https://thistleridgestables.com/grooming-short-cuts/

Sign up for the newsletter. Following these tips will help you get seen in the show ring. People tell me they have gotten valuable information from it. Loads of tips and helpful exercises.

Other Grooming Tips

If you are out of mane detangler use a quick spritz of WD-40 in the horse’s mane or tail. One quick squirt and leave it sit for 2 minutes and then the know will become unstuck. I use this as well with removing burrs from my horse’s tails.

To get the ‘yellowish’ tinge out of your horse’s tail, spray on white vinegar and leave it set for about 5 minutes. do this just before washing the tail. It acts as an acid and will melt away the urine and brown tinge on your horse’s tail.

Do  you have any grooming tips to help maintain a shiny coat? Please let us know send us an email and we will include it here.

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