Make his coat shine
One of the first steps in getting your horse show-ready is to make sure his coat is looking super sleek and shiny. A lack of baths over the winter season can cause grease and dirt to build up, so dust off that bucket and get your shampoo out. “I like to bath my horses the day before a competition,” explains Amy, who competes in dressage with her two horses, Tico and Jasper. “My horses are clipped everywhere, apart from their whiskers, and I use a general horse shampoo on their bodies. I like to use a baby shampoo for their faces, being careful around their eyes.”
Glowing from the inside
While getting the perfect sheen on your horse’s coat is great for a competition, there’s no reason he can’t be gleaming all year. As Amy explains, examining his diet is a great way to keep his coat in tip-top condition. “I feed my horses vegetable oil – it not only helps maintain their weight but it also does wonders for their coat,” she says. Oil isn’t always an option, especially for good-doers, but ensuring your horse is eating the correct amount of nutrients – for example feeding a balancer – can help keep his coat at its best.