Trimming and plaiting for a show; care after work

A well-turned-out horse shows that its rider takes things seriously; a horse well looked after once the work is done will be fit the next day. Both call for method.

In the exam programme

Trim and plait a horse for a competition.Specific part
Give the care a horse needs after work.Specific part

Show turnout

Trimming shows the horse off; it is done a few days before the show, after a thorough grooming. Pull the mane to shorten and thin it, a few hairs at a time, over several sessions if the horse is sensitive. Bang the tail: cut it straight, about a hand’s breadth below the point of the hock when the horse carries it. Trim the fetlocks and around the coronets with scissors or clippers, and neaten the edges of the ears without ever touching the hair inside, which protects them.

Remember

Never cut the whiskers, the long feeler hairs on the muzzle and around the eyes: they let the horse sense what it cannot see. Since 1 January 2019, the FFE has barred horses whose whiskers have been removed from competing.

Plaiting the mane

1. Divide

The mane into equal bunches, a comb’s width each.

2. Plait

Each bunch in three strands, tight to the end.

3. Secure

The end, with a band or a few stitches.

4. Roll up

The plait folded under itself into a ball at the roots.

Fig. 6.15Plaiting a mane into buttons

PrepareA clean mane, pulled, combed out and slightly dampened. Kit: comb, plaiting bands or thread and a blunt needle, a hair clip, a stool.
DivideDivide the mane into equal bunches, about the width of the comb, holding the rest out of the way with the clip. By tradition, there is an odd number of plaits along the neck, plus the forelock.
PlaitPlait each bunch in three strands, tight and flat right to the end, then secure the end with a band or a few stitches.
RollFold the plait under itself towards the base of the mane until it forms a neat button, and fasten it firmly.
FinishPlait the forelock and check that the buttons are in line; after the show, take the plaits out so as not to break the hairs.

The tail is plaited by taking fine strands from each side of the dock, for about two-thirds of its length, then finished with a plain plait folded under and secured. For Hunter and dressage, plaits are traditional; for show jumping and cross-country, they are optional.

Care after work

Whatever the work, the order never changes: cool down at the walk on a long rein until the breathing is back to normal; then untack, check the body and legs, pick out the feet and check the shoes, hose or sponge down according to the season, and make sure the horse is dry before it is rugged or put away. You have known how to check legs since Galop 4 and how to put on stable bandages since Galop 5; now fit the care to the effort the horse has made.

After an hour’s lesson
Simple care
Ten minutes’ walking, girth loosened. Sponge off the saddle and girth marks, hose the legs if it is hot, dry the horse — with a cooler in winter. Check the legs and feet, then back to the stable or the field, with water to hand.
After a one-day event
Recovering from a big effort
Walk until the breathing settles; in hot weather, hose the whole body and scrape the water off with a sweat scraper, several times over. Offer water little and often. Take out the studs, check the legs, put on stable bandages or clay on the tendons, and the next day look out for heat, filled legs or lameness.
After a dressage competition
Unplait and unwind
Take out the plaits, wash off the sweat marks, let the horse stretch at the walk on a long rein, then turn it out or walk it in hand: work that is mostly muscular calls for loosening up more than for rest in the stable.

Common mistake

Giving hard feed to a horse that is still hot and blowing. Wait until it is calm and dry: hay first, concentrates at least an hour after a big effort.

Ekidemy

The Galops^®, from the first step to Galop 7