12 Horse Grooming Tricks for Your Next Horse Show

Getting ready for a horse show is mostly planning when to do things; the rest is using the best tools and techniques for epic show ring turnout! 

Clip your horse well in advance of your horse show

Some horses, especially the dark bays and chestnuts, will have a slightly different shade after a full body clip. By clipping a few weeks out, you give your horse time to even out any noticeable lines, the natural shine can come back, and the new color can deepen.

For touch-up trimming, like ears and bridle paths and smaller areas, the color change is not evident. But clipping at least two weeks before a show lets everything smooth out.  

Bathe your horse two days before the show

Bathing the day before a show often strips your horse of too much shine. Have your horse’s spa day at least two days ahead of your departure to let any natural oils come back. 

To prevent stains, use fly sheets or thin stable sheets to provide a stain barrier. Pack your horse’s sleeping area full of clean shavings. You can also buff your horse with grooming oil to add shine, softness, and stain repellant.   

Bathing a few days out also lets any accidental purple hues fade away if you left whitening shampoo for too long.

Leave your horse’s mane a little bit sticky

 It’s tempting to scrub your horse’s mane and tail more than usual for a show. If you will be braiding, avoid too much shampoo, skip the conditioner, and don’t use any sleek detanglers. 

Slippery manes are difficult to braid well! Smooth down any texture with braiding balms or hair mousse. Sprays can be good to use, although they can sometimes run down the neck and create sticky patches.  

Have a grooming and tacking-up test run

Pick a day at home to practice grooming, braiding, and tacking up for horse show day. Add in time that you need to get dressed into your show clothes, with make-up and hair, too. Note how much time this takes! 

Then add in a buffer of time, just in case. Allow 20 minutes or so for distractions, unexpected stains, or your ring running early. If you know the showgrounds, build in time for walking from the stables to the competition rings.  

Use clean grooming tools 

 Plan on washing your horse’s grooming tools before show day. Nothing smears the dirt around like sticky, dirty brushes. If you are a frequent horse show participant, consider having a separate set of grooming tools for shows only. You’ll save a bit of packing time, too! 

Pre-package spot removers for fast touch up grooming

 Make your spot cleaner for easy grooming touch-ups. Fill a small tub or plastic bag with a tiny bit of water, some no-rinse shampoo, and a few baby wipes or shop cloths. Instant stain removal without going to the washrack! 

Pack an empty spray bottle for water

 Sometimes you need to get your horse just a little bit damp for some top-notch grooming. Manes braid a little easier when they are damp, and quarter marks set better with wet hair. You may be able to lightly dampen a stain for easy removal and spray a static-filled tail before heading to the show ring. 

Use fly sheets, scrims, or light cotton sheets at the show

 Sheets keep the dust away from your horse and tack! Scrim sheets are helpful ringside if you are waiting between classes. For dust-busting in the stall, cotton or nylon stable sheets protect your horse’s coat. If the weather is hot, opt for a fly sheet instead.  

Organize your warm-up ring bucket before you arrive

 If you have a helper on the ground at your horse show, pack a ringside bag or bucket for touch-ups. Having hoof polish and some rags is the minimum for tiding hooves and wiping away sweat. You could also bring bottled water, a copy of your test or course, fresh gloves, or anything else you need to ride your best.  

Have a separate area for dirty laundry after it’s dry

Keep everything at the show clean by storing dirty laundry away from your clean tack and show pads. Pre-treat stains with a laundry stick, let everything dry, and then collect it all.  

 To make clotheslines to dry boots and saddle pads, string baling twine along a wall. A quick staple on each end usually does the trick. If you have a grooming stall, you can always clip cross ties together for a clothesline.  

Brighten those whites on show day

 Corn starch or baby powder sprinkled on your horse’s chrome legs makes socks and stocking pop. But, if there’s muddy weather or rain, it turns into a paste. Use Show Touch Ups instead, which is simply pigment in a can. It wears off over a few days, and dried mud brushes out easily.  

Prevent green foam 

 Many horse shows don’t schedule ride times around meals! If your horse has been eating hay or hand grazing, a foamy mouth can be green. Let your horse have his chew time, but rinse his mouth with a large syringe of water to flush out any green bits before you bridle up. 

Your horse show grooming routine can be as streamlined! Keeping your horse curried, minimizing detergent use, and practicing your braiding and grooming routine all year long makes show day easy.