How to to Get Your Horse in Show-ready Condition

There are many types of occasions where your horse needs a bit of spruce up ready for a dressage competition, show jumping, showing or going on a pleasure ride; we all want our horses looking clean and tidy for all kinds of occasions. 

Horses don’t need a bath every day or even every week, but if their coat is dull-looking or they become scaly, then it’s a good time to give them a bath and check them over for any bumps and scraps or dry skin. Horses that compete regularly shouldn’t have this problem as much, as they will require more regular maintenance to keep them looking good for the majority of their showing season. 

Not all horses need a bath every time they compete, there are other ways in which you can prevent your horse from looking grubby and maintain an all-around healthy-looking horse. 

See below all our top tips for creating and maintaining your horse’s show-ready look. 

1. Equine America Everyday Vitamins and Minerals

Diet is one that should be a continuous and ongoing way to keep your horse in show-ready condition. Start from the inside out for a happy and healthy horse. 

Adding a vitamin and mineral supplement to their feed will apply to the majority of all horses and ponies, for both stable and field kept horses. Some horses require some very specific supplements and medication for personal requirements, but vitamins and minerals are a great all-around addition for the majority.  

The chances are your horse won’t be getting all the nutrients it needs from a grass diet, so feeding a multivitamin supplement will keep his coat shining and looking and feeling well. 

This particular supplement includes twenty-five key vitamins and minerals, loaded with probiotics and prebiotics. 

Included are vitamin A, which is great for the immune system, healthy skin & coat and vision. Vitamin B for blood health and the immune system, vitamin D for strong bones and vitamin E for muscle health. 

Like said above, this is a great addition to your horse’s feed and will provide all the elements required for a healthy-looking and feeling horse for both in and out of the show ring.

2. Equine America Super Groom Whitening Shampoo

Washing your horse will give him that instant facelift, it will make him cleaner, shinier and give him a great overall healthy look.

There are many different shampoos for all kinds of coloured horses, different purposes, with some washing out stains better than others. 

This Equine America Super Groom Whitening Shampoo is amazing on grey and white ponies, which usually are the hardest colour to get clean and keep clean. 

This particular shampoo is a violet shampoo, working with optical brighteners to naturally highlight your horse’s coat, creating that show-stopping look. 

When removing muck or grass stains, leave for 10 minutes to work its magic and then simply wash off, to reveal a glistening bright coat. A grey horse with muck stains are the hardest to try and get clean, so if you don’t have a grey the jobs should be a little simpler. 

For non-grey horses, the Equine America Horse Shampoo would be a great option, to create that all over shine and cleanliness, without the need for violet shampoo.

A no-rinse shampoo is a great option for post-showing when you need to wash them down, but for a deep clean you want a shampoo that you rinse out for a more thorough wash. A no-rinse shampoo is great for a quick wash where removing stains isn’t as much of a priority. The Equine America Lavender No-Rinse Wash is a great option for this purpose. 

3. Equine America Silky Tail Un-Tangler 

Once you have washed your horse apply a de-tangler all over his tail before brushing. You can apply to his mane if you are not plaiting up, else it may make it too slippery to plait. 

Spray on and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Using the oyster mane and tail brush 

start to carefully brush through sections of his tail holding onto it by the base, this will prevent losing lots of hair from his tail. Once you have brushed through leaving it to dry and then plait up to keep nice and clean. 

This is a great product for any horse and should be used every time after washing. It can also be used as and when required on a dry tail to keep it clean, as this spray prevents the muck from sticking to the tail hair. 

You can also use this on your horse’s coat, creating a nice healthy shine and maintain his coat condition. 

Packed full of lemongrass essential oils and coconut extracts, your horse will not only look fantastic but smell divine too.

4. Shapley’s Show Touch Up Colour Enhancer 

This product is a great addition to any horse that needs to be ultra show ready. 

Available in the majority of coat colours, this handy spray works to cover up blemishes, scars and flaws creating a natural non-painted look. 

You can also spray on tails to create a fuller look or spray-on imperfections in coat colour. It is also not easily washed off by the rain too – what a bonus. Apply on a washed and dried coat, this should be one of your final touches before heading into the ring. 

This product is great for going that one step further in creating that perfect overall look and a must-have product if you are in the showing world.