Photo: ES Photography
SHOW PREPARATION
LEARN FROM
THE BEST
PREP PERFECTION WITH ABSORBINE AMBASSADORS JAYNE ROSS, KEVIN & EMMA MCNAB AND NATALIE MCGOLDRICK
H
ere are Jayne’s top tips for achieving the perfect show mane and tail. “Thinning, tidying, and shortening your horse’s mane is an important job if you want him to look top-notch during the competition season. It’s important if you’ll be plaiting as a mane left thick and unruly leads to plaits that look like furry golf balls. “Pulling manes and tails, trimming, or hogging a couple of weeks before the show means that you can simply tidy up the day before the event, leaving you time for all the other jobs. You will have plenty to do without having to think about a full mane
Jayne sewing plaits correct size to compliment the size of the horse’s neck
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and tail pulling session! “Neck rugs in the winter can often have dire consequences for the mane, so we only use neck rugs on Cobs that will be hogged. “When bathing your horse, the day before a show do not condition the mane or tail as if you are plaiting, this will make the hair slippery and difficult to plait. “I always plait on the day of the event. There is nothing worse than spending hours carefully plaiting the day before only to find your horse has rubbed them out overnight, and this really damages their mane. I leave the forelock until I get to the show to stop the horse from rubbing it out
JAYNE ROSS HAS WON THE TITLE OF SUPREME HORSE OF THE YEAR AT HORSE OF THE YEAR SHOW SEVEN TIMES IN THE LAST DECADE. IN 2014 AND 2015 BROADSHARD SIMPLICITY TOOK THE SUPREME HORSE OF THE YEAR IN CONSECUTIVE YEARS, A FEAT UNHEARD OF IN RECENT TIMES. on the way or getting it full of hay. “Traditionally there were seven or nine plaits plus the one for the forelock, but this unwritten rule no longer applies, and the distance apart is dictated by your horse’s type and confirmation - small plaits won’t look right on a chunky horse for instance. I prefer to sew my plaits in as sewn plaits are neater and achieve the best look to enhance the shape of the horse’s neck. When plaiting a show horse we always use the same coloured thread or bands as the mane. “If you want to help show off your horse’s hindquarters the hair at the top of the tail has to be long enough for you to plait right down to the dock. The key to a successful plait is maintaining even pressure as you go, so that you end up with a neat, ribbed
