ADAM FANTHORPE
GROOMING.
ABOVE: A BEAUTIFULLY TURNED OUT HORSE CAN’T FAIL TO CATCH THE EYE ON THE BIG OCCASION. BELOW: RACHEL STEPHENS, WHO GROOMS FOR MATT FROST BEGINS HER PREPARATIONS SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE A SHOW.
ALL DRESSED UP WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO ENSURE TOP DRESSAGE HORSES ARE PRUNED TO PERFECTION FOR A SHOW?
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STEPHANIE BATEMAN SPEAKS TO SOME OF THE INDUSTRY’S TOP GROOMS TO FIND OUT.
icture-perfect plaits, .a gleaming coat and socks so white they glow – preparing dressage horses for a show is no easy task, but with a little organisation and elbow grease, fabulous results can be achieved. So, when should you begin your show day preparations and what’s involved? Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin’s groom, Alan Davies, says that preparing a horse for a show happens weeks, if not months before. “Instead of slippery coat sprays to create a shine, I prefer a dose of daily elbow grease,” he says.
“They all get brushed every day with a body brush to remove the dust and bring out the shine. At an international show I groom them three times a day with a body brush.” When it comes to bathing, most grooms bath a day or two beforehand. “If we’re going to a stay away show, I bath the day before we go because some of the shows haven’t got great facilities,” says Claire Bell, Spencer Wilton’s groom. “I use purple shampoo which gives the coat a nice shine whatever colour they are. I’m also a big fan of shine spray which I put on after I’ve bathed them.”
For a day show, Matt Frost’s groom Rachel Stephens starts preparing a few days before. “I’ll wash their manes and tails so they’re not slippery clean on the day of the show,” she explains. “I bath them the night before and will leave a clean cotton sheet on and a rug on top if needed, to keep them clean.” Claire Bell uses diluted medicated shampoo marketed for human hair ‘because it’s sensitive and
great for their skin’, and salon-grade conditioner, again designed for human use, for their mane and tail.
BRITISH DRESSAGE // Issue 6 2020 // 23
