Getting Colt Ready For The Show Ring....

Tara wrote:

Well don't order it? I have seen no difference in horses who are stalled with the fleece wraps on then those who aren't which is why i said do not order it they are a waste of money.

edited to add this is my opinion people should do whatever they feel they need too.

Tara, you know I value your opinion very much. And I had literally ordered it before your reply was posted. I dont think I can *cancel* it now....

Well do you think they **need** to be sweated there? If I have the full neck ones?

Sent you a PM Merikle

why would you only trot the colt 6-8 minutes a day??? is this because of his age?

Yep, Lynn, it's because of his age, especially if they're in the round pen versus out. I do mine a little longer than that... like I said, I used to have a watch with me, and stop at a certain point, but started looking more at the horse, see what they're telling me... if the veins are popped, how their breathing is, etc. Some horses can go a lot longer than others. Jazz is a perfect case in point... boy, that is one out of shape heifer! Doesn't look it, but she is. Scamp's full sister, last year, could go on and on and on... she was like the Energizer Bunny... and absolutely loved it. Never could get that heifer to foam - which that's good, no fat on her neck.

Kid used to get to a point where he'd start this certain sound of breathing, and he'd mellow out a bit, get into the jib of it, and boy, here'd we go.

One thing you always need to make sure of though is that they're down to their normal breathing and respiration BEFORE you tie them up to a wall to sweat after a work-out.

Alright..... Now there is one question i did not ask... Simply because I didn't even think of it!.... How do you keep your horses ears perky all the time.... well for his first show, I dont think it will be all that hard! LOL

but just so I know... how do you train them to keep perky ears?

See if I can explain this coherently... HA! What you want to do is practice at home, not overly, but figure out what makes them perk their ears. With Kid to perk his ears and stretch his neck out was me saying, "Where's all the pretty girls?"

With Scamp, it'll be just blowing in his nose.

When you show, you watch the judge. I get in, set them up, and try to keep them still - the big hooplah there! As the judge gets closer, THEN start getting your horse to perk his ears, pull his neck out, etc.

When the judge/s are standing back, that's when you really do your work, make sure they stay set-up and squared, and really work the ears and neck.

Talk to your horse, keep them calm, you stay calm, don't get impatient, and if your horse just flat won't set up when the judge gets there, do the best you can, but don't make the judge wait long till you get him set up - they're not real fond of waiting.

Alright, the bath was a semi-success.... I tuned him in when he started being an idiot, and then he stood for the rest of the bath, without moving.

However, since he is mostly white, and even with the green spot remover and the whitening shampoo, I couldnt take the yellow hue out of places.... Any ideas on how to get rid of this?

We have him shedding alright now... even if he had this fur for the show, we would be ok.

I took some squared up pics of him after his bath (we didn't band, it was too windy!), I had him almost clipped in all the areas he needed to be clipped, didn't black his hooves, but need to finish clipping his face.... I did trim his mane some, and I hot oiled him (has already helped him shed, and he's SOOO soft! lol).

From looking at him, I think he is almost 100% better, and getting closer and closer to being ready to show well. I want to thank you all for all of your help, you all are a lifesaver!!!!!!

I am hoping my mom can fix the stupid memory card on the camera, so I still have pictures of the "clean Iniko!" lol, then I will post them.

Here are some baby pics of the sucker, so you guys can see the amount of white I am up against!

Here he is as a youngin (some might remember him from the AQHA board)



Here he is in the beginning of this winter, fluffy and dirty as ever!






And I will have updated pics soon!

he is too cute! cant wait for new pics

He is such a cute little guy! I love the picture of him running!

lol cute... but too white!!! LOL

like I said, I cannot get the yellow hue out of some places even with the special products I have... anyone have any ideas on how to get rid of it?

We will have some stalls up before his show, So I will bathe him again, and put him up in there to help keep him clean....I will also wrap his legs in polos to keep them clean as well as blanket him. He is currently blanketed to help keep him clean... but GAWD is it ever hard to keep him clean!!

I have the pics now, I just need to scan them and upload them, then I can post them.... Personally, I see a HUGE difference.... still a little hairy and dirty, but nice looking,.... I am really hoping to win some ribbons!

No problemo on the white. Call Premier Equine Products, at 1-800-575-2276, get their whitener stuff... I think they have a website, too.

I'm telling you, as many paints as I had and showed, this stuff does the trick. And while you're there, get you a RICE BRUSH!

I also use their shampoo... one big bottle will go 2 years - and I ain't joking! I also love their Rose Conditioner - it's what I use.

I got started on this stuff a long, long time ago when they first came out, and I absolutely love it.

Now on your white... first, wash your horse, using your rice brush... it's darned near like a massage to them, my horses love it! Then get your whitener stuff, spread it all over the white, in your case, you may go through more bottles than I did... HA!... and let it sit for oh, a couple of minutes, and get that rice brush and get after it... I promise you no yellows, no grays, no nothing!

Ok, bare with us here, he still has the yellow stuff, it was very windy and he was still damp, and he still has a lot of his winter fluffies..... We still have a ways to go, but I see a big imrovement.... here are some pics I took in about January of him.....








And here he is as of last weekend. What do you think of his conformation? What I see in issues is that his neck is a little short and thick, and his belly could use some tucking up.... but thats all I really see.



This pic he decided to be a turd and begin to rest his hind foot....





LOL his tail is "poofing" here LOL


3 1/4 shot.


Do you all see the difference I see? Not only is he growing up, but does he look like he made the progress I think he has? Body wise of course.....?

Merikle, he's coming along nicely. I've got to run and fix supper... the wolves are howling in the living room big time.... a couple of things I see.

First off, it's hard as all get out to really "see" a horse with the woolies. Second off, I guess really the main thing I see is the muscle tone, but you've still got snow up there, so you can only do so much, ya know. I will tell you this, some/most tobianos are the dickens to get muscle on. And with all that white, it'll be hard to show muscle - trust me on that part.

As he gets closer to getting less wooley, me and others on here will be more than happy to help, but truthfully, I only see the one thing, and that will come in time and with work.

He sure has grown, hasn't he!

Isn't it nice to be able to put a picture up and not feel like you're fixing to be stoned! HA!

7cedars wrote:

Merikle, he's coming along nicely. I've got to run and fix supper... the wolves are howling in the living room big time.... a couple of things I see.

First off, it's hard as all get out to really "see" a horse with the woolies. Second off, I guess really the main thing I see is the muscle tone, but you've still got snow up there, so you can only do so much, ya know. I will tell you this, some/most tobianos are the dickens to get muscle on. And with all that white, it'll be hard to show muscle - trust me on that part.

As he gets closer to getting less wooley, me and others on here will be more than happy to help, but truthfully, I only see the one thing, and that will come in time and with work.

He sure has grown, hasn't he!

Isn't it nice to be able to put a picture up and not feel like you're fixing to be stoned! HA!

He's shed out ok.... still working on that one! But yes, we just got hit with.. guess what.... more snow! His second worming is coming up, so that should help.... He does have quite a bit of muscle tone from the work outs, but its almost impossible to see unless you are in person. Sine CPHA is a smaller circuit, I think we will do alright if not well. He's a nice looking colt.... but dang, if I can get this VERY correct pally overo filly shown (if I dont sell her), I think she would do even better than him! I couldnt work him yesterday, and I cant today, too wet and slippery....

But yes, BOY is it ever nice to get honest feed back that isnt out to make you feel like absolute crap! And it isn't biased either... Just because you may not like me, does not mean you have to dog my horses!

Get a little bit more hair off of 'em, and I can tell you what I think. I think you'll be okay though. Did you get to order any of that stuff I told you about? I tell ya, I'd swear by that stuff... if you need more info on it, let me know, and I'll drag it out. My Rose Conditioner stuff uses lasts at least two years, even with doing 3 horses last year, and the white stuff you'll go through, especially with your guy, but I know you'll do well!

I am learning the hard way how diff it is to take a good pic of a horse with alot of white they just don't photo well so I feel for you.... hard to see them well or get any sort of defination Gunner is all muscle cute as can be in person take a pic and he is just not pretty anymore going to quit trying I swear! May change when the baby fuzz goes away...

7cedars wrote:

Get a little bit more hair off of 'em, and I can tell you what I think. I think you'll be okay though. Did you get to order any of that stuff I told you about? I tell ya, I'd swear by that stuff... if you need more info on it, let me know, and I'll drag it out. My Rose Conditioner stuff uses lasts at least two years, even with doing 3 horses last year, and the white stuff you'll go through, especially with your guy, but I know you'll do well!

I haven't been able to yet, not sure if my mom will let me order it (if I had my own credit card I would LOL, but dont know if that is such a good idea!), But I for sure need something to keep the little bugger clean and white!!!

What do you think about putting the show sheen on him before the entering the ring, and baby powder on all the white areas?

Lynn M. wrote:

I am learning the hard way how diff it is to take a good pic of a horse with alot of white they just don't photo well so I feel for you.... hard to see them well or get any sort of defination Gunner is all muscle cute as can be in person take a pic and he is just not pretty anymore going to quit trying I swear! May change when the baby fuzz goes away...

lol very true, very white paints are hard to photograph well..... except for my stud, but I think that is because he is all white? My little filly shouldnt be too bad, but still will not have the shine of a black horse or anything.


When the baby fuz goes away, he will look better, trust me. and I notice a lot of paints go through a bit more of an ugly baby stage than most solid horses, dont know why, but they always go back to being so pretty/cute.

I think gunner is beautiful, and enjoy seeing pictures of him, so dont stop taking them!

I don't use show sheen, I use Pepi. However, I can see using show sheen maybe on an almost white horse, just to keep the stains off. I'll tell you this, though, if you'll have some alcohol or baby wipes with you, you can get off poop stains or whatever if something happens right before you show.

I would just get him as white as possible... I think Anita uses that silver stuff for a white mane, too... I'll have to ask her.