How to Groom a Show Horse

1

Use a well-balanced feed that's designed to promote good skin and coat. Long-term care and conditioning, including exercise and plenty of fresh air, will make your horse bloom.
2). Clip a day to a week prior to the show, depending on your breed. In general, you want to get rid of all of the stray hairs from the muzzle (nose area) and the fetlocks (ankles) and coronet band (just above the hoof). Those areas should be clipped the day before or the morning of the show. Several days before the show, you should completely clip any white stocking areas on your horse's legs. Doing this a few days in advance will help just enough re-growth to keep them from appearing pink. Clip a breed-appropriate amount of the mane from between the ears down toward the shoulders for a neat and clean "bridle path" the day before the show as well.
3). Shower your horse the day before the show with a high-quality shampoo made specifically for the color of his coat. Use stain removers to get rid of tough spots of dirt, grass or manure stains on the coat.
4). Cover your horse in a stall blanket that is the right type for the current weather. This protects his clean coat from stall shavings and other stains. Wrapping his legs and putting on a hood will further help prevent extra stains you have to deal with on the morning of the show. Using a hood will also help to calm down unruly manes. Clip a little bit of the thickness of the mane underneath the direction you wish it to lay, if it's too thick to lay nicely over your horse's neck. For very uncooperative manes, keep a hood on your horse for several weeks before a show in order to train his mane to lay flat.
5). Braid your horse's tail loosely if it is long and wrap it in vet wrap to keep it shiny and looking its best for the day of the show.
6

On the morning of the show after you arrive at the grounds, uncover your horse and unwrap his tail. Curry and brush as you would for a routine daily grooming and comb out his tail. Apply white chalk--baby powder works well, too--to the white parts of your horse's coat on the face markings or leg stockings. Make sure you thoroughly brush out any powder or dust left behind before entering the ring.
7). Spray with Show Sheen or another comparable product to add shine and gloss to his mane, tail and coat. If there are stray hairs of mane or tail that still won't lie flat, use a very small portion of hair gel (the type used on human hair) to give it a little extra hold.
8). Know your breed of horse's specific requirements. After all of the basics, you may still need to body clip, razor, braid, insert ribbons or apply eyeliner to your horse for his trip into the ring.