Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
I don't clip my horses over the winter. Nor do I blanket them. That means they get pretty wooly over the winter. There are many great things about living in California, but the one thing I really like is that winter in the Central Valley is quite mild. We have so many warm and sunny days that I can hose my horses off at least once a month without worrying about hypothermia. That keeps the funk from getting really gross. But still ... they get gross. Over the past few weeks, I've been helping Speedy shed his polar bear coat. Every day I scraped off piles of hair, determined to get him at least somewhat slicked out for Sunday's show. About ten days ago, I decided to tackle his feathers. Those things were longer and thicker than most girls' pony tails. For a horse that's not draft at all, I have no idea why he grows so much foot hair. I had to use scissors to cut away the first layer. It took an hour to slowly clip away the rest. They're not beautifully smooth, but no one will see the clipper lines. Last weekend, I tackled his tail and head. I don't mind a bushy tail through the winter; it actually serves to keep their butts warmer. For show season though, I like it trimmed up. Some time ago, I bought one of those mane thinning combs - mine came from Germany. I love that thing. It makes thinning manes and tails so easy. I did his tail in less than five minutes. After a quick shampoo of Speedy's belly and legs in the morning morning, he looked pretty smart for Sunday's show. I haven't had time to sort through all the media, but a friend shared a couple of photos. More to come!
3/29/2018 08:47:17 am
No body clipping for us, just elbow grease. I think we're nearing the end though. :0)
lytha
3/21/2018 11:59:50 pm
Add Mag to the list of de-haired fetlock Arabs: ) Comments are closed.
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About the Writer and RiderI am a lifelong rider.
I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010. Welcome to my dressage journey. About Speedy GSpeedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
About IzzyIzzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
National Rider AwardsState Rider Awards
State Horse Awards
Working Towards:
CDS Sapphire Rider Award Third Level: 63.514% Third Level: 62.105% Fourth Level: Fourth Level: 2023 Show Season
Show Rating (***) CDS/USDF/USEF (*) CDS (s) Schooling (c) Clinic (r) Ride-a-Test Clinic 2023 Show Schedule
TBD 2023 Completed … Pending 2023 Qualifying Scores
Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) Qualifying Training Level 3 Scores/2 Judges/60%: Score 1: Score 2: Score 3: Archives
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