Cheap Showing Products

[Appaloosa]

Seeming as the showing season has begun why don't we start a list of cheap alternatives to the expensive coat products that you can purchase.

I use brillatine and baby oil for coat shine as starters. A small amount of baby oil is also great for boot buffing. Some people use shoe polish on their horses noses but i'm not sure about that!

I have read that diluted meths is good for white socks but i am dubious about how good this is for the horses skin.

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[maverick927]

People use shoe polish on horses chestnuts to make them black.

I use vaseline on the nose and around the eyes to give the a shine.

 

[lizzy]

I'm hoping to show her ladyship in a veterans class on May 4th - I would like any grooming tips for showing her off to the best that I can.

 

[galadriel]

There's no substitute for elbow grease Grooming, grooming, and grooming some more! (and it's cheap.)

 

[Appaloosa]

Vaseline is a good one particular when your horse is wearing a double bridle. I also use shoe polish on the noseband and brasso on the d-ring etc on the sadle just to give it edge. Chalk and talc are good for socks providing you use hoof oil after application.

Oh another friend of mine uses old ladies (no offense) blue rinse for her greys tail and it brings it up a treat, but you must remember to do allergy tests first.

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[Kanuma]

use face paint as equine make up,
conditioner as hoof oil,
baby powder as chalk,
baby oil as a highliter,
shoe polish to cover scars,

 

[vickie]

a damp cloth is invaluable. i show my mare in hand in m+m classes, but because she lives out in the summer i don't want to bath her if possible. on the day of the show i give her a really good groom and then wipe her down with a damp sponge. it seems to take the top layer of grease of without affecting her waterproofing the way tons of body brushing/bathing does. she always looks clean and shiny but i know she stays dry in the rain, and i don't spend ages removing her waterproofing only to put it back with expensive show sheen!

 

[liz--y]

trianer whiter instead of leg whitner

 

[FreedomStar]

An extremely small amount of quicksilver shampoo works wonders on a horses white spots, like socks. Vinegar in a bucket of water is also very good at removing stains. Baby oil is great for highlighting the coat, and baby wipes are really good as a quick way to remove dust from your horses coat or wipe your boots very quickly. You can also buy human hair color enhancer, which is great for enhancing a horses coat!! I used some on Rocky's coat for the show last sunday, and his coat, which was a dusty liver chestnut color from being out in the sun too much, returned to his original brilliant liver chestnut. I use vaseline or small amounts of baby oil to highlight the facial features. I know that if you spray listerine on the mane and tail it helps take the 'ouch' out of pulling it, and it also helps with the tangles when brushing it out.
For people, if you don't want to go out and buy an expensive hunt coat then just go and grab a business coat, and with a safety pin at the top it should fit right and look like a show coat.