Clipping can be comfy. Many people inadvertently teach horses to dislike being body clipped...
YES!!! Freshly clipped and SHINY!!!
I get a lot of questions about Body Clipping. This image was taken last week. The horse had its FIRST CLIP of the fall a week earlier. Does the coat look ruined??? That is great grooming. It's a HIGH COMPLIMENT is when someone asks, “Is that horse clipped?”
This horse gets groomed vigorously daily, before and after work. This keeps the hair fine. Currying exfoliates and stimulates oils. Grooming pulls natural protective oils down the hair shafts, to close the end. That is why this horse does not have the wire brush look. Instead, he looks like satin!
Normally, Ace of Spades is bathed once a week, sometimes more often. He also got a soap bath before and after clipping. The barn only uses the shampoo that instead of stripping the coat, actually enhances natural oils: This Lucky Braids shampoo is all you need to achieve that great coat.
This TopTurnout Salute goes out to the great groom Martha Briseno and all of Snowbrook with trainer Kimberly Prince. Their horses are always meticulously managed.
I just love to honor and celebrate EXCELLENCE in HORSEMANSHIP!
~Ruthann
Our new website is a library of SOUND HORSEMANSHIP, as well as a celebration of excellence in horse husbandry. Use it as a reliable source for best practices, including: grooming, braiding, handling, safety and stable management. The tips will help you save time and money every day in the barn, while keeping horses healthy and happy.
Keen horsemen know handling and care very much mandate performance. They set the groundwork, establishing a horse’s worldview, while keeping its body able. Preparation may include the process of braiding, which can send horses to the ring relaxed and focused, ready to win. Those are considered “lucky braids.” While this site is the most comprehensive educational resource for braiding, that's just one aspect of what you can learn.
Since 1974, I have been working with top international competitors across disciplines. Many of the years were spent atop a ladder, twist’n manes and tails. It was the perfect perch from which to study systems and synthesize knowledge.
Lucky Braids products for Top Turnout are fruits of that labor. Attempting to manage horses’ hair and skin, day and night, I kept thinking: there must be a better way. With plenty of time "in hand," I figured out solutions for the most pervasive grooming problems. Turns out, my international groom/pro braider mindset is worlds away from that of chemists with marketing dollars. Great grooms don’t want to a lot of products and to be treating problems. Hence, the paradigm shift: the highest quality care CAN be easiest and most cost-effective. Different game.
My mission is to raise the bar of horsemanship. Education on this site is designed to close gap between practices standard among elite horsemen, and those of the masses. Equestrians over the ages learned plenty the hard way. Maybe now you won’t need to.
The horses come first. When I visit friends, many of whom take care of or ride grand prix horses, they are always generous with their wisdom. I take it in, aiming to pass it on to you. Hopefully, at the end of the day, your equines’ needs will be best served.
So, please explore the site. Freely comment and question. If I don’t have the answer, I know who does. Some issues require in-depth tutorials. Many are underway, just needing time... and a little patience.
I also invite you to join my e-publication and blog. The quarterly newsletter will offer special insights, invites and promotions, while the blog shares handy tips frequently.
Thanks so much for your interest and support!
Enjoy all,
Ruthann
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