Clipping Sinwaan

Tonight Shane came out and met me at the barn to help me with clipping Sinwaan. He trimmed up his ears and whiskers for me and showed me how to do the feet. He noted I would likely have to redo the whiskers before the show. He also showed me a trick for clipping the bridlepath to make the neck look slimmer. He said if he had a professional set of clippers with a size 40 surgical blade he also would have clipped a diamond pattern on Sinwaan's head. He brought the bridlepath up to the poll and trimmed the jawline.

Now for the list of things to do when I get home to get him ready for this show;

I need to bathe him and wash out his tail really well since it is currently kind of dingy. Put the shampoo in a bucket and apply it with a sponge. Use a whitening/blueing shampoo if I can. After he is washed I will apply show sheen all over him liberally while he is still wet.

Brillo pad and then sandpaper, rough and then smooth, on his hooves to clean them up. Then a clear coat. (Blacking is illegal) He said I could use a clear shoe polish and buff it out but I won't go to all that for the Fair show, maybe MacMurdo.

Baby oil (lightly) his ears and around his eyes and his muzzle to bring out the black in those places. He also said I should add a little oil or a dab of Vaseline to his forelock to smooth it down.

I also need to get a hair gel for his mane to help the frizzies lay down with the rest of it.

Surely I am forgetting some things. I soaked everything Shane said up like a sponge but on the drive home was kicking myself for not taking a pad of paper and taking notes!

After he was all clipped up Shane took him out in the driveway and had him stand up square and he did really well. It is just amazing to me how fast this horse has come along. I asked him about some tips to get him to get his ears up and lean into the whip. Shane said I need to crack it to get his attention so I need to practice that. (no time!) He also told me a trick to get him really interested - right before ring time, dump some cologne on my hand. Hold out my hand and he should bring his nose right to it. Well I'll be!!

He said I had done really well with him but I give most of the credit to Shane, I have only really been able to work him a couple of times since our first session a couple of weeks ago. Of course having Lesley teach him a lot of this as a foal has been instrumental as he has drawn on this memory in his sessions. Horses do remember, even 10 years later!

This will be my last blog until Aug 31, after our halter class at the Fair. Wish us luck!