First impressions are everything. The moment you step into the show pen, you are being evaluated by the judge. And it’s not just about your performance in the saddle or at the lead. Seemingly minute grooming details can actually affect your placing, particularly in a class like halter, where the horse’s physique needs to be shown off to its best advantage.
AQHA Professional Horsewoman Kathy Smallwood weighs in on the grooming snafus she sees the most – and how to fix them.
“You want the horse clean, clipped, the halter fitted properly, and the feet polished,” Kathy says. “You want the horse to have a ‘wow’ look about it. Cleanliness is the most important thing.”
Poor presentation sends the wrong message to the judge, Kathy says.
“It tells the judge that you don’t care,” Kathy says. “That you don’t really want to be in the class because you don’t care about your horse. If you want to win, it’s just like in any type of competition, whether it be baseball or anything else – you want to go out there with the look that you want to win.”
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