AQHA MAGAZINE May / June 2020 AQHA May-June YB 2020 WEB LR | Page 23

PG.21
every time, and nothing is left to chance. We begin
preparation early, and as we often have more
than one horse at a show, everyone pitches in. We
keep a set routine and it works well. Feeding and
rugging at our place runs by the clock. We feed
only quality pre-mixed feeds–no second grade
products. Prydes Easifeed Prep and EasiGoing
work well for our horses, and we feed Kool Glow
Minerals. We source and buy the best quality
lucerne hay we can.’
Mavis believes that rugging is an important
thing to do right, with the changing temperatures
constantly under consideration.
‘We vary the rugs we use, depending on the
weather.’ Mavis says. ‘In the warmer months, we
normally use light mesh or cotton combos by day.
Out grazing during the day, the horses are usually
stabled by late afternoon and we may use a
heavier cotton combo overnight. In Queensland’s
humid weather we’re careful, as we don’t want to
overheat them and ruin their coats. In winter, we
like to use wool rugs under Nylon winter rugs,
rugging depending upon those temperatures.’
OVS SHOW
PREPARATION &
PRESENTATION
Daily grooming and attention to our horses’
hooves happens whether we have a show or
not. The week before a show, we always do a
wash and hot oil treatment. A couple of days
prior to the show, we clip the faces and legs
and ensure the hooves are tidy. The day before
a show, we’ll wash and condition them, then
while they’re still damp, spray on some Hi-
Shine Body Spray and put clean rugs and
skinny hoods on for that extra gleam the next
day. The evening before, we’ll band the manes
only, but not the forelock and we’ll plait and
bag their tails. We attach our numbers to our
jackets, and hang our show clothes up, ready
to put on, making sure our boots, hats &
accessories are ready too!
We get up early as we can on show morning
to feed the horses and remove manure or wet
patches from the stables. We check all their mane
bands first thing & tidy up any that require it.
We’ll add some Shapley’s Mane Mousse, band
Mavis & Elle
Photo by: Ev Lagoon Photography
MAY/JUNE ISSUE ~ YEARBOOK 2020