"A thoroughly detailed book on the grooming and care of the valuable show horse. This book truly explains how one demonstrates impeccable horsemanship!" —Lisa Wilcox, Olympic Bronze Medalist, Team Dressage
When owning, training, riding, and showing horses, there is a certain look to which one aspires. World-class turnout—a horse in peak condition, perfectly coiffed and luminous with good health, outfitted with gleaming and well-fit tack appropriate for his sport—literally takes your breath away.
But achieving this superior look is not just about clean tack, shiny brass, spotless stockings, or the perfect braids. The most important steps are found in the day-to-day, nitty-gritty of grooming and caring for the horse.
No one knows how to do all of this better than those working as professional grooms in the barns of the world's top riders and trainers. It is the responsibility of these elite experts to keep their four-legged charges happy, healthy, and primed for peak performance—in body and mind. Now, two of the best professional grooms in the business share their trade secrets, with over 1200 color photographs demonstrating how to clean the horse from nose to tail; wrap, clip, braid, and ship him; prepare him for or present him in various English competitive scenarios; and care for him after work or showing so he is rested and ready to do it all again. This book is everything you need to know from the pros: The ultimate modern-day guide for all riders who want their horses to look and feel their best.
"This guide to daily care and competition, with more than one,200 photos, is enlivened by the authors' anecdotes, pro tips, and 'barn gossip' sidebars." — Lone Star Horse Report