Things are
moving quickly now and before you know it our competitors will be
prepping for the first jog. Have no fear, here are some tips and tricks
to help you look like a seasoned classic three day pro!
First
and foremost, practice jogging your horse in hand if you have never
done so before. A dressage whip can provide gentle encouragement if
necessary, you don't want to be dragging your horse behind you, but you
also want to be able to keep up with your horse, so keep control in
mind. When choosing outfit(s) for yourself, consider the weather (October in
Maryland can be quite mercurial, so be prepared for anything). At
Waredaca, the jog strip is on grass so also choose your footwear
carefully. During the jog,
you want to turn to the right at the end of the strip to better control
your horse's movement. Check out
this educational video made by the one and only Kelley Williams to familiarize yourself with jog protocol.
Remember that the whole point of the jog is to confirm the horse is fit
and sound for the task at hand, so don't forget to make sure your horse
is warmed up a bit, and kept warm with a cooler if it is chilly
(especially if it is chilly and they are clipped!). You want to walk
(or have a helper walk) your horse before the jog and practice trotting a
few times on flat ground to ensure your horse is loose and prepared to
jog. Ashley Adams wrote a great series in 2010 shared by the USEA and she had some great tips for the jog, check it out
here!
To
help your horse stand out from the rest, you can hot towel their coat
after grooming with warm water with a few drops each of baby oil and
dawn dish soap. Swirl a small towel in the mixture, wring it out
thoroughly and vigorously towel the coat, rinsing the towel in the
mixture as needed. If the weather is chilly, cover them with a
cooler/rug while they dry. There are also shine sprays, coat
conditioners, and oils on the market you can buff into the coat with a
soft rag or brush. For white markings, after cleaning and drying them
you can add baby powder to the skin/hair to really get that pop of
white. Just be sure to do this BEFORE you paint your horses feet with
hoof oil. A little baby oil is great to add shine to the skin around
your horse's nostrils, and even to your bridle! A tail wrap is a great
way to smooth down flyaways or protect a tail braid. Check out
another article from Ashley Adams for more tips on how to make your horse look like a million bucks and
look here for some tips from AJ Dyer on how to make perfect button braids. If
you want to really stand out from the crowd, there are several tutorials
on you tube (
like this one) on how to perfect quarter marks, just be sure to practice at home before the competition if you have never done them before.
We
hope you found this post helpful as we countdown to the best week of
the year. Please comment below if you have any questions.
