Taylor Jo,
Do your pintos have partially white ears or white ears? If so I would do the outside of them with a 30 just two to three days before your show. If they are dark do a 40 on the outside of the ear, a 50 on the inside. Any moving part on a horse grows hair faster, the base of the ears if you ever notice will grow a little longer than the other parts and behind the knee and fetlocks where a horse moves too. A closer clip makes a sharper clip especially on the head. By the time you put your siverado face gel on or baby oil gel on their faces it will darken up nicely, use those products where you use a 50 blade as on diagram. I do bodies normally in a 15 about five days before a show sometimes 7 depending on the color but not longer than that. I occasionally will clip a body in a 30 usually a gray or roan will look good in a 30 on the body.
White legs in a 30 blade to just above the knee normally. I use a 50 on the entire underbody of the horse including the sheath area or udder area of the mare. ONly use the 50 directly underneath where it is not seen, this will help the horse appear a bit more tucked up and hair also grows really fast in this area. Tailheads are done in a 7f and its as smooth as crushed velvet. MOst of the time I clip the legs in a 30 also up just past the knee and blend it in, lets the legs look really nice and fine too. As the weather grows warmer especially you will still have plenty of color still but early in the year not as much of course. You can use a hair moisturizer after clipping such as Rosewater conditioner or health hair cair, both leave in conditioners and rub in good and then blanket your horse to give him back some moisture after taking off his haircoat. Laura