halter showing question

[Jetiki]

I am showing a mare, that has wide striped feet, with high white leg markings on all 4 feet. Do I stripe them, use clear or use all black? One hoof is half white half black. She's AMHR only if that makes a difference. I always debate this, in the past I have done all the above. I think my preference would be to stripe them I think, but what does everyone else do?

Karen

 

[Little Bits]

Yes you would strip them. Someone suggest not to long ago to use a black magic marker on the coronet band so the hoof polish doesn't bleed on to the white parts of the leg. You would be just doing the black part of the hooves of course.

 

[Echo Acres]

I have never seen anyone stripe their hooves at the AMHR shows we have been too. To me that would be way more trouble than it is worth, to get it right and not where it shouldn't be.

I have been told by several very good trainers and breeders these general rules. If the horse has striped hooves and white legs you put clear on them. If you put black on it makes the legs look shorter because it draws the attention down. But if your horse has bruised feet and you don't want it to show then do black. Also if your horse is a driver and you want the attention brought to the legs then you might do black. Most judges will prefer the clear though. We have several horses with striped hooves and always done them in clear.

 

[Mominis]

I stripe Shake's hoofs. He has a black strip on both hinds. I don't use hoof polish to do it, I just use Kiwi Polish and my thumb. Then I do the clear over it.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

I use to black everyone, except for appies of course. We got a hoof sander from Double K that attatches just like your clippers and we sand them down and put clear polish. I love the way it looks and I'll even do that on ones that have black feet. Don't think I'll buy black polish again.

 

[DianeT]

I would sand them good and apply a clear polish.

Good luck at your shows.

 

[Miniv]

If the stripes are not straight, it can give a false illusion of crooked legs....In that instance I would black the hooves.

The the stripes are straight, I would use clear polish.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I stripe Shake's hoofs. He has a black strip on both hinds. I don't use hoof polish to do it, I just use Kiwi Polish and my thumb. Then I do the clear over it.

Uw, I like that idea! Wish I'd known about that when I was showing my Arab with striped feet! I noticed when using the Kiwi on my boys' hooves before the black polish this weekend that it darkened them but looked more natural and I kind of liked that look. I might try it at a CDE or photo shoot when full polish isn't required but I want a little bit of sparkle down there. Maybe black Kiwi and clear polish? Hmm....

Leia

 

[disneyhorse]

I would probably put clear polish on them, unless you think you can proficiently stripe the feet. My Shetland stallion, well he has two black feet, one white foot, and one white foot with a big black stripe. So all the white parts I do clear, and black on the black parts, and VERY carefully paint the black stripe. Be sure to paint the stripes straight, or it will look like the hoof angles are off (clubby or no heel, either way).

Andrea