To bald or not to bald?

[muffntuf]

Even the Classic is not entirely enforced, the board of directors has to pass it and then it won't be in effect until 2009.

Erica - did you sit in on the public or the committee meetings?

thanks!

 

[Erica]

I had a plane to catch Sunday night to be back at work Monday am, so did not get to sit in on the actual board meeting where things were actually voted on by board memebers, but I did sit on both the AMHR and ASPC classic committe meetings in which we were able to listen and voice out opinions on the proposals sent in.

 

[capall beag]

I think he looks beautiful as he is.

I think the razoring looks ghastly, so unnatural looking.

I think he suits his look, as is.

Pretty boy

 

[Heart L Ranch]

sorry this picture is so big (At least it was on the practice board) but this horse was NOT razored. He was however clipped with a #50 blade, babyoil gel applied (but not slathered) giving him a nice polished show ring look.

 

[nightflight]

Hi Nigel,

Where are you going to be showing your gelding? In what classes? Breed big shows? Breed small shows? Open shows?

Who is going to be showing your gelding?

My mom really hates razoring (she would hate it more if she was the one doing it), but for the last Championship/World Show she asked me to razor her silver chestnut gelding. Some kids were going to be showing him (and taking him home after the show) and just razored he looked like he was wearing black make-up - and the kids stayed clean(er).

You have a pretty boy no matter what you decide.

Overall presentation matters, but at the end of the day the judge is going to pick the horse they like the best, not the grooming job. The flip side is true though, too. You only get one chance to make a first impression, and a good groom can make a good horse look great, and a great horse look so good that you can't take your eyes off of them...

 

[Nigel]

Hi Nigel,

Where are you going to be showing your gelding? In what classes? Breed big shows? Breed small shows? Open shows?

Who is going to be showing your gelding?

My mom really hates razoring (she would hate it more if she was the one doing it), but for the last Championship/World Show she asked me to razor her silver chestnut gelding. Some kids were going to be showing him (and taking him home after the show) and just razored he looked like he was wearing black make-up - and the kids stayed clean(er).

You have a pretty boy no matter what you decide.

Overall presentation matters, but at the end of the day the judge is going to pick the horse they like the best, not the grooming job. The flip side is true though, too. You only get one chance to make a first impression, and a good groom can make a good horse look great, and a great horse look so good that you can't take your eyes off of them...

Thank you

to everyone for your input.

Nightflight: I will be showing my gelding myself at AMHR Sanctioned shows, hopefully I will make it out to Ohio and New York, but if not, I will be showing here in Ontario in a couple sanctioned shows and several fairs.

Thanks again for everyone's oppinion, I think I have made my choice: Ill probably just stick to using 50 blades around the nose and eyes and blend from there. Hopefully I can get Pammy to help me

.

 

[Dona]

sorry this picture is so big (At least it was on the practice board) but this horse was NOT razored. He was however clipped with a #50 blade, babyoil gel applied (but not slathered) giving him a nice polished show ring look.

[SIZE=18pt]Absolutely gorgeous!!

IMHO this horse's head is presently impeccably! [/SIZE]

Now tell me....why is it necessary to ever bald "razor" a horse's face when you can get THIS result simply by clipping with a #50 blade?

 

[muffntuf]

IMHO balding is trying to enhance something that is a defect, trying to trim a face down? But with that said, it does help put the horse in a better presentation mode.

First I think you have to have a horse that will put up with anything - if you are balding you are using a razor - and a sharp one at that. So if they move, you almost cut them or nick them horribly. Then you have to cover that up.

Second - using a#50 blade is also time consuming and takes much practice. My sister borrowed my clippers last year and she left a #50 blade in them, I went to clip a horse and couldn't believe the close cut I was getting. After doing a hip I finally realized it was way to short - I turned the clipper over and realized it was a #50 blade! UGGGH!! My only saving grace, I was clipping two weeks before the show and some of the hair would grow back! My sister needless to say laughed her arse off!!!!! OH!

But back to the reason for this, it takes a practiced hand, or you can quickly mess up! LOL!

By the way the horse in the pic is absolutely gorgeous!

 

[txminipinto]

I just wanted to add that it is very UNCOMMON for a shetland to be razored. At most, I'll take a blade just to knock off the whiskers I couldn't get with a 40 (wiggly lips!).

Last summer, I did speak with an AMHA only exhibitor who had mentioned that at their convention there was talk of prohibiting razoring. I laughed and said it would probably be a cold day before that happened but would love to see it as I don't enjoy it! Nor do I think it's looks natural.

As far as being good enough that you can't tell it's been done......you can always tell if a horse has been razored.

 

[ruffian]

There's not much difference between razoring and a #50 blade. They both remove all the hair down to skin. IMO it's easier to cut a horse with a razor than clippers, but the effect is pretty much the same.

 

[Aubrey715]

Yes, i agree that you can tell when a horse has been razored or not but if you don't blend with the razor and clipper blades then it doesn't flow or look right because it just stops and there is a line.

In my opinion I don't think a #50 blade removes all the hair down to the skin, it is a surgical blade but you still have hair there even if it is very little hair. I think when you clip a horse with a #50 blade instead of razoring that it looks fine on a dark colored horse. Heart L Ranch's stallion is absolutely gorgeous and he looks just fine being clipped with a #50 without razoring. But for instance a grey horse with dark skin, you clip it with a #50 you are still going to be able to see grey hairs because they are more noticeable against black skin, it doesn't matter how much baby oil gel you put on the horse you are still going to see grey hairs. Here is an example of what i am talking about, this horse's head had been clipped with a 50 where i eventually razored her.

I understand that everybody has their own personal opinions on what they like, this is just my opinion.

 

[macy--red carpet minis]

I would just like to say...Heart L Ranch, you have a BEAUTIFUL horse!!

Honestly, he's magnificent

 

[Nigel]

By the way the horse in the pic is absolutely gorgeous!

Thanks

I sure love him