To bald or not to bald?

Miniature Horse Talk Forums

Help Support Miniature Horse Talk Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Nigel

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 10, 2004
Messages
486
Reaction score
0
Location
Beamsville, Ontario
Hey, I just have a quick question: do you think I should bald my gelding's nose? He's chestnut and I'm not sure how well his dark skin would blend with his red coat. Here's an unbalded picture, tell me what you think:

Devon12885-1.jpg
 
I think he looks fine like he is personally, the way his head is and how the show halter sits you would hae to rasor up pretty far on him or do allot of blending. I have a few horses that were rasored as early as June 07' and now, 6-7 months later you can still tell they were rasored so if you are wanting to experiment i would do so now so the hair has time to grow back in if you dont like it. I do not like to rasor them and i practiced last winter on a few of the non showing horses.

I think he looks great as he is
default_smile.png
. I would just add extra baby oil to his face/muzzle and some enhancer above his eyes to make them 'pop' but other then that he is groomed, clean and looks nice
default_yes.gif
 
I think he looks great without balding!

But I hate to say that at alot of the registered shows balding is a necessity, especially in the Halter classes.

If you're worried with his color looking nice with his balding you may want to bald him many weeks *or even months* in advance to a show to see if you like it or not. That way, if you hated it then no harm would be done. If done now, it would be grown back by show season. And, if you do like it on him then you'll already know that and it will be one less thing to be unsure about at a hectic show
default_smile.png
 
Last edited:
Hi,

Here is a picture of what your boy could look like with a show clip.

This was done the day of the show.

expocollage%20copy.JPG
 
Hi,

Here is a picture of what your boy could look like with a show clip.

This was done the day of the show.

expocollage%20copy.JPG
Hi I was wondering what blades exc you used ot blend that so nicely
default_smile.png
And what balde you body clipped and head clipped in
default_biggrin.png


Your horse looks beautifully presented.
 
I think if you know what you are doing you can make any horse look really good razoring them but it takes a lot of learning on how to razor and blend so that you can't even tell it has been done. But at the same time if you don't know what you are doing then you can really mess a horse up by razoring them. So i would suggest if you don't know how to razor that you ask somebody that knows what they are doing to show you how to do it correctly. I have seen some great facials and i have seen some awful ones, it just depends on who is doing it. But if you know what you are doing and how to blend correctly you can make a horse with a plain head appear to have a perfect head. You have to know how far up to razor a horse and then you have to be able to blend and contour. I would personally razor this horse because i believe he would look better razored. There are very few horses that i personally would not razor but as i said if you don't know what you are doing you can also make a horse look bad razoring them.

Here is an example of a what sorrel horse can look like when razored correctly. This a mare that we bred and sold to a farm in Florida, in this picture she was being shown by Lee Crutchfield of Aloha Acres. Lee and Kirby of Aloha Acres do some of the best facials i have seen, i would suggest taking a look at their horses to see what a facial done correctly is supposed to look like.

fame.jpg


fame2.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
We used to bald everyone, but with as many horses as we take to shows, it got to be a booger trying to get everyone done correctly. I do like the way they look, but hate to put on all the vaseline, baby oil, etc. to make them look good (and get it all over your clothes), We still use the face vaseline and baby oil, but it doesn't take as long, and it absorbs into the horse's skin better when not balded, and not near as much comes off on the clothes. I do so love the look of balding though. There are several other reasons I don't like for a horse to be balded. One is sunburn, one is chapping and peeling, and the time it does take to do it correctly.
 
Is razoring allowed in AMHA - I know there is rule change now in AMHR that we can't bald or razor past the muzzle.
 
It was in the Convention news in the new Journal - they also passed it for Classic Shetlands.
 
Just to be clear that rule DID NOT PASS NOR DID IT COME UP for miniatures the rule that was discussed at Convention was about Classic ponies and that did pass.

It is perfectly legal and within the rules of AMHR to razor your minis
 
IMO, he would look better with a moderate razor job. I'd at least get rid of the white hairs around the muzzle, then blend to the line of the halter with a #50 blade.

It does take practice, but it does grow back quickly. At least in my observation it does.

Within a week, you can barely tell they were anything but clipped as the whiskers are so short.

Practice and also don't forget to make up for the lack of hair on their nose, and keep them out of the direct sun and very cold weather until it grows back to a good length.

I have been razoring since 1999, and it IS something you need to practice, but look at lots of photos and you will learn what and how. Your horse will be different, too, and you will find that certain things make him look better or worse, and adjust your clip accordingly.

Razoring does not hurt them and I like the way it looks. It is far easier to prep a razored horse for the ring as you only add baby oil and go. I don't do the high-gloss patent skin look, though. I only do a light sheen look on the skin as in rub the baby oil in. I really detest the high-gloss dripping look. Ugh. I believe many judges do, too. I've overheard more than one complaining about the black makeup combined with the baby oil. Ew.

As far as the rule about razoring, I have not heard that it was anything but legal. That said, I don't see much reason to razor anywhere else other than the muzzle (unless it was a surgical or medical issue, but that's a whole 'nother ball of wax).

I do, however, on a select few horses, razor over the eyes a small strip, and then blend with the #50. Most times, though, my preference is to merely clip with the #50 blade. Depends on the horse, though.

Liz
 
I will go back and look at it tonight, but I thought I read in the journal it passed for both. I was surprised on the Classic Shetlands. But I may have been amazed at the rule change for classics and passed that onto the miniatures.
 
Okay I was partialy right and partially incorrect - I did read it as a proposal and it did pass, but it needs to go to the Board of Directors for a vote, if passed it will go into effect in 2009.

Per the AMHR office:

No rules were put in place for 2008 except those voted by the BOD as extraordinary – and that was only the helmet rule, the ASPR stakes incentive and the change in the Youth Membership. All others have to be approved at the March BOD meeting and will not go into effect until 2009.

There was a committee proposal submitted concerning razoring – but it will not become a rule unless the BOD approves it – and then not until 2009 unless they make it extraordinary.

So even Classic razoring or miniature will not be an official rule until 2009 sounds like.
 
I was at Convention and sure don't remember them bringing up razoring (or a proposal being sent in and talked about) in the miniature horse (AMHR) section........I was there and voted in the public meeting for the Classic razoring.

I don't have my Journal here handy as I'm at work.
 
The rule was passed for classics, i remember someone posted it a while back but i checked my journal and below is the quote straight out of the journal. I do not think it was even talked about for the minis, i couldnt find anything in the mini section from 07' convention on rasoring rules.

"Motion that no balding or razoring of the muzzle up past the nostrils be allowed; if found to be razored, there would be a penalty. Passed"

Congress should be very interesting next year, i wonder if there will be any actual "penaltys" for those who do rasor
default_rolleyes.gif
 
The rule presented to go into effect in 2009 is for Classic Shetlands only, and it is states no razoring of the muzzle above the nostrils.

Miniatures were not included in this proposal.

Quote from Journal, page 196 second column at end of Classic notes.

"Motion that no balding or razoring of the muzzle up past the nostrils be allowed; if found to be razored, there would be a penalty. Passed"

Oops sorry Leanna, we were posting at the same time...Great minds think together, LOL
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Well here's my fave guy we use a #15 all over then a #50 for the balding... he has a fairly plain head so balding gives him a little more oomp... l think your gelding would look better with a balding job but thats just me.
default_biggrin.png


#15

catmanhalter3.jpg


with a #50 and not shined up....l hate high gloss but his handler loves the wet look.

Calgaryshow07cat.jpg
 

Latest posts

Back
Top