Heavy horse classes incorporate in-hand, ridden, decorated harness and carriage driving and each element of the show takes huge amounts of time, preparation and planning.
In the days leading up to the show, much time is spent washing feathers, de-tangling knots in manes and tails, washing coats and practising plaiting; the feathers need to be as white as can be for show day and this can be hard work! Leather work, carriages, brasses etc are also cleaned to within an inch of their lives; everything, horses and tack are all gleaming for the big day.
On the day of the show manes and tails are plaited, flights are woven into the manes, feathers are washed, fluffed and whitened and bridles are gleaming. Louie was my first showing shire and it took a week of washing his feathers every day for him to be almost show ready. I’d scrub his feathers for hours at a time just to make them white, his coat was jet black but boy did he gleam when bathed. He was a sight to behold.
The only way I could plait Louie’s mane was by sitting on him! He didn’t mind as he hated standing still next to a mounting block or table. He had a strong neck and I didn’t weigh much! Louie’s colours were teal and purple – not common in the Shire Horse world but I like to be a bit different! The colours stood out against his black coat and received many appreciative comments from the general public.
Lunar’s first show was with Louie at the Bath and West, she loved the attention and behaved the entire time. She was chased by an unharnessed stallion in the ring but even that didn’t deter her; she followed Louie’s lead and remained calm and allowed people to fuss over her all day. Lunar’s first show colours were green and yellow but she now has her own gold and maroon flights with diamante sewn in.
