Four Star eventing husband and wife team, Emma and Kevin McNab are top class riders. They have competed at every top competition in the UK, Europe and in their native Australia. Emma and Kevin are enjoying a busy early season this year and are aiming for selection for the Australian team for the 2018 World Equestrian Games in the USA.
To keep such a busy and successful team on the road, Emma and Kevin pay great attention to detail with all aspects of their approach to competition whether it be one of the major four star events or a local BE100 competition. The horses are prepared meticulously and as Absorbine ambassadors Emma and Kevin’s horses are always turned out to perfection.
In the days leading up to a competition, the horses will have their mane and tail tidied up. Lucy Hartley who works for Emma and Kevin will ensure that their manes are pulled to the right length and that the tails are neatly pulled. Any trimming of whiskers and the jawline will also be carried out at this time.
Kevin added: “It is important to keep the horses’ coats clean on a daily basis. Each time a horse is washed off after exercise, we add some Absorbine Botanicals Body Rinse to the water. We also use a solarium here to dry each horse off as quickly as possible after a wash.” After every-day washing off, ShowSheen is sprayed in the horses’ tails. Emma said: “We frequently spray the horse’s tails with ShowSheen to keep them in good condition and help avoiding hairs breaking.”
The day before a competition, the horses are given a thorough bath in Absorbine 2 in 1 Shampoo and Conditioner. Lucy uses Absorbine Stain Remover and Whitener on any white patches. She said: “I wash the white patches as normal with the shampoo and then spray the Stain Remover and Whitener on and leave it for a few minutes before thoroughly washing off. This leaves the white patches sparkling.”
Once at the event, before the dressage test each horse has their tail brushed and more ShowSheen sprayed on, a damp tail bandage is applied and the feet are painted with SuperShine Clear. Lucy added: “I then do the quarter marks and give the tack a rub over with Horsemans One Step. If it is hot we spray on some UltraShield fly repellent. I always make sure I have a towel handy for any last-minute things that need wiping.”
Most of the horses’ training takes place at Emma and Kevin’s Surrey base. Emma said: “We have great facilities here which include indoor and outdoor arenas and we are building some cross-country fences out in the field. The horses go out in the field every day and are happy and relaxed which helps them perform at their best.”