When Welsh Cob
enthusiast, Phil Bowen, started using
natural preparations to enhance his
stallions' appearance in the showring, it
generated such interest that it led to the
establishment of Alva International.
The company now specialise in the supply of
equine aromatherapy products that are based
on a combination of pure essential oils and
aloe vera.
To demonstrate the type of products Phil has
developed he takes us through the pre-show
preparation of his multiple
championship-winning stallion Rhystyd
Dazzler. |
The day before the Show I
lead Dazzler into a clean, bed-free stable
and with lukewarm water, start cleaning his
hoofs and work my way up his legs. I then
wet his tail and remove all the dirt, then
move onto his mane, forelock and finally his
back.
When all the dirt has gone, I repeat the
process using
Alvateatree shampoo. I have found
it better to pour the shampoo slowly along
the brush when in the upside down position
(that's the brush - not me!) and then scrub
the horse. When I have scrubbed the horse
all over I repeat the process again until
the rinsing water from under his belly is
clear.
The next job is to remove the excess water
with a rubber scraper. I then pour about
250ml of Alvasparkle into a clean dry
bucket with a a clean sponge. After
squeezing the excess from the sponge, I wipe
the Alvasparkle
solution along one side of Dazzlers body
starting at the neck, down to his withers
and along his back. (Caution - when applying
to ridden horses, avoid the saddle area
since Alvasparkle provides a high gloss finish which may cause
the saddle to slip). I then repeat the
process on the other side. This will protect
his coat and reduce stable staining.
Finally I spray
Alvadazzle
on his mane and tail
and comb through taking care not to damage
healthy hair. By now he's looking good and I
put him back into his stable with a fresh
bed of straw. |
As the day of the show
dawns, my nerves are now bubbling but I try
not to show the horse how I am feeling.
Having checked my list to make sure that
I've remembered everything, I load Dazzler
into the box and were off!
On arrival I check that Dazzler is alright
and offer him water before going to collect
my number, then its back to the lorry to
give a light brush. This I find relaxes him
and gives him more time to unwind after the
journey.
One hour before his class, I remove his
haynet and reach for the
Alvagleam.
Having shaken the bottle well I pour one
quarter of the bottle into a clean dry
bucket. Using a clean dry sponge, I repeat
the procedure I used for the
Alvasparkle the day before.
On completion, using a clean, dry, velvet
cloth I give him a polish - the harder the
polish the better the gleam! I then put
Alvadazzle
on his mane and tail and comb through.
With the ramp now down I stand and admire
this work of art - then its off to do the
business! Most people compete for pleasure,
but I compete to win and with the help of
these products I believe that I am giving my
horse the best chance possible.
It is extremely pleasing to see so many of
today's prize-winning horses using the Alva
products with huge success.
Phil Bowen
MD Alva International |
For more information
on the range of products from Alva
International visit their web site at
www.alvahorse.com
or
email your questions to Phil at
phil@alva-inter.com |
