Turnout and grooming have always been key factors in the presentation of the SuperPrix! horse, but the perfectly plucked and
banged tail and fastidiously braided mane count as little without the enhancements that tie together the visual themes expressed in
both tack and riding apparel. In fact, competitions have been lost for want of the appropriate finishing details to mane and
tail. In the last century it was enough to wrap braids in white tape, but today’s competitors have come a long way from such pedestrian
accents.
In addition to Swarovski crystal clip rings, braid-i-bunches (covers that snap on over the braid) are readily
available at most tack shops. Designs include plastic reproductions of fruit and vegetables like pineapples, pomegranates, cucumbers
and lemons, as well as more unusual items like miniature
In addition to mane ornamentation,
no respectable competitor would present her horse without a crupper-upper. This is an inflexible plastic tube that embraces
the tail bone from croup to tip ensuring that it retains an animated, vertical silhouette. While the crupper-upper inhibits
lowering of the tail, it will not interfere with the propeller-like motion so admired in today’s top bloodlines. Crupper-uppers
come in a wide range of colors to match saddles, bruzzles and Impulsion Boots for a truly finished look.
Whips and Spurs
These so called “artificial aids” have been around as long as the sport of dressage itself, and so ubiquitous
are they that today’s riders might as well ride without legs as forgo the use of these important tools. And just as other basic
items of equipment have been improved, so to have whips and spurs.
In the past century whips could be carried in competition
only at the lower levels. With the introduction of SuperPrix! it became obvious that riders needed extra reinforcement to motivate
their huge mounts to realize their true potential. However, carrying old-fashion black whips seemed anachronistic in light of
the new trends in apparel and tack design (unless the theme of one’s ride featured black vinyl and chains). The problem was
to come up with a device that functioned like a whip but “enhanced the visual metaphor” (FEI: Guidelines for Aesthetic Equitation)
of the theme of one’s ride. Initially riders solved the quandary by simply attaching various pointy objects to the ends of colored
whips (plastic palm leaves, gilded pinecones, etc.), but soon judges demanded more creativity.
Countless imaginative solutions
were considered (artificial daffodils on elongated stems, ostrich plumes with reinforced spines, plastic pitchforks and on and on),
only to have another dilemma present itself: how to make these objects effective as aids and not just decorative accessories. The solution was the development of Dial-a-Jolt Technology. Resembling a miniaturized cattle prod, the remote-controlled Dial-a-Jolt
device can be concealed within almost any object, from whips and spurs to bits and reins. In addition riders can moderate the amount
of encouragement offered their mounts, ranging from a soft tingle to an energizing bolt from the blue.
While the design of spurs
has remained virtually unchanged, their effectiveness has been vastly enhanced by the inclusion of Dial-a-Jolt modules in the rowels.
