USHJA On Course Episode 26

USHJA: It's the 26th episode of USHJA On Course! I'm your host, Terisé, and before we jump in to our discussion with a professional groom to one of the top U.S. riders, I have a quick update from the Association.

The USHJA is proud to launch the Equestrian Safety Vest Research Campaign, pledging $100,000 towards a $450,000 fundraising goal to begin the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab’s research to improve air vests used by the equestrian community.

The purpose of the campaign is to review current equestrian vest protection standards, investigate the most common types of torso impacts and injuries, evaluate current testing methodologies, develop protocol for evaluating air and standard protective vests, and test and rate the performance of current chest protection systems for equestrian sports. Learn more about the campaign at ushja.org.

Now to our chat with Margo Thomas! As groom to U.S. Olympian Laura Kraut, Margo spends her days taking care of horses competing at the top of Show Jumping. Throughout her ten years as a professional groom, she has had her hand in the Tokyo Olympics Team Silver and has cared for a string of top horses at competitions around the world. 

Join me as we chat about what it takes to be a head groom, her best tricks of the trade, why Confu is one of her favorite horses to care for and just how she keeps him so clean.

Margo Thomas: Hi, how are you?

USHJA: Good. How are you?

Margo Thomas: Very good.

USHJA: Let's hop right in. When and how did you first get started into the horse world?

Margo Thomas: I always loved horses when I was a little kid, but just didn't know how to get involved. And luckily a flyer came in the mail for horse camp. So, I went to horse camp when I was 11 or 12 and that was it. I went to Virginia Inter Vermont College and studied equine studies for my schooling. And then had a working student position after that and eventually became a full-time groom.

USHJA: What kind of led you to the decision to pursue this as a career and do this really long term? What was that turning point for you?

Margo Thomas: After I finished school, I did eventing actually, and I worked for a rider named Jen Simmons. She's about 20 years older than me, give or take. And so, she one day pulled me in the office and she was like, you know, I think I'm going to retire. So, I was in my early twenties and she was in her early forties and she said, “I think I'm going to retire. You know, I've been doing this long enough. I've had multiple people buy me horses and buy me farms, and I've also seen them taken away and I just don't have the energy to do this anymore.”

And for me, at my age, I kind of looked at the writing on the wall, so to speak, and was like, is this going to be me in 20 years? Like am I going to work my tail off and be a professional and never really make it or never really see that final, you know, get to the Olympics or do whatever the riding goal is? You know, and so that was when it, it just kind of hit me of like, I could do that and I could make it, or I could find a different path. And so, I kind of went ahead and since then I've been saying, I made the decision, I'd rather make money than spend money. So, I sold my last horse and it just kind of grew from there.

I ended up a few months later with a grooming job in Wellington, Florida, for the first time, and that is a whole different world, especially coming from eventing. I'd heard of Wellington, but it was so far off the radar, so I never thought I'd get there. And then, fell into a job there taking amateur and junior horses to the ring and even some equitation horses, which I did do hunters and equitation as a teenager, so I knew what it was and what was involved. But of course, Wellington is a whole other level than Louisiana, where I'm from.

So I ended up, in Wellington and just kind of moved to a few different jobs early on, and eventually I started going, like I went to Spruce Meadows that summer and eventually I started, grooming for a Grand Prix rider and going to 5* shows and, you groom and you win your first Grand Prix and it's like oh, this is what it's about, you know? You get to take pride in all the energy that you put in. Like, yes, I got up at five in the morning to be mucking stalls, but at nine o'clock on Saturday night, we won the Grand Prix. It's long hours and whatnot, but you eventually see it pay off and see how the horses do well in the ring. That eventually really became important to me, to see the horses that I put energy into, see them succeed.

USHJA: Mm-hmm. So, you're really in it for the horses.

Margo Thomas: Absolutely. I don't think you do this job if you didn't mainly do it for the horses. It's a lot of long hours and there's a lot of physical labor and emotional labor for that matter. I don't see anyone doing this that doesn't do it for the love of the horses.

USHJA: You mentioned long hours. What does a typical FEI show day look like for you? I'm sure they all widely vary, but if you could kind of wrap one up into one maybe stereotypical day.

Margo Thomas: Yeah, absolutely. Usually early morning starts. It depends on the show. So maybe if it's an indoor show in the winter, you have night classes, so you don't have to get up quite so early. But usually get up and start doing chores. You know, a lot of the shows I'm on my own because we'll take, if we go to a 5*, then you only bring a small group of horses or like, when we're in Wellington, I mainly stay in FEI, so I go there first and then, I kind of think of it like chess. You kind of start to picture out the day of how it's going to look. So, okay, this horse has to go to the ring at this time. So, I just kind of work backwards from when the horses need to go.

And then it depends on the horse, if they need braids or the magnetic blanket or a hand walk or they get ridden or they get lunged. It just kind of goes from there. And so, it's usually a pretty full day in FEI if you have more than two horses and just depending on the energy of the horses and what they need from you, some of them, you know, need extra hand walks just to get them out of the stall and keep them busy for the day.

So yeah, so it, depends on which horses go and what the day looks like. But sometimes when we're in Wellington, Laura, we have a lot of clients, so usually if she's going to flat ride before a class, she comes before any of the show rings starts, so she'll start riding at 7:00 a.m. Or I sometimes get on and start moving the horses and ride them to the ring and warming them up on the flat before she gets on, just depending on how busy her day is. So, yeah, obviously the days vary depending on where we are, but it's usually a busy day trying to juggle which horse needs what here then and where, you know?

And I find it's helpful to make as many friends as you can when you're in FEI, so that, you know, “oh my God, I got to take off back to the ring. Can you take this one's ice boots off?” Or whatever. And obviously we have enough staff, but if I need someone to come help me, for a couple hours we can do that, but sometimes it just gets cut a little close or you're in a jump off or something. Timing doesn't always work out perfectly. So, I always appreciate it. It pays to be nice to people and find friends that can help you out.

USHJA: I know FEI has different and stricter regulations than a typical normal horse show. How do you approach those days differently? Do you go in with the same mindset? Do you just keep those separate FEI rules in mind, or are they totally different in your brain?

Margo Thomas: It's just, honestly, it's a way of life. In general, because most of the horses that we have could go into FEI at any moment. Any week Laura could change her mind or you know, whatever. Or this horse could go lame, but suddenly, so we need someone, a different horse. And so, it's kind of how I treat the whole group of horses. Whether I'm at home or in FEI. Like, yes, you can give Banamine or Bute to a certain horse when it's not showing when it's at home.

It even comes down to, I don't use a product like Icy Hot on myself because that's a testable product on the horses. So that's something that I, you know, won't use on my own aches and pains because I know that that could possibly contaminate the horses. It's always something that's on the brain of like, “ooh, is this something that might be testable?”

So, even then when you're in FEI within the fenced in area, you have certain rules you need to follow, you know, always having a number on the horse. So, there's a lot of things, but a lot of it just becomes habit, as to how you, how you are, what you, can and cannot give to the horses and things. Especially with supplements and things, there's always that question of, “is this allowed or not?” So, it honestly, at this point, is a way of life for how I think about the horses. We try and keep a lot of our national horses on similar rules or keep everything separate, just in case. And we try not to put horses in the same stalls as another horse, especially when we're somewhere like Wellington where it's 12 weeks straight of FEI showing. So, it's not even when I'm at the home farm, that is all still on the brain.

USHJA: That's interesting about the Icy Hot. You don't even think about how that is going to carry over into what you do for yourself.

Margo Thomas: Yeah. No, it's constantly maintaining, you know, I even think, if I grab an ibuprofen or something, I try and, it sounds silly, but you even think about like, putting it in the cap of the bottle instead of putting it directly in your hand. It's just stuff like that where it's probably overkill, but I never want it to be on my head that I did something that could have cost us a ribbon in a 5* show or a qualification somewhere. I never want it to come back that it was something that I accidentally did, so it's just that extra precaution that I have to take on, you know? How I live my life, I guess.

USHJA: Yeah, definitely. So, you mentioned kind of a quieter day back at the farm. What does that day look like for you?

Margo Thomas: My favorite part of the day is being the first one in the barn. I really like coming in and feeding all the horses first thing when nobody else is there. So, I usually am one of the first people in the barn and just, like to go through and feed them and take a minute and appreciate being in the barn before the whole day explodes.

And then, yeah, we usually start with, we have a walker and a treadmill, and we really like to turn out the horses in Laura's program. After they've finished their breakfast, we start getting the horses out of their stalls.

And then if Laura's in town, I usually stay on the ground and tack up for her and set fences if she's schooling horses. But if she's not in town, then I usually have three to four horses to ride. And I don't jump jumps. That time has passed for me, but I really enjoy working them on the flat. And I think it honestly helps with my perspective as a groom, as I can see, oh, this saddle really doesn't fit right. And from the ground, it looks fine, but once you're riding, it doesn't, or, you know, a stiffness in their neck that you could maybe put some arnica gel on. You know, there's things that you get from riding them that you don't always get on the ground as well. So, I think that that helps with the grooming.

And then we usually put the horses away as the day goes and try and finish up our farm, we usually finish around four in the afternoon if we can. And try and keep the day, you know, moving, I guess you could say. But it depends on who's in town or, you know, I think half of our horses this week are going to different shows and here in Europe, so like, I'm actually home this week for once, it'll actually be nice to have it quiet instead of the hecticness of being at a show.

USHJA: I love what you said about taking what you can kind of assess when you're in the saddle and then connect it to the work you're doing back on the ground.

Margo Thomas: Yeah, absolutely. I think it's all related. It's obviously a privilege to get to ride the horses I get to ride. But I do think that it helps me as a groom to see, you know, especially that I can have a conversation with the dentist. This horse is stiffer in this direction, or it twists its head. Or I can talk to the chiropractor, and then at the same time, I get to get on them after the chiropractor or the dentist has worked on them, and I can say that was an improvement or, you know, that made a big difference or not so. I think there's so much you can gain from the ground, but there's also a lot that, as a groom and a rider, I feel like I gained from sitting in the saddle.

USHJA: Definitely. It's so important to listen to them in all aspects, right? Not just when you're on the ground.

I feel like we can't have a groom here on the podcast without asking—do you have any favorite tricks of the trade?

Margo Thomas: Let's see. Little tricks and things.

I use baby powder a lot on their legs. For if they're still little damp before you put them in the box, for getting rubs from the boots and also for white legs, just making them look a little whiter in the ring.

I also put something like baby oil on the boots because it does make them shinier when you go in the arena, but it also makes them easier to clean because the oil kind of puts a barrier from the dirt. And so it makes it easier to clean, especially if you're at a show or two shows in a row and you don't have a washing machine.

On the horse's bodies, I use coconut oil a lot. I think it's great for moisturizing, like I almost use it like you would use lotion. So if they have a spur rub or hair that's missing or a cut that the hair's growing back on, I feel like it helps moisturize and get the hair to grow.

I also do a lot of hot toweling or baths with witch hazel and apple cider vinegar, separately or together. But they're both an astringent and so it helps balance the pH of their skin and their hair. And it also, that vinegar really helps give them a good shine. Any irritants or hives and things, I think witch hazel helps with their irritations. Like, last week we were in San Tropez and a bunch of horses had mosquito bites and I was like, here's my witch hazel. See if this helps your horse feel more comfortable. So that's things like that.

And I'm a big comb person. I think combs really, for their tails, help keep them from breaking with a bit of show sheen.

Those are kind of my biggest pet peeves or little touches that help me do my job better. So like, the cleaning of the boots or making the horses shiny. But it also helps them be healthier horses and make them look good when they go in the ring, which is part of the job.

USHJA: Yeah. How to make your horse extra shiny, I think was our top member submitted question.

Margo Thomas: That is part of it. Yeah.

USHJA: Do you have a favorite moment from over your years? You've been in this for a while now, I'm sure it might be hard to pick out one, but is there one?

Margo Thomas: I mean Tokyo was a highlight and getting to Tokyo for sure. And I'm sure we'll talk more about that in a minute, but I think we've had a couple big Grand Prix wins in the last year. A couple in Wellington, and we had one last year with Confu won a 4* Grand Prix in March and it was just really special because he got really sick the December before, it was the week before Geneva, and we were gearing up. I was going to take him and Baloutinue and he just wasn't right one day and ended up spending three weeks in the clinic with pleurisy. And we really weren't sure if he was going to come back. Like, I mean, he was very sick and so we were so lucky to even get him to Florida that year. And get him fit again, and then much less to win a Grand Prix, especially a Saturday night in Wellington, was just such a special thing for me and Laura and Mary Elizabeth and our whole team that put in the effort. All of us were there just helping keep him alive at some point and then just to see that really come together, that he actually was fighting fit and, ready to go in the ring and do his job just a few months later was really special. So that was a great moment to see him come back.

And then this past winter we, we won a 5* with Baloutinue. And a couple weeks later, Laura almost won another 4* and I had more people come up to that because Laura, she had the last fence down, but she put everything on the line and galloped as hard as she could to the last, and it was just, it was so exciting. And then it was such a bummer, but everybody was, it was really cool to like almost have back to back wins on such a fabulous horse. So we've had some pretty great wins over the years, but those were some special ones more recently.

USHJA: Do you get nervous watching Laura or any of the horses compete?

Margo Thomas: Not anymore. I do find myself taking a big deep breath when I'm standing up there in the kiss and cry, you know, with my camera out or my phone out about the video. When it's finally, there's nothing else I can do. Once the horse is in the ring, there's nothing else that I can do to change it. And I usually do take a big, deep breath and let it out, but I don't, yeah, my adrenaline doesn't get peaked very much anymore. Just because I'm at a show almost every week so it's exciting, but nerves don't normally get in the way.

I think the thing I get most nervous about is if I'm going to be late to the ring. There's nothing worse than that with Laura standing there tapping her toes. So, I always make sure I give myself an extra 10 or 15 minutes in my planning so that if something goes awry that I'm not going to be late. So that's important, but an actual nervousness, not normally. When I did eventing that was more nerve-wracking. But the show jumping, I do enjoy it and it's exciting, but I wouldn't say I get nervous anymore.

USHJA: Mm-hmm. Well, I mean, I think it helps too. She's a real pro.

Margo Thomas: Yeah. She's pretty great to work for. That's true. She definitely has a good game face, so that gives you more confidence as well when you know that everybody's putting their best foot into the ring.

USHJA: So, you mentioned Tokyo. You were one of many hands that were part of that team silver win. What was that whole experience like? I know you mentioned leading up to, and then, obviously that win, so what was that like for you?

Margo Thomas: That summer was a bit of a whirlwind because we didn't really have a horse that could do Tokyo. That spring, they were really counting on using younger horses as it was going to be so hot. And then they'd changed the format that the individual was first and the team medal was second. So they were valuing putting horses that had the stamina to get through the week. So someone like Confu was less in consideration. So, we didn't really have a horse that was really ready.

And so I think it was actually the last week that you could submit a horse to be in consideration for the Olympics that we had the opportunity to buy Baloutinue. And that as well was a whirlwind. But Laura tried him and our owners were happy and so we bought him and then we immediately took him to a 3* in Wellington and he won. And then we got him over to Europe and just, you know, it was everything we could do to prove that him and Laura could develop that bond that they would need to get it done in Tokyo, that they knew each other well enough. Within a month, we were second in the Grand Prix in Rome.

And then, yeah, just it was a bit full on. It was every time we went in the ring, there was some sort of pressure to make sure that he and Laura were both performing. And I didn't know him that well, you know, I did speak to his previous groom and so I had some information, but it's, you know, the difference of showing a horse in America. You know, you go somewhere like Michigan and you show a few weeks in a row or Tryon, whereas you come to Europe and you're showing in a different ring every week, whether it's on grass or it's on footing. It was just full on trying to get to know him and what would suit him.

So then we finally got named to the team, which was very exciting. Six to eight weeks before you get there, obviously that you're going. But then we had to quarantine, in Aachen, Germany. So did that for two weeks and then we were actually in Tokyo for three weeks.

It is rare that I get to spend all of my time with only one horse. So, anything I didn't know about him, I definitely figured out. I think even when we got to Tokyo, he and I both took a nap in his stall. Well, after we both, we landed on the flight just trying to get over the jet lag.

It was quite the experience being in Tokyo, it was still during COVID. So, unfortunately as getting to go to the Olympics, it wasn't as exciting to go because we weren't allowed to go see the other sports. And we were a good 45 minutes away from the village. So that whole prestige of getting to support America in other ways was missing. But we did get to cheer on the dressage who also medaled and the eventers. They put the teams by country in the same barn, so we did get to interact with the other grooms and of our team, and that was, great. And to cheer them on.

And then, yeah, like I said, it was just one horse, so it was quite hot in Tokyo. We would start in the mornings. The barns were air conditioned, but they would actually shut down. You couldn't bring the horses out of the barns between, I think it was 12 and three, something like that. And then we competed at night. And so it was, you know, you'd get up in the morning and take them out, the riders would come ride, especially on the days we were competing, because we were there for over a week before we competed.

So, you know, it was a bit, less nerve wracking at the time, but you're still trying to gear up for that. And Baloutinue is such an energetic horse that it was trying to get him relaxed it was a bit of a bummer too the first night of the individual that he had two down. And not that a horse, especially when we didn't know it, it would've been a far cry to get an individual medal, but it still was hoping, you know, it would've been great to have jump clear the first night. That, I can say I did get nervous in Tokyo, but that took the pressure off.

After that because the next night we didn't jump because we were not in the top 30 for the individual. So I got to just go watch, which is nice because I don't get to watch Grands Prix very often. And then that kind of got all the jitters out for the team competition. So then, you know, I just a bit more had the game face when it came to the team night. We weren't sitting in the top three going into that, so it was exciting to be there and take part in that.

And then actually to make it all the way to a silver medal was kind of unbelievable as it was happening. You know, like I got back on the second team night, we jumped and Laura jumped first for the team. So I came back to the barn, and, you know, had the chance to spray him off and give him a minute. And then they were like, “uh, yep. So we're going to be in the second round.” Like, Laura's like, “uh, time to tack up.” I was like, “oh God, okay.” And like, Jessie Springsteen's groom, Josie, came back and I was like, “uh, I don't think you're going to have time to spare your horse off because I think we got to, we have to jump, I think we're going to end up in the top.” I can't remember whatever the top teams were, so anyway, so we get back up there and I still even remember when someone had a rail down and looking over at Jessie Springsteen and, and being like, “Jessie, you were now guaranteed at least a bronze medal.”

 And then I actually might have said the wrong thing because I think she started crying. So it was all very exciting for all of us. And even when McLain went in, her and Laura were standing off, they couldn't watch. So I was the one that was like, “okay, he is clear through the brown oxer. Oh, he is clear through here.” And so, it was all very exciting. And then just to make it all the way to a silver medal was incredible, especially, you know, considering that we hadn't even had the horse—I didn't even know his name, you know, four months before. It's kind of incredible to see that happen. And especially with someone like Laura, who's just such a fantastic rider and such a great horse person that she can pull that off is kind of amazing. He's just such a naturally talented horse. I still think he could win every time I take him to the ring. Because he just, such an athletic creature. So yeah, Tokyo was a whole experience. It was surreal for sure, for a while after that.

And then it was funny for me then they were like, okay, so we go to Aachen in two weeks, and it was a bit like, oh, right, we get to keep this horse. Like, it almost felt like we didn't get to keep him because it had happened so fast and it was all about Tokyo and then it was funny. It was very, you know, interesting for me to be like, oh yeah, okay, let's go to Aachen. And then we won the Nation's Cup there. So that was also a big highlight of that summer.

We've had a lot of highs and Tokyo was definitely one of them. Over the last, I've worked for Laura for four years now, so we've definitely had some great moments for sure.

USHJA: Well, he definitely sounds like a once in a lifetime horse too. He sounds pretty incredible.

Margo Thomas: Yeah, he is. He's so athletic and he tries very hard. It's incredible every time I get to take him to the ring, to see what he can do and, you know, and he was great. Even this spring in Mexico and, he's just, he's such a wonderful horse.

USHJA: You're probably not supposed to pick favorites, but do you have a favorite?

Margo Thomas: He's definitely up there in my favorites, him and Confu . Both of them over the last few years, I've spent so much time with them. Because Confu and I have been back and forth too. I've taken him to the ring almost every time he has gone to the ring in the last four years. So, you know, I've just spent so much time with him. And then same with Baloutinue, like the five weeks that we were, it was just me and him for Tokyo. They're definitely such good boys and they know me when, I mean, most of my horses know me when I walk in the barn, but they're, they're great.

And then we do, we have some really nice young horses coming up. I had one mare that we didn't bring to Florida this year because of an injury, and I took her to a 2* over the weekend and she was sixth.

You know, you don't even realize how much you miss them until you're like, oh yeah, hey, how you doing? So, we have a really nice string of horses right now. So with Dorado [212] and Calgary Tame and Bisquetta. I love all of them, but for sure the two big boys are my favorites I'd have to say.

USHJA: Do you get to give them fun little nicknames at home?

Margo Thomas: Oh, they all have nicknames. Confu is Rocket and if you know him, you know his name is Rocket. Baloutinue is Balou or Boo to me. Bisquetta is Biscuit. We have one mare named Haley. She's just Haley. And then Calgary [Tame] is Cal, though one of my coworkers keeps calling him Gary because she knows it annoys me cause he's not a Gary. So I've decided when he's bad, his name is Gary. Dorado [212] is, is Dorado or Dodo because he's a bit of, not in a stupid way, he's a bit of a bird. He's a bit of a funny guy. So, they all have barn names, or little nicknames and things.

USHJA: What is an aspect of being a groom that you think a lot of people maybe don't know, don't think about or maybe don't even talk about much?

Margo Thomas: Well, the reality is the long hours. But what a lot of people, don't think about or especially don't admit is that the grooms almost know the horses better than the riders. And not meaning in the tack. Laura Kraut can ride circles around me. I'm fully aware of that. But it's more so, you know, like I can say to her, I'm realizing how empathetic this horse is because I've seen him, when another horse gets nervous, he gets nervous, even though he's not kicking or anything, you can just see it in his face that he gets worried. You know? And so it's something that I don't think a lot of people would admit that their grooms almost know the horses better than the owners or the riders. Because we just, by nature, spend so much more time with them.

And for sure Laura's horses know her and they all love her. We're not a barn of spoiled horses, but a lot of people come to our barn and say, we have the happiest barn of horses they've ever met, because they are all, they live a good life and they're all happy, happy horses. But I think that's something that a lot of people would not admit is that the grooms are the backbone of this industry and they do understand the horses on a deeper level than people give them credit for. And it's not just here at the 5* level, it's the pony grooms or you know, your hunter guys that are lunging at four in the morning.

And you know, I think that you do have to love the horses to do this as a job because it is so demanding. And it takes you away from your family and the people that are close to you because a lot of us are always on the road. That's a big part of it is that a lot of us. It's about the love of the animal, I think, at the end of the day.

It's not like we're making, you know, a ton of money and that's what makes it worth it. It's really getting to spend the time with the horses and I think it goes really far when people respect grooms for what they do and what they know, and don't underestimate them as people that pick up manure and can hold a brush. You know, there's a lot that goes into this job and so I think it's really important that more people recognize that grooms are very important to keeping this industry running.

USHJA: Definitely. What advice would you give to other riders or equestrians who are either thinking about getting into grooming or maybe are already, you know, they're a working student and they're doing it, but they think they want to pursue it professionally. What would you say to them?

Margo Thomas: Mean, I'll go back to saying like I didn't know that this is what I wanted to do until I was already doing it. I'm not sure I want to be a groom for the rest of my life, but I didn't know that I would love this as much as I do until I was doing it. And I do think I've learned so much in the last 10 years of grooming show jumpers, so much about horses and about the care and what they need. And so even for people that want to be professional riders, it would be useful to take a job grooming where you do get to see things from this side of the barn and as well to ask grooms questions and things like that about the horses and get their perspectives.

So I recommend trying it. Especially if you can find a barn that is as wonderful as the one that I work for, because I do have a great job at Laura's. I think it's important because there's so much you can learn from spending time with the horses in this way. It is hard work, but I think it's worth it, especially if you can work your way up to a job like mine or pay your dues along the way and really find your way to grooming at the top level. It's pretty special to get to do what I do and travel the world doing that.

And not everybody wants to go to the Olympics, and that's fine too. So I think it'sa great experience. Even if you don't want to do this full time. I think it's worth spending some time mucking out stalls and brushing horses and also time just getting to speak with other grooms about how they do things because I just think that that's also very valuable as a rider.

USHJA: Definitely. I mean, it's a key part of horsemanship.

Margo Thomas: Yeah, for sure. It's definitely the basis of horsemanship.

USHJA: So, to wrap up, we have a few questions that our members submitted on Instagram to us, specifically for you. You've touched on a lot of amazing parts of your job, but they want to know a favorite part and the least favorite part.

Margo Thomas: Okay. Let's see. I guess one of my, ooh, I don't know, favorite parts of the job is definitely the time spent with the horses. That is why we do it. Why I do it is I love the horses. So getting to go to a show with only two horses and actually getting to spend time with them and be around them and not just be running around trying to get everything done. That's great.

And obviously winning. Winning is fun. Or even seeing a seven-year-old horse, you know, figuring out, getting it to jump a clear round. Seeing horses hit different benchmarks, like some of the ones that we've had you know, Bisquetta is nine this year, and so from seeing Laura taking her in a seven-year-old class when we bought her to now she's jumping 1.50m and 1.60m. That's pretty great, to see a horse's career really fledge out and see them succeed. So definitely seeing the success as part of it is pretty great.

And then, least favorite parts. The lack of sleep, I guess, that I get. When the alarm goes off before 5:00 a.m. is probably my least favorite kind of day. But it's also, that's part of it. So I love being in Europe and getting to travel to new places. So part of that is sometimes we leave at two in the morning. There's ups and downs, but it's worth it, I guess, at the end of the day.

USHJA: They also want to know your tricks to keep a gray clean, which I'm sure is not a question you're new to.

Margo Thomas: No, that is a question I always get. A lot of Quic Silver. And I usually, before I take a gray to a show, I clip them just so their hair is short and it's easier if you do only have time to use a towel and some green spot remover, then it's easier to get them cleaned that way. But sometimes they're just covered in manure and you got to go to the wash rack and that's that. So make sure you have enough time for that in the morning.

I'm a bit obsessive about how white my tails are. So I can't say I have any special tricks other than I start washing a few days before we go to the show. Especially Confu, he has a very white tail.

It's mostly just keeping their hair short, washing their tail a few days out, especially if they've been going in the paddock. And then, like I mentioned earlier, I use a lot of baby powder and so I use that on their legs a lot, especially, to keep the footing off of their legs. So yeah, nothing really too new that you've never heard of I'm sure, but works for me.

USHJA: I'm always thankful I have a bay.

Margo Thomas: Yeah. I mostly have bays, so that's good.

USHJA: Somebody wants to know the best way to train a mane to stay on one side.

Margo Thomas: I still have some that I can't manage not get theirs to stay. I typically, after giving a horse a bath, if you take your regular braiding bands and band their mane into about one-inch sections. And then you take each ponytail and you split it down the middle, and then you flip the rubber banded ponytail through that middle part—like put it up and through and then pull it down—that makes for a nice little training aid. Also, if you don't have enough time to braid and your horse's mane doesn't like to sit straight, you can do that before going to the ring so that it all sits on one side. But you can do that every time they've been washed, just to try and train it to stay on one side.

There's also, if your horse's mane is very thick and has gotten a bit long, I'll go through and I'll pull from the thicker sections, which is usually where they're going to flip to the other side and just try and make it a bit thinner. So that it does fold over to one side. But it depends on your preference. If you can keep their mane a little longer, it might be easier to train to stay on one side because the weight of it'll hold it there.

My best bet is every time you wash them just to braid it over because you can do just short braids to braid to one side or banding over. Or you’ve just got to braid every time their pictures going to be taken. have some horses I do that with. So, you know, it's what it is.

USHJA: Well, that is all I have. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you taking some time out of your day off to come and chat.

Margo Thomas: Yeah, absolutely. I'm happy to do it. I love sharing my thoughts on horses and grooming.

USHJA: Thanks for listening to this episode of USHJA On Course! Tune in next month for more from your favorite Hunter/Jumper riders.