Here's a note from a writer friend on how to get great combed-in
quarter marks on your horse for the next event:

"When I was an event groom I abhorred the plastic sheets. It never
looked right.

What I did then, and still do even did it on our poor flat race horses
at the Maryland Million in 2004, was to break an Ace brand plastic
comb, and use varying sections, one wider teeth section about 1" and
one fine tooth section, 1" or so.

I came up with a few patterns but the rule of them that came from
Susan Harris'book was to use a wet short hair dandy brush, brush the
hair with the grain on the rump from the croup to the dock. Then make
your pattern by dragging the comb through the ramp hair going
downwards towards the hip. So that the comb was going perpendicular to
where the wet brush had run.

On my eventers I made swoops, pyramids...you name it. And I can't tell
you how many ace combs I gave away to people I saw at shows using the
plastic sheets. I would give 'em a 3-minute lesson, a free comb and a
good luck. Voila, one less crappy set of quarter marks.

I also found that on some horses a small 4-box pattern on the side of
the shoulder, both sides looked great.

Shark's teeth are hard, so I fiddled and made something similar, but
with braid-like wave patterns. Small dandy face brush, and a little
baby oil mixed in to hold it."

For additional spiffy grooming tips, see

http://www.gifthorsegallery.com/art-groom1.asp on the basics (plus
nice homemade fly repellant recipes)
and
http://www.gifthorsegallery.com/art-groom2.asp for braiding, quarter
marks and more.

Have fun out there!

Nancy