Mounted Games & Gymkhana Pony Turnout
Gymkhana and mounted games ask a pony to work hard in short, explosive bursts, then stand around in a busy warm-up field before doing it all again twenty minutes later. Grooming for that kind of day isn’t about a full spa treatment. It’s a fast, repeatable system: get the pony clean and comfortable before you leave home, keep on top of sweat and static between rounds, and do a proper wash-down once you’re back at the lorry. Get that rhythm right, and you’ll spend more time watching your pony canter through a bending line, and less time picking shavings out of a tangled tail.
Fast, Not Fussy: The Gymkhana Mindset
Showing turnout and gymkhana turnout run on completely different clocks. A show pony might stand plaited and rugged for two hours before it ever sees a judge; a games pony might run four rounds in an afternoon, with fifteen minutes between each one to catch its breath, get a wipe-down and go again. That changes what “clean” actually means on the day. You’re not chasing a mirror shine for the ring — you’re chasing a pony that’s comfortable, cool, and free of anything that could rub, chafe or distract it mid-bending-race. The grooming kit that earns its keep at a games meeting is small, quick to use, and pulls more than one job.
Keep that kit in one bag, not scattered across three lorries’ worth of tack boxes, because you won’t have five minutes to hunt for a brush when the collecting-ring steward calls your number. A tack box lid or the boot of the car works fine as a base — brushes in one corner, towels in another, and anything liquid capped properly so it isn’t rolling around loose by the second round.
The Quick Once-Over Before You Leave Home
Most of the grooming work for a games day happens the night before, or first thing at home — not at the show. Pick out feet, run a body brush over the coat to lift dust, and give the skin underneath a once-over for anything new: a lump, a graze, a patch of heat. A quick wash of the legs and any white socks the evening before, using lukewarm rather than cold water, saves you fighting dried mud in a car park at seven in the morning. If your pony’s coat looks a bit flat heading into a busy season, a full wash with a gentle, everyday shampoo the week before gets you started from a clean baseline, rather than topping up grime that’s already sitting there.
- A soft body brush and a rubber curry comb for a fast dust-and-sweat lift between classes
- A couple of old towels — one for sweat, one kept clean for faces and eyes
- A small spray bottle of leave-in conditioner for quick detangling, no full wash needed
- A hoof pick, plus a stiff brush for tails that pick up arena surface
- A washing-up-bowl-sized bucket for when there’s no wash-down area near the warm-up
Between Rounds: The Two-Minute Reset
This is where gymkhana grooming actually earns its name. A pony coming off a bending or flag race is often blowing hard, patchy with sweat under the saddle and girth, and carrying dust or sand on its legs and belly. You don’t need to do much: a brisk brush-over with a rubber curry to lift the worst of the sweat marks, a towel wipe round the girth and saddle patch, and a check that the mane hasn’t tangled itself round the neck strap. On a hot day, if there’s water to hand, sponging the neck, chest and between the back legs cools a pony down faster than just standing about will. Ten pence’s worth of attention here stops a small rub turning into a sore patch by round four.
Keep a particularly close eye on the tack contact points across a long day — the girth, the saddle patch, behind the elbows. A pony doing tight turns and quick stops works these areas far harder than one hacking quietly round the field, and friction plus sweat is exactly the combination that starts a gall. If you spot early rubbing, a thin smear of a soothing skin-barrier cream over the area before the next round, followed by a proper look once you’re home, beats ignoring it and hoping for the best.
Mane and Tail: Tidy Enough, Safe Enough
Games ponies need a mane and tail that look neat, but more importantly, won’t catch on anything at speed. A tightly plaited mane can turn into more hazard than help if a plait starts unravelling mid-round, so many games riders keep it simple: a hunter plait, or even just pulled and brushed flat, banded rather than sewn if you’re running multiple classes and need to redo it fast. The tail matters just as much. It needs to stay tangle-free so it isn’t catching on poles or gates, but it shouldn’t be greasy either, since a slick tail can slip out of a tail bandage. A comb-through with a good detangling spray before you leave, plus a quick check between rounds that nothing’s worked loose, covers most of it.
Skip anything with a hard clip or a metal pin near the poll or throat on a pony that’s going to be ducking through a bending line at a flat gallop. Bobbles and covered bands are safer than anything that could catch on a pole or another pony’s tack in a crowded collecting ring.
The Proper Wash Once You’re Home, and Staying Protected All Season
Once the pony’s back at the lorry, or in the field for the night, that’s when the real wash happens. Lukewarm water and a walnut-sized amount of an everyday shampoo like Revive Shampoo, worked into a lather over the sweatiest areas first — girth, saddle patch, between the hind legs — lifts dried sweat salt that a quick wipe never touches, far better than dousing the whole pony at once. Rinse until the water runs properly clear. A lather left in the coat is what leaves a pony looking dull the next morning, and rinsing well matters more than how much shampoo you used in the first place. Towel off the worst of the water, then follow with a light detangling pass — something like Release Spray Conditioner through mane and tail stops tomorrow’s brush-out turning into a fight, and keeps the coat from drying out over a season of frequent washing. If your pony’s out at grass for most of the summer, picking up midges and flies at every show ground, an oil-based shampoo built around natural insect-deterring ingredients earns its place in the weekly wash too — it pulls double duty as a clean and a bit of protection, without resorting to anything harsh. Give the legs a proper look while you’re down there, too — sand and grit rubbed in under a boot all afternoon is a classic cause of a sore heel by the following week, so a clean, dry leg before the rug goes on is worth the extra two minutes.
- Night before: pick out feet, brush through, wash any white leg markings, and check the skin over for anything new
- Morning of: quick brush-off, tack check, and a detangling spray through mane and tail if there’s time
- Between rounds: rubber curry over sweat patches, towel round the girth and saddle area, water on hot days
- End of the day: a proper wash of the sweatiest areas, a thorough rinse, and a towel dry before travelling home
- Evening: mane and tail comb-through, and a last look over the girth and saddle contact points for early rubbing
Kit for a hard-working games pony
Recommended products
Frequently asked questions
How do I keep my pony's mane tidy for gymkhana without spending ages plaiting it?
A hunter plait, or simply pulling and brushing the mane flat, works well for games — banded rather than sewn, so you can redo a slipped plait in seconds between classes. Skip the fiddly show plaits; you need something quick to fix, not something built to look perfect under a judge's eye.
What's the fastest way to clean up a sweaty pony between rounds?
A rubber curry comb run briskly over the sweat marks, a towel wipe round the girth and saddle patch, and a sponge of water over the neck and chest on a hot day handles most of it in under two minutes. You're managing comfort here, not chasing a full groom.
Is it safe to wash a hot pony straight after a class?
Cool the pony down first — a sponge or hose over the large muscle groups, rather than tipping cold water straight over a blowing pony. Once its breathing has settled, a proper wash back at the lorry or at home is fine.
My pony's sore under the girth after a busy show day — what should I do?
Keep an eye on the area between rounds, and wipe it clean and dry rather than letting sweat sit under the tack. If a rub starts, a soothing skin-barrier cream helps — but once it's broken or infected, that's a job for your vet, not the grooming kit.
How often should I wash a games pony during a busy competition season?
There's no fixed number here — wash when the coat and skin genuinely need it, usually after a particularly sweaty or muddy day, rather than sticking to a strict weekly schedule. Over-washing can dry the coat out just as badly as never washing at all.
Do I need to worry about flies and midges at outdoor gymkhanas?
Yes, particularly around the legs, belly and under the tail, where a pony can't easily swish them off while working. An oil-based shampoo built around natural insect-deterring ingredients, used as part of the regular wash routine, helps without resorting to anything harsh on the skin.
What's the best way to stop a tail tangling during fast turns and bending races?
Keep it genuinely tangle-free rather than just brushed on the surface — work a leave-in detangling spray through in sections, and check it again before you go in. A slick, well-conditioned tail is also less likely to slip out of a tail bandage, if you use one for travelling.