What on earth does this do?!?!?!? LINK!!! HELP, CONFUSED!?

Question

http://www.uksaddlery.com/item1673.htm

I have never saw this before what does it do?

Answer 1

When you groom your horse for a show, it makes it look like they've got little checkered patterns on their coat.

Answer 2

These things perplexed the heck out of me too, at one point.  I think they are completely weird and ugly-looking.  Wonder where on earth this idea came from, anyway?

Answer 3

Some people do this for fasion at a show, personaly I find it kinda ugly. Its not really natural.

Answer 4

It is quite normal to see quarter marks at all county level shows. (U.K).

The reason is not just to make a pretty mark, but to show the amount of shine on the coat.

  These plastic sheets are the cheats way,and they do not look at all professional. We do our quarter marks with brushes and narrow tooth combs.

  When they are done correctly (the coat is backcombed), they actually make the coat look superb.

Answer 5

You use them to make diamond or square patterns on the rump.  It gives it a little extra flair in the show ring.  You put that on the rear and you brush the hair the opposite way against and make the hair stand up.  Some people will also clip the hair and it will be a little shorter yet last longer.

Answer 6

It's a little pattern for the horse's rump when you're showing. Once you brush over it, you'll have a checkered pattern on the horse's coat.

It looks like this when finished:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3152/2477...

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1046/5254...