You asked, so here it is. After Harvey's paddock test, the question in our comments was "do you have a tutorial for how to make quarter marks?" This is the step-by-step we use every time, start to finish.
Quarter marks are patterns brushed into the coat over the hindquarters. They work because hair lying in different directions catches the light differently: the hair you brush against the lie looks darker, the hair left lying flat looks lighter. They frame a well-muscled hindquarter and give your turnout that polished, show-ready finish.
The hard part has never been making them. It's keeping them. That's what Mark It was made for.
What you'll need
- A clean, dry horse. Quarter marks only pop on a sleek, dust-free coat, so give them a good groom first.
- A spray bottle of water.
- A body brush to brush the water through.
- Mark It Quarter Mark Setting Gel to set the marks so they hold.
- A quarter marking comb for stripes and blocks, or a stencil for checkerboards.
- A quarter-mark hand brush to create flank pattern and tidy around your design.
- Glitz It (optional) for the finishing gloss.
How to do quarter marks, step by step
Step 1: Spray with water
Lightly mist the hindquarters with water where your marks will go. You want the coat damp, not dripping.
Step 2: Brush it through
Run a body brush over the damp area, in the direction the hair grows. This spreads the water evenly and gives you a smooth, flat canvas to work on.
Step 3: Apply the gel
Scoop a small amount of Mark It onto your hand and smooth it over the area, again going with the hair. A thin, even layer is all you need. Too much and the coat can look clumpy.
Step 4: Leave your mark
Now the fun part. Place your quarter marking comb at the top of the quarters and pull it down in one smooth, confident stroke. Lift it off, move across, and repeat. Keep your lines level and evenly spaced, and wipe the comb between strokes so the edges stay crisp.
Here's what it looks like once the comb has done its work. The gel holds every stripe exactly where you put it.
Step 5: Tidy up
Use a quarter mark brush to create shark teeth pattern on the flank and hind quarters and then a soft hand brush to smooth the coat around and below your design, always brushing with the hair. This sharpens the contrast and cleans up any stray edges.
Step 6: Finish with shine
Mist Glitz It over the top for a glossy show-ring finish. Spray from a little distance so you don't flatten your marks.
Step 7: Step back and admire
That's it. Crisp, defined quarter marks, set and ready to last.
Choosing a design for your horse
The same method works for any pattern. The right one depends on your horse's build and the class you're entering.
- Stripes: the easiest place to start, and a great first design while you get a feel for the comb.
- Checkerboard: neat squares that suit show ponies, hacks and finer types.
- Bold blocks and sharks' teeth: bigger shapes that suit chunkier horses, hunters and cobs.
A few rules of thumb:
- Keep your lines level. Lines that slope can make the quarters look like they slope too.
- Scale to the horse. Small squares look lost on a big horse, and big blocks swamp a small pony.
- Check your class. Some classes, like native and traditional types, are shown without quarter marks, so know the rules before show day.
The real test: Harvey vs the paddock
Pretty quarter marks are easy for five minutes. We wanted to know if they'd last. So Harvey got a checkerboard with sharks' teeth, then went straight back into the paddock.
He spent four hours being an absolute feral: completely unrugged, playing with his paddock mates and having a good old roll. When we brought him in at 2:15 pm, his quarter marks were still holding strong.
Mark It officially passed Harvey's paddock test.
Tips for crisp marks
- Start clean. Dust and grease blur the contrast, so groom thoroughly first.
- Go easy on the water and gel. Damp, not soaked. A thin layer of gel, not a thick one.
- One stroke per mark. Going back over a line smudges the edges.
- Wipe your comb between strokes.
- Practice at home before show day. Every horse's coat behaves a little differently.
Ready to leave your mark?
Grab Mark It and Glitz It together in the Mark & Glitz Duo, then tag us in your quarter marks. We love seeing what you create.