Trimming Section a's tail

[CMOTDibbler]

Dpony is now dragging his tail on the ground, and beautiful as it looks, it needs a trim.

What is the best way of tidying it up but still keeping it 'natural' ? Am terrified of ballsing it up !

Lift the tail at the dock so that you get the angle right, think layered so not longer at the back than the front (get someone to hold it up while you trim). Only take a bit off, so you can level up without docking it! And use really sharp scissors (my best dressmaking scissors are now pony scissors but that's a good excuse to not make stuff any longer)

You'll be fine - the key mantra is "you can always take more off but you can't stick more back on!"

We're going to have to start pulling our A & B's manes this weekend whilst trying to keep them "native" !

My sister has owned her welshie for 6 years this week and has never had to pull his mane or trim his tail. It's amazing, they seem to trim themselves, are always the same length and his mane always falls neatly to one side. Am very when I look at dhorse with his tangled mane and tail that you can practically see growing.

I will steel myself this weekend, and gently trim.

TBH, I love his full mane and forelock, which actually stays very neat with the aid of stay in conditioner, so have no intention of pulling/trimming that

You have reminded me to trim dpoy's tail,it was last done in Oct and has grown no end.

Is anyone else's pony shedding? Dpony's fleece rugs are lined with pony hair at the minute,I daren't wash them as they'll bung up the machine.

No visible shedding here, but have downgraded to lightest rug now.

Have you tried a dog bed wash bag for the fleece rugs ? I got one for doing numnahs/head collars/lead reins and its brill for catching all the hair and stopping the clips banging the drum.

haven't rugged mine - shetland, welsh b and idx and they are all shedding like mad!

Dhorse has light rug but he's shedding, the others aren't but they are in their twenties and tend to hang on to their coats for longer.

No real shedding here. Can't wait until they start and I can get our Furminator out!

Sec A is in medium weight NZ with neck cover
Connemara is in medium weight NZ
Sec B has just got out of his heavyweight NZ into his Rhino (whatever weight that is). He has been wearing a lycra hood from Snuggy but we've taken that off when turning out this morning as due for a few mild days and we're paranoid about him rubbing his mane out (the reason we took his NZ neck cover off in the first place).

Off to see new SH pony at producers this weekend (first time we've seen him since buying him 6 weeks ago!). No idea what they currently have on him yet. DD's 9th birthday on Tuesday and we've bought her a rug for new SHP from Supreme Products - fleece on outside and shiny satin on the inside to get his coat right when travelling to shows.

They got bib/tummy clips before Christmas and will be working on pulling manes this weekend.

If you havent already trimmed it look at the natural line of it before you cut it. It will probably be in a slight V shape, so dont cut it off straight as you would with a plaited pony. Obviously Im assuming hes not part bread and plaited as well.

My show hunter pony is starting to shed her winter coat. She was only clipped once last year (in October, she usually gets done again in January)

She has a medium weight full neck rug on in the field and a medium weight rug on in the stable. Usually she has two tugs on at this time of year and a full neck cover in the stable.

I've done my best now ! It won't win awards, but I haven't taken much off anyway, and tried to feather it into the shorter edge.
He only gets plaited for my fun - is a full bred welshie.

And as twice this week he has removed his no fill rug in the field, he's got no rug on now.

I let ds ride him bareback this afternoon - ds thought it was amazing !

Im sure its fine

My mum has got a nasty little habit of taking the scissors to my mares forelock! She knows very well its so much easier to stick some rubber gloves on and whip a few of the whisps away but she still does it

If we need to trim the dartmoors manes we sometime back comb then pull, our Connie is in desperate need of a mane pull but will prob leave it till next week as his first party isn't till the weekend after.
Have you used a furminator to help get the coats out they are great things, my whp is a hairy bear at the moment but with the aid of the furminator should be back to a sleak showing machine soon!!

I love the furminator - it had the first outing of the year at the weekend, and his fluffy bottom looks much nicer. Am itching to give him a bath now !