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The tack room

Discuss horse riding and ownership on our Horse forum.

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Original poster

quick trimming poll

46 replies

MitchyInge · 25/04/2009 09:18

reluctantly started pulling our lovely long wavy mane, now I've started I realise we will have to go shorter still (the pic I just put up is a 'before' one, after to follow!) but this makes me wonder if I should start trimming heels too? and tail?

I bowed to pressure to make him look a bit more presentable, although in my heart I liked it long and natural, he does look smarter - like a cross between an exmoor and a TB! I suppose I should get some better pics first, just wondering what others think.

OP posts:

Pixel · 28/04/2009 15:56

The little electric clippers that you use for dogs etc are really quiet and just vibrate a bit. I'm sure if you got him used to them running while he was around he would be ok.

Alternatively, we used to have some like this (wonder what happened to them). The blades are the same as other clippers and move over each other sideways in the same way so you get a much better finish that with scissors. Great for finishing off horses that are fussy round their heads although I once used them to do a rather neat grass-clip on my hairy pony! Not sure I'd do that again as it did take quite a while .

Pixel · 28/04/2009 16:02

Actually I might order those myself. We are keeping the full-feather look atm but my mum insisted on trimming dhorse's jawline with scissors and made a right old hash of it. Maybe I can prevent a repeat performance when she next decides he looks a bit shaggy! I've got some proper clippers in the shed but we have no electricity where we are now. Anyway I think my mum would get carried away if I let her near them, the first time she used them on her old horse he ended up with a hogged mane and a full hunter clip! (did look gorgeous but a bit high-maintenance).

Original poster

MitchyInge · 28/04/2009 16:53

no that is him nekabu, I think the photos are misleading (except in the second one down?) - it's quite pronounced in person, but obviously looked much worse over winter when he lost weight and so on

I'll try to get a close-up, from the side, am worried you will think it was all a figment of my imagination

on the other hand I am wondering if 'Project Topline' is bearing fruit already! (except I know it isn't because I listened in when some stage III students were evaluating his conformation yesterday)

OP posts:

Nekabu · 28/04/2009 18:28

Do a Google for "high withers" then select images ... it may surprise you!

Original poster

MitchyInge · 29/04/2009 19:23

but look, have taken these this evening - can you see that he is a bit deformed in that department?

(am also showing off new mane, tail and heels )

OP posts:

Pixel · 29/04/2009 19:27

Aaaaagh! look everybody, freaky withers!!!

I saw someone riding with a treeless saddle the other day, would that be better or worse for him I wonder?

(He does look very smart with his new hairdo)

Original poster

MitchyInge · 29/04/2009 20:11

heh heh heh - do you see what I see then? I tried to take close-ups but they just came out blurry

glad you like the makeover! beams with pride

I don't really know anything about treeless saddles - something I'd like to find out about (feel a bit poverty stricken at the moment though)

OP posts:

Nekabu · 29/04/2009 21:50

They're a bit high but not hugely so. I should imagine you might need a riser (though maybe not) but I expect as he build top line his withers will be less pronounced. They don't look strange omg-no-rugs-will-fit at all though!

Loving the makeover too!

Pixel · 30/04/2009 01:00

I know what you mean, I did briefly ponder treeless saddles, and it was very brief when I saw the price of them!

alicecrail · 30/04/2009 09:07

He looks lovely, so smart! My TB's mane is really long at the moment, he's a bugger to pull it

Original poster

MitchyInge · 01/05/2009 12:11

@ all those nice things

well it's not that the rugs don't fit, technically they are perfect, it's just that he inexplicably gets swollen and sore when wearing them - maybe he is just overly sensitive, maybe I need to try more ways of lifting them away from that area

apart from a couple of TBs the yard is full of native ponies and they just look so flat by comparison!

we've fine-tuned the saddle at least and at last, and I can put my rug neurosis to one side for a few months

OP posts:

alicecrail · 01/05/2009 12:43

CAn you sew some extra thick sheepskin into the rugs where it rubs?

Original poster

MitchyInge · 03/05/2009 07:48

yes that's top of the list of ideas for next winter - although I did like his woolly mammoth look in some ways

OP posts:

Pixel · 04/05/2009 19:17

Hi, as this is the trimming thread I took a couple of quick pics today, not brill as my camera was flat so had to use my phone. We had thought that we would be getting the clippers out by now and taking off all the mane and feather but I find I rather like them, what do you think? I took one pic from each side (on my profile) so that you can see what he would look like hogged or not!

Nekabu · 05/05/2009 10:02

If he were mine I'd have the feather off, the tail trimmed up a bit but would keep the mane, though I'd have that shorter too. What a lovely face he has!

Butkin · 05/05/2009 14:05

If he were mind I'd have the feather and leg hair off, would thin and bang his tail to just below the hocks and hog his mane. I'd also trim out his throat latch.

However I think it has to be personal preference and also related to what you want to do with him.

Pixel · 05/05/2009 19:44

I know, our vet says we'll add £500 to his value if we take all the hair off (he likes to wind us up ) but we keep changing our minds! We did pull his mane a lot shorter last summer but it just spent most of the time flopping over both sides so we grew it to see if the weight would make it stay over better, and it does a bit. I'm not sure if he has the neck for hogging yet, maybe when he is older and has a better topline?

We have made some effort to tidy his head up but have had to bear in mind he lives out all year and the weather hasn't been great so far.

'Course, it's going to be a right kerfuffle if we want to use our clippers as there is no electricity at the field and we will have to have some kind of generator. I suspect that if the clippers had been more handy we might have already done the deed in a mad moment .

He does have a nice face doesn't he?

Pixel · 05/05/2009 19:51

Am now wondering if 'lovely face' is some kind of code . Our farrier says he was taught to try and find something nice to say about peoples' horses, and after staring at one particular not-so-pretty horse for ages, his friend came out with "erm, he's got lovely fluffy ears"

Nekabu · 06/05/2009 16:49

Er, no - I said he has a nice face because he has! C'mon ... have a good look at your pics and tell me is that a sweet face or what!

p.s., Cordless clippers could be your friend! Now's a good time to buy secondhand too.

p.p.s., With the mane flopping over when it's shorter, have you tried damping it and plaiting it over for a few days to train it?

Pixel · 06/05/2009 20:16

Yes I have been plaiting it over lately and it has been better.

I was only teasing about his gorgeous face, I know it's lovely because that was the reason we fell in love and bought him, totally irresistable! .

Nekabu · 07/05/2009 08:59

Definitely a cute face ...

Glad to hear the plaiting over has been working!

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