Big feathers!

[cobwithattitude]

Daughter's newly acquired cob has huge feathers - question is what is the best approach in winter - he will live out with access to stable in the field. He has had heel mites in the past. Do we clip them off or leave them on - how do you keep an eye out for mud fever/mites as they are so thick but cutting them off may invite mud fever in the wet? Any ideas/knowledge gained from experience? Thanks!

 

[flyingfeet]

Mine have feathers, but not that thick.

I refuse to cut them as they really help with mud fever. Not great for showing, but makes no difference for a show jumper.

 

[rema]

Hello.I would also leave the feathers on.If you horse has suffered with heel mites/Itchy heel maybe put some pig oil and sulpher on.It will stop the mites and keep the feathers in good condition.

 

[AliJo]

Cobs with heel mites will usually bite at their heel or have a mad stamping fit with their back legs going by my past experience. My new cob has a skin condition on her fetlocks due to moisture getting trapped in the skin folds and the vet told me to keep her feathers clipped so the air can get at it easier. I don't have any experience of mud fever so I can't really advise you on that - some people say keep the feathers as they protect and some people say cut them off so the legs dry quicker.

 

[MillionDollar]

I have a cob with big feathers (she looks like a Clydesdale, lol) and I never clip them off even in the winter and shes turned out for at least 12 hours a day.

 

[scrat]

We have a traditional cob and a clydesdale so lots of hair! They have never had mud fever and I strongly believe that the feathers offer protection against this. The feathers tend to form ringlets in the wet weather and if you look inside they will be clean and white which shows that they repell the mud and wet. We use pig oil and sulpher. Apply the oil to the feathers and maybe once a week rub in sulpher powder. It can look a bit strange but it actually whitens the hair and is an excellent skin conditioner. Try not to hose the mud off as this will saturate the skin and this can let the bacteria that causes mud fever to enter. You can also use sulpher powder in the summer after washing the feathers as this helps with itching. I have found that vets are usually at a loss when it comes to itchy cobs and they always say it must be mites! While I appreciate that in some cases it is the cause, I think that this type of horse simply likes to have a good scratch!! hope this helps. You can get pig oil and sulpher from agricultural suppliers.

 

[RunToEarth]

My sisters cob had bad heel mites and this is what we did. Clipped the lot off (yes I know, sounds harsh!) and then scrubbed his feet with sulphur and veg oil, everyday for 4weeks. Yuck but it worked.

 

[pottamus]

I would keep them on for a bit of protection. My Welsh has feathers and has had no problems even in the mud. Just keep an eye our for stamping of the back legs as this is a sign of mites or other itchiness.

 

[riotgirl]

My Welshie also has feathers. I've found that in the winter the mud tends to clump together and then drop off. They certainly offer more protection to the horse.

 

[Theresa_F]

This is my routine for my clydie and gypsy cob. They never suffer with mites or mud fever (touch wood). I have done with for the past three years with success.

Buy some pig oil and sulphur - if you have no local supplier try http://www.heavyhorsesupplies.co.uk/index.html

From September mine have oil and sulphur applied every 7 - 10 days. Let legs dry out and brush off worst of the mud. Don't worry if there is some left.

Mix oil and sulphur in a container so it looks like a thick shake and brush on from knee/hock to the end of the leg. Rub well in and spray on a little more oil. Pig oil is also excellent on manes and tails. Remove all white gold - it will otherwise go black, yellow gold is fine and my hands are very soft after doing this.

That is it until the spring - April time. Do not wash out legs. If the ends of the feather really get clogged up, use a little cold water and a brush but do not wet the hair more than necessary.

You will be amazed how much mud slides off and how clean they are when brought in to dry off the legs. Part the hair and it will be white and dry under the top layer. When oiling up I do check the skin to make sure nothing is going on. Legs are not pristine clean but they stay healthy - I am assuming yours have white legs like mine.

If you are doing a winter show, wash with grannies soap flakes and dry - you can dry the legs out with wood flour but they must be really dry. After the show, oil back up.

In the summer I wash out the legs every few weeks if not showing and rub in a few handfuls of sulphur. If it is a wet summer I also spray on a little oil to keep the hair in good condition. I have also found megatek rebuilder mixed 50 - 50 with water and sprayed on a great feather conditioner.

This is Chancer in the winter - his feather has not been washed for six months - just oiled. They have been left to dry out and combed - so you can see they quickly clean up and this is on lovely Essex clay.

 

[charlottenicol]

I have followed the oil and sulphur routine on my Clydesdale and he's totally stopped scratching, it is a lovely messy job and my yard owner gets upset as her labs love the taste of it, she tried to tell me I was making them sick until I told her that some owners put sulphur in their dogs water to help with coats. Anyway it works, but you have to keep it up

 

[cobwithattitude]

Theresa_F - thanks for advice and lovely pic - looks like has same feathery feet as Ted - only he is bay.