Caring for a hairy in winter

[cobsarefab]

Hi all, so when my beautiful cobbus came to me last year she was blanket clipped, had short feathers and we wanted her to lose weight. Therefore her care was pretty simple she had a rug on which kept her clean her feathers didn't accumulate grunge sand she only needed a bit of hay as we wanted her to lose some weight. This year she's at about the right weight, she's not clipped and has extroadanarily long feathers. As of this morning her mane is very short (I'll post a pic so you can have a laugh later) so it will be easier to maintain and her tail is shorter too. She can't have her feathers taken off so how do I keep her and her feathers clean? I am on a bit of a budget so diy suggestions welcome. Also will she need feeding more than at the minute and approximately how much more? Big mug of hot chocolate to anyone who got to the end of the post.

 

[DappleDown]

There wasn't much I could do to keep my (light grey) cob's feathers really clean except a good brushing (once the mud had dried out) and to trim the length of his feathers. Then I'd trim and tidy up any straggly hairs around the hoof. And he could grow a length of tail that Barbie would be envious of.*

As for the rest of him, mud armour was his favourite look. His beautiful thick tail would stain pink in the Winter (the colour of our mud). And he loved nothing more than a good grind of his ever increasing pink mane into the gloopist patch of mud he could find. Bless him.

The Hot Chocolate was yummy. Could I please have some Ovaltine in it next time too?

*those Barbie dolls with the extending to ankle length pony tail for anyone that might remember them.

 

[cobsarefab]

There wasn't much I could do to keep my (light grey) cob's feathers really clean except a good brushing (once the mud had dried out) and to trim the length of his feathers. Then I'd trim and tidy up any straggly hairs around the hoof. And he could grow a length of tail that Barbie would be envious of.*
As for the rest of him, mud armour was his favourite look. His beautiful thick tail would stain pink in the Winter (the colour of our mud). And he loved nothing more than a good grind of his ever increasing pink mane into the gloopist patch of mud he could find. Bless him.

The Hot Chocolate was yummy. Could I please have some Ovaltine in it next time too?

*those Barbie dolls with the extending to ankle length pony tail for anyone that might remember them.

her feathers are bright white as is her mane! ... I'm doomed :s

 

[DD]

Hi I wouldn't bother rugging and only feed hay like last year. they are so easy to get weight on that if they drop too much its not a problem like with a tb.

 

[catkin]

With my natives I keep their feathers oiled with pigoil and sulphur. Do a patch test first if you've never used it before, some are sensitive. First put it on when feathers are dry and clean then top up as needed through the winter, some need once a week, some more or less (I use a paintbrush then smooth in with my hands).
Manes and tails are kept long - I use a bit of eqyss conditioner and never brush them, just get tangles and burrs out with fingers.
Rugging is kept to a minimum but I do use rugs particularly in wet weather as the Fell is ridden and is groomed more than a turned away pony and the dartmoor has cushings so has a clip to help her thermoregulation. We never use rugs with necks but ours have full manes. Ours rather like to have a place to roll in bedding and dry off so they do come in nights, helps their feet too - if your field is muddy it will help the land too.

 

[catkin]

See you are asking about feed too:

mine basically get ad-lib hay and a small handful of soaked grassnuts with minerals mixed in daily. As yours is a good-doer then don't be tempted to feed up, it's natural and healthy for horses to lose a bit of weight over the winter (it seems to 'reset' any tendency towards metabolic issues too). The only pony I have ever needed to feed more than this was working very hard - hunting 3 days a fortnight, and she got a few oats, everyone else has been happy working on forage alone, including a TB hacking for hours .

 

[Leo Walker]

She doesnt need feeding unless she has lost significant amounts of weight. You want her to come out of winter lean so she is better equipped to handle living out spring and summer time.

I've always just left feathers alone. They look grimy and grotty on the outside, but part the hair and they are always lovely and clean inside.

 

[Surbie]

I am hoping to keep my cobblet unrugged this winter. He's in sweetitch clothes at the moment and his winter coat is coming through at speed. I'm so looking forward to him having a tail less like a loo brush!

After all the recommendations on different threads I'm going to try pig oil on his feathers.

He's got what I think is the start of mud fever just on the backs of his fetlocks on his fores. Will pig oil be bad for that?

 

[Midlifecrisis]

I oil my Friesian mares feathers during the winter (and the tip of her very long tail) and this helps. If there are mudfever patches pop the barrier cream on first then oil - especially if using sulphur and pig oil.

 

[cobsarefab]

Here are the pics:

 

[Auslander]

Here are the pics:

Oh Dear God. Why?

 

[cobsarefab]

Oh Dear God. Why?

I trimmed off the matted bits at the end and went a bit too far I do solemnly swear never to take scissors to her mane again.

 

[Fidgety]

I trimmed off the matted bits at the end and went a bit too far I do solemnly swear never to take scissors to her mane again.

Stunned therefore that you attacked the tail in the same way .

 

[cobsarefab]

Stunned therefore that you attacked the tail in the same way .

I know I really do hate it. If I could stick it back on i would I did her tail first as that was matted at the bottom and it didn't look short from where I was. But my lesson is DEFINITELY learnt. No scissors near mane and tail ever again. That I promise.

 

[MuddyMonster]

My native should winter out largely unrugged & he'll just be given a mix between a trace & Irish clip - usually with a half head. I have a lightweight turn out rug he might wear if I want to keep him a bit cleaner and a couple of Thermatex's to cool/dry him off if need be.

I try to keep things simple.

Grooming wise, he's usually just flicked off with a dandy brush to try to keep as much oil in the coat as possible, but I do use a lot of mane & tail spray ...! His feathery legs seem to do job intended, so I don't too much. If they are dry then I'll remove some of the mud & if we are going somewhere I might spray with some mud away or similiar to make it a bit easier to de-mud him, but on the whole I leave him to it.

We don't do a huge amount come winter - we mainly hack with a bit of lessons, low level dressage & jumping. I just accept that he'll never look as smart as his stabled counterparts but he's happy.

Feed wise, he just gets a handful of Fast Fibre for his supplements & ad-lib hay when stabled. We don't need to hay in the fields, thankfully. In the past, I've used winter to get weight off him but this Autumn he's a pretty good weight, but it won't do him any harm to drop a little before spring.

I just try to get by in winter & keep him ticking over as much as possible and keep telling myself to won't be long until Spring has sprung again ...

P.S her mane will grow again, don't sweat it

 

[Leo Walker]

Here are the pics:

Thats awful! On the plus side its not summer so the flies shouldnt bother her too much. With a bit of look it will grow back for the summer, although it looks like you have taken about 18" off so its going to take a while

It will grow back. Please dont cut it again. If its tangled brush it out. Put some coat shine on and it will help it stay smooth. In the meantime see if your instructor will help you do something with the mane.

And she doesnt need feeding looking at the size of her still!

 

[cobsarefab]

Thats awful! On the plus side its not summer so the flies shouldnt bother her too much. With a bit of look it will grow back for the summer, although it looks like you have taken about 18" off so its going to take a while

It will grow back. Please dont cut it again. If its tangled brush it out. Put some coat shine on and it will help it stay smooth. In the meantime see if your instructor will help you do something with the mane.

And she doesnt need feeding looking at the size of her still!

she has to be fed to give her her supplements. She gets two handfuls of soaked hay cobs a day and that's it. I won't cut it again don't worry I hope it'll have grown back by spring. Is there anything I can do that might speed up growth?

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Hair grows back but I am confiscating all of your pairs of scissors and garden sheers!!!!

My Shetlands live out unrugged bar the oldy. Unbrushed and basically left wild for winter. A good bath and half a bottle of mane and tail conditioner/coat shine later their manes and tails untangle easily when you use your fingers or a mane comb strand by strand. Tedious and time consuming but worth it.

I'd love to leave my Shetlands with just the field they are in but no good busy bodies complain that they have nothing to eat all winter, are starving and are frozen because they have frost or snow on their backs .... so when the muppets start I get a bad bale of hay off the boss so it looks like they have food lol!

In reality they are 4 shetland mares that live on 3.5 acres of previous cattle pasture. They have the run of the lot for winter so never go hungry but only get 1/3 in summer between them and they still get fat as barrels!

 

[cobsarefab]

Hair grows back but I am confiscating all of your pairs of scissors and garden sheers!!!!

My Shetlands live out unrugged bar the oldy. Unbrushed and basically left wild for winter. A good bath and half a bottle of mane and tail conditioner/coat shine later their manes and tails untangle easily when you use your fingers or a mane comb strand by strand. Tedious and time consuming but worth it.

I'd love to leave my Shetlands with just the field they are in but no good busy bodies complain that they have nothing to eat all winter, are starving and are frozen because they have frost or snow on their backs .... so when the muppets start I get a bad bale of hay off the boss so it looks like they have food lol!

In reality they are 4 shetland mares that live on 3.5 acres of previous cattle pasture. They have the run of the lot for winter so never go hungry but only get 1/3 in summer between them and they still get fat as barrels!

it does look like I did it with shears her field is about an acre so I don't think there will be enough in there to not give her hay but I could be wrong.

 

[HBB]

As of this morning her mane is very short (I'll post a pic so you can have a laugh later) so it will be easier to maintain and her tail is shorter too.

Sorry but I am not laughing, that is a damn mess.

 

[Surbie]

I know I really do hate it. If I could stick it back on i would I did her tail first as that was matted at the bottom and it didn't look short from where I was. But my lesson is DEFINITELY learnt. No scissors near mane and tail ever again. That I promise.

It'll grow back. Don't worry about it.

But you should keep the photos somewhere as a reminder.... (not laughing, no, no, no...*sniggers uncontrollably*)

 

[cobsarefab]

It'll grow back. Don't worry about it.

But you should keep the photos somewhere as a reminder.... (not laughing, no, no, no...*sniggers uncontrollably*)

I thought some of you might have a laugh about that. I think it's one of those dumb things you do when you're a really stupid teen with a horse. I'm not going to touch her mane. I think I've done quite enough there. Please someone must know how to make it grow quicker.

 

[SEL]

I get to the stage with my Ardennes where all grooming stops until around April - he then moults the mud off. Even in a 10 acre well drained paddock he still slept in the boggy bit. His feathers were solid mud on the outside, but he was fine about an inch in. To be fair he could have done with a tail as short as yours!!

 

[Spottyappy]

Pig oil and sulphur for the feathers, it needs applying fortnightly.
You MUST patch test first, as some horses react to it, so patch test a small area first.
The pig oil and sulphur put through the feathers will stop the mud clinging and also stop the feathers snapping off because of the constant mud and wet (if we get a traditional winter!).

 

[JJS]

Don't worry about her hair, cobsarefab. She'll have a long enough tail again by the time the flies are back, and if she's anything like Mary and the other Trads I know, her mane will grow more quickly than you can imagine. I've just had to do my own hack job on Six's tail because of his tendency towards scouring, and having it short isn't harming him a bit, whether or not I like how it looks.

 

[MuddyMonster]

Sorry but I am not laughing, that is a damn mess.

I can't believe how seriously some people are taking a dodgy mane cut ... It's hair at the end of the day & it'll grow back. It's having no effect on the horse whatsoever.

Admittedly, I wouldn't like the tail so short in Spring or Summer, but heading into winter it's fine & won't be trailing in mud at least.

Relax OP. It's nothing that can't be grown out in time

 

[Auslander]

I trimmed off the matted bits at the end and went a bit too far I do solemnly swear never to take scissors to her mane again.

Sniggering! I would suggest tidying it up a bit, but I don't think you should go near her with scissors ever again!

 

[cobsarefab]

Sniggering! I would suggest tidying it up a bit, but I don't think you should go near her with scissors ever again!

I might ask my instructor but I think you're right about me someone did have a bit of a laugh at her as they rode past earlier

 

[Rosiejazzandpia]

Mane and tail will grow back no problem, don't see the issue as at least you won't have a muddy tail in winter
The mane could be easily fixed, trim gently with scissors till it's even and then let it grow back

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I can't believe how seriously some people are taking a dodgy mane cut ... It's hair at the end of the day & it'll grow back. It's having no effect on the horse whatsoever.

Admittedly, I wouldn't like the tail so short in Spring or Summer, but heading into winter it's fine & won't be trailing in mud at least.

Relax OP. It's nothing that can't be grown out in time

This. It probably looks worse because it has been done to a cob that should normally have a nice long thick mane and tail. I doubt there woUldale be as much uproar if it was a finer type that would be pulled and banged any way.

It's just hair. It keeps growing. You have to live with it we don't. You'll be back to long wavy locks by this time next year.