Clipping whiskers - your experiences

[swinfen]

Hi - what have been your experiences when clipping your horses whiskers? Have you noticed any different behavioiur during or after the clipping of this area?

 

[mickey]

I don't clip whiskers, and I have been penalised for not doing this in the show ring. I just don't want to take them off. I figure they are there for a reason.

 

[Selkie]

I think that they feel with their whiskers same as dogs and cats so wouldnt trim any of mine

 

[blackcob]

I also don't clip off the whiskers on the muzzle for the same reasons as above. Regularly trim off her beardy chin though

 

[Tangaroo]

I dont clip mine's whiskers either. They were put there for a reason so why chop them off!

 

[Mid]

Same as all of above!

 

[Tia]

I have never, and would never, clip off any of my horses whiskers. I think it is an awful practice and should be frowned upon.

 

[skye123]

girl down my yard had a very hairy cob and she was doing showing with it and everyone told her that she to clip her whiskers (despite me saying that as shes a hairy cob she should be shown natural with everything left on

)

she got them off using a razor and the horse went mad afterwards. wouldnt eat hay, kept jerking her head around etc. shes only young so was probably the first time she had ever had them done and it probably felt very weird for her

 

[sunny123]

We never clip our horses whiskers and doubt we ever will, for the same reasons as above!

 

[Shilasdair]

Would never clip whiskers - it's the horse equivalent of temporarily blinding them.
My experience of horses who have had their whiskers trimmed - they misjudge things and bump their heads a lot.
Cruel, I think
S

 

[Bess]

I don't agree with clipping their whiskers off, they are there for a reason, we don't clip off cats and dogs whiskers so I don't think we should clip horse's off. My horse had his whiskers clipped off last year when someone working on the yard took a notion to doing it. His behaviour didn't seem to change but I was very annoyed.

 

[Pidge]

never taken them off and never intend to even though going to do some showing this year.

 

[fizzer]

its a no no, my cousin lives in germany and it is illegal to do so there, it is the only way a horse can feel his way to eat off the ground as he cant see directly below

 

[Sal_E]

I've clipped whiskers in the past & never had a problem - people say that horses bump into things etc but never, ever witnessed that. I used to be on a SJ where the whole yard had the whole lot clipped off & never saw any horse with a problem.

 

[KatB]

Same as Sal_E, mine has always had whiskers off, whole yard I worked with had whiskers off and hunters before that, never bumped their heads or got colic from not eating properly or behaved any differently tbh!

 

[Zebedee]

All mine have whiskers taken off for showing & not one has ever had a problem with eating, going through doorways or anything else!!

 

[GTs]

I took mine off - cause I think they are ugly - never had a problem!

 

[zizz]

the AHS rules state that horses should be shown in a natural state with all guard hairs and whiskers in place so no whipping them off for me. I don't really see the piont in taking them off its not as if they are that noticable anyway.

 

[Sooty]

[ QUOTE ]
I have never, and would never, clip off any of my horses whiskers. I think it is an awful practice and should be frowned upon.

[/ QUOTE ]

Absolutely agree.

 

[Rambo]

Mine are always clipped off....and i've never experienced any problems with it

They gro w back so damned fast anyway that they've usually got a cm or so within a few days anyway lol!

 

[Paint it Lucky]

Yey! I am glad so many people don't like cutting off horses whiskers

I am the same, they are there for them to feel with, they can't see what's below their nose so need whiskers to 'see' for them, of course some horses get by/ get used to not having them but i think you should leave them on. It annoys me how some showing judges will penalise you if your horse has whiskers and also how some people cut them off just to look smart. Grrr.