Feathers?!

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ErinBlack10

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Hi everyone,

I've just bought a cob & at the moment she has feathers. They're not really thick & heavy though.
I'm undecided though as to clip them or not.. I've heard that leaving them can sometimes cause a lot of hassle for the sake of them looking nice.

Is she more likely to get mud fever if I leave them & her feet can't dry out properly? Or is she more likely to get it if I clip them? I've had a look online & a lot of people clip theirs.

I just don't know what to do. I considered clipping them this time of year & then leaving them longer when it gets to winter. But I'm unsure what's the best idea. As far as I know she's never had problems with mites or MF so I don't want to do anything that might increase her chances of getting either.

I have no plans to show her just yet, so it doesn't matter looks wise (I think she looks pretty either way lol) ..But I'm more concerned about the health side of things.

Any advice/pros/con's etc would be much appreciated.

Thank you in advance :)
 
Everyone will tell you different. I like my cobs natural, it is work to keep them that way. Any horse can get mud fever, yes mites might happen (;)) but you treat them if they do. Some horses look good clipped , some don't ! A picture might help.
 
Mine has full feathers and I don't give them any special care. He lives out 24/7, so I'd say leave hem unless there is a problem. If you have a dig right into them you'll see a 'tide mark' where the dirt doesn't actually get right next to the skin. I think if they don't develop mites they are great natural insulation.
 
amymay said:
Feather FEATHER
Click to expand...

Nope, definitely feathers :biggrin3: :biggrin3: :biggrin3:


pegasus_horse_wings_63059_3840x2400.jpg
 
i find even in muddy wet conditions the wet does not penetrate the feather to the skin but i do use pigoil+sulphur
 
I have quite a heavily feathered mare and was also uming and ah'ing as to what to do for the best to prevent mites and mud fever. Farrier told me to trim them down and YO said to leave them as our horses are turned out 24/7 all year apart from the odd time in winter when we bring them in for a night to let their feet dry out. I did buy some antibacterial powder to use over winter and I recon I used it twice.

I definitely think keep the feather and see how you get on
 
all hair must be removed in my opinion. Mine looks ridiculous and un-sporty with hers and kept treading on them so they come off. I let them grow out in winter to protect legs and then off in summer.
 
I am having the same dilemma!
I don't mind them, they seem to make him itchy when its hot, every time I think about it everyone tells me not to ;O
 
My horse has a lot of feather. I leave feathers on in the winter to protect his legs when hunting. I use pig oil and sulphur to protect his legs. As soon as the ground dries up in March his legs are clipped and I keep them trimmed until early autumn when I let them grow back for the winter.
 
My traditional mare came to me with full feathers, and she stamped and itched them constantly, till they bled even. I tried dectomax, diatomaceous earth, insecticidal shampoos, turmeric ect and none of it worked.
So, despite having people telling me not to, I gritted my teeth and clipped them all off.
So glad I did. Her legs looked like bunches of grapes underneath with all the scar tissue buildup, open bleeding wounds and sores, basically it became very clear that the issue had been neglected for years, I clipped her legs out after 3 months of having her.
Now a days, I clip her legs out from about February till November, depending on the temperature. She still stamps, but not as much, and having the hair off means I can apply lotions and potions to her sore legs. It grows in extremely thick very fast, so it's a regular job, but it's worth the effort to keep her comfortable. I know when it needs doing sooner than usual as she'll stamp more frantically and I'll catch her laying down having a good chomp on them. Even when her legs are clear of sores and wounds, she'll still slap her front feet on the floor, albeit not too often and very lazily, so I think it's mostly and ingrained habit now.

I leave them to grow in the deepest winter as it's cold enough to stop them getting hot and itchy, and it just adds a little extra layer of protection from the mud. She spent a couple winters on clay mud in a busy livery yard in a poorly draining field so the mud was intense, not to mention the mud fever bacteria was rife in it as many of the horses suffered from it awfully, but touch wood she never had a problem and I attribute that to her thick, fuzzy feet.
 
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