For those of you with feathered horses

cobsarefab

cobsarefab

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Is there some sort of sock I can put over her leg to keep her feathers out the way when the farrier comes? I also want to be able to put it on when I take her out off road to keep them clean as mud dreadlocks are not appealing.
 
I know of one farrier who asks for feather to be bandaged out of the way, when he is shoeing, so that the feather doesn't get burnt. My farrier was horrified when a new client asked if he wanted her to bandage the feather. My farrier hates being presented with newly washed legs too - he says it makes them too slippery.
 
My farrier uses either an old sock with the toe cut off or an elasticated wrist/knee support bandage. He just pulls it on over the hoof and up the pastern.
 
My farrier uses a hair scrunchy to lift the worst of the feather away. I have just started down the pig oil and sulphur route for my horse so hoping that this will ease the muddy dreadlocks situation as the mud is supposed to *slide* off... Not sure what the farrier is going to make of an oily horse though so will have to make sure oil is minimal when he comes next or do the tubigrip/bandage thing.
 
pansymouse said:
My YO's old farrier just hacked her traditional cob's feathers off when they got it the way. She went mental in the way that only elderly posh people can and fired him.
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I'd be just as furious - incandescent with rage in fact - if my natives's feather was touched without a very good veterinary reason.

CAF, I use old skisocks/tube socks to hold the feather out of the way for foot trimming. Would not recommend using socks etc whilst off-road hacking, it's very easy for the stuff to slip and cause either a trip or to rub. Best to leave to dry out when you come back, if really bad then some legwraps whilst she's drying off in the stable may help a bit. To an extent you have to try and see what works for your own situation - for my ponies, deep clean beds and overnight stabling in wet weather works best (and a bit of a blind eye to any scruffiness that isn't actually causing any problems :) )
 
I keep mine in the night before the farrier comes. She is on 24/7 turnout too and her legs can be horrendous, sometimes even a night in the stable doesn't dry them out completely.

OP how do you prevent 'mud dreadlocks' if cobbus is turned out 24/7? I need the answer - Spirit rocks the bob Marley look from November - March! The only solution I have would be to wash the legs after hacking but seems pointless if you are turning back out. Or maybe you have a nice dry field unlike ours :(
 
What kind of spray bottle do you use pansymouse, doesn't it clog up? I currently squirt it on with a bottle and rub in but a spray would be brilliant as one of mine gets shirty with any faffing that he may have to endure!
 
Old fashioned leg warmers do the trick perfectly for feathers, they are elasticated top and bottom so don't fall off, they do slip down but not off the foot, I have fluorescent ones that I pull on over their brushing boots to keep them clean out hacking then just pull the leg warmer off inside out and bung them in the wash.

For stopping the dreadlocks to begin with then start with clean shampooed legs, don't dry them off but apply the pig oil or baby oil or Nettex 7day Mud away really generously on the wet feather and rub right in to the skin. because it's an oil it does the job of keeping the skin moisturised whilst they are out and the benefit is that the oil stops any wet getting in but still allows the skin to breathe :-)

Have used this regime for yrs and yrs now and my natives all come out of winter with full clean soft feathers and nice clean heels and pasterns.
 
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