For those with huge hairy beasts who don't clip

Achinghips

Achinghips

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How do you cope in Winter?

1. To avoid mud dreadlocks to feathers, mane and tail, as much as poss?
2. To stop them scratching themselves silly if you have to stable and they rub out their tails, manes etc?
3. What bedding re: feathers?
4. Do you have the mite injection?
5. How do you stop rugs rubbing off manes?
6. To get a big woolly @rse dry?:eek:
 
Well for a start we don't ride him over winter so he can look as much like a hippo as he wants and it matters not a jot!

Our field isn't horrendously muddy so legs generally ok. Tail gets lots of mud in but leave it to come out naturally.

If he is stabled then he's on rubber matts and Arden safe mix bed. Don't find he scratches in winter and doesn't have injection xx
 
Fany was unclipped for the last 2 winters. Luckily her feathers are a different type to Shires/ Clydesdale they are much coarser and repel the mud. But I have heard pig oil and sulphur is good. The reason we are clipping this year is because she rubbed herself raw, literally. She was dectomaxed and still itchy. Mane and tail, again with Fany is a bit different as her mane and tail are much coarser. However she does grow a really, really thick coat. Thicker than the Shetland on our yard, so it is difficult re rugging, also getting a rug to fit is an issue. They make draft horse rugs but apparently all draft horses are 7ft or longer. Unfortunately Fany is only 6-3 so nothing for her.Rugs don't rub off her mane and shavings don't stick to her mane either.

FDC
 
We have 5 Shires. We live on heavy clay on quite slopping land. During the wettest, iciest months of winter, they are housed in a huge pole barn. It is divided into 3 sections, each 45' x 30'. Each section can be opened to the next by 10' gates. They are never rugged (they have areas in each section which are out of the prevailing wind). I was encouraged to never brush their coats in winter so as not to remove natural oils. I do use Mane & Tail on their, you guessed it, manes and tails. I've been using Ecobed (1" cardboard squares) for 2 years and love it. It is virtually dust-free and very kind on their feather. For the worst ones with mites, I administer Dectomax. It should be mentioned that it is given in 3 shots, each one 10 days apart. Be certain of your boy's weight, because under-dosing is a waste of time. The use of Dectomax, which is an ivermectin wormer, does worm the horse while addressing the mite problem, so adjust your worming regime accordingly. None of the horses in my herd are ridden, so the subject of clipping has never arisen. You might want to contact Miller's Oil regarding feather protection. Many Shire owners mix the oil with flowers of sulphur for feather mite. I find the sulphur too drying, so I use the oil neat. You could also use Baby Oil (some people even use vegetable oil or Avon Skin So Soft). Your Eric is dripping in feather so I understand your desire to protect it from mud, crud and mats. If you do bed on straw, what ever you do, don't use barley straw...it gets caught up in their feather, manes and tails, and is a job to remove without breaking the hairs.

Hope this helps. Enjoy your yummy, beautiful boy!
 
My woolley mamouth I rode all year round the colder the faster/happier. He use to come home drenched as he is a big beasty cob. I did use to walk him the ie last mile to cool down and I didnt believe in hosing him off in the really cold weather.He was saturated and would sweat easily. I did sometimes use to cover him with straw(yes) pick out his feet and he would then go and have a nice mud roll(which when it dries is a good natural insulator..his natural wind break/barrier). He would not keep a rug on, even tried a small size.
He hated clippers and I would trim and still do trim his feathers with scissors to keep them off the ground. I do let them grow to keep some protection on as well, depends on time of year etc.
He lives out 24/7 does have two shelters and on a blizzard/driving rain he will be standing at the bottom of the field in the middle of it(shelters unused)
He is now approx 24 years old and happily retired and still rolling in mud!

He is cremello.

I was going to try to desensitise him to use clippers with ie using a battery toothbrush left on in the field or when I brought him in but couldnt be bothered.
 
1. To avoid mud dreadlocks to feathers, mane and tail, as much as poss?
Mine does not tend to get muddy feet as his field is big enough for it not to be muddy even though it is clay. If he does get them I wait for them to dry in the stable overnight and then crumble them off. Mane is never really muddy and I just leave it anyway. I do trim his tail up shorter in winter to stop it always being wet or frozen solid in the bad weather.

2. To stop them scratching themselves silly if you have to stable and they rub out their tails, manes etc?
Yep he scratches a lot and is doing now because his coat is coming through...nothing you can do, the phase stops after a while and if he makes a mess of his tail, so be it...so long as he does not break the skin I do not worry as it all grows back again.

3. What bedding re: feathers?
Cardboard and paper

4. Do you have the mite injection?
No

5. How do you stop rugs rubbing off manes?
Mine is not rugged at all so no problems there

6. To get a big woolly @rse dry?
My lad is in overnight in the winter to keep him off the grass for a bit but also, in winter I find it good practice as it gives them a chance to dry, warm up, rest, dry their feet and skin naturally after being wet and for feet to warm up and thaw when out in snow all day.

My comments may not help because my lad is pretty much au natrel and I do not worry about how he looks...just how he is health wise and that he does not get laminitis again.

With regards to riding I just take the worst of the mud off around his saddle, head and girth area and tack up and ride. We only hack and pottle about in the winter so it is no big deal if he is not terribly clean looking. He does get sweaty but I let him have the last mile as a walk to cool off and then just turn him back out naked as he always is.
 
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