Grooming emergency! I put 7 shetlands in the woods, and guess what happened...

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Arkmiido

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Thistle burrs. Everywhere. All of them now have solid, clumped tails of burrs, matted manes and unicorn forelocks, and the 2 foals are covered all over their bodies. Last year when this happened (do I just not learn!!) it took me ages to tease them out using spray conditioner, and one of them ended up having a bit of a haircut. And that was for just a couple attached to her forelock! This is beyond bad! ANY ideas as to how to get the B***** s out of their fur?? Without spend hours... Luckily they are now back in a field so they can't re-tangle themselves. Honestly. I'm thinking of calling the RSPCA they look so bad! Jeez and I'm competing in less than 2 weeks with one of them who can't be sporting a silly pudding bowl/scalped look haircut. Although I think I may clip her anyway....
 
Im laughing! sorry, not much help. D tangler and lots of it!

Ha ha. Lovely mental image of shetlands with smiles!
 
I'd get some baby or veggy oil and an afro comb. Maybe start with getting them oiled, then go back up the que and start getting the burrs out. Oh dear!! Think we do need a pic though!
 
have taken pics. Even I admit they are very funny to look at.... Will post as soon as phone talks to computer successfully - but think I need to go for my hack asap before I lose the light (and the will to live!) Am riding out on mare who had a foal this year, so her first time with rider since february. Will let you know if I am alive to deburr shetties. If not, can I have offers of homes for the little darlings in the event of me being squashed by an ISH mare.
Actually it's not the poor fingers, its the itchy prickles that the burrs disintegrate into, which then find their way into every layer of clothing, and cause you to rip your clothes of while itching madly, jods included. This time, I will be head to toe in clipping waterproofs, not a fleece and t-shirt!!
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Millie is the LEAST affected - but I though her mane actually looked quite pretty in a braided kinda way...
 
sorry, but absolutely PMSL!!!!!!

B gets the odd bit of gorse in his mane when routing in the hedgerow and i know how painful it is if i accidently grab a bit of his prickly mane. Poor you, but still lolololol.

On the other hand - are you sure that they did that themselves and they haven't been elaborately decorated to mark them out to potential thieves???

On second thoughts......Perhaps you are considering a sign on the gate, telling the horse stealers where they can park up!.
 
Im still laughing. one of mines forelock was pure burrs once and that took me about half an hour. So forelock + mane x 7 = youve got a busy weekend:D
 
Those sticky burrs are a nightmare. I have long haired dogs and they once got well a truly covered in them. I found the best way to tease them out was with a slicker brush and I think that would work just as well with Shetties. You can buy slickers in most pet shops. Then it is a case of brush, brush, brush. Good luck.
 
Holy Hell! BABY OIL! :D:eek: Lots of it.

It works, I have horses out on set aside and this is a daily occurence, I buy oil by the boxful!

Have fun;)
 
Mine do this given the chance, one of whom has a thick mane to his knees! After I spent nearly two hours coaxing them out someone recommended the cowboy magic detangler. Absolutely brilliant. Now I just need to find a faster way of getting the prickles out of my fingers!
 
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THIS ISN'T FUNNY YOU LOT! well actually, it would be if it wasn't me having to sort it out!!!!!!!!

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on the other hand, you should see the state of my southdown sheep!!!
serves me right for trying to give their winter grazing a rest by throwing them out in a wood inhabited by pigs (and the sheep..)

*** scurries off to buy cowboy magic, baby oil, coconut d-tangler, veggie oil, and various combs***
Best stop smoking around them too, i foresee accidents!!

On the plus side, I have returned from my first hack since february, on Pebble, my muddy grey. She had a lovely time, didn't call for foal at home once, and even jumped a big puddle (by accident) and then had a bit of a buck. But we survived, had a few canters, and my warmblood was a really good boy with a new pilot on him to accompany us! Happy days.. makes the grooming seem almost tolerable! Still can't believe how strange she felt compared to Leo, was lovely to be on a horse where I could actually sit (and rise!) to her trot! And the first time she has ever offered an outline. Bless.
 
Not funny! Its hilarious. (sorry) And your chesnut has the cutest face. Bless him, hes cute! Hes got dreadlocks, not a mane! You are going to be one busy girl sorting that out.

*teddyt wanders off chuckling at the thought of all your shetlands having a party in the woods....
 
Whenever I think the world is dragging me down by rewarding my care and attention of my horse with a swirly tail and 3/5 burrs....I will remember your pictures and smile :D

Luckily my gelding likes having his tail yanked (no pun intended) so I can be fairly rough with him and he'll stand there with a twisted nose enjoying every second.

GOOD LUCK :D:D:D
 
ahhh I think they scampered round the woods for 2 weeks finding every single hidden thistle they could in amongst the trees. One morning I found Munchie dragging a whole tree bough in her tail. Not bothered by it of course (driving ponies...)
Seriously, people, feel my pain and stop laughing. :mad::mad::mad::mad:
And the cute little shettie foal is looking for a new home if any of you are offering!! I'll even de-burr her first. She's called Maisie, short for Amazing Grace cos she should have died... long story, basically don't go to work leaving your mum to check on foal, they do silly things like call the out of hours vet and arrange plasma transfusions and days days on a drip, and more out of hours visits... so she's a very valuable shetland foal to the tune of 4 figures. I'll accept offers in the region of 37p for her.:rolleyes:
The other 2 are also available - Millie the black one is a great driving pony.
 
Hehe pig oil might do it?

I sold Sambas colt and hes in a 5-6acre field with two babies and just at the back its a bit rough, guess where he went and then he came out looking like santa with burrs all under his chin and neck lol
 
hmmm Mum says there's nothing for it - gonna have to chop manes off them all (shetland hogged look?) and chop tails off - it will grow back eventually I guess...:D:D:D:D
 
Hysterical pictures, but poor you!!!

I'd cut/hog them if I was you, and hopefully by spring they'll have some manes again! You'd get murdered by angry shetlands pulling all those out!
 
you don't see wild ponies (well, new forests?) covered in burrs? or at least, not all year? Surely they'll moult out in the spring??? oh dear. Ok, votes for hogging/cutting and votes for painstaking hours spent with oil/conditioner. Hours I don't have btw!
Definitely will sort out my competition ponies though - can't take hogged shetlands driving!!! It just wouldn't be cricket.
 
QR - My little Puzzy did this. Came in during the summer with her forelock stuck to her mane, over her fly fringe which I had to cut off. I pulled out 52 in the end. Then I chopped the bush down!!!!!

I just used ALOT of detangler and got to work (whilst she munched on a haynet). Just focus on pulling it out hair by hair - and just go wild, dont bother too much with an order as all the hair is stuck to multiples of them so don't worry about ordering, just go mad ;)
 
Think hogging might be your only option, it's better than death by shetland. How many are comp ponies that you have to keep their hairiness?
 
hmmmm I'm going to invite all my friends (via Facebook) to a "Cocktails and Shetland-brushing" party. It's gonna be the event of the decade. I, of course, will only be able to circulate handing out canapes, cocktails and baby oil. (I might only mention that part on the invite.) ;);););)
 
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