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

Ladyinred said:
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?
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Only 2... And only one is competing on the 24th at a qualifier. And she already has quite a slick mane and tail from the amount of conditioner that is regularly used on it, so should be fairly simple, and she is about to get a full clip anyway. It's the manes that are just solid with burrs that are too awful to even contemplate. How, Maisie, HOW did you manage it???
 
crockshard said:
Only 2... And only one is competing on the 24th at a qualifier. And she already has quite a slick mane and tail from the amount of conditioner that is regularly used on it, so should be fairly simple, and she is about to get a full clip anyway. It's the manes that are just solid with burrs that are too awful to even contemplate. How, Maisie, HOW did you manage it???
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I'll give you 30p for her and leave the burrs? She is a cutie.
 
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This is Pk - she does the indoor driving trials season with me... luckily not too bad - tail very burred up, as is mane, but I teased some out by hand in the field....
 
They really are cute!

I've changed my mind. Don't hog/trim them, just leave them be, and post photos on here once a month to cheer us up throughout winter...;)
 
Oh bless i do feel for you, they are a nightmare to get out.
Baby oil and more baby oil keep massaging in and tease the end ones out and gradually work up.
It will be a long job, if i was closer i would come help you out, as i have been in your situation many a time.
Do be careful yourself though as my mare used to get them in her forlock all the time and when was teasing them out one day i did not realise one bit of the burr had landed on my eye lid that night i was in agony and eneded up in A&E, and them transfered to the eye hospital as the burr had worked its way through my eye lid and was scratching my eye ball. All ok my had to wear silly eye patch for 2 weeks
 
crockshard said:
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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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:D:D Soooooooo sorry but am ROFPMSL! :D:D

Really don't have anything constructive to add to all the previous suggestions, but they are soooo cute (in a "thank god I don't have to deal with it" sort of way) :D
 
crockshard said:
*** scurries off to buy cowboy magic, baby oil, coconut d-tangler, veggie oil, and various combs***
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Look on the brightside; you could treat this as a scientific experiment as to which of the above methods work best. One method per shetty, which is easiest? Think of the service you'll be doing for the horse community! :D
 
forget the oil get out the Mr Sheen furniture polish works wonders on manes and tails making each hair very slippery by coating it in scilicone will brush out without breaking the hairs good luck though dont envy you Ha Ha:)
 
what can I say - I'm so glad I have amused you all! Admittedly I'm still chuckling. Perhaps I should get off the forum and get grooming. I was hoping that if I ignore it for long enough that they might fall out on their own.
Besides I am part way through laying the stable matting that arrived this morning, which is an excellent displacement activity. I have stopped for coffee after 2 mats, partly laid and not yet cut. Right now, I'm actually considering calling my ex-husband and asking if he wants to give marriage another go and getting him to lay the s*dding things for me. And groom some shetlands. (P.S. sorry for throwing you out....) That would appeal to his OCD. I'm surprised I didn't involve him more in the grooming process at the time! Seriously, he likes making things clean and shiny.
Hmmm, best get back to my stable mats I think...

Oh and Ladyinred - she fits in the back of a Pug 306, so an Astra estate should be fine!
 
Malibu_Stacy said:
Look on the brightside; you could treat this as a scientific experiment as to which of the above methods work best. One method per shetty, which is easiest? Think of the service you'll be doing for the horse community! :D
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Ha-de-ha. Actually I need a project for my IH horse psychology - the question - do ponies prefer being attacked with handfuls of oil, or squirty spray stuff... (those exact words will form the title)
Wait, I have a hypothesis for that based on past experience!!! Oh dear, I really am going to die soon. Even the foals are capable of an impressive double-barrel to the kneecaps. Or shins.
I will let you know the results once I have completed my analysis and conclusions...
 
Sorry but your pictures have cheered me up no ends, not helpfull I know but your allready doing the horse community a grand service by cheering us lot up?
My welsh Section A used to do this all the time when he lived out, so I know where your coming from, I used to get him in, groom them all out ( taking about 2 Hours!) I found Mr pledge the best from my experiance, and then I would but him back out for the little bu*g*r to look exactly the same the next day. I gave up in the end and let them moult out in the spring.
 
Hmmm that's solved it! I'll groom the one who needs to be seen in public. The rest can wait til they shed them in spring. I reckon it was their own fault anyway. Maisie definitely spent hours rubbing against the burr bush or whatever provides the little suckers. Or I send them to auction as they are.

Now, for my next public spirited cheer-up action, shall I post some amusing pictures of my goat?
 
God and I thought Stinky was bad when I let him have his stinky time - no rugs or anything bagged.

Survivor detanger is the best - and with a very hairy gypsy cob, I think I have tried the lot. Cheap - baby or pig oil - assuming they don't react to mineral oil. Poor loads on and let gravity slip the burrs out.

However, if I were not showing, I would be out with the sissors and to hell with it - chop the stuff out - it will soon grow back. Wouldn't use clippers - hogged manes are hell to grow back.

This is why Stinky is kept in plaits nearly all year round, and in winter, everything is also bagged - life is too short to spend hours and hours on all keeping all that hair in show condition.
 
OMG I am so having splitting sides at the moment it is untrue! You know the muller advert where MARY the cow wants to be a horse!

The cute shetland with the burrs looks like a calf now! I think your shetlands want to be cows now!

Email pics to muller right away and make a fortune! Failing that join the blame game and tell muller you will sue (as your ponies watched the advert and thought it works both ways!) unless they send lorry loads of muller crunch corners for your facebook cocktails and coconut oil detangle party!

Need to go and get vet wrap now to keep my sides in!
 
By the way those burrs come from burdock plants, not thistles. Just wanted to make that point. Rather irrelevant for your problem of getting them out but heh ho.

please dont hog them though!
 
teddyt said:
By the way those burrs come from burdock plants, not thistles. Just wanted to make that point. Rather irrelevant for your problem of getting them out but heh ho.

please dont hog them though!
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that's a very good point! I stand corrected :o:o
I won't really hog them.. I don't think I have sufficient money for the blade sharpenings!

I've added goat pics for those of you who want more amusement...

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=408294
 
Just wanted to say that I have started my experiment - and its BABY OIL ALL THE WAY!! I know have some very greasy looking shetties but it took literally 5 mins to do a mane and tail - they just slid out. I still have 5 ponies to go though, including small ginger with horrendous mane. :(:(
Small sister has volunteered to help as she likes playing ponies.
And I have done some investigation in the woods - the burrs ARE from thistles (are they called teasels?) as I first thought - we don't have any burdock plants :confused::confused::confused:
 
Haha these pics made my day!
Excellent tip re: the baby oil.
My little pony is a s0d for stuff like this too so will stock up, amidst the giggles of the Tesco employees watching me pile their whole stock of oil in the basket....
 
just an idea...throwing it out there, for the really bad ones, what about applying a leave in conditioner? and then have the baby oil on hand to assist with the burrs that are deeply in bedded under other burrs! Good luck anyway :)
 
miss_bird said:
Do be careful yourself though as my mare used to get them in her forlock all the time and when was teasing them out one day i did not realise one bit of the burr had landed on my eye lid that night i was in agony and eneded up in A&E, and them transfered to the eye hospital as the burr had worked its way through my eye lid and was scratching my eye ball. All ok my had to wear silly eye patch for 2 weeks
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This happened to me too - please please please be careful. Although it is funny to others, my boy used to repeatedly come in with his mane, tail and feathers similar to the piccies posted and after a while it becomes heartbreaking and soul destroying - to the point he went out with his mane and tail tightly plaited and turnout boots on all four legs (he looked rediculous!) Stupid YO would not let us put up a small amount of leccy fencing either to keep him away from the burr bushes, and used to laugh when I bought my horse in covered in them.

You have my utmost sympathy - No laughing from where I'm sitting. Hope you manage to sort the ponies out soon (who are all gorgeous by the way)
 
crockshard said:
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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.
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OMG that little shetland is very lucky he/she is not mine as i feel i would be compeled to hog it!!!!!!
 
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