Grooming Nightmare

[allyj]

Hi all!
My dales is still shedding his winter coat. despite numerous good grooms and baths he's still hairy and greasy. Does anyone else have his issue? I'm at my wits end, and have damaged the muscle fibres in one of the muscles in my arm from spending literally 2 hours grooming! It doesn't help that he doesn't like standing still either ... HELP!

 

[GeorgeyGal]

Can over grooming and bathing contribute to greasiness, can it over produce oils? I'd be interested to find out. Watching thread.

 

[Magnetic Sparrow]

You aren't the only one. With the weather all over the place my horse is cautious about shedding her coat too. I can't be doing with all that grooming, I'm trying to love the motheaten look.

 

[allyj]

You aren't the only one. With the weather all over the place my horse is cautious about shedding her coat too. I can't be doing with all that grooming, I'm trying to love the motheaten look.

Haha I'm hating the motheaten look, got our first competition coming up and I can't bare the thought of him looking a scruff

 

[Izzyella]

Hello, I too have a Dales, lovely aren't they! I was really surprised at just how hairy they are as this was our first winter together, completely different to the little Welshie I'm used to. I share your pain with the grooming. I bought one of those shedding/stripping things which have a handle at each end and a metal strip with teeth in the middle. Could have knitted another horse with what came out...
I found that using that every day, combined with a couple of baths in tea tree shampoo has really sorted him out in the space of about two weeks. Fortunately I read on here about pig oiling his legs, so they were always easy to hose off/brush. Even the horrible tufted bits between his legs have now gone and he's almost completely sleek and ready for summer. The hair on his tummy and underneath generally was sort of extra thick and soft, almost like an undercoat. I don't know if his coat was exceptionally bad because it was such a horrible winter but yuck- the black went a horrible brown colour, he smelt (!) and it was a horrible thick, greasy nigtmare to get out. Quite dandruffy too. This was despite coming in every night and being rugged during the day when it was particularly cold/wet.
I did find that adding linseed and brewers yeast to his feed seemed to make a difference to his overall condition, certainly his new coat gleams! Good luck- I'll watch your replies with interest...

 

[allyj]

Hello, I too have a Dales, lovely aren't they! I was really surprised at just how hairy they are as this was our first winter together, completely different to the little Welshie I'm used to. I share your pain with the grooming. I bought one of those shedding/stripping things which have a handle at each end and a metal strip with teeth in the middle. Could have knitted another horse with what came out...
I found that using that every day, combined with a couple of baths in tea tree shampoo has really sorted him out in the space of about two weeks. Fortunately I read on here about pig oiling his legs, so they were always easy to hose off/brush. Even the horrible tufted bits between his legs have now gone and he's almost completely sleek and ready for summer. The hair on his tummy and underneath generally was sort of extra thick and soft, almost like an undercoat. I don't know if his coat was exceptionally bad because it was such a horrible winter but yuck- the black went a horrible brown colour, he smelt (!) and it was a horrible thick, greasy nigtmare to get out. Quite dandruffy too. This was despite coming in every night and being rugged during the day when it was particularly cold/wet.
I did find that adding linseed and brewers yeast to his feed seemed to make a difference to his overall condition, certainly his new coat gleams! Good luck- I'll watch your replies with interest...

That's exactly my boy! Issyella do you trim your dales' feathers?

 

[Izzyella]

That's exactly my boy! Issyella do you trim your dales' feathers?

I don't trim him at all. A lady up the road helpfully chopped his tail up to his knees the day he arrived (!) which I wasn't very happy about. She thought she was being helpful as it was almost floor length but it was wonky and looked really odd. Thank goodness it's almost ground length again.
Troy isn't hugely feathery (although I'd leave them even if he was), does get very sweet face whiskers though!

 

[Inthesticks]

My dales is hanging onto her coat and still looks moth eaten. She is retired so it does not matter, lucky for me my other horses are fully in summer coat..