Horrible mane, can't plait - could I get away with hogging...?

[Chumsmum]

Reading recent threads about hogging has got me thinking about my boy again..

He has a horrible coarse mane that's be made worse by my solo comb butchering as he hates having it pulled, had to wrap rope over nose which bruised him so not keen on doing that again. It's totally on the wrong side.

I've had a couple of people attempt to show me how to plait it over, shorten it and then try to plait but I just find it so difficult and fiddly that I give up... I really don't 'do' turnout.. However, I quite like clipping..

I'm planning to do some dressage over the winter but am just dreading trying to keep him clean and already wondering what on earth I'm going to do about his mane and as daft as it sounds, it really does put me off competing. There is no-one on my small yard who can turn out either so can't even pay someone to do it.

I've suggested to a few people about hogging him and more of them thought no, he wouldn't carry it off, but do admit that they don't like hogging in general so I think that clouds their judgment..


Here are a couple of pictures of him from February at his hairiest showing both sides that may give some indication of what he looks like with and without mane - please ignore me and my awful position, it was my first SJ clinic, I only fell off once..

Opinions please? I will still 'talk' to you if you say no, don't hog, but may insist that come and see what you can do with it!

 

[SKY]

hog it, will look class, very smart looking on your cob

 

[Chumsmum]

hog it, will look class, very smart looking on your cob

I love you

 

[TinselRider]

He has enough topline to pull it off......hog away

 

[SuperSketch]

Definitely hog him! I think he'll look the part with a hogged mane. My pony is hogged but I kept the forelock on (Naughty me, I know) but I'd suggest that you get rid of his forelock too. I think he'd look really smart .

Plus, if your planning to do some Dressage over the Winter, it'll save freezing fingers and you can spend extra time getting his white bits white .

 

[Luci07]

I agree - while I like my plaited mane (and sympathise - my boy needs twitching to pull his mane - solo combing keeps it tidy in between but doesn't thin it).

He is a very smart coloured cob so I also think he will suit hogging..

(though be warned, the coloured cob in our yard gets everything taken off - ears and feathers! but he looks really smart..!)

 

[rosie fronfelen]

definitely hog him- it will suit him better than a course bog brush of a mane, i love hogged cobs myself.

 

[SKY]

want to see pics when you do, go for it, will be class.

 

[Chumsmum]

It's official - I love you all!!

I'm going to ask my friend, who is very good at making horses look pretty, to do the initial hog so I don't mess it up and then keep on top of it myself.

I'm so excited, is that sad?

 

[Sarah Sum1]

He will look really smart hogged! Will also make your life so much easier. I used to want to hog both my horses mane and tail! hate brushing mud out of manes and tails

 

[Ommadawn]

Even before I saw the other replies I was going to say 'Go for it!'. I think he will look great.

Good luck - and yes, we need pics when it's been done...

 

[bj_cardiff]

Hog him

I have a mare with sweet itch and her mane used to get all rubbed and scruffy, she's been hogged for over a year now and I think its such a smart look and saves me a lot of time attemping to smarten up her mane!

In one of the pics of your boy he has his mane on the one side, it'll just look like that from the other side too

 

[Sol]

Hog him! But take everything else off too! no mane & fuzzy feet dont work!

 

[Kellys Heroes]

I don't like hogging
BUT...
I think it will really suit your boy and make him look really smart!
Hog away!
K x

 

[Sparkles]

Hog him definately He's typy enough for it.

 

[Chumsmum]

Yay, everyone still saying hog

Yes, will take off feathers and trim up face too. Will do some before and after photos.

A lady I know who shows at HOYS etc and who was attempting to show me how to plait.. also showed me how they trim up ears and even take off hairs around the eyes and Toby just stood there, not bothered and it did look v smart - I did have to ask her to do the other eye because I was too scared I'd have his eye out

 

[trakehnersrock!]

May I just say - What a handsome chap!

 

[flying solo]

yeah hog it, If I could I would!!!!

 

[hamish1]

i agree he can definatly pull it off!

 

[Chumsmum]

May I just say - What a handsome chap!

Thank you very much

I'm going to the yard now, will tell him what you said and that he is going to have a haircut very soon...

Thanks for replies everyone, much appreciated.

 

[Abbeygale]

He is lovely - and definitely will look gorgeous hogged!! Do it!!

I would pull his tail and take his feathers off as well personally to complete the "look". If he doesn't like "proper" pulling, then do as I do, and use a tail rake, or one of these:

http://www.petsathome.com/shop/stripping-knife-by-mikki-26741

Dead easy to use - after I discovered these I wouldn't go back to actually pulling a tail again

 

[Santa Clause]

HOG HOG HOG,
it will look very smart, hope to see pictures ?

 

[Chumsmum]

Another hogging question..

My friends are still against it but then though don't like hogging and can plait with their eyes closed

However, they did mention that hogged horses they know are always itching their manes, especially as it starts to slightly grow back (though I plan to keep on top of it) and it gets scurfy etc - Toby is already an itchy pony, will this make him worse?

 

[Magicmillbrook]

Another yes to hogging.

As far as itching I have never heard of it, I suppose it could be itchy if you dont brush well afterwards to get rid of all the hairs, I know I itch like mad after we hog my D's heavy weigh cob - I dont know how I manage to get it in my bra & Knickers!!

I am planning to get some trimmers with combs/graders so that we dont have to go super short every time we clip and to enable us to legs without the 'plucked chicken' look.

I think your cob would look great clipped. My Mare is cob x, unfortunately she has a thick, wide coarse cob mane on quite a fine neck. She wont be clipped or pulled without sedation and is pretty hard work to even solo comb. The last few years I have resorted to carefully cutting a sort of hogged strip under her mane with scissors to get rid of the thickness and width and use a thinning comb to shorten. I looks ok and smart enough for dressage and family pony etc - totaly incorrect however if we were to show 'properly'. The main bonus is that no one gets to stressed or injured in the process!

Make sure you post is some before and afters with your cob.

 

[Umbongo]

I think he will look very smart hogged and trimmed.

Never heard about horses having itchy manes once hogged, the hogged pony at our yard is fine and is quite an itchy horse in general...but has not got any worse. Maybe your friends hate hogging so much they are trying to put you off

Go for it!

 

[spotty_pony]

I think he would look very smart hogged! Go for it!

 

[juliette]

I would definately hog. My cob is hogged and he looks really smart. One word of warning, if you take the feathers off in the winter be careful about mud fever, I take feathers off in the summer but grow them back for the winter as recommended by my farrier.