How best to deal with Shetland foal matted tummy?

[catembi]

My Shetland foal is a year old, so is having a double moult - losing foal wool as well as extra thick winter coat. However, her tummy is v matted - combination of living out, thick wool & tummy being v close to the ground! It feels bobbly - round bits of mud worked into the fur.

I really need to get all the mats out asap for the health of her skin. I've been doing a bit at a time with a tail rake, but it's v slow work. Is there a quicker way? Would it be worth getting the clipping lady to have a go, or would v thick fur + mud just snarl up the clippers?

T x

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Just leave it. It will come out soon enough. None of ours have ever had skin issues from such a thing.

 

[EQUIDAE]

I had one like this last year (though much bigger). By mid May he was smooth as silk

 

[catembi]

What did you do tho Equidae? Did you brush it or leave it?

H'mm, EKW, I like your idea of leaving it as tail raking it is taking **forever**, but it worries me. I had an ancient mare with cushings who had a similar coat & I was always on maggot watch as her coat was a hiding place for creepy crawlies.

T x

 

[EQUIDAE]

What did you do tho Equidae? Did you brush it or leave it?

I just left it and he rolled it out - brushing it made him uncomfortable. I'll see if I can find some pics of the before and after - he really was rotten. His was cow poo mats though as his previous owner had kept him in a barn over winter with his cows

 

[catembi]

Maybe I'm being paranoid then, but my old girl was a maggot magnet! It's also the first thing people say about neglected horse, that they have matted coats...

I would be delighted not to have to comb it all as it took me about 20-25 minutes to do 5%...

T x

 

[Gloi]

It will come off when it's ready. If you mess too much she'll start resenting it.

 

[Rhandir]

I've had some success with using baby oil to soften the mud etc .. apply a generous squirt of oil to the matted hair, leave to soak for a minute or two, then tease the mat out with a comb. Work on a small area at a time with the oil/comb and it will come off quite easily.

 

[rhylis]

I'd agree with leaving it to fall off on its own. However, I used to show shetlands in hand and sometimes we had shows in spring when we had a similar problem to tackle. We used grooming blocks/bricks (not sure who makes them but they are fairly easy to get hold of in tack shops or online). They look a bit odd, like a small block of black honeycombe, but they work quite well.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I'd agree with leaving it to fall off on its own. However, I used to show shetlands in hand and sometimes we had shows in spring when we had a similar problem to tackle. We used grooming blocks/bricks (not sure who makes them but they are fairly easy to get hold of in tack shops or online). They look a bit odd, like a small block of black honeycombe, but they work quite well.

Those things are brilliant for getting Shetland coats out! Lincoln make them.

 

[EQUIDAE]

This is the scruffy thing I went to view at 11 months (first week turnout after living in a cow shed)

A couple of close ups - you can see (possibly) where I tried to get it off but he was getting upset with me

I managed to see his movement beneath all the muck

Mid may, only 4 weeks or so later

Dr Grass is a good cure for so many things

 

[LovesCobs]

I used a shedding blade and as the coat was ready to come out the mats dropped off as well. As with equidae love y looked great after

 

[catembi]

Maybe I should stop panicking then & let nature take its course...? I don't want to be a bad mummy tho!

This is her the day I got her, in November. See the mega thick foaly coat.

Yours is gorgeous, Equidae!

T x

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

My Shetland foal is a year old, so is having a double moult - losing foal wool as well as extra thick winter coat. However, her tummy is v matted - combination of living out, thick wool & tummy being v close to the ground! It feels bobbly - round bits of mud worked into the fur.

I really need to get all the mats out asap for the health of her skin. I've been doing a bit at a time with a tail rake, but it's v slow work. Is there a quicker way? Would it be worth getting the clipping lady to have a go, or would v thick fur + mud just snarl up the clippers?

T x

The only time I would interfer is if the wool or fur got so tight it was pulling on the skin and making it sore and red. Then I would clip his belly but leave the rest, which you could do now you you wanted too.

 

[Cahill]

I've had some success with using baby oil to soften the mud etc .. apply a generous squirt of oil to the matted hair, leave to soak for a minute or two, then tease the mat out with a comb. Work on a small area at a time with the oil/comb and it will come off quite easily.

this but leave oil for a day or two. (then i use a tail rake very carefully)

 

[now_loves_mares]

I have previously used scissors on my (now dearly departed) mini. But actually more when it started coming out. The bits that were being cast were still stuck with mud to the hair firmly attached, so I'd chop bits off. I didn't want them to drag or get painfully caught on the hedge or something. Possibly quite precious of me....

 

[Maesfen]

I have the same problem with Rowan (Dales) it was the same last year too. Horrified that one of mine looked like how the cattle youngstock just out of winter housing looked but coupled with our clay, his round action that kicked it all up then coming in to a pellet bed there was no alternative unless I wanted to wash him off every day and I don't like washing anything off in winter that has a full coat. A few weeks turned out soon had him coming right with a lovely summer coat, I'm hoping the same will happen this year as I want to start breaking him but couldn't get a roller on him as he is now. Next winter, I will clip his tummy, elbows and chest off so I can at least clean him up easier to ride.

 

[Pinkvboots]

Your little Shetland is so cute bless her I would use scissors on the worst bits that can be cut off and just wait for the rest of it to fall out.

 

[Amicus]

What did you do tho Equidae? Did you brush it or leave it?

I had an ancient mare with cushings who had a similar coat & I was always on maggot watch as her coat was a hiding place for creepy crawlies.

T x

I think the risk is much lower with a youngster than an oldie with cushing as you won't have the issues of poor immune system and random sweating giving creepy crawlies much more of a toe hold, it's that warm damp combo flies love too.

I'd still probably hack the worst of it with some good scissors or hand shears though then then let the rest fall out as it pleased.

 

[LCH611]

my little mini is ecstatic when you give him scritches and in the process lots of fluff comes out (he's a yearling so he is losing his baby coat as well), he also enjoys it being stripped out by hand, but to be honest I think it will all just come off when its ready and I don't want to overdo as he got very cold & wet in the hideous weather we had on Friday

 

[EQUIDAE]

Yours is gorgeous, Equidae!

T x

He is only 12 months in the after pics - he's going to be enormous!

 

[Equi]

I clip. I can't be bothered with the hair and mats, and mine generally get so sweaty and itchy my fences are in mortal peril. Then again mine are miniature horses and show clipped so its not an issue....