Legs on or off?

[ester]

Last year I gave him above the knee stockings, look a bit funky but eminently practical as the tops always get very sweaty and then he gets scabby. Previously I used to do a large triangle on the inside of the top of his legs down to the top of his knee anyway. We have a tendency to ride through plenty of brambles so like to leave the bottoms on, and if you do take them off he just looks top heavy without his feather.

Like this one

 

[glamourpuss]

I leave my horses legs on, but tidy up any long bits.

I much prefer legs off but I turn out every day & I'm on a deep clay so taking off the protective hair doesn't sit well with me.

 

[Mince Pie]

Don't worry, that poster is reliably rude.

I'd leave them on

 

[Tyssandi]

Clipping next weekend. Last year I took everything off, the year before that he just had a bib clip...
He's in moderate work, exercised 5/6 times a week and is getting too hot and sweaty, so everything is coming off..but do I take the legs off or not?

Here is my current thinking re legs

Pros -
Won't get mud stuck everywhere
Won't need to be washed off with cold water (limited access to warm!)
Less likely to develop mud fever? As won't be stood with wet legs for longer, as will dry off faster


What are the cons to clipping his legs?

cons:

legs more like to get chapped
if your not doing much hard fast work I feel unfair for the naked legs when horse turned out
More likely to get mud-fever or similar due to no hair protection on the legs and when horse standing in mud by the gate they can get infected
protection against prickly vegetation
taking away some warmth for the horse

yes they may dry quicker when they come in but the rest of the time they are susceptible to wind/rain/mud/infection




I am sure Tnavas would agree as she along my lines:

That With mud fever the only time to remove hair is IF it already has mud fever and you need to clean and treat the legs there fore must clip, but at the end of the day the hair is there for a reason and that is to protect.

 

[milliepops]

duplicate

 

[milliepops]

Does he re-grow quickly? I usually take legs off Millie on her first full clip, and they re-grow a 'normal' amount of hair which I then just tidy up on subsequent clips. I find winter management easier with legs off, but we don't go through undergrowth etc Easy to quickly pick up on any scabs etc (though I haven't had any mud fever since starting to take legs off, touch wood), easy to keep clean and dry. I'd leave on if we were regular explorers. I have turnout boots if necessary but our fields don't get too boggy.

With my Sec D I do similar to ester described, leaving it all on just means she never dries out after work. If she didn't look so weird I'd take it all off her too tbh, I find her feathers don't keep her skin dry and she gets minging wet mud dreadlocks.

 

[Tyssandi]

I'm worried about him stood out in field with wet legs though :/ If he has clipped out legs, he'll dry off faster.

He's a Connie, so not super hairy but fluffier than a TB or similar. I'm not bothered either way, just trying to do what's best for him!

yes but think is it only the surface hair which is wet, as I bet the skin under is dry so they are not wet