Max123
Well-Known Member
I'm just watching Mounted Branch on Together channel. It is really interesting but I was surprised they completely trimmed off their whiskers. I was always told that was an awful thing to do. Thoughts?
I think some people do it if they're clipping the face. Perhaps there's a reason for it being done with police horses. A poster on this forum,
(red-1) used to train police horses. Perhaps they would be able to tell you.
Yes, we did trim completely. Long ones get caught up in stuff and it was also about appearance. We had a fair proportion of very heavy horses, and they were trimmed to within an inch of their lives so they looked more like a 'hunter' type. Heels trimmed, beards whiskers, we had one who was fully clipped year round. They were pulled, and a couple that grew bushes instead of a recognisable mane were hogged.
As to being awful, they would find it an irritation if it were the first time they were trimmed, but it never caused an issue afterwards, not that we could tell anyway. Having said that, they were stabled overnight even in summer (for security) so were in a stable (pardon the pun) living condition.
If you are watching that program... I am in episode 10 (the last one)! I was the visiting assessor, assessing their new recruits. Many years and a figurative lifetime ago.
Intetestingly, it's been illegal in Germany for a long time. Ears too.
If getting whiskers caught causes discomfort or distress to the horse, trimming them is perhaps the lesser of two evils. Perhaps the long ones could be shortened to stop them getting caught in whatever they get caught in?Long ones get caught up in stuff and it was also about appearance.
If you are watching that program... I am in episode 10 (the last one)! I was the visiting assessor, assessing their new recruits. Many years and a figurative lifetime ago.
Thanks for your reply Red. I'll keep an eye out for you. I stumbled across it last week only. It is so interesting. I always thought police horses were robotic but they really are full of personality and can be as naughty as any. I guess anything done well looks easy. Incredible that some of them come from Rescues. I was also surprised that some of the riders were riding less than a year. You wouldn't want to end up decked in public but presumably it happens and is on youtube before you get a chance to remount.
Is there any particular breed that the police use?
If getting whiskers caught causes discomfort or distress to the horse, trimming them is perhaps the lesser of two evils. Perhaps the long ones could be shortened to stop them getting caught in whatever they get caught in?
On the other hand, I don't think appearance should even be a consideration in this case. Would it be so awful if the horses looked a bit too "natural"?
Just my opinion.
It's now illegal to trim muzzle and ear hair on horses in a lot of places. What, exactly, are the hairs supposed to get caught in?
If you are watching that program... I am in episode 10 (the last one)! I was the visiting assessor, assessing their new recruits. Many years and a figurative lifetime ago.
Thanks for your reply Red. I'll keep an eye out for you. I stumbled across it last week only. It is so interesting. I always thought police horses were robotic but they really are full of personality and can be as naughty as any. I guess anything done well looks easy. Incredible that some of them come from Rescues. I was also surprised that some of the riders were riding less than a year. You wouldn't want to end up decked in public but presumably it happens and is on youtube before you get a chance to remount.
I got the program wrong, I am on tomorrow on Sky channel 173 at 11pm, assessing in Mounted Branch. Yes, the big, bad assessor. At the time it was shown over and over on Animal Planet. I was astonished how many people saw me and recognised me from the telly! I don't suppose that will happen this time, though, as I am now considerable older, wider, wrinklier and have short, greying hair!!! I think it is actually no 13 or something.