Native hairiness

[newboult51]

I have just bought a very hairy Dales pony. Her mane is monster sized, gets in the way of everything and is impossible to keep untangled. She has hairy legs and a beard.
Am I committing some sort of native pony crime by whipping off her feathers, trimming her mane and tail and generally giving her a tidy up? I was thinking of keeping her mane at about 6 inches rather than the current 2-3 foot!

Thank you

 

[Spotherisk]

Do whatever works for you and the pony! Obviously if you want to show then yes it would be considered a crime.

 

[Gloi]

Depends if you want to show or not.

 

[nagblagger]

Crime in my eyes, i love natural, maybe a very small tidy up but no more. That mane sounds lovely please don't trim it.

 

[newboult51]

Thank you! No, definitely not considering showing. She’s just intended for hacking, her mane gets tangled with my reins at the moment.

Any tips on trimming such a long mane? I was thinking cutting with clippers to about 8 inches then pulling the rest?

 

[Cloball]

I'm not sure what the mane will do if it's only 6 inches, I doubt very much it will lie flat. I love my ponies long mane it's a great 'oh shit' safety grab. We have battled feather mites without clipping successfully. Her tail does drive me nuts though.disapproving hairy

 

[Fjord]

Can you plait the mane so it doesn't tangle in the reins?

 

[Lady Jane]

Can we have a picture?

 

[newboult51]

 

[SEL]

I plait up the microcob - her mane is down past her shoulders right now. She won't let me near her beard and the impressive moustache rubs off in summer.

Vets shaved her legs 18 months ago and they were tiny under all her hair. Couldn't believe how quickly it grew back though.

Cute pony

 

[tda]

You will get used to it!
enjoy the hairyness

What s her name?

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

I used to pull my Welsh D's mane (and scissor the bit he wouldn't let me pull) and trim his feathers off. When I clipped I'd clip out his legs

He looked soooo much smarter, almost sporty, and the mane didn't get in my way when riding

Unfortunately the beard and moustache remained as he wouldn't let me near them! I HATED them but he wouldn't let them be shaved for love nor money!

I'm not sure she'd suit pulled/no feathers tbh, she's quite dainty I always think ponies suit longer manes

 

[millikins]

I used to see a woman at our nearest drag hunt on a Fell. He was clipped out, hogged, feathers off and tail trimmed and I have to say looked very smart indeed.

 

[Peglo]

think I want a fell now. Hair and all

 

[Hormonal Filly]

She’s lovely.. but I’d whip the feathers off and trim her mane but I’m not a hairy lover and don’t show, you’re the owner so do what you like

 

[Gloi]

You do get used to the mane wrapping round your arms and whipping your face as you gallop along

Note plaited forelock so he can see the jumps.

 

[planete]

I have given up the smartness battle with mine. I pluck the straw out of his tail and mane, dandy brush him, clean his feet and tack up. Wash mane and tail once a month when, minus their grease, they suddenly deflate to half their volume and shorten his tail a few inches when it gets too near the ground by tying it up near the bottom before taking the carpet scissors to it. I used to brush his tail out thoroughly once a week, thin his mane with the rake and put his mane in
long plaits when I first got him, then decided it took hours and life is too short.

 

[winnie]

You will learn to enjoy it. Do mane in a long running plait which you only have to redo monthly. Ignore the tail and feathers. I was like you with my first Dales but soon got to love all the hair. 4 Dales later...........

 

[tatty_v]

Can’t blame you as I’m not a huge fan of hairiness, but I have embraced it with our Shetland (slightly easier as it’s all a bit smaller!) Can you do a running plait to keep the mane tidy?

 

[Widgeon]

Thank you! No, definitely not considering showing. She’s just intended for hacking, her mane gets tangled with my reins at the moment.

Any tips on trimming such a long mane? I was thinking cutting with clippers to about 8 inches then pulling the rest?

I would consider a long running plait rather than taking her mane off. I would trim the tail though.

Baby oil in feathers should stop the mud clogging them - at least she's black! A feathery white footed pony is worse.

ETA - like everyone else said! Vote #3 for a running plait then.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Sacrilege!!!!

Either hog everything off, bang the tail and take the feathers off or embrace the hair and plait it. Don't do a halfway house job as it will just look utterly, utterly ridiculous.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

I wasn't expecting a grey. I'm with you, I couldn't cope with that mane. However check that she will tolerate having it pulled before you attack it with he clippers and don't go too short, it may well just stand up.

 

[Widgeon]

I wasn't expecting a grey. I'm with you, I couldn't cope with that mane. However check that she will tolerate having it pulled before you attack it with he clippers and don't go too short, it may well just stand up.

Grey! Oooh gosh. Ok, I'm dithering now. I won't judge either way Although I think I agree with Elf - don't do a halfway job. If you're going to take it all off, do it properly, with a short mane (I wouldn't hog, personally), banged tail, clean legs.

(Re pulling, I wouldn't pull either, you can get a good finish using sharp scissors and thinning comb - backcomb a little bit at a time and snip it off. I was once complimented on my horse's beautifully pulled mane!)

 

[southerncomfort]

Whaaaaat?? Nooooo!

Leave it be and learn to plait well!

 

[Lady Jane]

I would consider a long running plait rather than taking her mane off. I would trim the tail though.

Baby oil in feathers should stop the mud clogging them - at least she's black! A feathery white footed pony is worse.

ETA - like everyone else said! Vote #3 for a running plait then.

She's grey?

 

[Lady Jane]

That is some mane. I didn't know fells could be grey

 

[meleeka]

I’d normally be saying embrace the hairy, but I think your pony would look ok with a shorter mane OP. She’s not too chunky, like a traditional cob, so if you aren’t showing, I’d take it off.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Personally I'd say clip and be damned!

My old gal (sadly no longer with me) was a cob and a mega hairy beastie; she had a crazily thick mane & tail plus feathers, and in the summer heatwaves she was just getting horribly hot & distressed with herself. Vet was visiting the yard anyway and I'd asked him to check her for mites; and I'd said how hot she was getting under all her hair - and his recommendation was to clip her. We had to sedate her, but that's what we did.

My current mare is a little gypsy cob and she's clipped out too. For the tail, we clipped around her dock at the back and took about half the volume of her tail out; her tail was sooh heavy that she just couldn't lift it to poo and it was going all over it. Yuck. Much much easier.

Also because she's barefoot and wears boots it is so much easier to clip her legs.

 

[meleeka]

That is some mane. I didn't know fells could be grey

Neither did I, but apparently they can.

Personally I can’t think of anything worse. I could manage hairy, or I could live with a grey, but both? That’s the definition of high maintenance!

 

[gallopingby]

I have just bought a very hairy Dales pony. Her mane is monster sized, gets in the way of everything and is impossible to keep untangled. She has hairy legs and a beard.
Am I committing some sort of native pony crime by whipping off her feathers, trimming her mane and tail and generally giving her a tidy up? I was thinking of keeping her mane at about 6 inches rather than the current 2-3 foot!

Thank you

Yes a major crime but it depends what you want to do with her. If you comb through the mane regularly it will thin out or you could plait it either in a single long plait or just put in bunches. If it’s too short will look silly and you might regret it. Feather mites and hairy legs can be a problem some have more feather than others, if very hairy getting the vet to jag works well if caught early and done as required and prevents getting out of hand. There are an enormous number of lotions and potions you can use if you’re that way inclined.
if you just want to have fun you could of course clip out completely and hog the mane!!!!!