OMG

[kateknights]

Oh my god everyone, I have just come in from hogging my cobs mane, please tell me I have done the right thing...!!!...
She has sweetitch and half of it has been rubbed off anyway, I have had her for 5 months (didn't know she had sweetitch until I bought her home).
It was a spur of the moment thing, she loves rolling and after all the rain we've had recently, the remaining mane has been absolutely caked in mud every day, so after bringing her in just now and thinking, I don't want to brush what's remaining too hard otherwise I'll pull that out too, so thought s** it, it's coming off.
Please sympathise with me and tell me I've done the right thing...
Kate x

 

[Happy Horse]

Well it sounds like you have done the right thing - I think cobs look cute hogged! If she has sweet itch it will be much easier to treat

 

[vivhewe]

If she has sweet itch and you were going to make a mess of it grooming the mud out then of course you've done the righ thing!

I'm sure she'll look a lot tidier with it hogged that with bits all over the place so don't worry about it

 

[sojeph]

I leave the mane on my cob as he is virtually sweet itch free now we're in the field we're in! (open and by the sea so always breezy). However, when he was bad I used to find hogging made it much easier to treat although also easier for the midges to bite!! I agree tho - cobs look great hogged usually.

 

[Tangaroo]

Of course youve done the right thing! I hogged my boy a few months ago and hes not a cob!! He had the most horrific mane and hated it being pulled and it looked like an explosion, even if you plaited it over it the plaits stood on end!. Now ive done it i realise the problem i had. It grows about an inch in a month, no wonder he hated it being done. He looks quite smart hogged and life is so much easier for both of us.

 

[Sooty]

Don't panic! Even if being hogged doesn't work out, it will grow again. It should make it easier to deal with sweetitch and will certainly be easier to deal with mud.

 

[kateknights]

Thanks so much guys, that's all really reassuring.
By the way, does anyone know when they stop itching and it eases off a bit???

 

[KrashnBurn]

You have deffo done the right thing there!

And cobs do look great with a hogged mane!

 

[tchamberlain]

Your cob will be fine, the hair grows quickly should you change you mind anyway...

My boy used to stop itching over the winter if thats any help?? would start up again in spring when the sunshine and bugs(!) returned!!

 

[Weezy]

My big mare was hogged because of an allergy to cork trees - looked like sweet itch - its better to hog than look messy IMO!

 

[meandmyself]

Cobs suit a hogged mane.

 

[ladylisa]

i think you've done the right thing, it will look so much better than having bits missing and long bits.

 

[charlie76]

I think you've done the right thing- will look far smarter when your cob gets the itches! We hog any of ours that have sweetitch as it makes them easier to treat.
At the end of the day its only hair and it will grow back.

 

[Twinkle Twinkle]

l nearly hogged my boy when l clipped him but everyone told me not to as he has a nice mane.