Picture : Why would you do this to a foal?

[MDB]

Pic of a new foal on a breeder fb page in my area (Spain).

Please tell me there is a good reason, cos my initial reaction was one of shock and slight horror. Especially when it has been -5C at nights and we have snow forecast next week.

 

[Chinchilla]

Following. I'm confused too, but I know in arabs it's done to show off their dished face.
And Spanish horses are hogged up to 1 year old too, I think to show off their necks, can't remember exactly to be honest.

 

[MDB]

Following. I'm confused too, but I know in arabs it's done to show off their dished face.
And Spanish horses are hogged up to 1 year old too, I think to show off their necks, can't remember exactly to be honest.

The foals here in Spain are hogged with shaved tails up to two years old.
What I don't get is that this little foal, I believe, is only a few weeks old. Is it really necessary. Looks like whiskers and eyelashes have gone too.

 

[joosie]

Well... having the hair clipped off half its face isn't exactly going to make it freeze to death...
But I suspect it's to emphasise the shape of the foal's face. Maybe to make it more sellable.

 

[honetpot]

I hate when they clip out welsh A and minis heads and necks, it supposed to show off their features because everyone is so dim they can not tell what they look like under the hair. They are just k***s.

 

[Sparemare]

Horrible

 

[Cortez]

Is it an arab? That's probably why. Arabs make no sense.

 

[WandaMare]

Poor little thing, people are so weird

 

[Frumpoon]

To treat a skin condition or injury?

 

[cobgoblin]

Looks like a seahorse.

 

[tallyho!]

Is it going to be -5 in Spain as well?

Nothing surprises me in Arab showing but it doesn't look to be arab... odd.

 

[DabDab]

It doesn't look much like an Arab to me, more like a PRE.

Either way, it is an absolutely hideous thing to do to a foal

 

[MDB]

It doesn't look much like an Arab to me, more like a PRE.

Either way, it is an absolutely hideous thing to do to a foal

It is an Arabian breeder so I presume Arab or Arab cross.
Those were my sentiments exactly.

 

[Cortez]

It doesn't look much like an Arab to me, more like a PRE.

Either way, it is an absolutely hideous thing to do to a foal

It's most certainly not PRE!

 

[DabDab]

It's most certainly not PRE!

OK Cortez...
I've seen many a two week old PRE foal, but am kind of guessing what they would look like with the hair shaved off half their delicate heads.
Anyway, OP already said stud has an Arab bias so I guess it is probably an Arab type that they are trying to make look like it has a dish

 

[ester]

yeah arab explains it, cobgoblin you obviously haven't seen the proper arab seahorse ones! They are much scarier.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Pic of a new foal on a breeder fb page in my area (Spain).

Please tell me there is a good reason, cos my initial reaction was one of shock and slight horror. Especially when it has been -5C at nights and we have snow forecast next week.

Tradition, custom or what ever aside it looks terrible and the poor little mite should have his baby fluff on and enjoy fuss and love being a fluffy baby.
Terrible to do this to the poor little mite.

 

[cobgoblin]

yeah arab explains it, cobgoblin you obviously haven't seen the proper arab seahorse ones! They are much scarier.

Oh but I have...

http://www.horsesmad.com/el-rey-magnum-arabian-horse-breeding/

 

[DirectorFury]

Is it an arab? That's probably why. Arabs make no sense.

I love your posts Cortez, always short and to the point!

 

[Cortez]

Oh but I have...

http://www.horsesmad.com/el-rey-magnum-arabian-horse-breeding/

Oh god that's grotesque! But American breeders (of horses, dogs, whatever) are prone to extremes. Here's a PRE foal:

PRE's have certain characteristic features, particularly the placement and shape of the eyes (lower than other horses, and almond-shaped), ears and facial profile. There is a specific notation AGAINST the dished profile, the ideal being either straight or sub-convex, although you do still see some concave profiles.

 

[Chinchilla]

Oh god that's grotesque! But American breeders (of horses, dogs, whatever) are prone to extremes. Here's a PRE foal:

That little PRE is absolutely gorgeous, Cortez. (How do you get images small like that though?)
El rey magnum on the other hand....:-S

 

[only_me]

It could of course be more innocent and was done to show that the foal doesn’t have a severe dished face & otherwise normal standards for a Arab.

 

[ester]

It does have a very normal profile, even with them leaving his forehead on. It is pretty nasty to remove the whiskers off a suckling foal though.

 

[Identityincrisis]

Is it an arab? That's probably why. Arabs make no sense.

Hahahaha brilliant post!

 

[tristar]

its very often done on arab studs to show off the dished profile on arab foals which may be obscured by hair.

 

[Red-1]

In answer to the question in the title, no, I would personally not do this to a foal.

But, in the scale of things, in a world where there is much animal cruelty, it does not excite me. It is not the worst thing that could happen to the foal, which looks well pampered other than the strange haircut.

 

[JJS]

In answer to the question in the title, no, I would personally not do this to a foal.

But, in the scale of things, in a world where there is much animal cruelty, it does not excite me. It is not the worst thing that could happen to the foal, which looks well pampered other than the strange haircut.

Agreed! I don't plan on doing it to Flower foal, but think there are far worse things going on in the world of horse welfare so I'm not too outraged by it. However, on purely aesthetic grounds, does no one else think that it looks like some strange, naked creature which has wrapped itself up in a bear skin so that only its head is peeking out? What a God awful clip for any horse!