To Hog or not to Hog?

[toffeeyummy]

What do people think of hogging? I have a little welsh cross who will be 3 this summer. She is quite heavy set and stands at around 13hh at the moment but with lots more growing to do! She has a very thick and coarse mane which, at the moment, is brilliant because it's keeping her warm as she lives out 24/7. Anyway, I'm not a fan of long manes and probably if it was long and lovely and flowing and thin I wouldn't mind so much. But its ultra thick and last year I did trim it quite alot with a solo comb but then it was just short and thick. She wouldn't tolerate the solo rake so couldn't thin it very well. Anyway, I plan to back her this summer and I know a mane is handy for hanging on to but I'm actually thinking of just hogging the lot off? I plan to do some in hand shows this summer, how does it stand in coloured or youngstock classes with hogged manes? Is it a real no no?? Many thanks for any advice, sorry for the ramble......

 

[Abbeygale]

I've hogged my girly, and glad that I have done. Quite blatantly this is for my benefit than hers, but it does make life so much simpler.

I've ever only done a couple of tiny T&T classes with my girl, so don't really know about showing, but I may attempt a couple of very local classes this summer. As I have no grand plans to show her, and if I go out showing it would only be for fun, I'm not too concerned about how "correct" it is tbh - but that's just me. I think if you want to show and take it in anyway seriously, then unless she is a true up to weight cob, I'd leave her mane.

Maybe keep it til she's backed and riding on a little, if you think you would use it for hanging on to .

 

[Mare Stare]

Is she living out?

If so I'd hang onto it until the weather warms up.

I hogged Doris's mane when I first got her (I say hogged - I actually hacked it off with a pair of scissors!) because her mane was a mass of tangles and it would have taken forever to sort out.

 

[toffeeyummy]

To hog it is then! We are not serious showers but just taking her out to get experience. I will wait for the warmer weather, it will be soooooo much easier to get her looking all smart!! x

 

[rockysmum]

Its only really correct if she is a cob, coloured cobs can be smaller than show cobs though. I like hogged manes myself, much easier than all the pulling and plaiting

If she is coloured just be careful of the white bits you hog. It makes them very prone to sunburn, you will need to put some high factor suncream on the pink skin every morning.

 

[HeatherAnn]

Pics of all your cobby's. There's nothing I love more than a hogged cob