To remove feathers or not??

I think if you pulled her mane and took the feathers off, you would be left with a hunter looking type. Shes a nice horse.

Personally I can't bear clipped legs unless they're done using the clippers like you would use scissors and comb - so the leg hair still looks natural and tidy without the "shaved" effect..
 
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I personally think they look great with a shave and a haircut!
 
You might as well trim them up while her mane is so short. they'll keep growing back, mostly likely faster than mane, while you muscle up your new horse and find out what she really looks like. Does she actually need more weight? I like my light cobs to be lean and mean LOL!
 
ladyt25 said:
What they said. She's not really heavy enough and would look much better trimmed up with a nicely pulled mane (I wouldn't hog her as I think a short, pulled mane would look nicer)
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This :) Useful looking sort. :)

I can't find it now of course because my FB is on strike but did anyone see the picture of the braided feathers recently? I am not a hairy fan, but I thought it was quite a novel idea :)
 
:eek::eek::eek::eek: NNNNOOOOOOO. Unless you are looking for mud fever??

Feather are the best leg protection a horse can have so you would be crazy removing them.
I do like the look of a ice hogged cob or even neatly trimmed however for the sake of your horse leave them on!!!!!
 
Kikke said:
:eek::eek::eek::eek: NNNNOOOOOOO. Unless you are looking for mud fever??

Feather are the best leg protection a horse can have so you would be crazy removing them.
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:) Interesting theory.
So, clean legged horses should/do get mud fever more than hairies?

Do you think that soil type and land/horse management actually has a lot to do with it as well? :)

Pros and cons to each side I guess, feathers are harder to maintain than clean legs I imagine - I wouldn't know because I clip the feathers off everything and have never had a hairy legged horse to deal with. Personally, I like to be able to see what is going on with legs without burrowing through God alone knows what :(
 
Depends what you want to do with her . . . if she were mine I'd leave her au naturel in the winter and clip legs in the spring and pull her mane (so you can plait). But if she is only ever going to be a happy hacker (and there's nowt wrong that that) then I'd leave her alone.

P
 
Enfys said:
:) Interesting theory.
So, clean legged horses should/do get mud fever more than hairies?
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Both mine have feather, one minimal other very heavy. The heavy lives out in the mud all winter. Horses at the yard out half the time always come in with mud everywhere, our heavy on the other hand looks muddy but look deeper and his legs are the cleanest and driest at the yard.
Yes field management can be a issue however it is a fact that horses feathers have the best leg protection possible!
 
Kikke said:
Both mine have feather, one minimal other very heavy. The heavy lives out in the mud all winter. Horses at the yard out half the time always come in with mud everywhere, our heavy on the other hand looks muddy but look deeper and his legs are the cleanest and driest at the yard.
Yes field management can be a issue however it is a fact that horses feathers have the best leg protection possible!
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Not so sure about this, my hairy cob has struggled with a bit of mud fever all winter, been doing all the usual things to keep on top of it.
He was clipped out about 4 weeks ago and the mud fever finally disappeared without me doing anything and within about a week. They're all different I suppose.
OP I would trim and pull, your horse will look much better IMO, he's gorgeous anyway tho :)
 
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Kikke said:
Both mine have feather, one minimal other very heavy. The heavy lives out in the mud all winter. Horses at the yard out half the time always come in with mud everywhere, our heavy on the other hand looks muddy but look deeper and his legs are the cleanest and driest at the yard.
Yes field management can be a issue however it is a fact that horses feathers have the best leg protection possible!
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Oh I know that :) just playing devil's advocate ;)

Far more padding too, so less chance of injury, which leads on to another question...

If feathers give so much protection, why do people boot them up?
 
I love proper hairy horses but think she would look super smart clipped and pulled maneage! :p You're lucky! Very perrrrdy horsey! :D
 
Feathers off and a nice pulled mane and she will look fab.
I think because she isn't a heavy weight cob, she will look better without the feathers, and she will be able to pull the look off a lot better than your standard heavy weight cob.
 
Enfys said:
Oh I know that :) just playing devil's advocate ;)

Far more padding too, so less chance of injury, which leads on to another question...

If feathers give so much protection, why do people boot them up?
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They get booted because people think our horses will break in two if we don't:p
 
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