Two exciting decisions......

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Mongoose11

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Well to me they are anyway.....

1) I am about to order the beloved Thermatex that I have been hankering after for about a year, Coblet has been working soooo hard with her schooling and is coming along a treat and I think she deserves/needs it (ok, so I'm well aware that neither of these things are true but don't burst my bubble). So I am going for burgundy with grey edging :)


2) The hog and full clip is happening! I was encouraged to either leave her hairy or wait until she had changed shape, built muscle etc before I hogged her and I think we are almost there. Now this is the same horse that tried to kick the sh@t out of me during a trace clip recently but it seems she is quiet with a twitch. I have never twitched before and don't like it but it's common and safer than using sedation surely. So, it's happening. I have always known I wanted to give it a go so I may as well take the plunge. Watch this space.

So, exciting for me!
 
Can't wait to see her new rug. And new look!

Just a word of caution re twitching, sometimes they can violently "wake up" and go nuts while twitched. I have had two which weren't good to clip and both of them did this. It was not pleasant!
 
putasocinit said:
Any chance of someone holding a front leg up when you do the backend so she cant kick, i so hate twitches
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She just snatches the front leg away and then kicks up to her belly with the backs, more intimidation than anything but it works! I have never liked the principle of twitching although I have no experience in it or seeing it go wrong. When I suggested that I thought it was unkind I did get some rather withering looks at the yard :o

Why do you dislike? Apart from the obvious......
 
EmsHooper said:
Yay! You finally made a decision re hogging! :eek:

Definitely need to see pics of her in all her glory - or lack of! chuckle. :D
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Very exciting! If she looks like a brute it'll grow back...... I don't do enough to keep that mane glorious anyway so it's always a bit of a half and half.... Pictures will be posted, just need to get in contact with the clipper lady. Hope all is well with you and gremlin, did you get another livery in the end?
 
Nothing against twitching but would think using it for a mane hog and full clip might be too long? seeing as it would take around 1 1/2 to 2 hours plus to do all that?
 
Agree with lucio you will need to have some breaks, and not make it so tight that the poor thing ends up with a trunk, some handlers get really aggressive with the twitch, i doubt you would but whoever is holding it. Would be nice if she got to relax then next time you didnt need to use the twitch.
 
Luci07 said:
Nothing against twitching but would think using it for a mane hog and full clip might be too long? seeing as it would take around 1 1/2 to 2 hours plus to do all that?
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Sorry I should have said, she will only need it for under belly and from upper neck and head. Do you think that will be ok?
 
Jealous about the rug. Piper would also love one (in green of course) but can't really justify it.... :o

Twitching can be super effective for clipping. It doesn't work for some horses (it makes Pink a million times worse, and SOOO headshy) but works fabulously for some. They are calm, relaxed, happy and genuinely don't seem to mind the pinching. It's very obviously, very quickly, what kind of horse they are.

Do the twiching FIRST, before the rest. It doesn't work as well once they're upset and stressed.

I did my friends cob the other day and ended up twitching him. He got bored and fed up (after a whole 5min :rolleyes: of having his legs done) and was swinging them about and generally being a prat. Bucket of feed didn't work, packet of polo's was ineffective, a good telling off only worked briefly, so he had a twitch on. Within a min he had to have his head held up as he'd fallen asleep and was drooling and dreaming. Legs done in next to no time and he stayed asleep for a couple of mins after the twitch was taken off. He was so relaxed and content, unlike the stressed, tense horse 5mins earlier when we were trying to force him to stand still.

I'd prefer not to twitch is possible (it's not comfortable) but if the choice is that, physically trying to restrain them, or sedation, the twitch is always my first port of call.

When you twitch, use a thickish, soft rope and make sure you get a large part of their lip, not just a tip. Make sure the skin is flat and the edge of the lip isn't folded back or caught in the rope. It doesn't actually need to be tight (if you just used your hand is enough pressure but it's impossible to hold for more than a min) BUT it needs to be tight enough that it doesn't slip because that's when it becomes painful and pinches.
 
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