Very dramatic after removing muzzle hairs!

[silverbreeze]

This isn't a joke btw...As much as I hate having to do it as I think they make use of them so much, after comments by show judges, I have relented to taking off my 5year olds hairs on her muzzle. (show hunters and green riding horse)

She wont touch anything, if she does she throws her head about as if she has just had an electric shock. She wont eat properly and is generally incredibly annoyed with me.
I understand why she is doing this as they use their muzzle hair to help guage distance and objects, but I am not sure what to do about it.

Just wondered if anyone elses horse has ever done this and should I just trim them down a little and ignore the judges comments about them. I hate causing discomfort for her over something so pathetic as aesthetics!

Do any of you actually show with a hairy muzzle without predjudice?

She is bay but has a little white patch on the point of her chin so grows a little white goaty!

 

[quirky]

My friends horse refused to eat his hard feed after first having his muzzle hairs off.
He was ok after a week and is now accepting of his prickly chin!

 

[*hic*]

Well they'll either grow back or she'll get used to it.

Personally I never take the muzzle hairs off mine because, as you've found, they need them but then I don't show.

 

[TGM]

I'm sure there was a post on here recently about a horse or pony who acted really strangely after muzzle hairs were removed.

We do a bit of showing with our daughter's pony, but I must admit I've never taken her muzzle hairs off, but then we mainly do local shows.

 

[silverbreeze]

She was a lot better this morning but still looked at me in disgust!! I have always showjumped until the last couple of years and the emphasis on aesthetics over horses comfort drives me insane! I think I might just rebel and maybe dye her white goaty with a bit of Just for Men.

You see it so often where the horses welfare is forgotten i.e. fat cobs instead of conditioned cobs, over bitted horses as they think they have to go in a double but have no idea how to use it etc etc.. I could go on!

Why do I show then I hear you ask... because my girl is a pretty, dainty little lady and at the moment can't jump for sh*t!

 

[Lippyx]

If it was me, I would probably say to the judge, that I don't agree with it, and explain why. You never know, they may just accept your reasoning!

 

[silverbreeze]

Yes, I think that is going to be the way forward for her.. If it affects my placings on something so petty then so be it.. Her comfort is far more important than very rigid opionions that really haven't changed over the years when they should've.
I shall see how we go in all our hairy glory.. My plaits etc are imaculate so that will have to do!

 

[Shilasdair]

If a judge can't a. accept that a horse needs his whiskers, and b. see conformation despite them, then I wouldn't be interested in their opinion anyway.
S

 

[tibby]

I refuse to remove my horses whiskers as I am of the opinion that they are there for a reason, last year I won a turnout class but was told that I needed to dye my horses hooves black to be correct!!!!!!!!!!!! What a load of squit [ Norfolk for rubbish]

 

[silverbreeze]

I have noticed the black hoof dye that everyone uses but surely it can't be good for their feet.. It stays on for so long!
Will the showing world ever change!?!
And yes, I am of the thinking that if they can't see my horses comformation and behaviour over a whiskery chin and lack of nail polish then I would rather not have their opinion at all.. I think I shall make note of the comments over the showing season this year and see what gets said!

 

[FrecklesMum]

The SHB guidelines for turnout state that hunters should be clipped on the muzzle and ears. She will get used to it after 2/3 days.

 

[silverbreeze]

I understand that she will get used to it but is it not a little dated to expect horses to get used to it.. they have them there for a reason and it is silly for the sake of aesthetics that they should be removed.
Hairs in their ears stop a multitude of things too, namely nasty little flies getting in there in too vast a quantity.
I just think it is crazy that the showing world is so rigid to these things; will it never change. A horse can still look well turned out, trim the crazy tufts off their ears but trim all the hair out?

A bit mean.
Possibly an entirly different post really and one that I should imagine would start a few fireworks so maybe I wont be going down that route on here and just do my own thing and not win!

 

[FrecklesMum]

I have hairs on my legs for a reason (namely warmth) but in the modern day, I don't need them and I shave them for looks! Equally, I think that the modern horse has little need for wiskers, they used them predominantley for foraging and such like which in reality they do very little of now. Personally, I can see nothing wrong with shaving them off, but hey ho, each to their own!

I leave my horses ears because I can get near the bugger with the clippers and I don't think its worth the fight! But, if I could, I would as I think it looks much neater and cleaner.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Well that just shows that they do indeed use and need their muzzle hairs.
If I were you I'd let them grow back, enter classes as normal and if a judge says you have been marked down because of that, relate this story.
I would also write to the Breed Society or whoever your Governing Body is and make the point that you are being asked to ill-treat your horse to win prizes. You never know some-one might take notice

 

[FrecklesMum]

I think 'ill treating your horse to win prizes' is a bit steep! That statement implys that all of my yard are ill treated.

 

[Bay_Beasty]

I don't show on principal of the fact horses need hairs on face and they are absolutley gorgeous. I got nuts and I mean absolutely mental if anyone tries to cut my horses off, Typically people who come to clip my horse or my sister, she can get handy with the scissors when I am not looking. You wouldnt cut a cats whiskers off so why cut off a horses.

 

[ladyt25]

I wouldn't take my horse's whiskers off (but then I do do showing - tales far too long! hehe). They need their whiskers to feel and judge where things are - you take them off that whole sense is disrupted. Many horses will bash their muzzles on things after whiskers are removed.

I am trying to liken it to something being removed from a human but i can't think of anything right now......!

As bay beasty said though you wouldn't cut off a cats, or dogs for that matter, whiskers are there for a reason. You don't cut their eyelashes (the long ones) off surely??

 

[3Beasties]

Last summer I took charlie's whiskers of for the first time, a couple of hours later when I went to feed him he wouldn't eat and if I went to put my hand towards his head he acted EXTREMELY headshy. He was also showing colic like symptoms, was very restless etc. We got the vet out as I genuinely thought it was colic or some sort of poisoning and I wasn't going to take any risks. The vet was completely baffled as to what it was but came to the conclusion that it was mild colic and treated him. The next day he was fine but the more I think about it the more I am convinced it was a severe reaction to having his whiskers taken off. Needless to say they have stayed on ever since!

 

[silverbreeze]

[ QUOTE ]
Equally, I think that the modern horse has little need for wiskers, they used them predominantley for foraging and such like which in reality they do very little of now. Personally, I can see nothing wrong with shaving them off, but hey ho, each to their own!


[/ QUOTE ]

But surely the fact that my girl has reacted so badly is proof that she thinks she needs them? If it had no detrimental effect on this horse in particular then she wouldn't be reacting that way. I think that if I choose to leave them on because she is happier with them then I shouldn't be penalised

And I too shave my legs but I don't feel cold without them; how hairy are your legs

.. If I did I would leave them on.

I'm not saying how cruel everyone who takes them off is.. I'm saying I would rather leave my girls on and it's wrong that they should have to be removed for a showing class...

And before anyone says well you might as well not bother plaiting etc I plait becusae she isn't bothered about that; if she was I wouldn't plait or show..

 

[FrecklesMum]

Well personally, I don't like to discuss my extreme hairyness on a public forum.....but suffice to say, I need 20 denier tights on for days after!

Seriously though, I really not see the problem with trimming ears, muzzles and EYELASH HAIRS! But, as I said above, each to their own - none of my horses have ever suffered side effects from it and stand quite happily whilst I razor/clip them. A mare on my livery yard was quite unhappy about it when hers were done but was fine after a few days.

The fact that the majority of horses are unfazed by it and the few that are get over it in a few days means to me that they do not inheritantly rely on them any more!!

 

[nona1]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopi...es-barbers.html

One lad wants to hang on to his 'tache!

 

[silverbreeze]

[ QUOTE ]
Well personally, I don't like to discuss my extreme hairyness on a public forum.....but suffice to say, I need 20 denier tights on for days after

[/ QUOTE ]

LMAO

 

[silverbreeze]

haha ha ha.. thats brilliant!! Needless to say she isn't quite that bad!

 

[Chestnuttymare]

quote:- As bay beasty said though you wouldn't cut off a cats, or dogs for that matter, whiskers are there for a reason. You don't cut their eyelashes (the long ones) off surely??

Well actually, with some breeds of dogs, the whiskers are removed for showing, it makes the face look more clean cut. the eybrows are also cut off. i never really liked doing it but it did look better. The dog has less use for them than a horse though.
I don't think I would like to remove them from my horses. I also don't show them though.