Well this is a little odd

[Trinket12]

Sugar is a Percheron, Quarter Horse cross and has these cute little feathers that I am very fond off. My coach is less enamoured and it was a bit of a running joke that she’d cut them off because they made her look like a work horse ?

Anyway, I noticed a week or so ago they’d been trimmed off. I kept forgetting to ask my coach if she’d done it (for some sort of horsie welfare reason ?‍). I asked today and of course she hadn’t trimmed them, so then we thought maybe my sharer did (which would have been very unusual) and sure enough it wasn’t her.

So that means there’s a phantom trimmer, someone has gone into her paddock and trimmed off her feathers with scissors.......

I’m more baffled than annoyed at the moment, I can’t for the life of me fathom why someone would do that?? Answers on a postcard ?

 

[Auslander]

I'd not be bothered about the feather loss, but I'd be bloody livid that someone had made changes to my horse without me asking them to/giving permission. What a weird thing for someone to do!

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

Argh- this is up there with banging other people's (horses' !) tails. Not ok- don't touch someone else's horse!

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I'd guess that it was your coach but they wont admit it because you liked the feather.

 

[holeymoley]

Probably the coach. That would be enough for me to patch her, deceitful and not honest! As trivial as it is.

 

[little_critter]

Has it definitely been cut? I think I've heard of feathers getting brittle and snapping off on their own.

 

[Roxylola]

Are you 100% certain they were trimmed? Just thinking maybe bog burn, or changing coat or something. If they were trimmed then that's unacceptable nobody should be trimming someone else's horse - assuming you arent leasing or loaning as in that case obviously the owner would be entitled to do that

 

[Regandal]

Are you sure they’ve been trimmed? My horse only has little curly feathers in winter, none in summer.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Are you absolutely certain that they haven't just disappeared naturally? I have had horses whose minimal feather disappeared seasonally.

 

[Snowfilly]

Are you sure they haven’t been bog burnt or similar? A bit of mud, or friction can cause them to become fragile and snap off.
Or coat change, even my pure Clyde was less feathery when he was moulting and the shetlands always had a couple of weeks where they were bare legged.

If it was the coach, that would be an instant dismissal. No altering anything for the horse unless there’s an emergency or you’ve given permission.

 

[Lintel]

Wtfeck.
How odd. You seem very chill I would be furious, I was furious when people were giving my boy carrots without me knowing nevermind chopping away at his hair!!

 

[lamlyn2012]

Could the farrier have accidently singed them?
Or maybe just natural hair loss, coats are changing atm.

 

[Trinket12]

I'd guess that it was your coach but they wont admit it because you liked the feather.

Definitely not her, it’s not her style. If she’d done it she would tell me, she’s a very straightforward person.

 

[Trinket12]

I don’t think it’s a natural loss as it didn’t happen last year, plus she’s already starting to get her winter coat so is getting hairy everywhere else!

She’s barefoot, so I don’t think the farrier.

She had her feathers up until a week ago when I first noticed they had disappeared.

Maybe it could be natural? But it didn’t happen last year and they look tidy, like someone has snipped them.

I 100% trust my coach and as much as we joked about them that’s not a stunt she would pull in a million years.

 

[Gingerwitch]

Someone pulled then ended up hoggi g my Gingerwitch days before she was PTS. I was furious but too upset to say to much, ended up leaving yard shortly after.

 

[HeyMich]

As folk have said above, could it be bog burn? My mare lost all her feather one year due to muddy gateways. It really looked like someone had taken a pair of scissors to them!

 

[Trinket12]

As folk have said above, could it be bog burn? My mare lost all her feather one year due to muddy gateways. It really looked like someone had taken a pair of scissors to them!

We haven't had any rain for weeks, her paddock isn't muddy at all. But when I Googled that it also said dry conditions, we have had a pretty warm dry summer since early July. So could it be that? But last year was just as warm and dry and it didn't happen last year.