Who trims whiskers?

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furrycat

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I'm taking my horse showing at the weekend, I used to show her a lot as a youngster and I did trim her whiskers then with no ill effects. I've since let them go au natural. I'm debating whether to trim them again for showing? It feels a bit wrong to trim them but she was ok last time I did it. They do look rather scruffy though, hence why I am contemplating it. What does everyone think?
 
At lower levels you should not be penalised for not trimming - many don't. I've no experience at higher levels. For me I don't ever trim - with one exception - because the whiskers allow your horse to feel his environment - unlike our eyes he has a huge blind spot straight in front of him and the whiskers allow him to "see" his immediate environment. But I do know horses who are regularly trimmed who show no problems from it. They just adapt to what is effectively a blind spot. But - I do trim my ISH's eye whiskers a tiny bit because they get so long they get caught in his grakle! Never known a horse like him.. in so many ways!
 
All the showjumpers I've worked with had their whiskers trimmed. None of them ever seemed bothered by it, even the young ones having it done for the first time. That said, out of choice I would prefer not to do it - my own horse has never had hers touched. But if you want to do it as a one off I don't think it will do any harm.
 
I don't trim whiskers because they are there for a purpose. By removing them you are putting your horse at a slight sensory disadvantage, just as if you had stuffed their ears with cotton wool to make them slightly deaf. I wouldn't be surprised if horses used their muzzle whiskers to help with food selection when grazing, as well as the obvious role in avoiding bumps (esp. in the dark).

I certainly would leave whiskers on a blind horse. They need all the backup from other senses they can get.

But horses are adaptable and I am sure most relearn their "sensory boundaries" quickly enough without giving themselves too many disconcerting bumps.
 
I think we ask for horses to adapt a lot, and they are good at adapting to the scenarios we put them in. It is also not evolutionarily a good idea for them to show distress, it doesn't mean they aren't
I just don't see the benefits of insisting on this adaption.
 
Also, how long would you have to watch the horse to pick up any distress caused by trimming? You'd have to see them not bumping their nose in the dark, for instance.
 
ester said:
I just don't see the benefits of insisting on this adaption.
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...but they look so pretty and smart... :rolleyes3: :biggrin3:

It's pure vanity imposed on them by humans IMO. Very glad to see the majority (who've posted so far) have the same attitude. If it was something that we were doing for their benefit, that's a different matter, but it's like getting them into "show condition" - the welfare of the horse comes second to looking "nice".
 
Used to - along with trimming hair out of the ears etc.
Now I'll do cat hairs along the jaw line especially on something with a more "common" head to help it look refined but leave the whiskers and only trim the outside of the ears if they're excessively tufty :)
Didn't get penalised for it at Windsor in the ROR class so don't see why it should be an issue at a local show.
 
I once saw the craziest argument for clipping the ears out "but they get bits of mud and bugs caught in the hair" well duh, that is what it's there for!
 
I do, however I don't think you should if you feel uncomfortable about it, and I don't think you will get marked down when showing :)
 
ester said:
I think we ask for horses to adapt a lot, and they are good at adapting to the scenarios we put them in. It is also not evolutionarily a good idea for them to show distress, it doesn't mean they aren't
I just don't see the benefits of insisting on this adaption.
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If you'd read my posts you'll see that I, personally, don't. However, I also don't see any harm in the OP clipping out the whiskers as a one off for a show (if she wants to). I can't imagine that it is any more difficult for a horse to adapt to than being ridden, for instance.
 
Used to for showing, don't anymore for dressage.

Must say the headshaker is better (but not cured) for having them left on.
 
nikkimariet said:
Used to for showing, don't anymore for dressage.

Must say the headshaker is better (but not cured) for having them left on.
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My connemara was a chronic head shaker untill I took his whiskers off! (whcih is technically agains M&M showing rules).
My current lad couldnt give a monkeys about on or off. He currently is only just coming back into work after a long lay off so has them on but I will be taking them off soon
 
furrycat said:
I'm taking my horse showing at the weekend, I used to show her a lot as a youngster and I did trim her whiskers then with no ill effects. I've since let them go au natural. I'm debating whether to trim them again for showing? It feels a bit wrong to trim them but she was ok last time I did it. They do look rather scruffy though, hence why I am contemplating it. What does everyone think?
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I did for my first mare as we did a lot of showing, my second mare I did once and never again as she reacted very badly to it.

Now I will not trim any of my horses as I do not see the point just for an odd days showing ( which I rarely do now ) The rest of the time the poor horse is minus one of its senses specially when they get turned out at night.

I do trim his ears when ness as he gets all his hair globbed up into and gooey clump so I just snip that off
 
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HashRouge said:
If you'd read my posts you'll see that I, personally, don't. However, I also don't see any harm in the OP clipping out the whiskers as a one off for a show (if she wants to). I can't imagine that it is any more difficult for a horse to adapt to than being ridden, for instance.
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I did see that you didn't. I just don't buy the argument that they didn't seem to be affected by it when they are very good at not seemingly being affected by things.
 
ester said:
I did see that you didn't. I just don't buy the argument that they didn't seem to be affected by it when they are very good at not seemingly being affected by things.
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I had an interesting conversation a few days go about things we've always done. I always trimmed whiskers as a kid...everyone did. I don't do it any more. I learned about them and decided to leave them be. The conversation the other day was about mane pulling. There is plenty of new evidence apparently to dispel the belief that the horses don't feel it etc. New research suggests it can have quite an affect on the muscles and nerves of the neck...I've not bothered to look it all up, I don't need to. I started to use scissors in place of pulling a long long time ago. Mainly because of plaiting. I use scissors in the same way I would pull...take a section, back comb and instead of pulling, I cut about an inch longer than I want the mane to end up. I finish with cutting up into the ends at right angles and you get a pulled look with no harsh "cut" lines and the horses never bat an eyelid. There are enough horses out there that go bat poo crazy when you try to pull their manes that I do believe that it is unpleasant for them, so I just don't see the point any more.

Whiskers, well, I figure they'd have stopped growing a long time past on the evolutionary ladder if they didn't need them, so with my lot, they stay.
 
Never done it and never will. Would you take off your cat's whiskers or dog's just make them look "smarter"? This may not seem relevant but surely all their whiskers are there for a purpose.
 
I have never trimmed whiskers. My last horse went to a friend to be sold and i told her not to trim them. Once the new owners had paid for him she chopped his whiskers off as thats what she likes. After a week in his new home the groom of the people who bought him rang me to say he was showing signs of head shaking and had he ever done this before. He hadn't and after i thought about it i said to her i wondered if it was something to do with his whiskers. She let them grow back and they have never had a problem since! That to me shows how important they are to the horse
 
_GG_ said:
I had an interesting conversation a few days go about things we've always done. I always trimmed whiskers as a kid...everyone did. I don't do it any more. I learned about them and decided to leave them be. The conversation the other day was about mane pulling. There is plenty of new evidence apparently to dispel the belief that the horses don't feel it etc. New research suggests it can have quite an affect on the muscles and nerves of the neck...I've not bothered to look it all up, I don't need to. I started to use scissors in place of pulling a long long time ago. Mainly because of plaiting. I use scissors in the same way I would pull...take a section, back comb and instead of pulling, I cut about an inch longer than I want the mane to end up. I finish with cutting up into the ends at right angles and you get a pulled look with no harsh "cut" lines and the horses never bat an eyelid. There are enough horses out there that go bat poo crazy when you try to pull their manes that I do believe that it is unpleasant for them, so I just don't see the point any more.

Whiskers, well, I figure they'd have stopped growing a long time past on the evolutionary ladder if they didn't need them, so with my lot, they stay.
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I do think mane pulling and whisker trimming are very different though. Mane pulling causes obvious pain. I know there are some horses who don't appear to feel it, but my experience is that most horses do. We had horses come to my boss's yard that had been so traumatised by mane pulling they became extremely agitated if you started using a small mane comb on them. Luckily show jumpers never pull manes, so I learned to do a very nice mane with a pair of scissors.

I just don't think the OP should be made to feel guilty if she wants to shave whiskers off for a show. Even horses who have their whiskers shaved are rarely kept like that all the time - our lot usually had whiskers in the process of growing out and then they would be shaved close before a show. It's not something I personally do with my own horse because I like whiskery noses, and I do think horses have them for a reason. However, I don't think it is as bad as it is often made out to be. Are whiskers being shaved off really any worse than a horse wearing a bit in its mouth or having shoes nailed to its feet? In fact, if it were a case of my own horse I would shave her whiskers off 100 times before I put shoes on her!

*hides behind the sofa*
 
But just because we do other things that are bad doesn't necessarily mean it is ok to be doing more.

I'm on a yard with dressage and eventers and they all have their whiskers trimmed just because, none of them are showing.
 
HashRouge said:
I do think mane pulling and whisker trimming are very different though. Mane pulling causes obvious pain. I know there are some horses who don't appear to feel it, but my experience is that most horses do. We had horses come to my boss's yard that had been so traumatised by mane pulling they became extremely agitated if you started using a small mane comb on them. Luckily show jumpers never pull manes, so I learned to do a very nice mane with a pair of scissors.

I just don't think the OP should be made to feel guilty if she wants to shave whiskers off for a show. Even horses who have their whiskers shaved are rarely kept like that all the time - our lot usually had whiskers in the process of growing out and then they would be shaved close before a show. It's not something I personally do with my own horse because I like whiskery noses, and I do think horses have them for a reason. However, I don't think it is as bad as it is often made out to be. Are whiskers being shaved off really any worse than a horse wearing a bit in its mouth or having shoes nailed to its feet? In fact, if it were a case of my own horse I would shave her whiskers off 100 times before I put shoes on her!

*hides behind the sofa*
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I've not read the whole thread so not sure what others have said...but no, no need to make a person feel guilty at all. Yes, they are different, but if you look at it that way, it's probably kinder to the horse to have a few moments of pain for a mane pull than to totally remove a part of their sensory system?

Anyway, it's personal choice. I don't want to make anyone feel guilty, but I do think we should all stop and think sometimes...is appearance more important that what's best for our horses. What I mean by best is that yes, they can make do without whiskers, but they are better off with them.
 
I was at a showing class a couple of years ago, and my boy was all preened, polished and lovely - but I left his whiskers on as I don't agree with them being removed.

I was horrified when someone who was with me went, razor in hand, to take them off, without even asking me. They were told in no uncertain terms to leave well alone. ;)
 
We trim the hunters' whiskers during the season, and they can grow what they want in the off-season - manes, tails, beards, feathers - they have no shoes, very little human input and are left to be horses.

My little horse was very feral when I got him (think herding him in from the field, rather than being able to catch him) and I found that if the headcollar noseband touched his whiskers when I was putting it on, he would throw his head up and remove himself. Now he can bear to have them touched, but he'd hurt me if I tried to take them off.
 
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