Does anyone clip feathers during the muddy season to lessen the chance of scratches and other skin infections?
Yes, I have been doing that for several years since I moved my horse to a pasture that gets really muddy in the fall. I find that it’s better to leave the feathers and brush the horse regularly if the mud situation is fairly minimal, but if it’s a situation in which the horse is spending a lot of time standing in mud then I clip the feathers so her legs will dry when she’s turned in. But without the feathers to protect the skin, you need to keep an eye on it to make sure mud is not caking onto the skin. I also clip the feathers because they tend to collect snow and ice in the winter.
What level of feathers are we talking? Warmblood level? Draft level?
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I take care of a Cheval Canadien and I clip his feathers all year. They are similar to Fresian feathers.
Hubby has always struggled with his clydesdale’s feet. Her feathers trap everything. He’s clipped them in winter before, but this year, he actually clipped them this summer. She looks a little funny, but she’s been so much more comfortable. Even with dex, mineral oil, sulfur, regular washing, spraying, etc, her legs were always itchy and harboring crud. This fall they look better than they ever have, and the short hair means that her legs have required no special care.
drafts may be pretty, (I’m a WB person) but man, they are NOT low maintenance!
A Haflinger with significant feathering. He’s out on a seven acre pasture 24/7. Although he keeps moving throughout the day, he’s a bulldozer, so if there’s mud puddle, he’s going to find it.
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Middle Tennessee is humid about ten months out of the year.
I have Walking Horses so not that much in the feather department but enough to hold mold & moisture.
Summertime I crew cut the hair, with clippers, in the bends of the hoof and cut the fetlock hair to where I can barely grab it. If the refits are sticking out too far, they get also whacked::
During the cooler months, I still keep everything cut short but I use scissors instead of clippers.
January/February I let the hair grow because those are our coldest, least humid months - if several days of barely below freezing counts:)
I clip all 3 of mine.
TWH, Hackney Pony & Mini, with varying degrees of featheriness.
Just trim with scissors or clippers enough so ice doesn’t ball up.
Thanks, all!
yeah, for a Haffy and similar feathering, scissors or clippers just to take off length that can become dreadlocks of mud or ice is all I’d do.
I have a 1/8" length comb for my clippers and I use that when clipping feathers in the fall. My horse has adorable feathers in winter but for some reason they collect ice balls the size of grapes, and I can’t stand the muddy feathers either so I clip.
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I give the welsh pony one last feather clip mid Fall and let it ride through winter. About March 1 or the start of mud season, I clip again.
My Paint grows very modest winter hair on her fetlocks. It seems just the right amount to direct water and mud to slide off and not affect her heels or the soft area above the heel bulb. Not enough to trap anything. So I think you might not want to shave everything off like you are doing a full winter clip, but leave enough on to shed water.
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