because people in europe dont do it and american dressage riders have europe mania
It’s just about fashion…
I clip my horse’s muzzle before a show, but not the whiskers around his eye… I’ll maybe take some off, but I leave at least an inch or so, to hopefully prevent him stabbing himself in the eye. Ears, I trim the edges, but leave the fur inside to protect against flies.
I’m curious…
Does the hair inside the ears REALLY protect that much against flies? I’m truly not trying to start an argument. I do clip my show horse’s ears inside, but don’t my schoolies - and to both I apply fly ointment. I must say I find just as many scabs and ickies from flies in the clipped ears as in the non-clipped, and it’s easier to get the “gunk” in the clipped ones! Maybe someone should do a study?! If someone will apply for the grant - I’m in!
[QUOTE=ise@ssl;3123907]
Maybe we should have riders trim all the hair on their bodies as well…ha ha[/QUOTE]
Hm… well, at least my horse doesn’t get waxed like me!
Ilona is right clipping of muzzles is banned in Europe so I guess it is a trend ‘swapping over’ to the US. There was a huge argument about this among the Welsh scene in Germany when a foreign participant in a show was banned because she showed up with her ponies’ muzzles clipped like it is still customary in the UK. Some people felt she should not have been banned because she had no idea clipping the muzzle was banned on the continent. Others were all for it because they felt the judges were correct to inforce the rules in place.
I think it is a look people will get used to in the future much like with Dobermans who are no longer allowed to have cropped ears and tails. It falls under the ‘no ambutation of organs-rule’ and exceptions are only made if there is a medical purpose (for instance in a dog that has repeatedly injured wolf claws or tail).
Clipping the top of the tail is falling out of fashion here as well so the ‘less is more’ seems to be a fashion trend these days. I like a neat hairdo on a warmblood and still think cutting the tail top hair looks more tidy, at least on a gelding or stallion I would never braid them there it looks so pathetically female to me. If I leave them long for some reason I just wash and brush the tail and maybe have some waves by drying it braided overnight.
But clipping the muzzle is something you don’t want to be caught with on European soil 
Thanks Kareen - I thought that was the rule.
If that is true that clipping the nose is banned in Europe that has to be the dumbist thing I have ever heard… Talk about a controlling government…SIGH God Bless the USA…
In some parts of europe it is also illegal for dressage riders to shave or braid their armpits.
[QUOTE=Kareen;3125365]
Ilona is right clipping of muzzles is banned in Europe so I guess it is a trend ‘swapping over’ to the US. There was a huge argument about this among the Welsh scene in Germany when a foreign participant in a show was banned because she showed up with her ponies’ muzzles clipped like it is still customary in the UK. Some people felt she should not have been banned because she had no idea clipping the muzzle was banned on the continent. Others were all for it because they felt the judges were correct to inforce the rules in place.
I think it is a look people will get used to in the future much like with Dobermans who are no longer allowed to have cropped ears and tails. It falls under the ‘no ambutation of organs-rule’ and exceptions are only made if there is a medical purpose (for instance in a dog that has repeatedlyinjuredwolf claws or tail).
Clipping the top of the tail is falling out of fashion here as well so the ‘less is more’ seems to be a fashion trend these days. I like a neat hairdo on a warmblood and still think cutting the tail top hair looks more tidy, at least on a gelding or stallion I would never braid them there it looks so pathetically female to me. If I leave them long for some reason I just wash and brush the tail and maybe have some waves by drying it braided overnight.
But clipping the muzzle is something you don’t want to be caught with on European soil :)[/QUOTE]
That is bull I know jumpers from the U.S. that compete over there with shaved muzzle’s…I don’t see the law being passed here against docking tails and removing dew claws either…It sounds like your AR people have a strong hold over there.
[QUOTE=ridgeback;3125468]
That is bull I know jumpers from the U.S. that compete over there with shaved muzzle’s…I don’t see the law being passed here against docking tails and removing dew claws either…It sounds like your AR people have a strong hold over there.[/QUOTE]
Who said it was a Law? Perhaps just a rule from the national regulating bodies? Perhaps it doesn’t cover the Jumpers?
I am more of the middle of the road. I trim what would not be considered helpfull to the horse. I will trim the mane, tail, bridle path, outside of the ears and the throat latch.
I leave the muzzle, eyes and inside the ears not clipped. I also wait untill the “mud season” is over to clip the fetlocks. Clipping the fetlocks too early leads to the water and dirt dripping down the leg and into the back of the fetlock where fungus/scratches can happen.
Oh and yes the horror…I acutally cut the mane, since the horse this year will be in braids most of the year for show season. My horse is mane is thin enough that the braids will be neat and tidy. Makes quick work for braiding. In addition to banging and trimming my horses tail.
[QUOTE=Rhiannonjk;3125483]
Who said it was a Law? Perhaps just a rule from the national regulating bodies? Perhaps it doesn’t cover the Jumpers?[/QUOTE]
Read the part that I quoted in my post,where someone from germany said it was Banned…
OT, but do the Germans dock tails, crop ears, and remove dew claws? That is something I sure wish we could stop.
So Germans treat whiskers like they are on organ, and most American’s treat them like they are hair.
Well, coming from an eventing background, I was always taught to clip. And I do. Muzzles are whiskerless, fetlocks and coronets are trimmed, as are the outside of the ears, jawline, bridle path. Tails are pulled at the top, not shaved (I hate that! :dead: ), and banged at fetlock level at the bottom. The only things I leave long are the “eye whiskers”; seen too many horses with torn eyelids because their feelers were taken away.
[QUOTE=egontoast;3125457]
In some parts of europe it is also illegal for dressage riders to shave or braid their armpits.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I was just gonna say “Why would the Europeans shave their horses when they don’t even shave their armpits?” And if Americans are going to follow blindly the European trends, when are you gals gonna stop shaving YOUR armpits?
LOL!
But can you bling them?
years ago the armpit thing was true, it’s not the rule any more. years ago in france i was shaving my legs and pitses and my sister said something like ‘t’es putain?’ because they were nearly the only ones then that did.
ridgeback, boy i love how you condemn a whole continent of very varied countries who in some ways have far more freedoms than americans, because they have a different rule at a horse show than you do, :lol::lol:
[QUOTE=slc2;3125918]
years ago the armpit thing was true, it’s not the rule any more. years ago in france i was shaving my legs and pitses and my sister said something like ‘t’es putain?’ because they were nearly the only ones then that did.
ridgeback, boy i love how you condemn a whole continent of very varied countries who in some ways have far more freedoms than americans, because they have a different rule at a horse show than you do, :lol::lol:[/QUOTE]
Gee I didn’t condemn a whole continent just made an observation… here we go with your assumptions and judgments…SIGH
P.S. not a fan of AR(animal rights) groups and that is why they have many of those laws…
