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Manes, Beards & Whiskers: To Trim Or Not To Trim?

30/5/2018

 
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"If the horse is to compete or be shown, now is the time to decide issues such as hairstyles and to prepare the mane and tail accordingly.  First of all, find out what rules may apply, if any, and then ascertain what will be the most attractive and practical hair do for your particular horse.  Handle the mane and tail carefully to avoid hurting the horse or breaking the hair.  You may want to show your horse with a bridle path so his headgear fits nice and flat behind his ears.  If so, what length will best compliment your particular horse’s head and neck?  The length of an ear is a common measurement, but you may decide that more or less is better.  Some breed societies prohibit removal of the mane but allow a fine plait instead of clipping a bridle path.
 
An old-time method that works very well on a horse’s under-jaw area is singeing.  To do this you touch the very tip of a candle flame to the very end of the long hairs.  It is completely painless but each hair will burn like a fuse of dynamite and shrivel up, stopping harmlessly just before it reaches the skin.  I used to use this on my ponies with excellent results and they didn’t even seem to mind the smoke curling past their eyes or the smell of burning hair.
 
TIP:  If you decide to try singeing, choose an area out of the wind where a dropped candle will not start a fire; and make sure you do it about a week to ten days before any important outing, because the singed hair ends will form tiny brown blobs that take a few days to wear off.

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How much hair is removed and from where is very much a matter of fashion and taste which varies from breed to breed and class to class.  As a judge, I know that all that so-called superfluous hair actually has a purpose so, while I am all for presenting a clean and tidy horse, I personally do not like to see extreme clip jobs where every whisker, eyebrow and inner ear hair has been removed.  As these are the horse’s natural feelers and part of his defence system, I strongly believe he should be allowed to keep them.  At least two European countries agree with me!  The long, stiff whiskers are tactile hairs which help horses to sense the things they cannot see in the blind spot at the end of their noses and around their eyes.  When you stop to think that that includes food, water and all the prickly, hard and sharp objects they may encounter, you begin to see how important – and beautiful – these whiskers are."

The above is an excerpt from my book Winning Horsemanship. A Judge's Secrets and Tips for Your Success. And yes, I admit I have shaved the whiskers on my horse's muzzle in years gone by. That was before I knew better. I would not do it now, any more than I would cut a cat's or dog's whiskers!

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Even Royal Wedding Horses Will Be Horses

20/5/2018

 

Leading Windsor Grey Thought It Was All About Him

PictureLook at all these people. They LOVE ME!
Like a couple of billion other people, I enjoyed watching the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on television. The ceremony had some very sweet moments, like the confidence of the page girls and boys waving from the gorgeous Daimlers, that kid with a gap-toothed smile who was having the BEST TIME EVER and the meaningful glances exchanged between the bridal couple.

I couldn't wait to swap bridal for bridle though, when the horses arrived for the wedding procession. Harry and Meghan looked the picture of happiness in a vintage landau drawn by the famous Windsor Greys and escorted by the Royal Horse Guards.

I loved the way the horses were all black or white, mirroring Harry's black Horse Guards uniform and Megan's demure white dress and veil.

Now, the oldest and quietest horses are (sensibly) selected for such serious duty on a very exciting and noisy occasion. They are all beautifully cared for and meticulously trained. Every man and horse also participated in a rehearsal. What could possibly go wrong?


PictureYes, look at me (RHS). See how my mane is tossing!
Well, nothing went badly wrong, but horses are horses! Keen students of equine behaviour will have noticed that one horse was particularly affected by the mood of the occasion. Forgetting that he was supposed to be old and quiet, he pranced, tossed his head, cantered when he was supposed to be trotting, swerved a bit close to one of the Bobbies lining the route, and generally kept his rider's hands full for most of the procession!

So what happened to cause this departure from equestrian etiquette? We were told all the horses were wearing ear plugs, to help muffle the noise of the jubilant crowds. Did his get dislodged and did the noise upset him? Unlikely for such an experienced trooper. Was he in a hurry to catch up to one of his friends amongst the contingent of black horses up ahead? As herd animals, horses are very social creatures who form deep attachments, so that is a possibility, especially under the circumstances.

However, it seemed to me that he simply rose to the occasion and responded to the great wave of love and adoration which he thought, not unreasonably, was all about him.


PictureIt is sooo frustrating that I am not allowed to show off the way I really want to. At least I can toss my head.
There are many well-documented accounts of horses playing to the crowd. The great gallopers, Phar Lap and Gunsynd, were two examples. I have also felt it myself, for example when riding in the Grand Parade at a Royal Agricultural Show. My Warmblood stallion, Highborn Powerlifter, was a tremendous show-off at the best of times and his pride at the sound of applause would make him visibly grow in stature, arch his neck, flex his muscles and move with even greater intent to display his charms; which made for some exciting moments, believe me!

So I can say from experience that the rider of that leading Windsor Grey did a brilliant job of keeping his self-appointed celebrity charger under reasonable control. There were a few seconds here and there when a less tactful horseman would not have fared so well, but he managed to keep the cork in the volcano for what must have seemed a very long ride.

So, well ridden, that Horse Guard on your skill and composure under pressure; and congratulations to the entire contingent, both on display and behind the scenes, for staging such a magnificent spectacle.


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Oh, we're there already. Time to settle down and trot.

Acknowledgement: all photos used in this article are stills from this video.

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    Joanne Verikios Winning Horsemanship Blog
    Hi! I'm Joanne Verikios. I've spent a lifetime studying horses and I'm happy to say I'm still learning.

    From a very early age I have been able to tune in to what horses and ponies were thinking and what they were likely to do next.

    Sharing my understanding of their ways and needs with other horse lovers is my way of giving back for every neigh, whinny, nuzzle and exhilarating ride.

    I write for people like me - mad about horses, passionate about becoming better owners/riders/trainers/breeders and keen to learn as much as they possibly can.


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