Should You Clip Horses Whiskers?

Whiskers, or, vibrissae, are different from regular hair both in their anatomy, their location, and their purpose. While it is not technically HARMFUL to trim whiskers, doing so does reduce the animal’s ability to use these specialized tools as nature intended.

Do horses need whiskers?

Horses have special tactile sensory hairs, known as whiskers. The whiskers on a horse play an important role in their sensory awareness system. These amazing sensory hairs have their own nerve and blood supply and help horses navigate their surroundings.

Do horse whiskers grow back?

Fortunately, if you have been in the habit of trimming your horse’s whiskers, those whiskers will eventually grow back.

Why does a horse need its whiskers?

The muzzle area is a blind spot, so whiskers can help a horse be aware of an incoming object. Horses use their noses to investigate objects, food and fellow herd members, and whiskers likely help them explore their surroundings.

Is clipping a horse cruel?

Myth #1 Clipping horses is cruel.
MEH, this is mostly a myth. It’s actually cruel to ignore your horse’s health and comfort. Some horses don’t need to be clipped. Without certain allowances like blankets, skipping a clip is mostly fine if your horse won’t get too hot.

Why do people trim horses whiskers?

Is it OK to remove whiskers? Whisker removal is a contentious issue that divides the equine community. Some horse owners believe the whiskers on a horse’s muzzle and around their eyes look untidy; others see their removal as cruel and unnecessary.

Why do wild horses not need trimming?

A domestic horse is unable to wear their hooves down as nature intended. Wild horses maintain their own hooves by moving many kilometres a day across a variety of surfaces. This keeps their hooves in good condition as the movement across abrasive surfaces wears (‘trims’) the hooves on a continual basis.

How long can horses go between trims?

For most horses the trimming cycle that these farriers/trimmers are finding works best is 2-4 weeks, 3 weeks being the average correct cycle for most horses. It is important to understand that because these trims are closer together there will be less material to remove.

Does grooming a horse stimulate hair growth?

Horses have oil glands all over their skin that secrete an oily substance called sebum. This is the same type of substance we find in our hair and skin! Sebum helps to coat the hair follicles and skin to keep it soft and moisturized. Regular grooming helps spread this sebum out and stimulate its production.

Why do horses raise their tails when being ridden?

A raised tail is often a sign of high excitement or just feeling great. Young horses, or horses with excess energy, galloping freely in a field often hoist their tails high to show their exuberance.

Should I trim my horses hair?

Trimming the Face
Some horses grow shaggy hairs under their chin and jaw. For showing, it is often advisable to trim this long hair off, which makes the horse’s head look more refined.

Why do they put covers on horses face?

A fly mask is a piece of gear used on horses heads to cover the eyes, jaw, and sometimes the ears and muzzle to protect them from flies and other biting insects. Fly masks can also provide UV protection to the face and eyes of a horse and there are even fly masks that are treated with insect-repellents.

When should you not clip a horse?

Most people will stop clipping their horse at the end of January because this is when most horse’s tend to start growing their summer coats. You don’t want to clip much later than February so as not to interfere with your horse’s new thinner summer coat.

Why are horses half shaved?

A trace clip is where only a portion of the horse’s body is clipped. This reduces the sweat produced during work, as well as the time it takes a horse to cool down and dry off after work. There are many different types of trace clips to choose from, each serving a slightly different purpose.

Do horses enjoy being groomed?

Mutual grooming expresses camaraderie among horses and helps wild ones bond into a herd. Horses love to be groomed. Use this to your advantage to make friends with a horse when you first start working with it and to study how your horse communicates things to you.

How often do horses need trim?

every 6 to 12 weeks
Because the horse’s hooves grow slower in the winter, you should trim or shoe hooves every 6 to 12 weeks. This time interval may be different between horses based on their hoof growth.

How often should you clip a horse in the winter?

Your horse can usually be clipped for the first time each year during October. The winter coat continues to grow, but usually not as thickly as the original unclipped coat. One or two additional clips may be necessary during the winter, but the coat should not be clipped after early to mid-January.

How do you keep a horse calm when clipping?

If you place your hand between the clippers and the horse they will be able to feel the vibrations but will minimal hum. If the horse is comfortable with the vibrations through your hand, start by moving the clippers along his body in the direction of the coat, without cutting. Repeat until he is comfortable with this.

Why do I get lines when I clip my horse?

They can be caused by inconsistent pressure, a dirty horse, use of different clippers that have varying clipper blade lengths, not going directly against the growth of the hair and dull blades. You can get rid of lines by re-clipping the area, making sure to go against the direction of hair growth.

How often should I pick my horses hooves?

Take aim by: Picking feet out daily, if possible. This is especially important if your horse lives in a stall full time or has only daily turn-out. If daily picking isn’t practical (he lives in a pasture, say), at a minimum try to do a good visual inspection daily, and use a hoof pick two or three times a week.

What happens if you don’t trim horses hoofs?

As caretakers of horses, it is important to know the basics skills to evaluate the health of your horse’s hooves. What many people may not realize is that improperly trimmed hooves can not only be unappealing but could potentially cause extreme pain and even lameness if left uncared for.